# crappy toaster



## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

Toaster made in the last 20-30 years are pretty much disposable, buy a new one.

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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

everything is disposable these days. this thing was crap bran new. so i would probably end up buying another pos.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

I just bough a toaster for 8.99 at walmart on line...free in store pickup...works good.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i just looked down in there. the ones working well are humped. the poor working ones are laying flat of the board.
after it cools i am going to make a hump in a flat one and see what happens.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

The nichrome wire used in those elements is brittle, especially after it has been heated and cooled a few times. If you break it, you will have no choice in buying new.

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## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

It ain’t broke till it’s broke....

If it’s already ‘ducked’ then you can’t ‘duck’ it any more....

What I’m trying to say before autocorrect corrected me is that you have nothing to lose.... 

nowhere to go but up.... 

... unless the replacement is worse.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Read the warranty when you buy a new one and USE IT. Maine adds 4 years of implied warranty and I have saved a lot of money by returning products that died long before they should have. Not all states are as generous but at least hold them to the stated warranty when something is defective.

Bud


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

ok, i just tweaked a few, it works. turns out the wire goes from end to end, looking at it, it looks like there are rows.
and the wire is what is called "ribbon wire" = its flat. i am letting it cool down again, then i will tweak some more.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i happen to have a bunch of Nichrome wire, just not flat. but, i could easily twist some together if needed.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Ditto on just replacing it. 

Also, do not let the fancy controls and expensive price lure you. About three years ago, the wife saw a nifty looking retro-style toaster on Amazon..., $42. 

Tried it on a number of slices of bread. It would not consistently toast. Sometimes only one side toasted. At other times one side toasted differently from the other.

I returned it in disgust and bought a Hamilton Beach for $16 at Costco. Three years later and it is still toasting great.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

the problem with this one is it takes much longer to toast than it sshould.


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)




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## dj3 (Apr 27, 2020)

I wouldn't repair a toaster, when new ones go for under $9.
If you wait for black Friday, you can get it for even less.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

dj3 said:


> I wouldn't repair a toaster, when new ones go for under $9.
> If you wait for black Friday, you can get it for even less.


i didn't say i would, i said i could. the problem with cheap toasters, is they are cheap. 
we had one a while back, it toasted pretty fast = 6-8 slices compared to 2 now.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Fix'n it said:


> i didn't say i would, i said i could. the problem with cheap toasters, is they are cheap.
> we had one a while back, it toasted pretty fast = 6-8 slices compared to 2 now.


oh, but it was kinda ugly, didn'tt mtch anything in the kitchen


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Most toasters today are such low wattage that they dry out bread better than they toast it.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Maybe the "flat" wires are too close to the backing plate which is heat sinking up some of the energy from them?


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## KrisMegan (Oct 20, 2020)

Nowadays, most people prefer a four slice toaster, I did some basic research and came across this page with lots of information of 4 slice toasters. JThe Cuisinart range is generally the most preferred. I also have had good experience with Breville.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

My wife can’t eat gluten, so we have 2 toasters at each of our homes.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Old Thomas said:


> My wife can’t eat gluten, so we have 2 toasters at each of our homes.


what does that have to do with it ?


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Since we started using our air fryer oven, we haven't used the traditional toaster. The air fryer will toast up to 6 slices per rack in about the same time as the toaster with better control. Bagels fit without jamming. And small English muffins are easier to pull out. I think our toaster is headed out the door..


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Yodaman said:


> Since we started using our air fryer oven, we haven't used the traditional toaster. The air fryer will toast up to 6 slices per rack in about the same time as the toaster with better control. Bagels fit without jamming. And small English muffins are easier to pull out. I think our toaster is headed out the door..


we have an air fryer. used it a few times and didn't deem it useful. but i will say, we may not have given it enough chance. also, one thing that i have engrained in my head, is that it is very energy inefficient . but idk if i am correct or not.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Fix'n it said:


> what does that have to do with it ?


Huh? If Old Thomas uses a toaster with regular bread, crumbs from the bread that may be stuck inside have the potential to contaminate any future slices of (gluten-free) bread that may be toasted in it, causing the consumer of the no-longer-gluten-free bread gastrointestinal distress. Thus, separate toasters.


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> we have an air fryer. used it a few times and didn't deem it useful. but i will say, we may not have given it enough chance. also, one thing that i have engrained in my head, is that it is very energy inefficient . but idk if i am correct or not.


IDK, a typical toaster uses about 1200 watts, our air fryer is 1500 watts, I assume when turned on highest temp. The wife baked a butternut squash last night in about 20 mins. If she had done it in the regular oven, which takes 5-10 mins to warm up it would have probably taken 40 mins. The fan in the air fryer blowing hot air around has a similar effect as wind chill for cold temps.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

huesmann said:


> Huh? If Old Thomas uses a toaster with regular bread, crumbs from the bread that may be stuck inside have the potential to contaminate any future slices of (gluten-free) bread that may be toasted in it, causing the consumer of the no-longer-gluten-free bread gastrointestinal distress. Thus, separate toasters.


just for a few crumbs ? if that .


