The power of steam toasts bread, pizza and pastries in a whole new way. Using steam heat, The Toaster by BALMUDA offers five cooking modes to ensure every slice is cooked to perfection. Thin-sliced grocery store bread gets a crisp exterior and most interior, while high-moisture bakery bread is given a golden-brown finish as if it had been carefully dry-fried in a cast iron skillet. When you're ready to toast, use the included cup to pour water into the chrome slot on top of the toaster. The water is rapidly boiled to release steam, causing a thin layer of moisture to form on the outside of your artisan, supermarket or home-baked bread. Since moisture heats more quickly than air, the bread's surface toasts quickly and crisply while the interior remains soft and flavorful. Use the pizza mode to toast leftover slices—or bagels and Welsh rarebit—more intensely from above than below, or employ the oven mode to cook a variety of other foods. Modern and minimalist, the matte black toaster has a pleasing presence on your kitchen countertop.