Electric toasters work great, but they suck up a lot of electricity. In most parts of the world, electricity is one of the least cost effective ways of generating heat. Burning either natural gas or propane is generally much cheaper.
I propose a pop up toaster, powered by flammable gas (natural gas, propane, hydrogen, syngas, etc..)
It would have a slot in the top for the bread to be put into, and two infrared burners, each mounted vertically, to toast the surfaces of the bread. It would also of course have a timer and a mechanism to pop the toast up when done.
Since infrared burners burn very hot, the toast could be done very quickly... as a plus, we'll never have dry toast, but on the other hand the timing mechanism would need to be very precise.-- goldbb, Oct 15 2009 (?) Antique Gas-fired Taster http://www.antiquet...wins_at_convention/not pop-up, but they do exist... [prufrax, Oct 16 2009] (?) Coleman Propane Toaster Oven http://www.coleman....product_id=9927-A50On the topic of non-pop-up, non-infrared toasters. [goldbb, Oct 18 2009] [prufrax]'s link https://web.archive..._wins_at_convention [pocmloc, May 29 2024] [goldbb]'s link https://web.archive...product_id=9927-A50 [pocmloc, May 29 2024] I wrote up a gas toaster which would be a self contained unit powered by a disposable 220g butane propane canister inside the base. I imagined it would have a control knob to adjust the flame intensite, the flames would play on a ceramic spiky thing like an old fashioned gas fire, and the popping up and down lever would control the gas, viz. pushing down the lever would open the gas flow and fire a piezo spark, and the release of the lever by the heat sensing mechanism would not only pop up the toast but would cut the gas as well.
[+] to [goldbb] for getting there 15 years before me. I am slow this morning.
edit: I see I already gave this a [+] and that was probably also 15 years ago.-- pocmloc, May 29 2024 random, halfbakery