The electric toaster seems a humble thing. It was invented in 1893, not long after the light bulb and long before the microchip and the laser. This century-old technology is now a household staple, and reliable, efficient toasters are available for a few pounds. Nevertheless, Thomas Thwaites, a postgraduate design student at the Royal College of Arts in London, discovered just what an astonishing achievement the toaster is when he embarked on what he called “The Toaster Project”. Quite simply, Thwaites wanted to build a toaster from scratch.
電動烤麪包機似乎是微不足道的東西。它發明於1893年，略晚於電燈，遠早於微晶片和鐳射。這件問世一個多世紀的設備，如今成爲家庭日常用具。買一臺可靠實惠的烤麪包機只需幾英鎊。雖說如此，倫敦皇家藝術學院(Royal College of Arts)設計專業研究生托馬斯•思偉茨(Thomas Thwaites)卻發現，烤麪包機堪稱一項驚人成就。他正是在開展一項所謂的「烤麪包機項目」。簡單來說，他打算從零開始，造出一臺烤麪包機。