content: Not very. If vwestlife's mentioning of Ohm's Law is anything to go by, these things draw 370 watts! As for wanting safety, look elsewhere. If modern toasters can cause house fires, I seriously doubt one from 100 years ago can be. :) As for temperature changes, you raise a good question. I suppose a major factor would be the temperature of the room. But I'm not a toaster expert. :)