Science News Archive

An End To Being Browned Off By Burnt Toast

Cambridge-based company Magnetic Design have developed a device that, with the help of a little radiation, promises to deliver "perfect toast every time". By combining a smoke detector with a toaster their new kitchen must-have can tell automatically when it's time to pop up the perfect
slice. It works by sucking in particles of caramelised bread, which are released as the toast cooks, and blowing them into a stream of radioactive particles similar to those found in a smoke detector. The toast particles mop up the radioactive particles, reducing the number picked up by an adjacent sensor. The more singed the toast becomes, the more particles it emits, and the greater the amount of radioactivity that gets mopped up before it can reach the sensor. By setting the toaster to switch off when the radioactivity drops to a certain level you can guarantee that your toast will always be cooked to perfection, no matter how brown you like it, and regardless of whether you start with warm, cold or even frozen bread.

1st Oct 2005