Historical information

The vintage Speedie toaster is an iconic piece of Australian mid-century kitchenware. Manufactured by the Speedie Manufacturing Co. in Melbourne, these chrome-plated steel toasters were produced from the 1940s through the 1960s. They are renowned for their Art Deco design, "side-loading" flip-down doors, and lasting durability.design, "side-loading" flip-down doors, and lasting durability. Elmaco was an established Australian manufacturer of bakelite plugs, sockets, and electrical accessories. It has an authentic brown bakelite ELMACO plug (rated typically for 10A at 250V) Made in Australia.

Physical description

A vintage Art Deco silhouette style Speedie chrome plated steel two slice electric toaster on a footed base. It has two side-loading flip-down doors on either side with small black plastic or bakelite handles. The bread is placed inside the door, then closed to toast. When it is toasted, the door is opened and the toast flips to toast the other side. It has attached, a black and tan patterned cotton thread covered electrical cord which has three prongs on a black plug. On the top is a five rack stand to hold the cooked toast to keep it warm. There are four vents on each side of the body. The glowing heating element inside is called the nichrome wire which is typically wrapped back and forth across thin, flat sheets of mica, a naturally occurring heat-resistant mineral that serves as an electrical insulator.

Inscriptions & markings

On the base of the toaster: 'V/Ac/T 5 F 240 volts 550 watts Cat No T 5F B' On the plug: 'ELMACO Made in Australia 24V 10 Amp'