Did it come with a CD?

While I was away on my recent work trip my wife upgraded our toaster because our old toaster went phsssst (or is that spelt as phissst?) and it didn’t make toast any more.

Seriously, the first thing I said when I saw the new toaster was “Did it come with a CD?”.

Not only did it not come with a CD it didn’t even come with a paper-based instruction manual or a “Quick Start” user guide. Even so, you will be relieved to know that I have managed to make a couple of slices of toast in it. It is somewhat slower at making toast than the old toaster and it doesn’t pop the toast up as high when it is done (for easy removal). But it sure looks the part. Damned impressive!

It occurs to me that all these new-fangled toasting gadgets still don’t make toast as good as hot coals and a toasting fork, or, for that matter, a gas hotplate toaster (shown at left complete with gas going and gauze mesh red hot).

Okay. One downside of the gas hotplate toaster is that it only does one slice at a time. Oh! Also it only does one side at a time and you have to hang around and turn the bread/toast over at the perfect time—possibly another downside. But in the hands of an experienced operator the toast that results is golden brown and not rock hard (like it is when it comes from most electric toasters). Another possible downside is that you have to replace the gauze mesh now and then, and it looks like that one (which is mine and the picture was taken by me) is about to need replacing.

Sidebar: Just how good is the shake reduction system in the PENTAX K-7? The shot of that gas hotplate toaster was taken in available light (which was mostly fluorescent) at f5.6 with 80mm of lens with a shutter speed of 1/5th of second; hand held!! See EXIF proof at right.

Any knowledgeable photographers reading this should be suitably impressed as there is negligible motion blur evident in the shot.