A whole variety of different ingredients can be prepared simply and swiftly in the toaster
An essential tool for every modern kitchen, the toaster is a highly versatile utensil that can help chefs add a little extra style and panache to their dishes at the push of a button and in the twinkling of an eye. The only thing that restricts the versatility of the toaster as a kitchen utensil, in fact, is its limited portability owing to the length of its electrical cord. That and the fact that it doesn't work properly if you put it in water (don't do this)*. And its size. And weight. And lots of other factors.
OK, what we're basically saying here is that the toaster is very good at what it does - toasting stuff, on both sides (if you follow the instructions correctly). Don't try to use it as a substitute for other kitchen utensils as it really won't be a very good one. But if you're toasting something double-sided, you can't find a better tool for the job. By no means limited to use with bread, modern toasters are fully equipped to deal with many other exciting, fashionable and tasty ingredients, ranging from Jamaica ginger cake and pitta bread through to small biscuits, Weetabix and lasagne. The toaster can even be used to cook ham (though not very well) - in practice most celebrity chefs tend to prefer poaching ham in some sort of reduction.
So, what's so special about toasters? Well, they're a bit faster than the grill and they do both sides at the same time - so no need to buy a fancy modern grill with a separate duplexing unit. And they give a much more even toasting coverage than using a blowtorch.
Previous utensil: the sutekki-noriten
Next utensil: the skewer