"The Toastmaster"

Strite was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota,  and worked for a Stillwater manufacturing plant in the early 1900’s. His extreme displeasure of the quality of toast served in the company’s cafeteria prompted intervention; so began the construction of his very own electric, self-timed toaster. It was the beginning of a revolution that changed the way the world made its breakfast.

“The Toastmaster” was granted a United States patent on October 18th, 1921. Not a crumb of thought was put into its name, but the device itself was ingenious. For the first time, bread could be toasted on both sides at once, allowing for more even cooking and less charred breakfasts. The appliance even included a timer and a spring that “popped up” the toast when it had browned to perfection.

Strite’s product quickly became a hit among bakery owners. A new version of the toaster was also made for consumers that included an adjustable lever to manually control the bread’s toasting time. To keep up with demand for the appliance, Strite’s idea was transformed into a business: Toastmaster Incorporated. It was a new era of toast.