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The headline referred to a real product: Griffin Technology’s Connected Toaster, introduced at CES 2017. It promised smartphone control over bread type, browning and toast time, plus an alert when the toast was ready. Its announced $100 price and expected second-quarter 2017 launch made it a memorable example of a simple appliance being given a network connection without an equally compelling improvement in everyday life.
The joke was fair as product criticism, but the lasting lesson is more serious. Connecting an ordinary object adds software, security, privacy, maintenance and support obligations. For homeowners, builders and anyone specifying connected equipment, “smart” should mean more than “controlled by an app.”
What the “smart toaster” actually was
The product was Griffin Technology’s Connected Toaster, shown publicly at CES 2017. It was not an April Fools’ prank or a fictional concept. Contemporary coverage described a conventional toaster augmented with Wi-Fi and a companion smartphone app.
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The app reportedly allowed users to select a bread type, adjust toast duration or browning and receive a notification when the toast was finished. Griffin was also promoting connected kitchen and home products, including a coffee maker and smart mirror. TechCrunch reported an announced price of $100, with availability expected in the second quarter of 2017.
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- [ANGLED TOUCHSCREEN & SILENT MODE] Monitor your progress with the 7.13-inch digital color touchscreen angled at 75 degrees for clear visibility. Features a real-time countdown timer to easily manage morning routines. Simply hold the Cancel button for 3 seconds to activate silent mode and mute key beeps instantly for quiet early mornings.
- [BreadID Presets] Guessing the right time for different bread types always ends in burnt crusts. Engineered with BreadID Tech, this premium toaster 2 slice appliance auto-adjusts time and temperature across 6 precise presets. Tap once for flawless artisanal loaves or bagels.
- [Single-Slice Eco] Toasting a single slice in standard toasters wastes energy and dries out the edges. Our advanced Single-Slice Tech actively redirects heat to the occupied slot—cutting energy use by 40%. Get 360° uniform crispness for solo servings without flipping.
- [Memory Settings] Stop wasting precious minutes resetting your preferences every single morning. The smart memory function locks in your favorite shade and bread type—one tap away. Streamline your morning routine—enjoy your customized toast instantly without hassle.
- [1.5" Wide Slots] Thick pastries and dense bagels often jam and burn in narrow slots. This 2 slice toaster wide slot design features 1.5" opening to fit thick slices easily—complete with a food-grade, non-stick stainless steel body and a removable tray for effortless cleaning.
Those details describe the product’s launch-era claims, not a current retail offer. Current official availability and support could not be verified, so the toaster should be treated as a historical product rather than a recommendation for a 2026 purchase. TechCrunch’s CES report and Engadget’s coverage document the main features.
Why the product attracted ridicule
ExtremeTech’s January 5, 2017 headline called the device evidence that the Internet of Things had reached “peak stupid.” That wording was commentary, not an objective technical finding. The underlying product criticism, however, was easy to understand:
What does the internet connection let the toaster do that a person cannot already do with its buttons?
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The app duplicated functions that ordinary toasters already provide locally. A user could adjust a physical control, press a button and look at the appliance to see whether the toast was finished. The phone added a slider, remote interaction and a notification, but it did not obviously solve a substantial problem.
That is the difference between a silly product and a dangerous one. “This is unnecessary” is a judgment. “The app duplicates existing controls” is a product observation. “The network connection creates additional security and support responsibilities” is a technical consequence.
The original article remains available at ExtremeTech.
Was the toaster completely useless?
No. A fair assessment has to acknowledge the possible benefits.
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- Fine-grained browning controls could appeal to a user with particular preferences.
- Accessibility features might help someone who finds conventional controls difficult to use.
- In a commercial kitchen or shared workplace, remote status reporting could have more value than it would at home.
- Diagnostics or maintenance alerts could theoretically reduce service calls.
The strongest conclusion is therefore not that every connected toaster is useless. It is that the reported benefits looked like marginal convenience rather than a fundamentally better toaster. They had to justify a higher price, phone ownership, Wi-Fi setup, app maintenance, possible account or cloud dependencies, firmware updates and a larger security burden.
