But what does the way you like your toast say about your personality? Here, food psychologist DR CHRISTY FERGUSSON reveals the hidden meaning behind your choice. We also share the scientific formula for the perfect crispness.

Below, chef Delia Smith shares her top tips on how to get your slice just right.

Burnt promise

(shades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)

YOU are likely to be patient and are happy to bide your time to make something you enjoy. While most people rush out the door in the morning, you would rather wait.

But this also suggests you aren’t very health conscious – there are chemicals in burnt toast that have been associated with cancer, though there is no scientific proof.

You pride yourself on being different and rarely make decisions based on others’ opinions.

Burnt toast has a bitter taste and a preference for such a flavour has been linked to being judgmental.

So you may have a tendency to be critical of yourself and others.

Perfect pack

(shades 7, 10, 11, 13, 14)

MOTIVATED by appearances and probably a perfectionist, you have high standards.

You pay close attention to what those around you think and value others’ opinions highly.

You are someone who takes pride in their appearance and likes things to look good.

You are organised, efficient and tidy. You strive for high standards and love to please others.

You consider yourself a foodie and enjoy creating meals that look delicious – and love nothing more than snapping your latest meal and posting it on social media for feedback.

Lightly lovers

(shades 8, 12, 15, 16)

YOU are likely to be impatient and spontaneous – and tend to fly by the seat of your pants.

You usually feel as though you are racing against the clock and there never seems to be enough hours in the day. You live by the motto “done is better than perfect” in everything you do.

Ambitious and self-motivated, you are admired by others for how much you manage to get through.

You always have energy to burn and the constant rushing around keeps you wired and buzzing. But you have a tendency to feel overwhelmed and the soft texture of the toast helps you feel comforted.

Do the maths

SCIENTISTS say you need to toast slices for exactly 216 SECONDS to get the perfect 12:1 ratio of exterior to interior crispness.

The study also found the optimum thickness for the bread is 14mm and the ideal amount of butter is 0.44 grams per square inch.

The best results are achieved by setting the toaster dial to “five out of six” on a typical 900-watt appliance.

Bread expert Dr Dom Lane, who tasted 2,000 slices for the research, says to use a pale, seeded loaf and butter it as soon as it pops up.

Delia’s rules

PRE-HEAT the grill for 10min on high, says chef DELIA SMITH.

Place the bread on the grill tray 10cm from the source of the heat.

Toast on both sides to your preferred shade.

Remove immediately and put in a toast rack. This allows the steam to escape so the toast becomes crisp.

Eat straight away. Never wrap in a napkin because the steam gets trapped and the toast goes soggy.

The better the bread, the better the toast. It is also preferable if the bread is a couple of days old.

More about: