We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more

Home & Kitchen

The 10 Best Toasters for 2022 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

Making Toasts and Roasting Breads made easy.

Your most important meal of the day is breakfast. And ever so often, you always include toast in your meal. It’s tasty, it’s crunchy and it’s easy to make.

Furthermore, you can also change your simple browned toast from just heated brad to a stellar crafted sandwich or salad croutons. Thus, it is only logical to have a toaster in your home.

With the evolving changes and urbanized life we live, many manufacturers revolutionized their toaster designs to help enhance convenience.

So whether you are looking for a toaster to cater to a large family household or for your small studio apartment, there are so many features to choose from that help make your life so much easier.

Compiled below is a list of 10 best toasters in 2022. Each unit presents its unique construction design and incorporated features – all with the same goal – to make life convenient and prepare good quality toast.

The choice is all yours to go for a unit that appeals most to you.

Best Toasters for 2022 – Quick Look

(Click on the name of any toaster to read it’s in-depth review)

ToastersNo. of SlicesNo. of ShadesPrice
Krups KH734D
(Editor's Choice)
4 Slices6 Browning Settings
Black + Decker TR1410BD
(Editor's Choice)
4 Slices7 Browning Settings
Hamilton Beach 247904 Slices6 Browning Settings
Cuisinart CPT-3404 Slices6 Browning Settings
Cuisinart CPT-142P14 Slices7 Browning Settings
Oster Toaster2 Slices7 Browning Settings
Black + Decker TR4310FBD4 Slices7 Browning Settings
Sunbeam Toaster4 Slices7 Browning Settings
CusinAid Toaster4 Slices7 Browning Settings
KitchenAid KMT4115ER4 Slices5 Browning Settings


1. Krups KH734D Toaster

KRUPS KH734D Breakfast Set 4-Slot Toaster with Brushed and Chrome Stainless Steel Housing, 4-Slices with Dual Independent Control Panel, Silver The Krups KH734D toaster offers an excellent family breakfast appliance option. Incorporating 2 distinct control panels, the 4-slice electrical gem offers a wide range of superior bread browning levels.

The 4-slice design allows you to prepare a full family breakfast in no-time.

And their self-centering slots of the bread slices allow you to toast a variety of bread types ranging from a selection of different sized bread slices to bagels, buns and English muffins.

Specifications
  • Up to 6 bread browning options.
  • 4 slice self-centering slots.
  • Defrosting, reheating and bagel toasting functions.
  • Durable and corrosion-resistant stainless steel body.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Krups KH734D series features 4-slice self-centering slots that are enough to quickly cater to your family toasting needs. The toaster is also built with a high lift lever for so even when you are warning smaller bread pieces as it easily raises them up and out of the toaster for easy and burn risk free retrieval. The electric toaster built with two distinctively independent control panels that give you a wide range of browning levels for your bread.

The control panels allow you to set up to 6 different browning settings with 1 being the lightest setting and 6 being the darkest setting. Each of the slice slots on the other end is built with a wider gap that allows you to accommodate different bread slice widths as well as different types of bread and baked items including bagels, buns and English muffins.

The KH73D series toaster is also fitted with 4 easy to push buttons with useful and value-adding functions. The functions are clearly labeled on the toaster panels for easy identification. The functions include defrosting, allowing you to defrost and toast frozen bread with no risk of smudging or losing bread quality and integrity.

The reheat function also included in the pushbuttons allows you to reheat toast to quickly warm it without adding ore browning. The bagel warming function on the other end easily warms bagels on the outside whilst toasting the inside – a function specially designed for these types of bread. And in case you change your mind, the cancel button abruptly and efficiently cancels the functions.

The user-friendly design of the Krups toaster also makes this family-friendly toaster appliance convenient for your household. The toaster is fitted with a removable rear crumb tray so you can remove it for thorough cleaning. The blue LED indicators on the other end give it a modern look and easy visibility in the dark.

The KH734D series also boasts a high-quality corrosion-resistant stainless steel housing giving the toaster a long-lasting durable finish. The stainless steel housing design also features a heat repellent design so your hand will not burn when you touch the outer part of the toaster. However, the upper part of the toaster between the slice slots can get a little hot to handle when all four slots are in use. You may also experience some difficulty fitting in extremely thick bread slices through the slots.

