You could also not waste time figuring out how to store the darkness using "analog circuitry" and just put a micro on the thing. Then you could have multiple s

You could also not waste time figuring out how to store the darkness using "analog circuitry" and just put a micro on the thing. Then you could have multiple sensors that would figure out what kind of bread was put in and then toast accordingly. It would a pretty fun problem to work on once the basic toaster was finished. You could play around with different kinds of sensors - heat, infrared LEDs+detectors, normal LEDs+detector, just light detector from ambient of the coils. And the best part would be that you get to eat piles of yummy toast.