4 ms·

I'm not sure which category I fall in... Is the reason that the outlet might be reverse polarity, and if that's on your mind you've probably checked that it's

• modeless 6y ago
  The reason is that old toaster designs had unpolarized plugs and therefore a good chance of uninsulated live wires inside, even when off. Modern toasters don't anymore, but folk wisdom lasts forever. Although you make a good point that if your outlet polarity is reversed, you might still have a problem. I don't know if modern designs are robust to that... I learned this from a video about old Sunbeam toasters that was unexpectedly fascinating: https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y
  • solarmist 6y ago
    Wow! That's amazing! Thank you for sharing that video. Now I want a toaster like that.
• visarga 6y ago
  Depends on where you're touching on the resistor. Maybe you're lucky and touch the part closer to the null. Or you wear shoes and don't touch anything else.
  • Bjartr 6y ago
    Or unplug it, then you can be as cavalier as you like in your attempt
• hprotagonist 6y ago
  >I'm not sure which category I fall in If you aren't sure, he would say you're not allowed to stick a fork in toasters.
  • bqmjjx0kac 6y ago
    Duly noted!