#drkarl

Standing over a beach fire holding my last bottle of self-imported Magnum Tonic Wine

I’ve been a little slack on updating the website. I’ve been busy learning to produce content radio on the Greek Crisis at Radio National, including some jokes appearances on Weekend Breakfast alongside Dr Karl. I’ve been doing the weekly dancehall shows, but haven’t focussed on updates, or uploads, so this is an official notice that we are ‘back on track’ - starting with an upload of the Svelt takeover while I was away.

Niles: Toast sweat?

Frasier: Yes, yes, it's when you put a piece of hot toast on any surface, and it leaves droplets of dew behind. Haven't you heard dad's lecture on the evils of toast sweat? It's the scourge of our times.

Hypothesis

That heating a plate before putting toast on it will avoid the dreaded toast sweat.

Experiment

Oven set to target temperature, then adjusted until 10 degrees celsius warmer than the target temperature, verified with a non-contact thermometer.

Plate allowed to warm for ten minutes.

Toast put into a pre-heated toaster and toasted to light brown via a timer setting.

Plate temperature checked, and if needed, removed slightly early to allow to cool to target temperature.

Temperature is checked again, photographed, and toast is placed immediately on the plate.

After exactly two minutes, toast is removed for evaluation and photographs.

Ambient temperature: 24 degrees celsius (75 fahrenheit), 80% humidity, closed room with no draughts.

Test 1, 24 degrees celsius (75 fahrenheit, ambient control test)

Plate moistness: 8/10 Toast moistness: 8/10

Notes: Soggy.

Test 2, 40 degrees celsius (104 fahrenheit)

Plate moistness: 6/10 Toast moistness: 6/10

Notes: Toast had a slight curve, which influenced the result a little.  May expose another possible solution via curved toast slicing. Further investigation needed.

Test 3, 48 degrees celsius (118 fahrenheit)

Plate moistness: 7/10 Toast moistness: 5/10

Notes: Droplets much smaller than in first test. Toast felt ever so slightly moist, as if it were being eaten outdoors on a dewy morning.

Test 4, 53 degrees celsius (127 fahrenheit)

Plate moistness: 1/10 Toast moistness: 2/10

Notes: Almost no moisture on plate. Toast felt like it had just come from the toaster, only at a more finger-friendly temperature.  Needed butter.

Conclusion

Toast sweat can indeed be eliminated via gentle warming of the plate before serving, with 53 degrees celsius (127 fahrenheit) being the ideal temperature in these tests.

I have tentatively named this the Murray Temperature, and release this research for free in the hopes it benefits those affected.

As with any good test, more questions were raised than answered, and I look forward to further experiments when schedule and hunger allow.