Excerpt:
The process of scorching bread to preserve it spread through many cultures. The word toast comes from the Latin Torrere, Tostum - to scorch or burn. The Romans, in their conquests, took their love of toasted bread with them and spread the custom farther, even up into Britain. Later, English colonists brought the tradition to the Americas.
Annotation:
The toaster Museum Foundation Homepage acts as a surprisingly informative collection of materials concerning a kitchen appliance whose impact, though trivial in some ways, has touched most Americans. The site gives some background on the history of toast and then consists mostly of images of various toasters throughout the years and brief summaries of their function, design, and historic context. Exerpts from ads, funny quotes and poems, and supplemental essays on specific models or product lines give additional flavor to the site. Some of the information is given in a toungue-in-cheek style, but the content is still usefull. The site is easily navigated and fun.