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When I first saw the phrase “printing your toast,” I immediate thought of Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. In one episode, he was meticulously toasting slices of bread, which came out with a Cyclon “printed” on one side. (I actually thought it was Darth Vader, but according to Big Bang Theory fans who know better, it wasn’t.) So anyway, I thought that someone actually made a toaster that could print images on the bread!

I was mistaken, but what I found is still worth checking out: the Printing Your Toast design. Conjured by designer Othmar Mühlebach, this concept is inspired by your ordinary printer at home or the office. You stack bread slices up on the top part of the printer – err, toaster – and once toasted, the slice will drop conveniently to a plate underneath. Just like “real” printers, the bread slices will be toasted (printed) one at a time.

In this year’s Berner Design Awards, the printer-toaster got the second prize. Judges described the design as aesthetically pleasing as well as interesting. I get the first adjective but the second is just way too bland for me. Interesting? Come on! I think they could have come up with a better word to describe the toaster.

Anyhow, I wouldn’t mind having one of these things. It does look different and will match my espresso machine. I also like the idea of not having to burn my fingers trying to get the toast out of my old fashioned toaster oven. What say you?