Sage Appliances unveils £350 Eye Q Auto Toaster that toasts by colour

Sage Appliances has launched the Eye Q Auto Toaster, priced at £349.95 for the four-slice model, which toasts bread by detecting its colour rather than relying on a timer. An integrated optical sensor, employing dual-wavelength green and infrared LEDs, checks the toast’s hue up to ten times each second and stops heating when the selected shade is reached. The appliance includes a Crumpet Mode that browns one side more than the other, a Sourdough Mode that adjusts for thicker crusts, and a “Bit More” function for extra browning.

Tom Groundes-Peace explained that developing the colour-reading algorithm took about ten years, and Doug Nash described the product as a fundamental shift in toasting technology. Additional features such as a crumb-catching Clearway Cavity and a non-stick ceramic-coated interior aim to improve user convenience.