Rank #2
- 【Easy-to-Use Touchscreen & Clear Timer】Smart toaster with 6 browning levels and a countdown timer. Choose your shade with a simple tap, always know how it will look and when it's ready. No more guessing
- 【50% Faster Even Toasting】925W power with upgraded heating technology, deep slots that toast full slices edge to edge. Delivers up to 50% faster heating, browns evenly on both sides. Simplify your mornings with Ganiza 2 slice toaster
- 【Full Stainless Steel Design】Durable stainless steel toaster with food-grade slots and a heat-resistant body. No need to worry about melting plastic or unwanted odors. Designed for long-lasting, everyday use for your family
- 【±10s Fine-Tune & 4 Extra Functions】Customize your toast with ±10s adjustment on this digital toaster. Defrost, Reheat, Frozen Waffle and Cancel modes let you toast different breads with a simple tap. No more restarting cycles or thawing bread first
- 【Wide Slots in a Compact Design】Fits thick slices of artisan bread, bagels, muffins and waffles, while the compact toaster footprint saves counter space. Ideal for small kitchens, apartments and RVs
The available reporting establishes app-based control and notifications, but it does not establish every safety behavior. In particular, it should not be assumed that the Griffin toaster could safely be started remotely while unattended. Any appliance that creates heat would need carefully designed interlocks governing when remote commands are allowed.
How “smart” can make a simple appliance worse
A conventional toaster is limited, but its limitations are easy to understand. It normally requires no account, server or mobile operating system. Its basic controls are available to anyone physically present, and it can remain useful even if the manufacturer leaves the market.
A connected appliance introduces more dependencies:
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- Higher lifecycle costs: the purchase price may be only the beginning if subscriptions, replacement parts or special support are involved.
- Compatibility risk: a phone operating-system update or app-store decision can affect an older product.
- Support risk: features may disappear when a company stops maintaining servers or issuing updates.
- Repair difficulty: a fault may involve software or authentication rather than a replaceable mechanical part.
This matters beyond kitchen gadgets. A connected thermostat, access-control system or building-management component can affect comfort, security, energy use and maintenance workflows. In construction and home improvement, a product that cannot be serviced locally can become a long-term liability even when its initial feature list looks attractive.
The security case against gratuitous connectivity
There is no evidence in the available reporting that Griffin’s toaster was hacked, joined a botnet or had a specific known vulnerability. The correct argument is broader: every networked appliance needs a credible security and update strategy.
Potential weaknesses include default or weak passwords, outdated firmware, insecure mobile apps, vulnerable cloud services, poorly secured Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections and unsupported devices remaining connected indefinitely. A toaster may not contain a camera or microphone, but it can still create account, network and software risks.
The Federal Trade Commission has identified outdated software and hard-coded or easy-to-guess passwords as consumer IoT problems. It has also emphasized that buyers should know whether a product receives security updates, how those updates are delivered and when support will end. See the FTC’s IoT security guidance and its discussion of update and support disclosures.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe risk is not that an attacker necessarily wants to make toast. A poorly secured device can become a weak point on a home network or remain exposed after the owner assumes it is obsolete. Connectivity increases the security burden; it does not automatically make a product insecure.
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- 【Contemporary Design】: Equipped with a 4.4 inch big touch screen, now you can read all information you needed. Touch any icon on the display to select the corresponding setting, It's time to bring some technical sophistication into your kitchen!
- 【For Most Breads】: On the touchscreen, you can select from 6 different browning levels and choose from various types of bread. With just a single click, this smart toaster will follow the programmed settings to bake your bread perfectly. Give it a try and enjoy perfectly crunchy breads!
- 【Toast Evenly】: As a toaster, the primary function is to toast bread evenly. After thousands of tests, we've made adjustments to the structure and heating wires to ensure that this toaster delivers consistent results every time. You can trust that this toaster will not let you down.
- 【Stainless Steel】: The shell of the toaster is crafted from a combination of mirror surface and brushed stainless steel, distinguishing it from other toasters made of plastic. Mecity toaster not only offers a shiny appearance but also ensures a durable service life.
- 【Easy To Clean】: The toasting slots are made of non-stick, food-grade stainless steel, and there's a removable crumb tray at the bottom. With these features, cleaning the bread toaster requires minimal effort.
The “fail dumb” test
The most useful test for a connected appliance is simple:
If the Wi-Fi fails, the app disappears, the cloud service shuts down or the manufacturer stops supporting the product, does it still perform its basic physical function?
For a normal toaster, the answer is generally yes. No server needs to authorize browning. No app store needs to distribute a control interface. No vendor account needs to remain active.
For a smart appliance, several different outcomes are possible:
- Feature loss: remote controls or notifications stop working, while local controls remain usable.