Pros

  • A wide range of browning settings.
  • The high lift lever allows you to easily retrieve even smaller bread pieces.
  • You can toast a wide range of bread slices sizes and types.
  • Bagel specific heating functions.

Cons

  • The top of the toaster between the slots can be extremely hot.
  • Extremely thick bread slices may be difficult to insert in the toasting slots

Conclusion:

The Krups KH734D toaster proves to be a viable option as a family household appliance. The wide variety of its toasting, warming and defrosting functions also helps to enhance its versatility thus, making your kitchen life more convenient. Whether you are making classic toast or warming up your bagel for a quick sandwich snack for the family, the Krups KH734D toaster definitely adds value to your kitchen.


2. Black + Decker 4-Slice Toaster

BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster, Extra-Wide, Black, TR1410BD The Black + Decker 4 Slice toaster combines both style and functionality to give you an impressive appliance. The modern design of the toaster features a sleek black and lightweight yet highly protective housing.

The generous 7 toast shade settings allow you to achieve the desired browning on your bread.

So whether you want to make classic toast or entertain your kids with toasted rainbow pop tarts, the Black + Decker 4-Slice toaster is a great family option.

Specifications
  • 7 toaster browning settings.
  • Extra-wide toaster slots.
  • Bagel defrosting and toasting function.
  • Lightweight Aluminum housing.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Black + Decker 4-Slice toaster is ingeniously designed with independent controls for increased ease of usability and performance. The toast features extra-wide slots giving them versatile handling to support different bread slices, baked goods, and even pop tarts. The combination of practical functions also helps to increase the toaster’s convenience and use in the kitchen.

The toaster is built with up to 7 toast shade settings. This wider shade setting range provides you with a near-perfect brown on your toast to fit your palate preferences. The toaster is fitted with two shade setting selecting knobs on each side.

The selector knob provides the range from 1 being the lightest shade to 7 being the darkest. The placement of knobs on either side also helps to enhance the function’s versatility. Simultaneously, on one side you can choose to set your bread to level 7 to suit your palate whilst the side can toast to level 2 to suit your partner’s preference.

Further to toasting and warming regular sliced bread, the Black + Decker toast also boasts functions to wholly deal with your bagels and other frozen baked goods. On the panel, you will find a defrosting, warming and toasting function for a crispy outer bun and toasted interior. This function does the job so well that after a quick defrosts and toasting, the baked goods will taste the same as if they just popped out of an oven. The cancel button allows you to quickly stop the functions.

And to seal the deal as a value-adding and convenient family kitchen appliance, the toaster efficiently toasts up to 4 baked goods pieces at the same time. Yes, you heard right – four bread pieces and not just slices, because you can toast bagels or croissants too.

And as your toast is done, the toaster still maintains the same convenience and ease of use that you get when you begin the toasting process. The toaster is fitted with a high lift lever on each side to help with a safe retrieval. One lever on the left side lifts bread from the two left-side slots whilst the lever on the right side lifts bread from those on the right side.

The slide-out crumb trays do the same as the lift lever with effective crumbs collection on either side of the toast.

The toaster, however, has one drawback, because the top part incorporates an aluminum and plastic fabrication. The top part between each slot tends to get extremely hot. Thus, you may have to put on kitchen mittens to protect your hands and fingers.

Pros

  • Up to 7 toast browning settings.
  • A choice of toasting at two different settings per slice pair at the same time.
  • Dual crumb collecting trays for effective debris collection.
  • Dual levers to easily retrieve your toasted items.

Cons

  • Plastic at the top between slots tends to heat up.

Conclusion:

If you want to add both style and functionality to your kitchen – go for the Black + Decker 4-Slice Toaster. Think of it – sturdy aluminum body, lightweight finish, sleek black finish. You can almost visualize the sophistication added to your kitchen! Now, combine this steel with urban convenience and quality toasting to cater to you and your family at any time of the day.


3. Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Toaster

Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome 4-Slice Extra-Wide Slot Toaster with Bagel Technology, One-Touch Smart Functions, Shade Selector, Toast Boost, Auto-Shutoff and Cancel Button (24790) The Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Toaster is designed with individuality yet deliver unison performance. It’s like an interdependent service kitchen that works with a range of special skills to deliver high-quality food service.

Two separate control panels, two lift levers, two pairs of toast slots and efficient crumb collectors to deliver a quick family-style toasting experience.

