Looking To The Past For My Nu2me Appliance

[19and41]

I have gotten tired of having an affordable toaster offer a game of chance as to how the toast will be dried or burned or toasted.  After being reminded of an old favorite and finding repair and adjustment guides on the net, I decided to take a chance on an old Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster.   I found a likely looking one on Ebay a week and a half ago and got it.  It arrived a couple of days ago and I need to clean it before trying it out.  It is really built well and unlike the one in the ad it is probably about a 1970 vintage.  I have already treated the cord with super lube and it is almost like new.

[jsowers]

My grandmother had one of those Sunbeams, from the 1960s. It lasted a good 20 years of daily use before the element burned out. My uncle kept it going until then. It's the quietest two-slice toaster I've ever seen.

My mom still has a GE toaster from about 1965 and she doesn't use it often, which explains why it's lasted that long. It replaced a wedding present toaster that my great uncle must've found in the bargain bin where he worked at Brown Rogers Dixson. It popped the toast down instead of up. A very strange contraption that was taller than usual and had slots in the sides where the toast landed. Dad called it the "pop-down."

I use a GE toaster oven from the early 1980s and it does a great job and even still dings when the toast is done. It was a thrift store purchase for $5.

Good luck getting your Sunbeam to work.

[19and41]

I took the toaster to work with me as it is a slow day.  I'm glad I did.  That thing was nasty inside.  The interior of the bakelite base was coated with very old and nearly black food debris and the unit needed the gentle touch of industrial compressed air to clean it out.  I took the center shell off and cleaned as much as possible with steel wool and the trusty stainless steel brush.  the plug had screw terminations and i redressed those and tightened them well.  I got everything together and it was hit or miss for a few trys and I worked the color adjustment vigorously, and now it cycles each time the one slice bail is depressed.  I'll put this up against a Dualit now.  Not too bad for $36.

[tallguy58]

I use one of those daily. Got it at a Goodwill store for $20.

Date stamped inside 1957.

Works like a charm.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

We have a 1990s professional kitchen toaster (don't know the model or make) that has been in use for us since before I was born. Other than the center toast panel heating element (thanks for correct definition, Andre!) burning out a couple years ago, it still works hard and well!

[andre_janew]

My dad found out that a drop of three feet or more onto a hard surface will ruin a toaster.  It may not put a dent or crack on the outside of it, but it will damage the heating element.  He was moving the table it was sitting on when it fell.

[AL_as_needed]

Not as old or as stylish as the iconic all chrome version (unless wood-grain is your thing), but still well built. Found this cold war era bread burner at work slated for a dumpster. With the rise of trash tool stores like harbor frieght, sadly may not be long before SEARS joins the ranks of WE.

[19and41]

Nice looking!  Mine has been running nicely since setting it up in the kitchen  and giving it a final tweak.