Patent ID: 7047871

Claim:
An apparatus for an electric toaster for a food item, comprising: a) a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, a rear surface and first and second side surfaces for containing the apparatus; b) at least one heating element being disposed internal said housing for toasting the food item; c) at least one food cage being disposed internal said housing for holding a food item therein proximate to said heating element to permit the food item to become toasted by the heating element, wherein said food cage comprises a first and second parallel vertical wall, each wall having a front and rear end, wherein said walls are made of mesh and are disposed substantially perpendicular to said front and rear surfaces of said housing, wherein said walls are spaced apart for containing the food item therein between, wherein said walls are compressible toward and away from each other having tensioning members disposed thereon so that said walls are biased toward each other to hold the food item therein between, first and second coplanar posts extending substantially horizontally from each of said front and rear ends of each said wall so that said first post is disposed above said second post, wherein each of said posts has an end; and, d) a first and second guide plate, each guide plate having first and second slots forming guide tracks therein, wherein each of said first and second guide tracks are vertically disposed, wherein each guide track has an upper end and a lower end, wherein said first and second guide plates are disposed internal said housing on said first and second ends, respectively, of said walls of said food cage so that the ends of said first and second posts of each of said front and rear ends of said walls of said food cage travel up and down in a corresponding guide track of each of said first and second guide tracks of each of said guide plate so that said food cage has an up position wherein the food item can be placed therein and a down position wherein the food item can be disposed proximate to said heating element to permit the food item to be toasted.