Toaster Inspiration?

More often than not, when people go to the store to buy a toaster, they don't think about the toaster itself but rather the features it holds. How long will it last? Can it also toast bagels? Is it stainless steel?

Buying a toaster should be an experience and not a chore. While you certainly have to consider the aspects of the toaster that matter to you, I'd argue it's equally important to consider your personal connection with the toaster.

I remember one day when I was 12 and my mother and I went to Sears. She was in the market for a new vacuum cleaner, and I, being the toaster-focused girl I am, headed straight for aisle 4. I remember kneeling in front of a row of boxes. Only when I began to feel light headed did I realize I'd been holding my breathe.

There was this one toaster, a light blue vintage looking one, with a white stripe on the curved top. Two slots, one knob, classic. I wanted more than anything to pull open the packaging and hold it in my hands. But of course, I couldn't. I was a well-behaved child.

For several weeks after that, I thought of the toaster everyday. I didn't ask my parents for it because I knew what they'd say.
"Sarah dear, we already have a perfectly functional toaster."
"What would we need a new toaster for? The Sunbeam one works just fine." (Yes, I grew up with a Sunbeam toaster, go figure!)

To this day, I know when I move out of my parents house and into my own place, that toaster will be one of the first things I buy. I'm so excited for that day.

So my point in all this? Though features and novelty are important to consider when buying a toaster, I'd argue that your personal connection is far more important. If you don't feel a connection to the toaster you're looking at, it's simply not the right toaster for you. And if you've never experienced anything like this, just wait. I'm lucky that I found mine so young. The perfect toaster for you is out there somewhere.