And just as the four inter-reliant designs, the toaster also delivers four high-quality functions.

Specifications
  • Four toasting functions.
  • Easy to store cord wrap design.
  • Effective toasting bagel technology.
  • Energy-saving auto shut off after each cycle.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Hamilton Beach 4-Slice toaster combines the high-quality chrome stainless steel housing, four-function design and generous capacity to give you value and reliability. The toaster gives you functionality in several streams be it through a busy morning breakfast prep or convenience to prepare different snacks and dishes simultaneously.

The four toasting functions that come with the toaster include reheating, defrosting, bagel technology and canceling. The reheating, toasting and defrosting functions accommodate a wide range of treats – frozen waffles, toasts, buns and even biscuits. Plus the two independent panels allow you to toast, defrost and reheat these treats your desired parameters. You can defrost two frozen waffles on one side whilst toasting two sides at level 3 on the other side.

The bagel technology on the other end allows you to toast one sliced side of the bagel for a crisp outer and toasty inside. This means that you can toast two full bagels at a time. Bagel technology can even be used for similar baked goods such as biscuits and buns. And even with those thick-cut buns, you needn’t worry too much, thanks to the extra-wide slots.

The self-centering slots mean you can slide in any sliced bun or bread even those chunky-sized and thicker hand-cut ones you get at the artisan market. And after each toast and effective lift removal, the crumbs easily fall to the dual crumb collectors. To further assert its urban convenient design, the toaster works to save your energy bills whilst conserving the environment.

The toaster features an auto shut off at the end of each toasting cycle. And to leave your kitchen neat, the cord wrap design on the other end allows for easy and neat storage. The very stable and protective chrome steel housing construction on the sides of the toaster remains cool for safer and easier handling.

However, due to its design, the crumb collector cannot be removed. Thus, you may be required to spend considerably more time trying to clean the toaster up. The toasting and heating process can also be considerably slow compared to toasters of similar design.

Pros

  • Multipurpose functionality.
  • Energy-saving auto shut off the design.
  • Wrap-around cord design makes storage easy and neat.
  • Effective bagel technology.

Cons

  • The crumb collector is not removable.

Conclusion:

The characteristic heating process of the Hamilton Beach 4-Slice toaster is perhaps its most prized design. The heating capabilities of the toaster go beyond a regular kitchen appliance. Plus, its receptiveness to different and almost all kinds of bread and baked treats is what makes it a steal. Well, of course, the built-in crumb collection tray may not work to your favor, but it is only a minuscule feature to compromise and will only cost you a couple of extra minutes to clean this high-quality chrome steel toaster.


4. Cuisinart CPT-340 Toaster

Cuisinart CPT-340 Compact Stainless 4-Slice Toaster, Brushed Stainless As a testament to the brand’s famed performance and high-quality appliance design, the Cuisinart CPT-340 toaster is built with accentuated functionality.

A subtle essential to any modern kitchen, the Cuisinart CPT-340 series combine advanced technological designs to deliver exceptional toasting and heating performance.

The creativity put on the toaster is so on point that each element of the toaster is utilized, down to the choice of brushed stainless steel and polycarbonate housing.

Specifications
  • Slide out crumb collections trays.
  • Durable painted stainless steel and polycarbonate housing.
  • High lift lever design.
  • 1 ½ inch wide and 10 inch deep self-centering slots.

Our In-Depth Review:

As the brand suggests, the Cuisinart CPT-340 series will instantaneously transform a regular piece of bread to a masterful and fully flavored savory treat thanks to its cutting edge incorporated technology. With an extra-wide 1.5 inch slot, the toaster allows you to toast a wide range of baked goods ranging from regular sliced bread to French toast, frozen pancakes, and toasted pastries.

The CPT-340 series boasts multiple functions comprising of normal bread toasting and upper half bagel toasting. Other functions include the defrost option which effectively defrosts any frozen baked treat before toasting to maintain its integrity and flavor. The reheating process on the other end lets you reheat bread that is already toasted without compromising quality or adding browning.

And to stop any of the three functional operations, simply press on cancel for an abrupt stop. To maintain the quality of a true New York style bagel, the bagel settings let the toaster work on the upper half of the bagel – giving you a crispy upper and soft flavorful bottom. The settings don’t have to limit you if you are not too picky, the regular toasting function can also effectively toast your bagel.

