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Whether it be a toaster oven or a regular bread and bagal toaster, Crumbs happen. It’s just a part of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with it! Here’s why your toaster leaks crumbs and how to deal with it.
All toasters have little trays that pull out from the bottom where the crumbs collect. These trays are always built as if they were an afterthought, and it often shows.
The problem is that these crumb trays often don’t fit very snuggly into their allotted space. Over time, the vibration of toasting bread loosens them up even more so that they don’t do a very good job of catching all the crumbs.
Toasters also tend to get pushed and pulled all over the countertop, which can further loosen the crumb tray. All of this movement means that even if your toaster is brand new, the crumb tray may not fit as snugly as it should.
The result is a toaster that leaks crumbs all over your countertop. Not only is this unsightly, but it can attract ants and other pests.
While there isn’t a whole lot you can do to fix the tray itself, there are a few things you can do to deal with this problem.
Make sure you do regular maintenance
A full crumb tray spills over easily, so make sure you empty it out on a regular basis. Once a week should be good for most people.
You could probably even go once a month without much issue, but if you let it go too long then you’re just asking for trouble.
If your toaster has a removable crumb tray, take it out and wash it in soapy water every now and then. This will help ensure that the tray doesn’t get too gunked up and start spilling over more easily.
Place the toaster on a tray
Don’t rely solely on the crumb tray to catch all the crumbs. Place your toaster on a tray or cutting board before you use it. Anything will do!
This way, even if some crumbs do spill over, they’ll be contained on the tray and not end up all over your countertop.
It also makes it much easier to clean up afterward since you can just sweep the crumbs off the tray and into the garbage.
