When you’re singing to yourself, “I’ll have a little piece of toast,” but the toaster handle won’t stay latched, do you trash the toaster and butter some raw bread? No, because cottagers fix stuff. Or at least, they try.
The latch needs electricity to work: check that the toaster is plugged in and there’s power at the receptacle. Inspect the toaster’s cord for damage, though that’s not a common cause of a lazy latch.
Next, you need to access the latch mechanism. Unplug the toaster. To remove the metal or plastic shell covering the appliance innards, start by pulling the knob off the latch lever. Flip the toaster, and remove any screws securing the base (look for hidden ones under rubber feet). You may also need to winkle open a plastic tab or two. Once the cover is loose, unhook the toaster-control wires—they probably feed into a circuit board via a pull-apart connector.
Most toasters work on simple and elegant principles: when you depress the latch, an actuator pushes together a couple of electrical contacts—which are almost always copper-coloured metal tabs. With the circuit complete, power activates a solenoid (a type of electromagnet) that holds the latch down. A few minutes later, a timing device (or a heat-sensitive switch) cuts the power, and delicious toast pops up.
Sometimes, toast crumbs prevent the latch from depressing all the way, interfere with the contacts, or separate the electromagnet parts. The fix can be as simple as brushing them out.
Or, the electrical contacts can oxidize over time. A little rubbing alcohol or contact cleaner on a cotton swab will clean them. Using emery cloth to abrade the contact surface is more aggressive, but it often works. Occasionally, the metal tabs get bent and can’t touch, even when the latch is down—gently bend them back with tweezers or needle-nosed pliers.
Making sure that the contacts and the solenoid can connect where they should will address most latch problems. If not, the repairs get more complicated. Maybe then, the toaster is toast. But at least you tried the fix first.
This article was originally published in the June/July 2025 issue of Cottage Life.
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