The shade control settings also help to complement two of your functional features with the texture you are looking for. Whether you are regular toasting or chose the bagel setting, the shade control settings offer 6 levels to allow you to customize the shades. The settings 1 to 2 provide light shade, settings 3 to 4 offer a moderate brown shading whilst setting 5 to 6 deliver a darker crispier shade to your toast.

To ensure effective and safe retrieval, the Cuisinart CPT-340 toaster comes fitted with a high lift lever. In the event, those thick artisan bread slices get stuck, the lift lever allows you to easily pop them to the top with no incident. And to add convenience and utility, the Cuisinart toaster is ideally built with dual and independent operating designs.

With this design, you get to toast a pair of baked items with two different settings at a time – so frozen pancakes on one side and bagels at setting 5 on the other. You can quickly whip up your kid’s school lunch whilst simultaneously preparing their breakfast.

However, special care should be taken whilst toasting bread, especially thick cut ones. This is because the pop-up feature of the toaster is more likely to stick thus, causing a burning effect on your bread. And with each toasting cycle, you must take some time to let the toaster cool. This is because of the risk of overheating increases with every consistent cycle.

Pros

  • BPA free construction.
  • The toaster evenly toasts any bread item.
  • Extremely lightweight design.
  • The toasting slots are wide.

Cons

  • The pop up feature is more likely to jam with thicker slices.

Conclusion:

The Cuisinart CPT-340 series proves to be a work of art. The design adds class to your home whilst the compact and lightweight finish makes it easy to handle. This rather delicate finish doesn’t mean the toaster is not of high quality as the stainless steel fabrication proves otherwise with long-lasting durability and protection. The multi-functional and dual independent design put the toaster on the essential kitchen appliance contender list!


5. Cuisinart CPT-142P1 Toaster

The Cuisinart CPT-142P1 toaster offers a compact family-friendly kitchen solution.

The lightweight and compact design take up little space in your kitchen whilst allowing you to position the high lift carriage facing forward or sideways.

The versatile toaster allows you to toast almost any kind of bread in your kitchen – you can be toasting 2 slices of bread for your chicken sandwich whilst toasting 2 bagels for your pescetarian partner’s salmon and cream cheese bagel at the same time.

Specifications
  • Compact and lightweight lift carriage.
  • Slide-out crumb collection tray.
  • 7 shade setting knob.
  • Toast, reheat, defrost and bagel function.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Cuisinart CPR-142P1 toaster is impressively built with two independent control panels to give you two toasting service platforms. Each side of the toasting platform allows you to work on two slices of bread or baked goods at the same time. This means that you can prepare two bread types and two shade settings of your preference, all at the same time.

To maintain the quality of your bread and prevent unnecessary browning and burning, the 142P1 series is built with the brand’s proprietary Hi-Lift lever. The lever assists to provide a properly finished product. When the bread is toasted it will shoot up to the top of the slot for retrieval thanks to the automatic pop up feature. However, sometime, thick-sliced bread may be prone to get stuck within the interior of the toaster before getting up.

Thus, to prevent this clogging, burning, and integrity of your bread, the Hi-Lift toaster jumps in. This powerful lever design allows you to manually lift the bred to the outside of the slot. The design of the high lift lever allows you to effectively lift even smaller bread pieces. However, the latter shouldn’t scare you too much about the size of the toast slots.

The slots are built with a 1.5-inch gap giving them an extra-wide gap finish – meaning you can prepare so many different types of bread and baked goods such as frozen pancakes, waffles, and pastries. And with multiple toasting functions, there’s no limit. You can defrost your frozen pastries, then either choosing to toast them with the regular toast function or bagel function for a soft chewy interior and crispy outer.

And after sometime when your toast gets cool, you can reheat your toast. The reheating function allows you to reheat and warm your toast without the risk of further browning or burning. Plus, the Cuisinart toaster also comes with a wider range of shade control settings – up to 7 settings.

Although you have each setting number isolated and individually labeled on the control panel, the settings are categorized into 3 groups. Settings 1 and 2 denote the lightest browning shade, settings 3 and 4 denote the medium browning shade whilst setting 6 and 7 denote the darker browning shade on your toast.

However, the toaster also comes with its limitations. When toasting, it may produce an uneven toasting result to your bread.

