Trapdoor Toaster releases bread on the bottom, removes trademark "pop"

For whatever reason, toasters are redesigned entirely more often than most any other kitchen gadget, but the Trapdoor Toaster may actually be an alternative worth checking out. First off, the item you see above is no concept -- as a matter of fact, it's available for purchase right now at Hammacher Schlemmer. Essentially, this thing inhales bread, bagels and frozen waffles, toasts 'em to your preferred level of brown / black and then shoots them out below onto a serving tray. Sadly, this removes that iconic eject function that makes traditional toasters so fun to watch, but it does prevent you from scalding your fingertips as you try to dig out slices from the fiery slots. Novel? You bet. Worth the $79.95 asking price? Not on your life.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

[matt @ Jul 21st 2008 8:40AM]

what is the world coming to?

[Kespar @ Jul 21st 2008 8:45AM]

an age of slightly more covenient means of getting its toast out of the toaster....?

[Kris @ Jul 21st 2008 8:46AM]

A world where robots disobey their scientist creators. And toast doesnt pop.. Ridiculous.

[Kespar @ Jul 21st 2008 8:54AM]

...maybe some form of artificial popping sound could be played upon delivery of said toast...akin to that of Fiskers Karma pretending to be a real mans car?

[gentux @ Jul 21st 2008 9:26AM]

A world without fresh bread.

[BigD145 @ Jul 21st 2008 2:07PM]

This won't sell for the same reasons that non-twist top toothpaste bottles don't sell; it's not "normal" or familiar.

[Blackstar @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:09AM]

I'd like to see the slot loading one like CD and DVD players.

[d @ Jul 21st 2008 8:45AM]

failed anyway. [EXPLETIVE!]

[Zeth Ethereal @ Jul 21st 2008 8:51AM]

I want one but.......wayyyyyy too expensive!

[Samboini @ Jul 21st 2008 9:02AM]

Not really, my toaster cost £140 ($280).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dualit-Slice-Stainless-Toaster-40352/dp/B00008BQZC/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1216645236&sr=8-10

[Kespar @ Jul 21st 2008 9:04AM]

dualit toasters are the funky shiznit.

[tom @ Jul 21st 2008 9:56AM]

Looking at the quality of the toast, it is burnt. It will cause cancer if you eat it.

[RC @ Jul 21st 2008 8:51AM]

Just recently started using a popup toaster for the first time. Always used a toaster oven before. Can someone tell me if it's normal for the toaster to not actually elevate the bread enough to remove easily? The thing pops, but they just sit there instead of sticking out for easy removal. Seems beyond stupid to me. Is that normal?

[chefgon_ign @ Jul 21st 2008 8:56AM]

That's the trademark of the traditional toaster. They are supposed to pop the toast up high enough to be easily removed, but they don't. Being broken is just built into the pop-up toaster design. I have never in my life seen one that works properly even close to 100% of the time.

[Esat Dedezade @ Jul 21st 2008 8:58AM]

Unfortunately, yes. Yes it is normal. I use a wooden spoon to prise mine out. Don't use a knife as there is a risk of electrocution.

It's all explained in this pamphlet; "So you want to safely get your bread out of your toaster? - The Facts!"

[Stiv @ Jul 21st 2008 8:59AM]

All toasters I have owned have a combination of 4 possible functions.

1. Toast not toasted.
2. Toast burned (despite the adjustment, I think all toaster settings are binary).
3. Toast not ejected far enough.
4. Toast ejected out of the toaster and lands on the counter.

[Andrew Borem @ Jul 21st 2008 8:59AM]

That's normal. What's the fun in having toast if you don't have third-degree burns on your fingers?

[Samboini @ Jul 21st 2008 9:01AM]

Yup, unless you buy a more expensive model.

[Asher69 @ Jul 21st 2008 9:04AM]

That's why I bought the toaster meant for toasting Texas Toast (really, does everything really HAVE to be bigger in Texas? I mean, c'mon... srsly). That way, when regular human sized toast doesn't pop up all the way I at least have some extra room in there to move the wooden tongs around to retrieve my hot bready combustibles.

[Starnerf @ Jul 21st 2008 9:12AM]

Every toaster I've ever used lets you pull up on the handle to elevate the toast more. That way if you don't get to the toaster quickly the bread stays warm.

[RC @ Jul 21st 2008 9:25AM]

Thanks for the replies. My toaster does actually let you pull up on the handle to make them stick out more. But it's still not enough. It just seems like such a basic need for a toaster that it confuses me that it doesn't work.

