Cavalock and The Balmuda Toaster Acquisition

It all started a year ago when we saw this strange little toaster in Osaka. It looked almost like any other toaster on sale except a wee bit sleeker and there's something about adding water into it. And also that it costed a bomb which naturally made it all that more intriguing. We did a little research and the more we read about it, the more tempted we were to get it. Well, needless to say, that's exactly what we did this Tokyo trip! We got ourselves an award-winning Balmuda toaster!

Basically in a regular toaster, the heat dehydrates your bread, drying it up and turning it into toast but this here fancy toaster, the water turns the machine into a kinda steam oven. It keeps the toast from totally drying up while retaining much of its original texture. As it toasts, you can see alternating bursts of steam and the oven's heating elements pulsating away. You can read more about it here and here. 

Weekend breakfasts have now become a toasty affair home in Singapore. The toasts we had so far have been phenomenal. There are different settings for normal toasts, cheesy ones, baguettes and croissants. We'll probably try heating some croissants for breakfast next once we get our hands on some the day before.

Oh, so how we got the toaster was pretty interesting too. We hit the main stores like Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera the day after we landed but they were all sold out. Disappointed we carried on with getting other stuff on our shopping list. A couple days later we were at our favourite Tokyu Hands Shinjuku. I was checking out the gazillion kinds of different stationery there when I received a Whatspp from the Baker-At-Home who was on a lower floor kitchen section of Tokyu Hands. She had spotted a Balmuda toaster! Bought it in a heart beat and carried it back to our hotel which fortunately was just a short walk away.

Now remember Freshness Burger? The Japanese burger chain used to have a couple of outlets here before they moved out a few years ago. I miss their spamburgers! Anyway I couldn't resist dropping by one in Tokyo just for old times' sake. Damn! They sure take their lemon drinks seriously!