late night toast thoughts due to SSRI withdrawal without any mahler symphonies at all

[substitute]

Shouldn't toast be instantaneous? There's no slow simmery magic or magic roasting chemistry going on. The raw material is fully cooked. It's just dry heat applied to sliced bread

Comments

[mcfnord]

[springheel_jack]

On-demand water heating you can get.

[handstil]

You said it. I HATE waiting for toast, it feels ridiculous.
I think toaster makers must be distracted by some other ivention lately. Hmmmm.

[judgefudge]

The outer layer of toast is a starch that, despite appearances, has a lot of water in it. Flash cooking will tend to carbonize it. Slower cooking tends to caramelize it. This is the difference between the brownness of toast and the blackness of burnt toast.

[substitute]

FIX THE PROBLEMS!

[springheel_jack]

A few minutes of 'net research convinces me that there's a lot of work to be done here. The 'browning reaction' - the general class of chemical changes that take place at the surface of food when it is heated - are very poorly understood. RBU has an 'institute for coffee studies,' so I think there is room for one on the study of browning and caramelization.

[judgefudge]

Plus, out of spite, realize this: changing the behavior of toasters means a level of knowledge of chemistry far beyond what we have now, plus possible changes in natural law. Frankly if we have that ability, I'd change substitute's brain to make him less cranky about something as insignificant as toast.

[mcpino]

FLAME THROWER!

My problem is this: why do I always run out of marmalade on the penultimate slice of toast?