If you found this object, would you know what it was?

If you answered yes, perhaps you worked food service in Italy. That stainless steel contraption is one half of a pair that come with this Classic Sandwich Toaster, made by Italy's MilanToast, which has been around since 1948.

While they'd look at home on your kitchen counter, they were designed for production environments:

"For professional use, it is ideal for toasting hot and crunchy sandwiches in just a few minutes. Instant heat-up and ready for use. The independent vertical ovens, featuring long-lasting heating elements with self-cleaning system, are individually adjustable with a 4-minute timer switch and indicator light."

"Thanks to the special construction, the air circulates in the ovens preventing overheating and working without interruptions, making the toaster ideal for continuous toasting for bars, cafes, restaurants, pizzerias and canteens with a production of up to 80 slices per hour. The classic toaster is equipped with a signal lamp for each slot, an ergonomic soft-touch knob and a removable stainless steel crumb tray which can be washed in the dishwasher. Stainless steel solid structure, ensuring long-term durability."

This being an Italian brand, they're offered in a range of snazzy colors:

I love how pleased the chef looks at the end of the demo video:

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This one even manages to make the lowly American hot dog look delicious:

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In Europe, the stainless steel and black versions run €400 (USD $434) while the colored units are €415 (USD $450).

On Amazon from a U.S. connection, I've seen the colored units going for the suspiciously lower price of $400 (with zero reviews), and though it's listed as "Brand: Milan Toast," when you click that link it brings up a webpage loaded with toasters from other brands. I've noticed this kind of apparently fake posting has become a real problem on Amazon.