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For many years we had the same DeLonghi toaster oven in our kitchen, which was perfectly satisfactory. You could reheat pizza or broil your tuna melt, or just make...toast. And the toast was just fine. Then one day, about a year ago, the DeLonghi started to spew smoke. Not too much smoke, but enough to make me consider a risk assessment before my next bagel. Bob, the more safety conscious partner in this marriage, said to throw it out and get a new one.
So out it went and I proceeded to research and analyze various toaster ovens. Having a research project like this makes me happy (researching travel makes me downright giddy!). I went to all the websites and to Target until I settled on another DeLonghi. It was a very sleek little oven with digital controls, that made an electronic beeping sound. The first time I made toast, Cricket, (aka The World's Best Dog) turned tail and ran out of the kitchen. I found her hiding in my closet, refusing to come out. After three days of toast making and tuna melting, Cricket became a quivering, panicky mess who wouldn't leave the house at all and started peeing in the study. Finally, a very wise neighbor deduced that the electronic beep was the same frequency as her Invisible Fence collar. And she fears that thing even more than a thunderstorm, an event which will reduce her to a tail-between-the-legs crybaby.
So the snazzy DeLonghi digital toaster oven had to go back to Williams-Sonoma. They were very understanding about the problem, although they hadn't had anyone else ever return an appliance because their DOG didn't like it. Now how would we make toast?
As an interim solution, I bought an inexpensive Black & Decker oven. Truly, you get what you pay for. The door never closed right and the bread only toasted on one side. I was happy to get rid of it a few months later when I found yet another DeLonghi, at Cooking.com that seemed to fulfill all our requirements - no scary beeps and it didn't take up too much room on the counter. I thought it was perfect.
I wish the story ended here (at this point, you might too). But no. We were fine and happy with that toaster oven for a few months, but then the on/off dial failed. I heard murmurings from the crowd about buying something completely different, perhaps an actual...toaster. Someone suggested that perhaps Santa would bring one for Christmas this year. So Santa did some research yet again and bought a shiny new Breville toaster, aka Possibly The World's Most Expensive Toaster. Take a look - it's beautiful!
The toast doesn't pop up like a regular toaster - it rises slowly and majestically presenting the most perfectly toasted piece of bread ever. It's brilliant, we love it!
But when the toast has risen and is ready to be buttered and jammed, there comes one small but distinctive electronic beep.
Poor Cricket.
