A toasting appliance includes a pair of elongate radiant elements, and provides relative movement between the radiant elements and the foodstuff to be toasted, so as to traverse the foodstuff with the elements, or vice versa. For faster operating speed and improved efficiency, a control circuit receives a toasting-control signal and controls a switch to energise the elements only during a portion of the amplitude of relative displacement produced between the carriage and elements, the portion being defined by the toasting-control signal. Correct movement of the elements is monitored by a control circuit that de-energises the elements when, due to a fault, one of the elements and the carriage departs from a defined velocity profile.
