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Reminded Me of Science
Without boring or confusing you with treatises on the fundamentals of resistance and conductivity, let's just assume we know that wires get super hot if they resist a lot of electricity. In toasters, it's like a light bulb, only the wires are thicker and not in a vacuum surrounded by colored glass or gases.
Specifically, the wires are made of a nickel and chromium alloy called nichrome. Unlike iron, nichrome will not rust at high temps, coupled with a high electrical resistance, it is the perfect toaster wire. The nichrome wire is wrapped around a mica sheet, which reflects the heat and helps with the toasting. This simple idea was used to toast bread in 1909; we've come a long way since then.
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This Bread Is Toast
Basically, the toasting innovation has revolved around the ability to hold the toast close to the wires and pop them up when the toaster thinks it's done. Science still hasn't produced a toaster that can see browning like you, but we're sure they're working on it.
When you push down on a toaster lever, two things happen. First, a plastic tab inside the toaster pushes two copper clips against connectors on a circuit board. Once a circuit is complete, an electromagnet attracts a metal piece situated next to the plastic tab on the lever. That's what's holding down the toast. A capacitor is used to cut off the power to the electromagnet when the nichrome wires reach a certain voltage (otherwise, they'd explode).
Then, of course, it's payday. A spring raises the lever and toast, in turn removing the plastic switch from the copper connectors, and you've got breakfast. Need visual aid? Take the shell of that old toaster and have a look.
