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August 6, 2003 06:00 AM

Broken: Toaster design

Tom Smith writes from London:

This is my mum's toaster. The black plastic handle on the left is to put the bread down. The other handle is fixed in place and is, er, to make it symmetrical and piss off every right-hander who uses it.

Posted in Product Design

Comments:

Just a thought - perhaps the handles are to make it easier to turn the toaster upside down to shake out the crumbs?

Posted by: Andrea Elkins at October 31, 2003 10:46 AM

Good point... though there must be some way to communicate that only one handle is for pushing down..?

Posted by: Mark Hurst at October 31, 2003 03:50 PM

Maybe it's the slot that sits below the handle that pushes down that gives it away? ;-)

Posted by: Charlie Richmond at November 6, 2003 08:58 AM

Turn the toaster around?

Posted by: Nauip at November 6, 2003 05:34 PM

It's a toaster. It's made of metal. It gets hot. If you want to move the toaster when it is hot, it needs a handle. That's what the handle opposite the lever is for.

If you turn the toaster upside down, you will notice an array of small hooks which allow you to train the power cable to exit the body of the toaster in any direction, allowing you to orient the handle and the lever in a way that is appropriate for your needs.

Posted by: Rob at November 7, 2003 04:13 PM

Yes,it is there to help move the toaster if it is hot or cold.

Posted by: vijay at January 24, 2004 06:23 AM

Hey that toasters the same as mine, im also right handed but amazingly i also have a left hand which works equally aswell! and yes i do use it to put the toast down! stop whinging u moron!

Posted by: Paul at February 19, 2004 06:19 AM

I'm confused... is the other side of this toaster unfinished? Can it not be presented to the outside world so right handed individuals do not have to adapt?

You're just standing on the wrong side!

Posted by: lol at June 20, 2004 03:53 AM

Yaaay! Something to piss off the Righties!

Posted by: Lefy Lethander at September 7, 2004 05:55 PM

I guess if he is confronted with a door that opens left, he just stands there dumbfounded....

Posted by: Please stop me at October 6, 2004 09:34 AM

Got the same toaster - Westinghouse, Circa 1940's/50's? Now if someone could just tell me where in the world to get another handle???

The moveable side one has broken off and only a metal hook remains. Can't imagine what could have caused it to break off......

Posted by: Kris at March 21, 2005 02:17 PM

Remove one of the toaster's handle, toaster maker!

William

Posted by: William at June 24, 2005 09:30 PM

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