Countertop Heroes

Five now-ubiquitous electric cooking appliances that changed the way we cook forever

- Megan Passaro

THE FLIP OF THE CENTURY

THE TOASTER

The toaster, which uses radiant heat to warm bread until crispy, was created in Scotland in 1893, then fully commercialized by General Electric in 1909. Within the next decade, toasters evolved—introducing models that could toast both sides of bread at once and pop the bread up when it was done. F&W FAVE: Breville’s Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster is ultra-efficient, with a modern design that our testers loved. ($150, breville.com)

THE INDUSTRY DARLING

THE STAND MIXER

Ideated in 1908, the electric stand mixer simplifies the laborious tasks of mixing and kneading with powerful, consistent motion.