There aren't many modern home appliances as humble as your ordinary kitchen toaster. But if ever there was a product that stood a chance of transcending basic bread-heating, it's the Alessi SG68.

You take a piece of bread, put it in the slot, push down the levers and the wires get hot. You get — toast. Yeah, toast. Perhaps you’ve seen comedian Heywood Banks regale the virtues of my favorite ...