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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?

#271

OK now I'm starting to think we live in the matrix - I've spend the last 24 hours (unemployed currently, you see) looking at toasters and designs, with the same idea. And because my toaster just broke. The state of toasters seems quite dire. Most are basically the same mechanism internally with different style covers. Some quick learnings/thoughts: - why are they open at the top? Some expensive Japanese toasters are…

As a user, I'v noticed these:

> - Two slot toasters always power both slots even when toasting one slice.

> - crumb trays don't work for many toasters, they're too narrow compared with all the places crumbs fall.

Always thinking what a waste of energy when only toasting a single slice.

> - Many toasters don't allow you to change the timer mid-toast. I mean you can change it, but it doesn't do anything until next cycle. Also few indicate how much time is left.

Never knew time-left could be implemented, but would definitely be a nice feature.

Only 1 of these features are enough for the consumer to consider buying this new toaster.

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

#272
post #4
post #3

Good idea here is a catchy brand name which you’ll need . . Call it ‘Your Toast!’

https://www.uspto.gov/ trademark search shows 'Your Toast' is not registered. 'Freedom Toast' was registered three times in the past but not currently.

It could be a whole line of products. Make Breakfast Great Again!?

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

#273
post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, these fr*cking toasters are out to get humans. Ask colonel Saul

I did, but he just keeps trying to cut the corners off all my paper.

I really like this comment, and am now trawling DanHulton.com for more

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

#275
post #60

I married into toaster moguls. When they sold out in '97, domestic toasters had been infeasible for years already. And this was for a company where all the knowledge, equipment, and facilities had beed paid for many decades before. (They invented the electric pop-up toaster for certain definitions of electric pop-up toaster.) Toasters are refined brilliance, if done right. The concept of "done" is computed using an a…

>I married into toaster moguls

Truly, hacker news is the most wonderfully diverse ecosystem.

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

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they do. You can see the "UL" mark on the product label

Are you sure it's the original label and not a fake? Just recently a German tech channel reviewed a "gaming PC" sold on Amazon. The power supply had a fake CE label (aka it's illegal to sell in the EU) and the graphics card was a used Chinese crypto mining card that caught fire before they were done testing.

You know there's another CE mark which stands for "China Export" right ? It just means it was manufactured in China and pretty much indistinguishable from Europe's CE mark.

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

#277
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure it's the original label and not a fake? Just recently a German tech channel reviewed a "gaming PC" sold on Amazon. The power supply had a fake CE label (aka it's illegal to sell in the EU) and the graphics card was a used Chinese crypto mining card that caught fire before they were done testing.

You know there's another CE mark which stands for "China Export" right ? It just means it was manufactured in China and pretty much indistinguishable from Europe's CE mark.

That's a myth. There is no such marking as "China Export".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking#%22China_Export%22

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

#278
I don't really get these "Made in " slogans. For livestock/plants/food/cuisine, or well known existing domestic brands, sure. But new businesses just using nationalism as a selling point is strange. That foreign land may have better standards for safety/manufacturing as your own. Fair profit lands with your local government regardless where stuff came from. Materials travelling around the world: what ensures your local craftsman will not use foreign materials or tools. A world where most production is localised is more environment damaging than the distributed economy we have now.
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