Electric toasters use nichrome wire coils that produce infrared radiation to toast bread. When powered, the nichrome wire coils heat up and glow red, radiating infrared energy that gently dries and chars the surface of the bread. The circuitry includes a simple timer using transistors, resistors and capacitors that cuts power to the heating coils and electromagnet that holds the bread after a set amount of time determined by the rate of charging of the capacitor.