Very little thought goes into making toast. You put a couple slices of bread in a machine, push down the lever and in a couple minutes you have a half-decent breakfast. Gear Patrol’s very own home and drinks editor, Will Price, admits he’s never even owned a toaster. But that’s about to change with the arrival of the designed-in-Japan Balmuda The Toaster, which costs a whopping $329.
Balmuda has a cult-like presence in Japan, specializing in small kitchen appliances with minimalist design. The brand’s allure and the devotion its fans show is often compared to the likes of Apple. Balmuda’s The Toaster looks somewhat like a standard toaster oven, and it uses steam, rather than heated filaments, to toast bread. The use of steam, along with precise temperature control, perfect the “three essential elements of culinary delight” — flavor, aroma and texture — according to a press release from the brand. The brand’s website has a cool in-depth video that shows how the steam envelopes the bread to get it toasted. The toast has a crisp outer layer that retains the bread’s flavor and moisture on the inside. The toaster does have an oven function, but honestly, we’re here for toast, not roasted vegetables.
If you’re not sold on the idea of a toaster that costs as much as a TV, just head to Youtube to watch people fawn over the toaster dreams are made of. Balmuda’s The Toaster is available now at its website and on Amazon.