Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Hamilton Beach Deluxe Toaster Oven— $170

My oven is not working. In fact, I think it might have exploded. Rob turned it on and heard a loud bang. This isn’t uncommon: most of my appliances expire with this type of fanfare. They never just stop functioning but instead go out like a Chinese New Year.

But I shouldn’t worry. A repairman came to our house and ordered the correct part. He said it would arrive in a week. That was four months ago. Perhaps I should have asked what week he had in mind. A week in mid-December? Maybe the week the next Explorer lands on Mars? These pressing questions always slip my mind.

So I gave in and splurged for a super duper Hamilton Beach toaster oven. “Horno de Mostrador!” it states on the box. How can I resist an appliance with that kind of advertising? “Maxima versatilidad,” it promises. I have to agree, when it comes to choosing a toaster oven, maximum versatility is prominent in one’s expectations. To think, I would have settled for it to just cook things.

It even includes a rotisserie. That part got shoved in the back of my cabinet… who am I kidding.

I’m happy to say that I’ll have a warm meal this holiday, and I wish a warm Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. It doesn’t matter what we eat, as long as we enjoy the people we are eating it with. And I’ll be enjoying mine with my husband and a bunch of howler monkeys, and doing it all with maximum versatility.