I like toast; I eat it regularly… with eggs, with beans, with jam, with cheese and just with butter. It’s great for lunch and it’s something that I crave when I have been deprived of it for a while. I like it made out of 3-day-old homemade bread and I don’t like it burnt. Making it, however, has been rather energy inefficient recently. Our old toaster was rubbish – very small and unreliable in terms of the amount of toasting achieved – so I’ve been using the grill. This is ok when I’m making lots of toast, but is highly inefficient for a single piece when I’m home alone.
So, I decided we needed a new toaster and my heart sank when I thought about all the research and trying to make the most ethical decision. BUT I very quickly came across Dualit, who make toasters in the UK that are designed to last and for which you can easily buy spares, and that come in a variety of different sizes and which allow you to select how many pieces of toast you are making so that only the necessary elements are heated each time. And I thought to myself… why isn’t it always this straightforward to find a company who do not subscribe to designed obsolescence?
And today, when it arrived, it was packed in cardboard and paper… the only tiny bits of plastic present enclosed the delivery note and took the form of the small seals to keep the box closed. So, hurrah for Dualit and here’s to many years of happy toasting.
The Snail of Happiness 
Andrew | Life Between 0 and 1
/ February 8, 2017It’s nice to see that things are still hand built, to last, and don’t have “it’ll break in xx days” kind of designs. My first snow thrower, which was my Dad’s, lasted well over 30 years before it finally gave out (parts for repair were non-existant). My new snow thrower, not even 11 years old, has had multiple pieces replaced and an engine rebuild (aka total crap). Wish more things were made like that toaster you just purchased.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 8, 2017As an initial purchase they seem expensive, but I’m hoping that I will never have to buy another one – ever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Laurie Graves
/ February 8, 2017My husband and I LOVE toast, and we’ll be getting a new one soon for a very special occasion. Only a toast lover will understand. Stay tuned! And here’s hoping your new toaster will give you many, many good toasts 😉
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2017Hope your new toaster is a success!
LikeLiked by 1 person
insearchofitall
/ February 8, 2017I keep a toaster that will probably last my lifetime since I rarely eat bread or anything made from wheat anymore. Bread is a food that sets up a craving in my system. But I like that you can find something of quality anywhere anymore. Most have built in obsolescence.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2017I love home-made bread and we eat lots, so this is going to get plenty of use.
LikeLiked by 1 person
katechiconi
/ February 8, 2017You’ll be using that till you die. Dualit have a reputation for never, ever falling apart, so I hope you really love the one you got! What I chiefly like about them is that they have a big wide slot so you can put a really chunky slice into them without having to pry out a charred mess afterwards…
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2017Yes, that was one of the considerations… I think most toasters are designed to accommodate commercial sliced bread, which we never buy.
LikeLike
crawcraftsbeasties
/ February 9, 2017I propose a toast to your new toaster! It looks like a good solid piece of kit, and I was impressed at the minimal amount of plastic in their packaging, too! I’m glad to see that someone is building things that are designed to last, what a refreshing change. Enjoy!
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2017I shall toast the toaster with toast!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
nanacathy2
/ February 9, 2017Goodness me, that is such a good thing. I agree, built in obselescence is wicked. PS , with you on the toast, having some with scrambled eggs for lunch!
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 9, 2017I’m thinking of it as an investment – in sustainability, in our country and in many years of toast-eating!
LikeLike
sciencetasticblog
/ February 10, 2017I love toast – but crumpets are just as good!
LikeLike
painterwrite
/ February 14, 2017Love to hear about things like this – better packaging, quality products, consumers researching their purchases. There’s a local group of handy folks here that you can bring your broken housewares to and they will fix them for free (well, maybe for the price of a coffee or beer). They like to tinker, so it’s a win-win situation. Still, it would be nice if more appliances were made to last for more than a few years in the first place….sigh.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 15, 2017I am trying very hard, when we need to replace appliances, to buy things that can be repaired, but finding such things can be a real challenge. Good to hear that you have local menders and tinkerers – we need more of them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
painterwrite
/ February 15, 2017I just don’t understand why it’s so hard. I have an iron I got thirty years ago and it still works perfectly. The vacuum cleaner I bought three years ago? Dying a swift death already.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ February 15, 2017I know… sigh…
LikeLiked by 1 person