The first electrical appliance turns 100 years old

The first U.S. patent for an electric toaster was made in 1909 by General Electric for an appliance that was nothing more than exposed heating elements surrounded by a wire cage to hold the bread. This model, the D-12, is considered the first commercially successful toaster in U.S. history.

The first automatic pop-up toaster was the Toastmaster 1A1, invented in 1926. Among the great variety of toaster designs that popped-up during that period, it was the pop-up toaster that became the winning design for consumers, becoming a highly desired wedding gift along the way. It was not cheap. In today's dollars this would have gone for $150 and was a prized wedding gift.

However, the toaster did not really take off until after 1933 when sliced bread was invented, which makes it official: historically speaking, the toaster is the next best thing since sliced bread. The earliest toasters were designed to mimic small pieces of furniture. In the 1930s the toasters copied the art deco style of buildings and in the 1940s and 50s, toaster design reflected the streamlining taking place in the automotive industry.

Research shows that more than 75 million Americans enjoy a piece of golden brown toast every day and given its place in European café society, it is arguably one of the world's most widespread and popular comfort foods, and one of the most enduring simple culinary pleasures in history. Toast remains the third most popular breakfast item in American homes, 5000 years after it first became popular and the average home spends 35 hours a year making toast.

The process that caramelizes toast -- cooking the sugars in the bread and turning them golden brown -- begins at 310 degrees Fahrenheit and is called the Maillard reaction, which gives toast its flavor and its crunch.

Bread and toast can be a good source of whole grain, which may help prevent heart disease and some cancers. The high folic acid content of enriched grains found in white bread and toast may help prevent neural tube defects. Women of child-bearing age are encouraged to increase their intake of folic acid. Grain foods are the largest source of folic acid in the American diet.

There is also a scientific study on the benefits school children receive from eating what many consider the British national dish: beans and toast. A researcher from the University of Ulster has presented data showing that "toast alone boosted children's scores on a variety of cognitive tests." The toast combined with beans was even more beneficial.

On the racier side, a recent nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive(R) for the Grain Foods Foundation found that nearly 10 percent of Americans are more passionate about toast than they are for, well, passion. One in ten said they "would rather eat toast in the morning than have sex." Another 52 percent indicated they prefer toast in the morning over candy, 38 percent want toast more than chocolate, and 29 percent prefer their morning toast over a bubble bath.

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