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Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#211

Post by vidarh »

43920 wrote: post #151
wnc3141 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a theory that anything that takes permanent, visible-realestate in the household has someone of a niche for people wanting tastefully designed things. In essence, things that do not appear "disposable" as so many kitchen appliances do. People pay extra for designer hot water pots. However purely aesthetic upgrade products will need serious work to maintain differentiation. Dyson is a more glaring example (fans…

There are already companies that make nice-looking, higher-end kitchen appliances though - Breville comes to mind, there are probably others. Speaking from personal experience, I have a toaster oven from them that’s lasted close to ten years with zero problems; I’d have a hard time being convinced to pay more for a “made in USA” one unless there was something truly exceptional about it.

That's why I think you need a compelling story about it. How the poor inventor struggled against the odds to fix the scourge of bad toast, to bring you an exquisite product that makes you feel good to own for the story more than any tangible reason. It needs to be a personal story to set him apart from the other brands.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#212

Post by _tom_ »

SoftTalker wrote: post #140
eru wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> [...] and consumers who say they want reliable, well-made goods will balk and buy cheap stuff en masse when it comes down to the wire. And I've never really had much of a problem with cheap toasters being unreliable in the first place. But I guess there are people who do?

Best toaster I've ever owned is a no-name I bought for about $20 at Lowes when they had them in stock for Christmas season. It makes perfect toast, and does a great job on bagles also.

I bought an expensive, name brand, toaster.

It's crap.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#213

Post by Glawen »

nothercastle wrote: post #153
photonbeam wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Id pay hundreds for a toaster built like a tank Not because I need that, I just enjoy overly heavy things

Why not but one of these? Ours has been going strong for 7 years now https://www.dualit.com/products/2-slice-newgen

Great machine, my parents have it, they love it and I love it. Still, I pondered about buying one too, but at 160€ it was a tough sell because we barely make 2 toasts a week. In the end I took a Russel Hobbes made in china for half the price. I kinda regret it because it's bad quality, but for our use it's ok.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#214

Post by Auracle »

vidarh wrote: post #211
43920 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are already companies that make nice-looking, higher-end kitchen appliances though - Breville comes to mind, there are probably others. Speaking from personal experience, I have a toaster oven from them that’s lasted close to ten years with zero problems; I’d have a hard time being convinced to pay more for a “made in USA” one unless there was something truly exceptional about it.

That's why I think you need a compelling story about it. How the poor inventor struggled against the odds to fix the scourge of bad toast, to bring you an exquisite product that makes you feel good to own for the story more than any tangible reason. It needs to be a personal story to set him apart from the other brands.

You could go that one gun coffee brand and make it a camo pattern.

Or go the other way and give it a rainbow pattern? Hell, put one on each side so you can flip it depending on which relatives are coming over.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#215

Post by throwaway2037 »

quacked wrote: post #16

I've had a similar idea, except in addition to toasters, it's midsize pickup trucks, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers... What I've found is that regulations make it impossible to sell simple machines, labor costs make it impossible to compete on price, lawyers make it impossible to go to market without being sued, and consumers who say they want reliable, well-made goods will balk and buy cheap stuff en masse wh…

> midsize pickup trucks, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers...

"simple machines"?

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#216

Post by throwaway2037 »

closeparen wrote: post #202
wnc3141 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a theory that anything that takes permanent, visible-realestate in the household has someone of a niche for people wanting tastefully designed things. In essence, things that do not appear "disposable" as so many kitchen appliances do. People pay extra for designer hot water pots. However purely aesthetic upgrade products will need serious work to maintain differentiation. Dyson is a more glaring example (fans…

People will do Bosch or Miele appliances because it sounds good in a real estate listing, but that’s relying on the cachet of a known brand. I looked at a condo once with an interesting sort of art deco kitchen on and a custom refrigerator that fit the theme. My first thought was, it’s got to be hell to get parts for that or find someone who knows how to work on it.

I have read numerous posts on HN where Miele appliance owners swear by their reliability and repairability. I see Bosch mentioned less often.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#217

Post by qup »

xivzgrev wrote: post #189

two pieces of advice: First, you don’t need anyone’s permission here. If you want to build American made toasters, go do it! Second, before you dive into this I’d recommend a little more due diligence. Around requirements sure (there was a good post in comments on different certs youd need). But more around validating demand: why doesn’t this exist already? As someone mentioned, are there enough consumers that would…

> First, you don’t need anyone’s permission here. If you want to build American made toasters, go do it!

I similarly say: op, YOU are the expert.

Do not defer this decision to anyone else. Do not weigh the opinions of unknown commenters equally with your own.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#218

Post by Lio »

jszymborski wrote: post #204
dylan604 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think you are greatly over-estimating how many people would be willing to pay the cost of a North American made toaster. Who wants a $75+ toaster just because it was "Made In USA"? Is it going to make toast better than a $15 toaster "Hecho In Mexico" or whatever other country? Even making the infrastructure to make a toaster would not do much in the way of increasing the manufacturing abilities in the US. What co…

I would by a $75+ toaster that: - was made in a free Democratic country - is of quality I often pay a premium for such items.

I think a Dualit is what you want.

I have a 4 slice Dualit[1] I bought in 2004 and it still works perfectly.

It's an unchanging point of reliability in our kitchen.

The Classic model is basically an old catering toaster design from the 1950s. So it has "anti-features" that make it suitable for a commercial setting where you're making lots of toast to order. e.g. you can pop the bread to check it without resetting the timer and there's no spring to wear out.

As far as I'm concerned the high quality toaster, made in a free democratic country, is a solved problem.

1. https://www.dualit.com/collections/classic-range

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#219

Post by domh »

ska wrote: post #45
Dig1t wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is really interesting and it mirrors my intuition: there are 0 toasters on the market that have "Made in the USA" stamped on them. I think that there may be a decent sized market of people who will pay extra for that stamp on a normal household toaster.

In the UK context, there seem to still be at least on "local" company: https://www.dualit.com/collections/toasters You can get NA versions, but they aren't cheap. I'm not sure why that company survived and US variants didn't.

I used one of these at a hotel recently and the toast quality was second to none. When my current toaster bites the dust I'll be investing in one of these. I'm fed up with buying cheap stuff that's designed to break after 3 years.

Re: Ask HN: Should I try to manufacture toasters?

#220

Post by throwaway2037 »

jszymborski wrote: post #204
dylan604 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think you are greatly over-estimating how many people would be willing to pay the cost of a North American made toaster. Who wants a $75+ toaster just because it was "Made In USA"? Is it going to make toast better than a $15 toaster "Hecho In Mexico" or whatever other country? Even making the infrastructure to make a toaster would not do much in the way of increasing the manufacturing abilities in the US. What co…

I would by a $75+ toaster that: - was made in a free Democratic country - is of quality I often pay a premium for such items.

I am sure you can do this in Taiwan, Korea, Japan. There must some high end makers onshore.
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