Pros

  • All outer surfaces of the toaster remain cool when in use.
  • Toast slots are generously wide.
  • The crumb tray is removable and easy to clean.
  • Wider shade setting range

Cons

  • Uneven toasting.

Conclusion:

The classic and compact design of the Cuisinart CPT-142P1 toaster naturally fits any home. It not only adds character to your kitchen but also versatility and utility. The versatile toaster also cuts down the time that could be used on other appliances by adding more functional features – sort of like a short cut to quickly prepare your light meals, snacks, and breakfast. The CPT-142P1 series is definitely a steal!


6. Oster 2-Slice Toaster

Oster 2-Slice Toaster, Metallic Grey (TSSTTRJBG1) The Oster 2-Slice toaster offers a great option for a small household. The compact 2-slice toaster still maintains the same high-quality construction and performance even with a smaller output.

On the exterior, the toaster is designed with a sleek and black metallic finish that adds style to any kitchen – even your small studio apartment kitchen.

Plus, the toaster’s compact design allows you to place it even in the tiniest place without affecting functionality.

Specifications
  • 2-slice output.
  • 7 toaster shade settings.
  • Bagel, defrost and pastry function settings.
  • Anti-jamming mechanism.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Oster 2-slice toaster features an integrative cutting edge mechanisms to deliver impressive performance with great toasting abilities. They are built with extra-wide slots to help accommodate different types of bread ranging from regular machine cut bread, artisan hand-cut bread slices to bagels and pastries.

The dual extra-wide slots are also fitted with bred guides that automatically adjust without effort or strain to fit different bred thickness for proper and even toasting. After your toast is done, due to its thickness, the bread is prone to get jammed during the automatic pop-out feature. This problem tends to occur even with the highest quality toasters leading to excessive browning and even burning before you can salvage the toasted bread.

However, with the Oster 2-Slice toaster, this problem is alleviated. The Oster toaster is designed with an anti-jamming mechanism. The anti-jamming mechanism automatically shuts off the toaster when your toast is jammed thus, giving you enough time to manually lever it up without crumbling, further browning or burning it.

To complement the anti-jamming mechanism, the toaster is fitted with a high lift lever. The high lift lever easily elevates the bread to the top of the toast slot for easy retrieval. The crumb collection tray also helps with the overall quality performance of the toaster. The crumb collection tray is removable thus, after each toasting session you can easily remove it for thorough debris discarding and cleaning.

Cleaning crumb collection tray ensures there’s no smoke or accelerated browning when toasting. Plus, the crumb collection tray is also dishwasher safe for convenience in your quick paced urban life. Built with 3 functions, the Oster 2-slice toaster is specially designed with the special bagel, pastries and defrost settings.

To further complement the functions, the toaster is also fitted with a 7 toast shade setting knob, so you can customize the browning of your bread whether you are using the toast, bagel or pastries functions. The toaster is also built with an advanced toasting technology to ensure consistency and even toasting every time you use the toaster.

The 800w power rating of the toaster also offers great energy-saving qualities. The limitation of this 2-slice toaster is that it doesn’t offer the versatility to prepare different shade settings or functions at the same time. At most, you will only be able to defrost or toast two different bread slices at the same time.

Pros

  • Anti-jamming shuts off toaster to protect the toast.
  • Dual adjustable bread guides align with the thickness of the bread.
  • The advanced technology ensures that toast is evenly toasted.
  • The crumb collector tray is dishwasher safe.

Cons

  • The toaster cannot perform more than one function at the same time.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a small appliance addition for a small household kitchen – the Oster 2-Slice toaster should be your number one choice. The toaster’s sleek metallic design and compact build also give it a fine stylish finish. The lower 800w power rating on the other end also helps to save those monthly utility bills. Combine the anti-jamming feature and advanced toasting technology and you are ensured good quality toast every time even when you are not in the kitchen during the toasting process.


7. Black + Decker TR4310FBD Toaster

BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Extra-Wide Slot Toaster, Stainless Steel, Ombré Finish, TR4310FBD The Black + Decker TR4310FBD toaster screams style and functionality. The TR4310DFBD series features attractive Ombre finish painted on a durable stainless steel finish.

The toaster also integrates subtle and simple yet very practical features that help to bring convenience in your kitchen.

Measuring nearly 12 inches long, 11 inches wide and 7 inches high, the toaster offers just the right dimensions to support up to 4 slices of any bread types.

