Put Your Data Into Cold Storage with This NAS Toaster

While cloud data backups are now extremely popular, you shouldn’t overlook the utility of a local network attached storage (NAS) solution. You can use a NAS for regular data storage or redundant backups, without paying monthly subscription fees or worrying about your files being stolen (assuming the NAS is only accessible locally). And the truth is that most NAS devices look like appliances anyway, so why not lean into that fact and build the DataToaster 3000? It is, after all, the future of kitchen data storage.

The DataToaster 3000, designed by Alex Meub, is a genuinely useful NAS device in an avant-garde toaster enclosure. What were formerly top-loading bread slots are now places for users to insert standard 3.5” HDDs or SSDs. Pop those drives in and they’ll be accessible over your network. Once they’re full, you can swap them out for fresh drives and get back to business. There is even a glowing power LED and the user can adjust its color using the patent-pending MoodGlow Knob. The LED color has absolutely no affect on the device’s functionality, but it can help to create the right vibe to suit your kitchen.

Joking aside, this is a custom NAS built into the stainless steel enclosure of an inexpensive toaster of the classic style. If you want to follow Meub’s Instructables tutorial, you’ll need to purchase the same Bella two-slice toaster model. You’ll need to remove almost all of the original toaster parts and replace them with the new components, with 3D-printed mounts to hold everything securely in place.

The primary component is a ZimaBoard single-board computer. That has some interesting benefits compared to most SBCs on the market, including a x86 (Windows-compatible) Intel Celeron processor and SATA ports for easily connecting hard drives. Though the ZimaBoard can run Windows, Meub stuck with the included CasaOS for this project. I’ve been using a ZimaBlade with CasaOS for my own NAS (and Home Assistant server) for about a year now and am happy to recommend it.

The MoodGlow Knob feature requires its own Arduino Nano development board to control the RGB LED. It does so according to input from a potentiometer, which resides where the toastiness level knob was.

Of course, the whole toaster part is unnecessary and you don’t need any of that to build a functional NAS. But it sure does make a utilitarian device a whole lot more charming — especially if it is going to sit on the kitchen counter.