This month marks 104 years of Toastmaster appliances, a brand that began with a single toaster and grew into one of the most recognized names in small kitchen appliances.
The History of Toastmaster
The story of Toastmaster begins with an inventive problem: how to get perfectly toasted bread without having to stand there and watch it. That problem was solved by Charles P. Strite, a Minnesota engineer and inventor. In 1919, Strite began developing a toaster that would automatically turn off and eject toast to prevent burning. His patent for a pop-up bread toaster, which toasted both sides and auto-ejected, was granted in 1921. To commercialize this breakthrough, Strite teamed up with Glen Waters and Harold Genter, forming the Waters-Genter Company in 1921. Initially, the toaster was marketed to restaurants, hotels, and institutions, where efficiency was key. A few years later in 1926, the company released a consumer version of the Toastmaster, complete with adjustable darkness settings and a pop-up mechanism. With this launch, the household toaster industry was born and Toastmaster became one of the first names in automatic pop-up toasting.
Toastmaster Through the Decades: A 104-Year Timeline of Innovation
|
Year |
Milestone |
|
1919 |
Strite begins work on his automatic toaster design, filing initial patent applications. |
|
1921 |
Waters-Genter Company is incorporated in Minneapolis to manufacture the toaster. Patent #1,394,450 (among others) granted to Strite. |
|
1926 |
The first home consumer “Toastmaster” toaster is introduced, with lever, darkness control, etc. |
|
1927 |
Max McGraw invests ~$750,000 in Waters-Genter, enabling growth and entry into the household market. |
|
1929 |
McGraw Electric formally acquires Waters-Genter (and hence Toastmaster). |
|
1930s |
Toastmaster production expands, new models developed including more stylish exteriors and chrome finishes. In 1938, McGraw builds a new plant in Elgin, Illinois to centralize operations. |
|
1957 |
McGraw Electric merges with Thomas A. Edison, Inc., forming McGraw-Edison. |
|
1970s |
Headquarters moved (from Boonville to Columbia, Missouri) and manufacturing is distributed across multiple plants in Missouri and North Carolina. |
|
1980 |
Toastmaster brand passes via leveraged buy-out to Magic Chef, breaking away from McGraw-Edison. |
|
1992 |
Toastmaster, Inc. goes public. |
|
1999 |
Salton, Inc. acquires Toastmaster (with factories in Missouri and North Carolina) for about $110M (stock + assumed debt). |
|
2012 |
Select Brands, Inc. signs a licensing agreement to use the Toastmaster brand name for small appliances. |
|
2021 onward |
Toastmaster is part of the Spectrum Brands portfolio and is licensed to Select Brands for many consumer small appliances; commercial Toastmaster (foodservice) is under The Middleby Corporation. |
Passing the Torch: The Companies That Shaped Toastmaster’s Legacy
Throughout its long life, Toastmaster has changed hands multiple times while maintaining its reputation as a trusted appliance brand. After its early years of growth, the company was acquired by McGraw Electric, which later merged with Edison, Inc. in 1957 to form McGraw-Edison. A leveraged buyout in 1980 shifted ownership to Magic Chef, marking a new era for the Toastmaster name. By 1992, Toastmaster had gone public, operating independently once again before being acquired in 1999 by Salton, Inc., which brought its extensive manufacturing capacity in Missouri and North Carolina under the brand. In 2012, Select Brands, Inc. entered into a licensing agreement to produce and market Toastmaster small appliances, ensuring the brand remained present in households across the country. Today, Toastmaster belongs to Spectrum Brands and is licensed by Select Brands for consumer appliances, while its commercial foodservice line is operated by The Middleby Corporation. Each transition has kept the Toastmaster name alive, proving the enduring appeal of this trusted brand.
Toastmaster in 2025: A Brand Still Cooking After 104 Years
Toastmaster continues to thrive as a name associated with small kitchen appliances that are both practical and affordable. Its range has expanded far beyond the original toaster to include waffle irons, blenders, griddles, slow cookers, and air fryers. Select Brands has revitalized the line with new designs and innovations, ensuring that the brand stays relevant in a competitive market. At the same time, Spectrum Brands provides broad industry reach and resources, while Middleby keeps the name strong in the commercial foodservice sector. While the company no longer manufactures everything under one roof as it once did, its modern approach through licensing and partnerships has allowed it to remain flexible and successful. Consumers still recognize Toastmaster as a household name they can trust, combining nostalgia with everyday functionality.
The Lasting Success of Toastmaster
Why Toastmaster Remains a Trusted Kitchen Name After More Than a Century
The success of Toastmaster is a testament to the power of innovation, adaptability, and brand loyalty. From its humble beginnings as a single invention designed to solve the problem of burnt toast, it grew into a household staple that revolutionized the way families prepared breakfast. Over the decades, the company demonstrated its ability to adapt by diversifying into new product categories, investing in fresh designs, and navigating ownership changes without losing its identity. Today, the Toastmaster brand represents nearly a century of consistency, reliability, and consumer trust. Its longevity proves that a strong idea, nurtured with careful stewardship, can stand the test of time. As it celebrates another anniversary, Toastmaster continues to shine as one of the longest-living names in the small appliance industry.
