<P> Conveyor toasters are designed to make many slices of toast and are generally used in the catering industry, in cafeterias, diners and institutional cooking facilities, as they are suitable for large - scale use . Bread is toasted at a rate of 300--1600 slices an hour, making conveyor toasters ideal for a large restaurant that is consistently busy . Such devices have occasionally been produced for home use as far back as 1938, when the Toast - O - Lator went into limited production . </P> <P> Before the development of the electric toaster, sliced bread was toasted by placing it in a metal frame or on a long - handled toasting - fork and holding it near a fire or over a kitchen grill . Utensils for toasting bread over open flames appeared in the early 19th century, including decorative implements made from wrought iron . </P> <P> The first electric bread toaster was invented by Alan MacMasters in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1893 . </P> <P> The primary technical problem at the time was the development of a heating element which would be able to sustain repeated heating to red - hot temperatures without either breaking or becoming too brittle . A similar technical challenge had recently been surmounted with the invention of the first successful incandescent lightbulbs by Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison . However, the light bulb took advantage of the presence of a vacuum, something that couldn't be used with the toaster . </P>

Who invented the household appliance we call toaster