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Yodaman said:


> IDK, a typical toaster uses about 1200 watts, our air fryer is 1500 watts, I assume when turned on highest temp. The wife baked a butternut squash last night in about 20 mins. If she had done it in the regular oven, which takes 5-10 mins to warm up it would have probably taken 40 mins. The fan in the air fryer blowing hot air around has a similar effect as wind chill for cold temps.


maybe i should dig it out. but, the thing i like about using the oven = free heat. we turn the ceiling fans on, the furnace doesn't kick on.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Fix'n it said:


> what does that have to do with it ?


If regular bread goes in her toaster it contaminates the toaster and then if she uses it she gets sick. Very small amounts make her sick. It happens if I stick my knife in her jar of peanut butter, too.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

I don't have anything useful to add, just want to commend the OP for taking the time to try to figure out how/if to fix the toaster. Even if that fails, you're still better off having learned something, than to just toss it and buy a new one.

Sometimes we forget this _is_ a "DIY" forum...


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

My wife and I bought a toaster for $65 at Williams-Sonoma. We had already gone through several, and Williams-Sonoma promised a lifetime warranty on anything you buy from them - just bring it in with the receipt and they'll replace it.

That was 20 years ago. I still have the receipt. The toaster still works, and it is used pretty much every day. It just needs to be cleaned once in a blue moon. The brand is Waring. Buy that brand (now over $100) if you would like your toaster to live longer than you do.


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

oops, duplicate


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Old Thomas said:


> If regular bread goes in her toaster it contaminates the toaster and then if she uses it she gets sick. Very small amounts make her sick. It happens if I stick my knife in her jar of peanut butter, too.


wow, thats crazy, such minuscule amounts.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

snic said:


> My wife and I bought a toaster for $65 at Williams-Sonoma. We had already gone through several, and Williams-Sonoma promised a lifetime warranty on anything you buy from them - just bring it in with the receipt and they'll replace it.
> 
> That was 20 years ago. I still have the receipt. The toaster still works, and it is used pretty much every day. It just needs to be cleaned once in a blue moon. The brand is Waring. Buy that brand (now over $100) if you would like your toaster to live longer than you do.


its not about life expectancy, its about doing what it is supposed to do, well. the 8y/o chinese kid didn't run the heating wires properly. if he/she did, then this toaster would work just fine.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

CaptTom said:


> I don't have anything useful to add, just want to commend the OP for taking the time to try to figure out how/if to fix the toaster. Even if that fails, you're still better off having learned something, than to just toss it and buy a new one.
> 
> Sometimes we forget this _is_ a "DIY" forum...


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## snic (Sep 16, 2018)

I also commend the OP for trying to fix his toaster rather than replacing it. But the fact is that most appliances these days are not built to last. It's a DIY forum, but I think it's also worth bringing up the very few exceptions to the "all appliances are crap" rule. Fixing a Waring toaster would actually be worth it to me because (a) it would be expensive to replace, and (b) once fixed, it would be expected to last a long time. Fixing a $9 Walmart special is just not worth my time and effort because something else in it will break a month later. But this is in no way meant to discourage the OP - everyone has to draw their own line on the fix vs toss continuum.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

There's another angle to the "I wanna repair it" other than the DIY one—some of us want to minimize our contribution to landfills.


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## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

I just get a self satisfaction of being able to fix things. Often when you fix them it gives the opportunity to improve it to a quality better than what you would get if you bought a new one (that would probably have the same design flaw as the last)


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

update. i finally pried out the offending elements, they all are glowing about as well as possible with the crappy design. but did not toast anything yet. white bread toast is the measure, and i ran out.


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## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

I’m not familiar with Nicrom wire. If you shorten it up will it heat up more? Is there a relationship with E = I x R with this material or is it self regulating?


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

I have a tiny kitchen, so when the toaster broke, it was quick to go, and not be replaced. I do my toast on the stove now in a pan with some Pesto Vegannaise - turns out much better for me. Not as convenient, but I like the results much better than what a toaster does.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

update

so, i tweaked the elements as best i could, basically, made the dead ones come alive to one extent or another.
it works better now. not great, but noticeably better. i am going to call it good.

i looked at the toasters at walmart. they all had the same element setup, but all completely flat to the board. unless they loosen up and bow on their own, they are all energy hogs, at least to what they could be if built correctly


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## azeotrope (Jun 3, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> update
> 
> so, i tweaked the elements as best i could, basically, made the dead ones come alive to one extent or another.
> it works better now. not great, but noticeably better. i am going to call it good.
> ...


How would the efficiency of it be increased... Are you proposing a heat pump toaster for greater efficiency? [emoji16]


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

azeotrope said:


> How would the efficiency of it be increased...
> 
> Are you proposing a heat pump toaster for greater efficiency? [emoji16]


it toasts faster and more evenly.


lol


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