What in the heck is going on with toasters? And YES, this is an issue. Specifically the issue is planned obsolescence so

[PatrickforB]

Wall Street greed lizards and corporations can line their pockets with more PROFITS by making crummy products that don't last.

I hate this shit.

I've been shopping for toasters. Good whole grain bread that is actually healthy for you tends to require a toaster with a LONG SLOT because those loaves when baked are generally flatter and wider.

I have a crummy toaster already. It has lasted maybe three or four years because I made it last. I cleaned it. I nurtured it. I talked gently to it. But now that relationship is over because it BURNS my toast in the corners while leaving the center soft. Gotta get a new one, right?

So I went online. A bunch of cheap plastic ones that reviews say were defective from the get-go or stopped toasting evenly or even working after a short time. These cheap-shit toasters are generally around $25 to $45.

Well...no...I want a GOOD toaster that will last for years. Oh, gee...those babies go for $199 up. No shit. And I'm not paying over $200 for a toaster, but because of a little thing called 'planned obsolescence,' those are my choices. I can buy a crap toaster that might last a few months for $35. But if I want a GOOD, DEPENDABLE toaster that works for years I have to pay out the nose.

This is what happens when you let a bunch of Wall Street bean counters be the tail that wags the dog. We used to have manufacturers with good union workers who had pride in what they made. Now due to NAFTA and other factors, driven by Wall Street greed, many of those factories have been offshored to places where people are exploited for sub-living wages. And now, with the new AI panacea, so-called customer 'care' centers are soulless black holes where you end up screaming AGENT AGENT AGENT!!! just to get through the stupid AI, and then if you can't just give up and throw the defective product away and buy another overpriced, poor quality product in its place.

All the while Wall Street just roars with glee and ever higher profits, and billionaires continue lining their pockets.

We middle class bear the burden of paying out the nose, more and more and more, for less and less and less.

Tired of it? I sure am. By the way, look at pictures of some of these billionaires and Wall Street honchos and tell me they aren't reptilian!

[Nikossitti]

1. I hear ya

My husband loves toast. Not only do the cheap ones stop toasting, they never toast well when they’re new. We gave in and bought a very expensive Wolf toaster. Better last us until we die.

[hlthe2b]

2. I have noticed an explosion of absolutely ridiculous "toasters" with 'features' I can imagine using

maybe once during its lifespan at unbelievable prices.

I don't toast bread much anymore and still have a very old inexpensive minimalist model. I got rid of my old toaster oven--which would do a lot more.

But, yeah, I can see what you mean. Nice features, but whew $$$.

[snowybirdie]

3. I've had my

Cheap $35 toaster for 6 years. Saved a lot of money.

[Botany]

4. Delonghi Toaster Oven

They cost more but last a long time and you can cook and bake in them.

I had one for 20 plus years.

[House of Roberts]

7. I've not shopped for a toaster oven (we have an Oster),

but we swear by the DeLonghi oil filled heaters, and they're better every time we get one

[Botany]

10. My old DeLonghi Toaster Oven would probably still be going if my ex hadn't pitched it because it was "old."

I replaced it with a Breville about 10 years ago ago and it is very good too.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

36. I concur on the DeLonghi oil-filled heaters. NT

[Omnipresent]

5. If your not too picky, you can buy one from a thrift store.

The ones near me always seem to have plenty to choose from.

[mopinko]

16. beat me to it.

tho i gotta say, prices in the thrift shops have gone way up.
i was looking for a winter coat and they’re getting $50 and up.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. It's the same with most products

Socks, shoes, tires, aren't what they used to be. You only get durability by paying up front. You can buy a $200 toaster, or, you can replace it five times. How many would you like?

[TexLaProgressive]

8. When we lived in roach city - Houston, Texas

My wife threw away our toaster saying, “Ain’t living with no roach hotel!” Actually she used proper grammar as always.

