Comments on: Ode to a Broken Toaster

By: Toaster

Toaster — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:30:25 +0000

In order to use my toaster you have to hold the handle down the whole time while it makes this loud buzzing noise. It’s funny until it wakes up your 9 month old baby……toasters

By: Laara Shields

Laara Shields — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:15:58 +0000

Hi Dianna:
My $15.00 toaster broke after one year. I looked for new one and when I saw that they were from $13.00 to over $100.00 I looked at the warrantee. I found that the cheap toasters have a one year warrantee and the more expensive ones have up to a 5 year warrantee.
I bought the more expensive one for all the reasons mentioned. I will not have to replace it for a least 5 years and hopefully much longer, saving me much stress and my community much in pollution .

By: Brinda R

Brinda R — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:14:15 +0000

Do you really need another toaster when your current one breaks? Just use an iron skillet to toast your bread.

By: Odzyskiwanie Danych

Odzyskiwanie Danych — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:24:19 +0000

The worst are people who are like “let’s buy some cheap toaster/camera/whatever for this trip and then throw it away”. Sure it’s a good idea from your own financial point of view. But then you’re looking at the impact it has on earth and it doesn’t look so nice anymore.

By: Mandy

Mandy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:40:20 +0000

Certainly for food products I pay more attention now to how they are produced and what goes into them. For consumer items like the toaster, I can’t say I think much about how they are produced but I have a much smaller budget now than I did five years ago so I have to live more frugally. Honestly, I don’t miss the kitchen gadgets, the towels in a different shade etc. When I do have throw something out, I do now look to see if I can give it away, donate it or recycle it and I trash very little.

By: Roseanne Impellizzeri

Roseanne Impellizzeri — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:09:55 +0000

One problem w/that writing – you noted the dilemma but left all readers w/o a solution???

By: Vicki Robin

Vicki Robin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:17:00 +0000

Right you are Dianna, that’s one of the many reasons our consumer culture is maddening! We used to do all our own auto maintenance, but now there’s too much under the hood that’s computerized.
Joe wasn’t just talking about toasters, though! He was talking about throwing things away that might have useful life in them, or might, with a little TLC (tender loving care) come back to life. That could refer to fixing a zipper to re-reading the instructions for any appliance to see if you set it up right.

My adaptation to much of this is to
hold on to products far longer than most (i had my last car for 20 years, this one is going on 8. I’m still wearing clothes I bought – used – over a decade ago)
buy those tossed toasters and such at the thrift store or garage sales, rescuing them from the dump.
put up posts like this one to remind people to think twice before tossing anything.

By: Monique Tilford

Monique Tilford — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:01:02 +0000

In response to Dianna’s comment, I can say that it’s hard to sometimes know which appliances are most easily repairable. However, it is possible to buy for quality — which for me often means checking Consumer Reports. With the advent of the Internet, we also now have access to rating programs from other users which I’ve also found to be very helpful. I recently did not purchase a pull-out couch, for example, based solely on web-based feedback from other customers.

By: dianna

dianna — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:35:44 +0000

yeah that’s great, but TRY to fix a broken toaster now. it’s impossible. you can’t even get the body of the toaster open, it’s just molded plastic, they don’t unscrew like old ones did. it’s all planned obsolescence.

i wonder if more expensive toasters are more easily repairable? maybe we need to train our kids to buy an appliance for the long haul — pay $100 for a toaster and keep it for 20 years, like our parents did. i’m as guilty as anyone of going for the $15 toaster when the old one breaks. when this current one dies — and it will — i’m going to look into that.