Specifications
  • Measures 11.8” long x 10.8” wide and 7.3” high.
  • Self-centering bread guide designs.
  • Single touch function buttons.
  • Stylish Ombre finish.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Ombre finish of the Black + Decker TR430FBD toaster boasts a modern finish to give an added sophisticated look to your kitchen. The toaster is also built with a stainless steel housing that offers long-lasting durability withstanding years of use. The stainless steel build also features a wear-resistant quality meaning your toaster will last longer without showing any signs of wear or damage.

With the ever so diverse environment of the kitchen, the rust and water resistance that comes with the stainless steel housing goes a long way. Thus, the finish gives you great value for your home kitchen. For ease of use and that added modern style, the toaster is fitted with three single-touch function buttons. The three functions let you toast different bread types including bagels, defrost frozen bread and cancel the functions abruptly when you change your mind.

Additionally, to complement the toasting functions, the toaster is fitted with a shade selector knob. The smoothly rotating knob features 7 browning shade settings. The setting parameters range from 1 to 7 with 1 being the lightest and 7 being the darkest. To fit different types of bread, the toast slots are built to be extra wide. This means that even those thick-cut bread you make at home, you can still fit it into the toasting slots.

Once slid into the slots, the bread is then fitted into the bread guides. The bread guides are designed to be self-centering. So no matter the thickness of the bread, the self-centering guides easily adjust any width for a perfect and even toasting. The toaster’s functionality and integrated mechanisms don’t end there.

To ensure the bread comes out perfect with no extra browning or potential burning, the toaster is fitted with a high lift lever for easy retrieval. So in case of the automatic pop-out feature jams, the high lift lever comes to the rescue.

To keep the toaster clean and performing to its full capacity, the toaster is fitted with a pull out crumb collection tray. You can simply pull it out, discard the crumbs and spray wash it after every toasting session. However, to maintain its look, you must ensure that the toaster is always wiped clean after use as it is prone to show even minor dirt, fingerprints and smudges. Additionally, the toaster’s construction makes it a little bulky to move around.

Pros

  • Toasts extremely thick bread.
  • Self-centering guides are excellent at aligning the bread.
  • Impressive even toasting with extremely thick bread.
  • Attractive Ombre finish adds a modern look to your kitchen.

Cons

  • The toaster’s thick stainless steel construction makes it bulky.

Conclusion:

The Black + Decker TR4310FBD toaster’s ombre design is a game-changer when it comes to modernizing your kitchen look. The true wide toasting slot and equally functional self-centering guides are designed to accommodate thicker bread types without incident. This also means you get even toasting every time you use it. Consequently, it is only smart to go for the TR4310FBD series for your family!


8. Sunbeam 4-Slice Toaster

Sunbeam Wide Slot 4-Slice Toaster, Black (003911-100-000) The Sunbeam 4-slice toaster’s electronic toasting technology makes it extremely reliable and consistent with every toasting session.

The separate dual controls give you a mini toastier service station for those quick mornings or busy weeknight evenings so you can quickly prepare breakfast and quick supper for the family.

Built with American electrical standards, the Sunbeam toaster also features a cool touch housing design that makes it extremely safe in your family-friendly kitchen.

Specifications
  • Anti-jamming function.
  • Electronic toast technology.
  • Higher toaster length for more toasting & housing space.
  • Cool-touch housing.

Our In-Depth Review:

The Sunbeam 4-Slice toaster features a subtle modern design to add a conventional look to your kitchen. The 4-slice toaster offers a cost-effective, simple yet very practical appliance solution for you and your family. The electronic toast technology also integrated within the toaster to help enhance functionality. This technology helps to maintain consistency and reliability with every toasting session to produce even toasted bread whilst marinating its integrity.

The smart design of this rather simple toaster is showcased through each feature – even the toaster’s outer housing and dimensions. The toaster features a higher length of up to 12 inches thus, giving the toaster more toasting and housing space.

This, in turn, allows the toaster to support wider toasting slots whilst the thicker housing offers ample security and protection to the toaster. The extra-wide toasting slots allow you to toast most bread types including bagels and buns. And even with the rugged and protective finish, the housing is extremely lightweight.

Inside the toaster, your finished toast is always protected. In the chance, the toast gets trapped or jammed within the bread guides, the anti-jamming function automatically streams into action. The anti-jamming function is designed to automatically shut the toaster off thus, giving you enough time to retrieve the toast with the manual lift lever without risking further browning or burning.

