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Electric Toasters Made in the U.S.A.
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Early Toaster from DetroitAccording to the book by Charles P. Fisher Early American Electric Toasters, in March, 1905, George Schneider invents a practical if complicated, enclosed toaster specifying "suitable resistance wire", probably referring to the alloy invented by Albert Marsh. The patent is assigned to American Electrical Heater Co. of Detroit. I've owned a very early model which is very scary looking.This one is a later model which has loop door handles and enameled wood feet. It has a snake-laced coiled heating element. The base bears the company's signature triangle badge. While there is no damage overall, the nickel plating is pitted and steel parts are showing rust. Cord not included.
American Electrical Heater Co.
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The American Beauty ToasterThis American Beauty electric toaster is a later model from the American Electrical Heater Company, this one with snake-laced heating coil and enameled wood door handles and feet. The base bears the company's triangle name badge.The plating on this one is in very good condition. Cord not included.
The American Beauty Toaster
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The Rochester ToasterEarly in the development of the electric toaster, Rochester Stamping Co. produced this fairly primitive toaster. It is remarkable for having no moving parts.The steel frame retains two vertical mica plates wound with ribbon heating wire. It has a knob on one end to steady the piece while the cord is inserted in the opposite end. The name badge indicates this piece was manufactured in 1917. The vertical guard wires are turned up at the bottom providing a shelf on which the bread rests while toasting. Cord set not included.
The Rochester Toaster
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Thermax Pincher ToasterThis toaster is about one hundred years old and still makes toast. Sort of. It has spring-loaded doors that clamp the bread against the heating elements hence the moniker "pincher".I tested the toaster using a slice of Wonder bread. It's a very fast toaster, so timing is critical. Fold the door open to check progress. I got a slice that was not evenly brown. So, I rotated the slice 90 degrees and toasted for another 10 seconds or so, and the browning was much better. It was manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark. A catalog entry calls it the Thermax Upright Toaster. Comes with detachable cord set.
Thermax Pincher Toaster
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Hotpoint Electric Toaster from the mid-1920sThis toaster was sold about the time that Charles Lindberg flew across the Atlantic. It has beautiful nickel plating and knobs that never get hot. It has beautiful openwork design in the doors and in the top.Hotpoint products were advertised as excellent Christmas gifts. This toaster is in very good condition but is missing its fiber feet so this one is sold 'as is'. Cord not included. Hotpoint Electric Toaster from the mid-1920s |
Electrex ToasterThis toaster has swinging doors to pivot from one side of the bread to the other. The doors are rusty and it is in rough condition. Cord not included.Electrex Toaster$15 |
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Westinghouse Turnover ToasterAbout a hundred years ago, when electricity in the home was replacing gas light, Westinghouse deployed a batllion of ladies as home demonstrators to households recently wired with electric service. Their job was to show the housewife the marvels of making electric toast and those of an electric iron.The one is an earlier model because it sports a name badge citing the Copeman Patents. (See my links page to learn more about the Copeman patents.) This one is still in good shape and makes good toast. Cord not included. Turnover Toaster
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Universal Toaster with Swinging CagesThis is one of my favorite toasters because of the elegant mechanism that allows you to turn each cage to toast two sides of the slice without handling the bread. Load in some bread, toast one side, then turn the cage to toast the other side. Cages measure 4.25 inches square and just shy of an inch wide.The construction is nickel over brass and steel. The base is weighted and the sides are fitted with turned wood handles. An early 1920s catalog page shows it with the earlier model with a rack on the top. And, I've found it an ad in the Saturday Evening Post from 1929 so it was sold for quite a few years. This one is in very good condition. It is clean and working and comes with a detachable cord set. Universal Toaster with Swinging Cages
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1927 ToasterThis toaster was manufactured in November of 1927, as the Holland Tunnel opened under the Hudson River connecting New York and New Jersey. The George and Ira Gershwin musical "Funny Face" opened with Fred and Adele Astaire who danced through over two hundred performances. And "Connecticut Yankee" opened at the same time, a Rogers and Hart musical based on Mark Twain's work.This toaster was made in Connecticut where high-quality small electrical goods were being manufactured by stamping steel, plating and polishing then assembly by human hands at a line of workbenches. It has vertically laced spiral coil heating wire with porcelain insulators. This one is in good condition for being nearly 100 years old with damage to one door handle. It includes a cord set which plugs into the side of the toaster. Of course, it makes pretty good toast. If you are looking for a small, simple toaster that is easy to keep clean, this model is a good choice. 1927 Toaster
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