- Safety risk: unsupported software remains connected and unpatched.
- Total product failure: the appliance requires cloud authorization and cannot operate locally.
There is no verified evidence that Griffin’s toaster actually suffered a shutdown or became unusable. This is a general IoT lifecycle concern, not a documented Griffin failure. Still, it is a reasonable question to ask before installing any connected product in a home or building.
The FTC used a smart toaster as an example in its discussion of the expectation that a product should retain basic mechanical functionality after software support ends. Its commentary is available in this FTC filing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When connectivity is worth having
The right question is not whether an object looks too ordinary to be connected. It is whether the connection provides a valuable capability that local controls cannot reasonably provide.
Connectivity is easier to justify when it enables:
- safety monitoring or emergency alerts;
- accessibility features unavailable through physical controls;
- meaningful energy management;
- remote diagnosis that reduces maintenance costs;
- coordination among several systems in a home or building;
- information that improves food safety, health or equipment reliability; or
- a function that cannot be delivered locally.
A connected smoke alarm, energy-management system or accessibility-oriented appliance has a stronger case than a toaster because remote status, alerts or automation may materially improve the outcome. That does not exempt such products from security, privacy or support requirements. It simply gives the connection a clearer purpose.
Rank #4
- TOUCH CONTROL: Perfection is at your fingertips. This 2 slice toaster features a large and intuitive touchscreen interface with clear icons for you to make selections to accommodate your toasting desires.
- BREAD TYPES AND BROWNING LEVELS: Choose from 5 bread types and 6 browning level options, and toggle defrost and reheat functions each with pre-programmed countdown times for precise toasting.
- FAVORITE FUNCTION: Save your go-to bread type and browning level to instantly start toasting, saving you time and energy when starting your morning routine leading you into a productive day.
- CONVENIENT SETTINGS: Utilize the toast settings to fine tune your cooking. Defrost for toasting frozen foods, Reheat for warming up food, and single-slot for toasting on only one side of the toaster.
- SMOOTH MOTION LEVER: Simply press down the smooth motion lever to lower your bread into the toaster. Push CANCEL to automatically stop and raise your toast.
A practical test for smart-home and building products
Before specifying or buying a connected appliance, ask:
- What is the incremental utility? Does connectivity enable something unavailable through local controls?
- Is there a local fallback? Will the product work without internet, an app or an account?
- How long is it supported? Is the security-update period published?
- How are updates delivered? Are they authenticated, automatic and clearly communicated?
- What data is collected? Is an account collecting information that the product does not need?
- Does it interoperate? Can it work with standard platforms, or only the manufacturer’s cloud?
- Can it be repaired? What happens if the vendor exits the market?
- Can remote commands create danger? Heat, motion, water and access-control functions need appropriate physical safeguards.
- What is the total cost? Include apps, subscriptions, support, replacement parts and eventual obsolescence.
- How does it fail? Does it fail safely while retaining basic functionality?
These questions are particularly important when connected equipment is installed as part of a larger construction or renovation project. A product that looks impressive at handover may become difficult to maintain once the original installer, integrator or manufacturer is no longer involved.
What changed since 2017?
The smart-toaster story did not predict every later development in connected technology, but it captured a problem that remains relevant: connectivity is not the same as usefulness, security, durability or sustainability.
Consumer IoT security is now treated more formally by policymakers and standards organizations. NIST’s NISTIR 8425 consumer IoT cybersecurity baseline, published on September 20, 2022, identifies cybersecurity capabilities intended to apply across consumer IoT products. NIST also maintains a consumer IoT cybersecurity program and information on cybersecurity labeling.
The modern standard for a responsible connected product is therefore higher than “it has an app.” Buyers should expect clear update policies, secure authentication, sensible data practices, local operation where appropriate and an honest end-of-support plan.
Verdict
The Griffin Connected Toaster was real, and its reported features were mostly redundant with the controls on a conventional toaster. That made the ridicule understandable. The product turned a cheap, fast and locally controlled appliance into one that potentially depended on software, networks and a manufacturer’s continuing support.
But the broader lesson is not that every smart appliance is foolish. Connectivity can be worthwhile when it delivers accessibility, safety monitoring, energy management or another capability that genuinely improves the user’s outcome. For ordinary toast, however, a reliable conventional toaster remains the stronger design: fewer dependencies, less attack surface and no cloud service standing between the user and breakfast.
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