[Chad @ Jul 21st 2008 10:53AM]

The Toast Tong is your friend!

http://www.surlatable.com/product/electrics/toasters+%26+ovens/toast+tongs.do

[bartoron @ Jul 21st 2008 8:52AM]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Especially when the new design is even worse than the old one.

[Andrew Borem @ Jul 21st 2008 9:18AM]

Uhhh... I think we just established that it IS, in fact, broken. :-/

[Chad @ Jul 21st 2008 9:21AM]

When will people learn about the huge delay when submitting comments?

[Chad @ Jul 21st 2008 9:24AM]

After reading the website I now know how the bagel function works on my toaster...wow, I was doing it all wrong.

[fergie @ Jul 21st 2008 9:28AM]

So, Kellog's might have to change the name to Drop-Tarts.

[Asher69 @ Jul 21st 2008 10:29AM]

Oh... oh that just lends itself to some really bad mental imagery. Though I have to admit, the last time I ate those things they had...uh...undesirable results, so maybe the name change isn't such a bad idea after all. :D

[Raytaka1222 @ Jul 21st 2008 1:16PM]

+2 for the comment. I like the idea that it just drops it instead of you ducking for cover to avoid the face burning projective...

[mrxcel @ Jul 21st 2008 9:34AM]

Fraking toasters!

[rita hainsworth @ Jul 21st 2008 9:41AM]

People still eat bread?

[Ignatius @ Jul 21st 2008 2:05PM]

Well, yeah, they need to buy this awesome toaster if they want toast.

[Rob @ Jul 21st 2008 9:43AM]

Because the old method we've used for decades has been so ineffective, now I need to spend $80 instead of the $12-14.

[nak @ Jul 21st 2008 9:49AM]

Better than not having toast, I suppose...

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jul 21st 2008 9:50AM]

If they bring it down to $50, I might go for it.

[Greg @ Jul 21st 2008 10:07AM]

I for one welcome our toasty overlords

[Galley @ Jul 21st 2008 10:12AM]

The best toaster I ever had was one I literally found on the side of the road.

[Idlemind @ Jul 21st 2008 10:52AM]

Cat urine has a way of fixing almost anything....

[Ignatius @ Jul 21st 2008 2:05PM]

I bet your gutter toast is awesome.

[Seanross @ Jul 21st 2008 10:14AM]

Tag. I want one

[Akio @ Jul 21st 2008 6:46PM]

Tag. You're an idiot

[Seanross @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:44AM]

I tagged this article so I could find it again later. whats wrong with that again?

[Vcize @ Jul 21st 2008 10:31AM]

Still creative, even though it was a bit late. + for you.

[Alexander @ Jul 21st 2008 10:45AM]

Nothing new here... This style is what is used in most quick-service (read: Crappy food) places for decades.

Only difference is that they use a very slowly moving wire rack to move the bread past the electric heating elements allowing it to not require a 'trap door' but is instead held in place by the moving wire rack until it falls out the bottom--usually onto the floor where they step on it once or twice.

http://www.acitydiscount.com/Merco-Savory-Mini-Conveyor-Toaster-Merco-Savory-ST-1.0.46932.1.1.htm

This one is horizontal, but there are vertical ones as well.

[Idlemind @ Jul 21st 2008 10:51AM]

This is downright un-American.

How are you supposed to stick a butterknife in there to pull the toast out if it just comes out so easily??

[Das Boot @ Jul 21st 2008 11:12AM]

How is this un-American? Americans tend to want everything made easy for them. The less work a white person does, the better and I say this product delivers. So what if it doesnt pop the toast from the top? Soon we'll all be like those people in Wall-E, we'll be living in a space ship bc we polluted our planet to the point of being unhabitable, we wont need to walk bc we have hover chairs, we'll be fat asses and eat all our meals via drinks. Did i forget the projection screen 2 inches away from our face?

[Idlemind @ Jul 21st 2008 12:08PM]

i fogot the /insert (sarcasm) tag at the end of my post...

sry, ok bye

[Lee @ Jul 21st 2008 11:30AM]

It's not just a novelty, some people dislike the "pop." The "pop" startled an ex-girlfriend of mine nearly every time. Of course, that's one of the reasons she's an ex...

[Xtopher Robin @ Jul 21st 2008 11:36AM]

It's the HP ToastJet! I bet butter cartridges cost $20 a pop too!

[Alan Welch @ Jul 21st 2008 12:12PM]

Have they managed to eliminated the darkness setting that chars bread to an inedible crust of charcoal? No one has gotten that right since the toaster was invented.