Electric appliance for grilling or heating a flat slice of food

A slice (1) of food - e.g. bread - inserted through a casing (10) slot (11), rests on a carrier (15). Depressing the carrier's finger-grip in a side slot (9), the user brings the slice opposite rear-heated (24) radiant plates (22), one in a fixed (20), the other in a mobile (20') thermally insulated (28) mounting. Fully depressed, the carrier latches to a controller (40) while swinging the mobile mounting on parallel-motion arms towards the slice. Spacers (30) on the plates (22) position the slice at a fixed distance, eg. 1 cm, from the radiant surfaces. A setting knob (33) controls toasting through eg. a bimetal contactor, browning sensor (31) or timer. The released carrier resets to the loading level. Opt., with heat-retaining plates (22), the toaster, separated from its base, makes toast at table.