Friday, July 30, 2010

Toaster VS Toaster Oven

I have used my trusted little toaster that I purchased at a liqudation store for many years. It won't toast bagels or thick sliced, huge sized bread. Basically, you can toast Wonder Bread, and nothing else.
I have a friend who has just moved to Arizona. She said that she had a few small appliances that she couldn't take with her and was wondering if I wanted something. I asked her if she had a toaster. Low and behold - the answer was yes. I showed up to her place and was dismayed to see that the toaster was actually a toaster oven. Oh man! A toaster oven! It has a built in toaster, in the toaster oven. My friend assured me that I would love it. Well, I brought it home and it took up quite a bit of space. It was pretty nifty for baking a chicken pot pie, or heating one slice of pizza and I admit I used it a couple of times for toast.
Gradually though, I noticed that I always turned to my toaster for my toast. The toaster oven was great for other food, but it just seemed wrong for toast. I felt no satisfaction when my toast didn't catapult out of the toaster like a canon. The little "ding" I heard seemed too new-fangled for my sentimentalities. The lines on my toast, from the toaster oven, felt like they should be on steak, not on toast.
Yes, these are minor complaints and there are far greater problems in the world, and even my life, than my toaster/toaster oven debate.
It appears, though, that there is room in my life, and my kitchen for both.