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On too many toasters, when the toasted bread is ready - it jumps too high and often falls from the toaster.

Any idea for a workaround on this, without the need to limit my bread choice by its weight per slice?

Illustration:

enter image description here

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  • 6
    Use heavier bread.
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Jul 30, 2018 at 0:39
  • 8
    Use a slower gif?
    – Stan
    Jul 30, 2018 at 2:37
  • @DrMoishePippik I have updated my question - I don't want to limit the type of bread by its weight, I want to eat the breads I like, which some of them jumps and falls, and some don't
    – arieljannai
    Jul 30, 2018 at 3:14

7 Answers 7

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This is similar to the answer from Stan and DrMoishe Pippik: increase the weight pressing down on the lifters that fling your bread into the air.

Luckily, the lifters are attached to the handle on the side of the toaster.

enter image description here

Add a weight to the handle, to dampen the power of the lifter's spring(s). You could attach it with duct tape (black duct tape, for appearances). That solution wouldn't limit the size of the bread slices that you put in the toaster.

Another option would be to position a "ceiling" over the handle so it can only come up halfway. I'm not sure how to fabricate one of those, but I wanted to mention the option anyway.

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    When you do this, be aware that there's a cam "catch" at the bottom position of the handle to hold the it down until the temperature sensitive switch pulls the cam free of the catch when its done. The weight should not be heavy enough to keep the "trigger" from working. Keep a close watch for the first few times you try this hack.
    – Stan
    Jul 30, 2018 at 23:27
  • as @brettfromla says, use somethiing to interfere with the traversal of the lever. A jug's handle perhaps?
    – bigbadmouse
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:18
  • Beware of tinkering with the eject mechanism. If you decide to toast something heavier (maybe pastries like Kellogg's Pop Tarts, or waffles) maybe the weight of the food, added to your artificial weight, will prevent a full ejection. This may result in the toaster continuing to heat, eventually burning the food and even erupting into flames. Yup, I've had that happen. Soon after I heard on the news of a nationwide trend of flaming toasters. Maybe toaster-makers have figured out how to solve/reduce the problem, but if you tinker with the design, you may re-introduce that (severe!) problem.
    – TOOGAM
    Nov 19, 2019 at 23:21
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I would suggest buying a metal fruit basket but big enough to fit your toaster into it and still have some free space (at least it must measure the height of the toaster + height of the bread).

When preparing toast, turn this basket upside down and put it around the toaster so that the toaster is closed in the "cage" made of the basket. This way your toast, when jumping, will be stopped by the bottom of the basket.

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  • Sounds interesting, if I had enough room for it on the countertop
    – arieljannai
    Jul 30, 2018 at 10:09
  • A circular fruit basket would certainly take up more counter space, but maybe an oval or rectangular-shaped basket would do the trick?
    – Greg Burghardt
    Sep 4 at 23:40
  • You'd probably only need to put a couple of wires over the top, just to catch the bread and knock it back in. Maybe some kind of stand like what chemists use to hold beakers over flames.
    – Stuart F
    Oct 16 at 14:41
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DrMoishe Pippik had the right idea, I think. Use heavier bread.

Your toaster is probably strong enough to hurl a pair of heavy pumpernickel rye slices skyward.

All you need do is place a counter-weight in each of the slots of the toaster to make the bread "heavier." Look down, inside the toaster opening slots. You do this by laying a flat strip of metal on the metal lifter "fingers/forks" that lower and support the slice of bread during toasting. Then, lift/launch the toast when finished.

The strips don't need to be heavy but they should be wide enough to not slip out of place; but, not so wide as to jam the lifter. 2 cm x 10 cm per slot.

Several grams each should keep toasted bread slices within the pull of gravity.

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  • Sounds interesting, although I think it would be good only for short/low breads and can make it less convenient if I want to remove it for bigger breads. I'll check if I can find something, maybe if it will have an handle on the edge, it will be easier to lift it. I'll think about that
    – arieljannai
    Jul 30, 2018 at 10:07
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why not turn the handle towards the wall once toasting so that the ejection is slowed but not prevented, by use of the friction.

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Do at your own risk: Turn the toaster sideways and place it on a plate so the side is parallel to the counter and put a plate beside the toaster so the bread shoots onto the second plate. (Putting the toaster on a plate prevents it from leaving scorch marks on the counter in case it gets too hot.) You can make cheese toast this way. Note that the owners manual may say you should not do this, so check the manual. On some models there may be a tilt sensor. Also check carefully for crumb build-up which normally would fall to the bottom of the toaster, but if sideways might collect on the heating element and pose an increased fire hazard. Empty crumbs from the bottom of the toaster before you try this.

While you’re checking the manual, see if there is an adjustable damper on the spring mechanism. Maybe you can access it by opening the crumb tray at the bottom of the toaster?

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stick a small piece of duct tape over the upper section of side lever slot (where lever handle jumps from bottom to top.) tape will dampen the spring mechanisms force preventing the lever from traveling the full distance enough that toast stays put. youll need to find the sweet spot where duct tape should be placed that dampens the force and allows easy access to remove the toast.

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I had this issue once and, if your toaster is not one of those that get too hot (to avoid burning the paper), you could use a paper towel or a napkin and place it over the the "holes", then pin them with some Scotch tape to make sure they won't fly together with the slice(s) of bread.

Edit: sorry, I meant a dishcloth instead. Don't use paper, as it will obviously get on fire.

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  • 7
    I think that most toasters get hot enough to burn the paper, sounds scary :O
    – arieljannai
    Jul 30, 2018 at 10:03
  • this is silly, heat will always escape from the top because heat rises and the temperature is certainly enough to bring the serious risk of the paper towel catching fire. Perhaps a piece of aluminium foil may work better.
    – bigbadmouse
    Aug 1, 2018 at 8:20

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