# Why Does the Toaster Care?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 18, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773 "2004-10-18T03:28:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773/1 "2004-10-18T03:28:17Z")

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I have a standard two-slice toaster, but when I want to make one slice of toast it has a nice little diagram telling which slot to put it in. Why does the toaster care which side I put my single slice of bread?

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773/2 "2004-10-18T03:31:56Z")

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One side has the thermostat.

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**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773/3 "2004-10-18T03:45:38Z")

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That expalins a little, but what does the thermostat do exactly in the toaster and how does the bread in that side effect what it does?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773/4 "2004-10-18T03:48:37Z")

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[See here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=8186&highlight=toaster+thermostat)😃

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-toaster-care/269773/5 "2004-10-18T03:50:18Z")

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> [@Gangster Octopus](#):
>
> That expalins a little, but what does the thermostat do exactly in the toaster and how does the bread in that side effect what it does?

The thermostat measures the surface temperature of the bread. If the bread is in the wrong side, then the thermostat reaches the target temperature much faster and pops the slice up too soon.