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From £420 toothbrushes to £2,000 foldable phones, several pricey gadgets have hit the headlines in recent weeks.
Now, a futuristic toaster has joined the ranks – with an eye-watering £350 price tag.
The Eye Q Auto Toaster is the brainchild of Sage Appliances and is the first appliance to toast by colour rather than time.
Users can select the exact shade they’d like, and the toaster will automatically stop as soon as the bread reaches that colour.
What’s more, there’s even a special Crumpet Mode that toasts one side more than the other, as well as a Sourdough Mode which accounts for thicker crusts.
‘Teaching a sensor to read colour instead of time, accurately enough to trust with someone’s breakfast, took the better part of a decade to get right,’ said Tom Groundes-Peace, senior global category manager and head of research at Sage Appliances.
‘This is the first time I’ve felt like we’ve actually solved toast, rather than just timed it.’
The Eye Q Auto Toaster is the brainchild of Sage Appliances and is the first appliance to toast by colour rather than time
The toaster features an optical sensor which monitors the toast up to ten times every second using dual wavelength green and infrared LEDs. Once the selected shade is reached, the toaster automatically stops
The toaster features an optical sensor which monitors the toast up to ten times every second using dual-wavelength green and infrared LEDs.
Once the selected shade is reached, the toaster automatically stops.
While this sounds like a fairly simple mechanism, Mr Groundes-Peace says it took ten years to crack.
‘For years, my job was making sure algorithms didn’t fail – in deep-sea drilling, one wrong call could cost six figures a day,’ he explained.
‘I assumed a toaster would be simple by comparison. It wasn’t.’
Alongside the main toasting function, users can choose between various special modes.
Sourdough Mode will recalibrate the sensors to account for thicker crusts and denser interiors, while the ‘Bit More’ function gives an extra touch of browning.
For crumpets, the Crumpet Mode will toast one side more than the other, while Timer Mode allows for manual timing when warming other snacks.
It’s certainly not cheap. The 2-Slice version retails for £249.95, while the 4-Slice option will set you back £349.95
Users can select the exact shade they’d like, and the toaster will automatically stop as soon as the bread reaches that colour
Other fancy features include a Clearway Cavity which ensures crumbs fall into a dedicated tray, as well as a non-stick ceramic-coated top to prevent burnt-on debris.
Doug Nash, Sage Appliances’ global product officer, said: ‘Until now, every toaster, no matter the brand or price, has relied on timed heating, which is why toast can turn out uneven, inconsistent, or burnt.
‘For over two decades, we’ve been leading the way making toasters ever more effortless and delightful.
‘The Eye Q Auto Toaster is a breakthrough that fundamentally changes what’s possible in toasting, and we’re thrilled to be bringing it to kitchens all over the world.’
However, it’s certainly not cheap.
The 2-Slice version retails for £249.95, while the 4-Slice option will set you back £349.95.