Since then for 50 years we used the broiler of our ovens. You cannot do it if you have a short attention span. Anyway electric ovens are best for toasting sliced bread. Now Baguettes in my opinion are best toasted on a gas fire, along with tortillas. But I have been weird my whole life and as my late wife said, “People don’t really change, they just become more of who they really are.”

[Hugin]

9. My Proctor-Sylex Type T71 has served me well.

From its shrine on my counter top. Long wide slots and even heating coil. I guess I need to take better care of it.

[fargone]

11. I cut the piece of bread in half

[Brother Buzz]

12. She Who Must be Obeyed nurses our 40+ year old toaster along

It has a crappy, mysterious, magnetic catch that fails to engage often. I’ve begged and pleaded to open a new bank account to get a new one, but she swears they are all shitty. She just goes into it and cleans the mysterious magmatic catch, and VIOLA, it works swimmingly again.

I might convince her to replace it if I can find bespoke toaster that is guaranteed to outperform all other toasters.

[Prairie Gates]

13. 100% agree

The cheap Target toaster my spouse bought two years ago is an absolute piece of junk. Useless.

We truly live in the age of Lowered Expectations Capitalism. The products are garbage from go.

[gulliver]

14. You can get quality, but the cost is sky high

What used to be the default (high quality, long-lasting) is now an extra. It's not the lizard-people doing it. It's software.

Consumers had an advantage for a while. Not any more. It's why I think we need regulation and leaders who truly understand IT. If you're in phone jail more than 3 minutes, say, they have to pay you $5 per minute. Software could be written to enforce that, putting software back on our side.

Cradle-to-grave recycling requirements can also help. Buy a toaster from Amazon; return it to Amazon when it breaks or you're tired of it. Amazon should have to take it back for free. They can then send it to its producer, who should also have to take it back. If they're out of business, Amazon is stuck with it.

I recently tried to buy a robovac. Roborock is one producer. They flood the market with zillions of options and configurations. Their Amazon pages are chock-a-block with ever changing updates and customer reviews that simply can't keep up or are attached to product versions that stopped being available months ago.

I bought a $250 robovac, and it was utter garbage. To get a robovac that works as well as my last one, I'm looking at $1K+, if it's even possible.

[mercuryblues]

15. Take a look at the

Black and decker toaster oven. It is about $35

[Diamond_Dog]

17. Toaster oven is the way to go.

My husband likes toast, too, and he buys different kinds of artisan and organic bread which is sometimes an odd shape that won’t fit in a regular toaster. We have a Hamilton Beach toaster oven which has worked well for about 15 years. Plus it’s nice for baking 2 potatoes or heating up a macaroni and cheese casserole.

But I certainly hear you on how so many household items are cheaply made and don’t last. Try and find a coffee percolator that lasts more than a few years. (I happen to like perked coffee).

[Wednesdays]

18. Toaster oven.

It'll cost a bit more, but well worth it since it will do a whole lot more than just toast bread (they're often a toaster oven/air fryer combo).

We got one from Costco made by a company named Calphalon. I can't remember how much we paid for it, but it couldn't have been more than 180 bucks. Has worked awesomely for 5 plus years.

[SheltieLover]

28. Same here

Got a Ninja 12-in-1 during one of crappy Amazon deal days for $200. Still works & can cook a 12 lb. Turkey in it & it does a great job baking & toasting bread.

Just checked yesterday & same 1 with temp probe is selling for $379, so I got a great deal.

[dickthegrouch]

19. I love my Black & Decker convection toaster oven

It'll fit an entire chicken, 6 pieces of toast, medium pizza, cakes, roasts, and all manner of other goodies.
The convection cooks the food more evenly and quickly.
I replaced my full-sized oven with a closet and use the freed-up counter space for the convection oven.

[flvegan]

20. Go to Goodwill or find an estate sale.

It's where you find those old toasters that were bought in the 50s-70s that were still working perfectly until the last day they were needed. Sure they take up the same space as a small Toyota and weigh the same as a moon, but they'll work well forever.

