How does a toaster heat a piece of bread?

A toaster uses infrared radiation to heat a piece of bread. When you put your bread in and see the coils glow red, the coils are producing infrared radiation. The radiation gently dries and chars the surface of the bread. The most common way for a toaster to create infrared radiation is to use nichrome wire wrapped back and forth across a mica sheet.

Source: How Stuff Works