Kmart shoppers baffled by aroma diffuser that looks like 'a toaster on fire'

No need to dial 000. The latest must-have household gadget from Kmart isn't a burning two-slice toaster: It's a humidifier and diffuser. But you could be excused for the confusion.

Although slightly smaller, the Kmart Fire Aroma Diffuser ($45) is the same shape as a toaster. And the thing that's really got shoppers scratching their heads is the fact that when you turn it on, rising diffuser steam is backlit by yellow-orange light that looks exactly like leaping flames and billowing smoke.

According to the Kmart site, the diffuser can help create, "an aromatic, soothing atmosphere in your home", and that the lights and flame effect can be set to a timer.

Watch the video above

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"It really looks like flames are coming out of the top," one reviewer wrote on the Kmart site. "Had to tell Hubby it is supposed to look like this, please don't fire extinguish it."

Over on TikTok, user @Caitlinmark shared a clip of the diffuser in action calling it "sick".

"Run don't walk to Kmart for this fire diffuser," she captioned her post.

A post about the diffuser on a Kmart fan Facebook page, by a member who said he'd been searching for one of the diffusers "forever" drew less enthusiastic comments.

"As neat as the fake flames look I can't get past the fact it looks like a toaster on fire," wrote one member.

"What kind of toaster is that and where do you put the bread?" A commenter asked. "Sitting here wondering what the heck is that lol, a portable fire place [sic]," wrote another.

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Faux-fire diffusers are all the rage in electric diffusers on the market at the moment. Sites like Temu and Amazon have similar diffusers for $25 to $40.

Electric diffusers have been popular for the past couple of years. Mostly electric, with many charged by USB, they are considered safer than the ceramic tealight-heated oil or wax diffusers.

This story originally appeared on Stuff and was republished with permission. Read the original here.