A Gift You Weren’t Thinking About: The Revolution Toaster

The act of making a piece of toast isn't usually considered dramatic or worthy of a social media post. That has changed since the introduction of one product: the Revolution InstaGLO R180 Toaster. Though it may sound like a droid from Star Wars, this toaster has gone viral for its eye-catching design — including a touchscreen that controls the toasting process — as well as a host of other clever features.

The Revolution toaster has also earned rave reviews from users for its ability to evenly toast bread, English muffins, waffles, and more by searing rather than drying out the food. The secret? Its state-of-the-art technology, which speeds up, improves, and modernizes the toasting process. The catch? At $299, it's one of the most expensive toasters on the market.

A very viral toaster

The Revolution is the rare toaster that doubles as a conversation piece, the type of device you proudly display on your kitchen counter hoping a guest will take notice. Rapper Lil Yachty demonstrated his toaster in a TikTok post in which he laconically praises the toaster for its “excellence" and ability to toast “bagels, waffles, Pop-Tarts."

The post, which has nearly 4 million views, inspired countless other Revolution toaster owners to “sample" Lil Yachty's narration, furthering the organic reach, as they say, and inspiring stories from major tech, design, and even news websites. Tech website CNET's take? “The Revolution R180 Toaster has a touchscreen. It's ridiculous and I love it."

Inspiration for the brave little toaster

Like many other tech innovations, the idea for the Revolution InstaGLO came about serendipitously. Revolution Cooking CEO Tom Klaff, writing on the company's website, said he was standing in line at his office one day when he noticed employees waiting, and waiting, and waiting for their bagels to toast. He wondered if there was a faster and better way to toast bread. Thankfully, there was.

The problem, he found, was that the standard heated coil found in most toasters had remained largely unchanged for over a century. Believing he could improve on that outdated technology, Klaff set his research and development department to work on finding a solution. Five years later, that group had come up with the technological breakthrough that would forever change the toasting game: a helix pattern on the heating element that warms in just two seconds and toasts more evenly.

The company also developed what Klaff calls "intelligent heating algorithms." These allow the toaster to make adjustments based on whether the bread, bagel, or waffle is frozen or fresh, and adapt as it toasts to ensure even cooking that also seals in moisture.

Revolution Cooking eventually launched the toaster in November 2019 with one goal: to introduce a “new and different way to toast," says Elizabeth Jackson, EVP, marketing at the company. Mission accomplished.

How the Revolution Toaster works

The proprietary technology in the Revolution InstaGLO makes toasting a breeze. You simply place the food item in the slot, scroll through images of waffles, bread, and pastries, make a selection, and choose a setting from one to seven for desired browning, and let the toaster do the rest. The device lowers the food item into the toaster and provides updates on its progress on the touchscreen. For the finishing touch, the toast pops up while a catchy little song plays.

The future of toasting

Two years after its launch, the device continues to earn rave reviews, and the company continues to innovate and evolve. Jackson hints that Revolution will soon debut a new black version to go along with its existing stainless steel design, and will sell it on Harry & David. (The current version is also available on Harry & David on its own or as a package deal that includes five packs of super-thick English muffins from Wolferman's.)

Other recently introduced accessories include a panini press, which allows users to cook grilled cheese and pressed sandwiches directly in the toaster, and a warming rack that rests above the toasting slots for gently heating up croissants, muffins, and cinnamon rolls.

It all adds up to a glitzy addition to the kitchen counter that's versatile, advanced, and designed to help improve the experience of toasting and eating bread. While it unquestionably looks cool, the Revolution InstaGLO has the substance to meet the style.

“The touchscreen pulls people in," Jackson says of the Revolution toaster, “but one of the things that we hear about more and more is the quality of the bread. It toasts faster and preserves more moisture within the bread, which creates a tastier experience."

In other words, pass the butter.