Last thing I want is some cooking device with a predetermined destiny of failure in a year that also DEMANDS to be connected to wifi. And don't you think for one damn minute that the folks at (insert name of they who make toasters) aren't currently sorting out a way to make toast only via monthly subscription.

Toaster setting: medium.
Toaster: sorry, you can't set for medium without the SuperPremium subscription, only $9.99/mo.
Toaster setting: light
Toaster: sorry, you can't set for light without the SuperPremium subscription, only $9.99/mo.
Toaster setting: dark
Toaster: sorry, you can't set for dark without the SuperPremium subscription, only $9.99/mo.
Toaster setting: burned to a fucking crisp
Toaster: ready in 14 minutes. meanwhile, please enjoy these mandatory ads...

[PatrickforB]

21. Oh, this is halarious! Toast on subscription! Wall Street will love it. Gosh, I can subscribe to say, 8 pieces of toast

per month at $10.99, but if I want more they can program it at $1.50 per slice after I've used my toast-memory! How fun...

[haele]

22. Thrift or second hand store.

I've seen a lot of 70's era "Nobody wants Grammy's Toaster/Crock Pot/Electric Kettle from the estate sale" small appliances that still work at various thrift stores - not so much the Goodwills and Salvation Army stores, but more locally based charity thrift or "antique/junque" stores.
A lot of local appliance repair places might take Grammy's toaster if it doesn't work and fix it under the table if you toss $40/$50 their way.
I did that recently with mom's old 1980's Kenmore electric pressure cooker and blender when they finally crapped out after the last time they needed replacement parts
Good switches can be hard to find.

[Vinca]

23. Let me know when you find a good toaster. It's very frustrating.

It seems no matter if they're cheap or expensive, none toast evenly. Ever. Grrrrr.

[lostnfound]

24. Bought a microwave at Habitat Restore for $20

Lasted about 3 years, whereupon I used one that was borrowed for another two years. Finally bought one on a good sale.

I like the secondhand store idea for the sake of environment.

[dalton99a]

25. We still need a toaster with a built-in TV and wi-fi - and a self-cleaning button

so you don't have to turn it upside down and shake

[Sneederbunk]

26. I can remember when their was toaster repair.

[SheltieLover]

27. I toast mine in my toaster oven.

Yup, it seems everything new is junk.

My parents were married 67 years & the toaster they got when they got married still worked perfectly!

[Ilsa]

29. Look for sales by those companies with pricey but excellent

toasters. You may need to sign up for emails in order to be notified in time to hit the sale.

[doc03]

30. I have a Proctor Silex toaster I inherited from

my mother probably over 50 years old.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

35. I have one of those too, but it can't handle wide slices of bread. NT

[MIButterfly]

31. I've been looking for a new toaster myself. It's frustrating.

I may just give up and use the toaster oven I still have in the box. And no, I won't say how long ago I bought it. I probably don't remember anyway.

[Tree Lady]

32. I bought this to fit my hippie style

Didn’t think it would last more than a year but I have had it for 10 years now.

[PatrickforB]

33. That's a nice looking toaster! n/t

[mahatmakanejeeves]

34. Are you done complaining? Here's the answer.

Go to a thrift store or yard sale. Buy a toaster oven. In good condition, one might set you back up to $40. Ask me how I know. A toaster oven is big enough to toast slices of bread that don't conform to the Wonder Bread dimension standard.

Barring that, buy a toaster at the thrift store or yard sale. Five, ten bucks for a fancy one.

I use my $40, yard sale, might-as-well-be-new Cuisinart toaster oven every day. I brought it home on the back of my bicycle.

Bagels? Too thick for a toaster, but no problem in a toaster oven. Bread wider than Wonder Bread? Bring it on.

If you time Goodwill right, you can get stuff at half-price.

Any questions?

[Raftergirl]

37. I bought a Breville toaster oven 10-12 years ago. It was pricey, even then. About $200. Toasts perfectly.

I got sick of buying a new (cheap) toaster oven every few years. And had a few that caught on fire!

I use it for a lot more than just toast and I like not having to use my oven for everything.