WASHINGTON - At one time we had a toaster in our kitchen. You put in two slices of bread, pushed down on a handle and a few minutes later - SPOING! - you had toast, popped up for easy removal. Simple, and, in its own way, elegant.

But that's all it did - make toast. The small-appliance people couldn't stand it and began tinkering until you had the stovetop oven or some such. Now there is an elaborate dial that offers you way more choices than you need.Read this article in full with a
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