Design moments: Dualit classic toaster

In a world were small appliances are regarded as disposable as hankies, the Dualit classic toaster stands out. It is that rare thing, a toaster that can be repaired and for that alone it deserves a place in this modern moments column. (Although to be fair you’d buy several cheap toasters for the price of a classic Dualit and these days finding someone to repair anything is difficult).

The Victorians in the 1890s invented the first electric toaster, and there followed decades of tinkering to perfect the breakfast staple – in the 1920s the pop-up toaster was quite the revelation.

German engineer Max Gort-Barton arrived in Britain during the second World War, and he set about inventing household appliances in his newly-acquired small factory. One of his first ideas – a fire that was also a light – the Dual-Light gave the name Dualit to his company.

His first toaster in 1946 didn’t pop – the bread flipped from one side to the other – and the Dualit toaster is still characterised by a reassuringly sturdy flipping mechanism.

Around the same time a competitor appeared in the market making attractive reasonably priced domestic appliances and rather than try to compete with him – his name was Ken Wood – Gort-Barton opted to make commercial appliances, starting with a six-slot toaster.

And so during the 1980s when “industrial chic” because a hugely popular domestic look, the industrial-styled Dualit toaster looked perfect.

The Dualit range has since expanded to cover all types of kitchen appliances adding colour and toning down the commercial kitchen look.