Automatic Beyond Belief! An early preview of the Sunbeam Radiant Control Toaster

Are you going to measure it with the Kill A Watt? I'm curious to see if it's less or more "wasteful" compared to modern toasters.

Asaf Sagi

I keep looking at appliances with a different viewpoint now

Ethan Snow

Well, I ordered mine...

Vanessa Koch-Gensiorek

Check out this site <a href="http://www.automaticbeyondbelief.org" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.automaticbeyondbelief.org</a>

Robert McCullough

I have one and use it regularly. I've had it for years and it's worked flawlessly since I've had it.

Robert McCullough

If you have any trouble with it, let me know! I'm planning on putting a brief "here's what to check if you get a broken one" section in the video, and you'll probably get yours before the video is out. You should expect it to immediately go into a toast cycle when you plug it in, as the movement in shipping trips the bread "sensor". Oh, and, um, I may have bought more than one myself in anticipation of creating a Techmoan effect. If you count the 2 Walmart toasters, I have WAY too many toasters, now!

Technology Connections

I’m sold. That’s just too cool. I just bought one off eBay before your video comes out and potentially runs the prices up. 😜

Jonathan Austin

I'd just like to take a moment, and I think I speak for most of us, to thank you for remembering to wear you trousers while shooting this video. :-)

Dermot Conner

That toaster sucks! I mean, it sucks the bread right in, which is pretty great. I lost track of how many times I exclaimed "that's SO COOL!" while watching this little video, and I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the full deep-dive!

Phia Westfall

Not full-grain-compatible!

That toaster is so shiny that you'll have to be super careful filming it if you don't want to give away the move...

We should send one to Big Clive. I think he would enjoy the clever mechanisms they used on these.

Kadah

Interesting video. I wonder if you turned the end piece around if it would toast longer or not. If there is some sort of browning sensor, assuming there is such a thing, then I assume it's probably only on one side - so if the white part of the bread faces outwards I'd assume it will toast longer. Now I want to get one of these to go with my automatic trashcan and floor cleaning robot and talking refrigerator.

Chris Munch

My grandma had one of these. I had visited often but when we were in town we always just stayed at my aunts place. One year I decided to stay at my grandma's place. Well in the morning I wanted toast. I knew where the toaster was, I had seen it many times but I had never used it. Well I noticed the lack of a lever but tried putting some bread in, nothing. I try pushing on the bread, nothing. I actually had to ask how to use a toaster. She showed me that you actually have to drop it in with a tiny bit of force, simply placing it in doesn't activate the system. It makes a great piece of toast. I don't recall the uneven doneness you experienced but this was about ten years ago.

I sure miss the speed of old toasters and that one sure looks futuristic. I remember our toaster from the 1980s also had thicker and brighter elements and was brilliant for rapidly toasting 10+ slices for BLTs, etc. The outside of the toaster also got scalding hot, which probably explains why modern toasters are so slow to prevent overheating due the additional insulation to keep the sides cool.

Seán Byrne

Definitely cool. Also stylish, I would like something like that in my kitchen, but anyway, I like old technology ;-). Aren't those spirals at the side the springs that move the bread? I'm looking forward to your more in-depth video ;-)

MrHammond

How can a toaster be so interesting? No idea, but it is - and it shows how your audience and especially your patrons are in tune with the things that interest you - and vice versa of course. Looking forward to the eventual tear down video. SB

Stephen Bell

The slow movement just looks cool like the tape eject mechanism in upmarket players.

Wim

Hey Alec: Vince C. here. Now that's a really COOL toaster! Well, it's cool when it's not in use obviously.......get it? Don't have one like that but I DO, however, have a Sunbeam Grill/Waffle Maker from the same time period that still functions properly and looks GREAT too. Brilliant chrome finish that has stood the test of time and looks like brand new today. Eager to see the up-coming video when you actually take this thing apart and discover the "workings" of this rather old but futuristic piece of kitchen nostalgia. Keep up the great work. VGC

Vincent G. Calvacca

I’ve always been fascinated by this toaster! A few years ago when I needed a new ( vintage ) toaster this model was high up on my list. I will be very interested in seeing how it works. I’d love more videos like the last one too, simple things everybody has but might not know the technological marvels that hide within!

My Stepmum had one of these when I was growing up and it always amazed me too! It was just so cool the way it would auto drop like that! I kinda miss it now seeing this...

Scott Rowland

Bi-metal is what comes to my mind when I saw this. It is used in everytihg, is very reliable. and super cheap. Perfect for a toaster.

question! assuming you're able to put it back together without problems (and remembering you dont toast often), planning to keep it? :P

I'm not sure how you managed to pull yourself away from toasting slices of bread to post this, but I'm really glad you did!

Kevin Kostka

This is really fascinating. I'm digging into the patents for the toaster itself and the control mechanism described in the Life magazine advertisements. US2459169A describes the "radiant control" mechanism employed in the toaster. The toaster isn't directly measuring the color of the bread, though the patent does mention other designs where this has been tried with limited success. Instead, the patent asserts that the color of the bread is closely correlated with its surface temperature, which is best controlled using direct measurements of its blackbody radiation. As the inventor puts it: “The invention is predicated upon certain findings which have been made, including the fact that the bread surface will always emit a definite amount of radiant energy, primarily within the infra-red region of the frequency spectrum, per unit area of bread surface when brought to a pre-selected temperature, coupled with the fact that during the toasting operation this temperature will always correspond to a certain brownness on the surface of the bread.” The thermostat uses a kind of early infrared thermometer to make this surface temperature measurement. Rather than using the thermopiles in modern electronic infrared thermometers, it uses reflectors to redirect radiation from the bread surface into an insulated enclosure housing a bimetallic strip that deforms with temperature changes. The enclosure ensures that the thermostat isn’t measuring heat from the heating elements. This is a rich topic and I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing the teardown.

We had one of these at home when I was growing up! It's still at my mother's place and (I think) still works. It's a family heirloom!

James Pinakis

From what I've heard the mechanism is actually quite robust! There appear to be many examples of these things that spent decades in regular service, and one website (which I'll get into when I make the video) suggests that nearly all of them can be repaired simply be adjusting the tension screw. I can vouch that this one went from barely functional to perfectly functional with just a quarter turn of that screw! I'm very excited to tear into it and find out what makes it tick

Technology Connections

Flabbergasted is definitely the right word. I presume that the "cheated" raising/lowering mechanism is quite fragile, so I'm amazed that this example is still fully functional.

Matt Whitlock