The Number On Your Toaster Dial Is Not Minutes

One tiny misunderstanding explains a lifetime of burnt breakfasts.

You turn the dial to four and assume you'll wait four minutes. That's not how it works.

On most toasters the numbers are a browning scale, not a countdown clock.

A lower number means lighter toast, a higher number means darker. Time only follows loosely.

Some models even measure heat, not seconds, so your second slice pops faster than the first.