Abstract: A toaster has a casing, a carrier for supporting a slice of bread, the carrier being movable between an upper position to expose the slice of bread outside the casing and a lower position to render the slice of bread inside the casing, a heating element provided inside the casing for heating the slice of bread when the carrier is in the lower position, an internal operating mechanism for moving the carrier, the operating mechanism including a spring assembly for resiliently biasing the carrier upwards and holding means including a stationary solenoid for holding the carrier in the lower position, and a time for controlling the time period during which the slice of bread is to be heated by the heating element wherein the holding means is releasable by a user at point other than the solenoid or with a force relatively smaller than the holding force of the solenoid in order to release the carrier from the lower position at any time during the time period.

Abstract: In an electric toaster (1), a carriage (18) which supports the bread slices (8) and (10) to be toasted is movable automatically from a toasting position to a first position (FIG. 1a) where larger slices (10) can be removed and then manually to a second position (FIG. 1b) where smaller slices (8) can be removed.