My $3 toaster from Goodwill nearly set my kitchen on fire yesterday

I used to just grab any cheap appliance off the shelf and hope for the best, but after that toaster started smoking and popping sparks after 2 weeks, I've changed my tune. Now I actually plug things in at the store and check for frayed cords or weird smells before buying. Found a crusty layer of burnt bread crumbs inside the slots when I got home, which is probably what caused the problem. Anyone else had a thrift store gadget go bad on them in a scary way?

2 comments

2 Comments

morganhayes3d ago

Oh man, that's terrifying! Here's something people don't really talk about with thrift store appliances: the internal wiring could be completely shot from years of use and you'd never know by just looking at it. I had a $5 blender that worked fine for a month until the motor started smoking one morning (scared the heck out of me). Those old appliances might have worn-out insulation inside that only fails after you've run them a few times. Plus, some of that crusty gunk you mentioned can actually trap heat and catch fire later, even if you clean the visible bits out.

taraj113d ago

@morganhayes I unplugged a thrift store crock pot that started crackling and never used it again.