The independent toaster controls on the other end allow you to separately set and control each side of the toaster. So whilst two slices are jammed and being manually retrieved with the lift lever, the two other slices on the other end can still be toasting with no incident. You can even choose to set different shade settings simultaneously – you have a choice of up to 7 lighter to darker shade settings to choose from.

And to keep you safe during all the work, unlike many toasters, the outer housing of the toaster remains extremely cool. So you don’t have to worry about accidentally burning your fingers.

The downside to this toaster is that it doesn’t hold specialized functions. Limiting you to only toasting your bread, the Sunbeam doesn’t hold special features such as bagel technology, defrosting or even canceling in case you change your mind. Additionally, the toaster may also hold some slight issues with uneven toasting.

Pros

  • The cool-touch housing makes it extremely safe to use.
  • The anti-jamming mechanism protects your toast by shutting off the toaster.
  • Two lift and lock mechanisms allow you to toast the bread at different shade settings simultaneously.
  • Convenient fast tasting rate.

Cons

  • The toaster doesn’t come with specialized functions.

Conclusion:

The Sunbeam 4-Slice toaster’s simple design doesn’t limit its high functionality. Excellent tasting experience thanks to its electronic toasting technology and dual separate controls for added convenience are just a few useful features that come with the toaster. The cool-touch housing on the other end offers the much-needed safety and reassurance needed in your family kitchen. Sure, you won’t defrost or cancel the functions, but the superior toasting results will have you forget everything else.


9. CusinAid 4-Slice Toaster

Toaster 4 Slice, CUSINAID 4 Wide Slots Stainless Steel Toasters with Reheat Defrost Cancel Function, 7-Shade Setting, Black The CusinAid 4-Slice Toaster’s 4 extra-wide slots enhance its heating surface whilst allowing you to prepare a wide range of thickness from extremely thin to thick.

Contrary to what you are thinking now, no! the thinner slice will not be overheated.

The toaster’s special overheat protection design helps to maintain consistency amongst all types of bread being toasted – ensuring they maintain their integrity.

Taste and just the right amount of browning.

Specifications
  • Overheat protection.
  • Toast, reheat, defrost and cancel functions.
  • Wire wrap storage.
  • FDA approved fire retardant 18/8 stainless steel housing.

Our In-Depth Review:

The CusinAid 4-slice toaster is built with just the right mechanism to deliver impressive toasting work. The toaster is built with just the right dimensions to make the wok more efficient. The overall lift carriage measures a generous 12.5 inches long by 11.8 inches wide and 8.5 inches high giving each of the 4 slots a generous 58 inches long by 1.5 inches wide by 5 inches depth.

These generous dimensions allow the slot to accommodate a wide range of bread whether they are thick or thin. The wide slots are also built with automatic pop up function for when the bread is done. And to ensure consistency and even toasting, the self-centering bread guides automatically adjust according to the thickness of the bread.

The overheat protection on the other end jumps in to prevent the burning of the bread – whether the bread is thick or thin. The toaster is also built with three multiple functions to add utility in your kitchen. The three functions are labeled on the three push buttons on the control panel with LED indicator lights on each function button for easy identification.

The functions include defrosting, which helps you to first defrost frozen breads whilst reheat allows you to reheat your toast without further browning or burning, and maintains the same crunch. The cancel button on the other end will abruptly stop all toasting operations with a simple push. And with the 3 multiple functions, comes 7 shade settings you can choose from – all labeled on a smooth turning knob.

Depending on your preference and palate, the 7 shade settings will give you browning from lightest to darkest. The browning is achieved by the precise amount of heat applied. Setting 1 to 2 provide a light shade using the heat of the 70s to 120s. Settings 3 to 4 on the other end provide a medium browning shade with the heat of 140s to 170s whilst settings 5 to 7 provide a darker shade with the heat of 195s to 220s.

And to make it even more convenient for you, the toaster is operated with dual independent controls. So you can defrost frozen bread to make toast for breakfast whilst also tasting bread for your kids’ sandwich lunches. However, even with it’s overheating protection mechanism, bread set at level 6 to 7 settings, may still be at risk of burning due to its quick toasting rate and high heat dissipation.

Pros

  • Durable and fire retardant stainless steel housing.
  • LED indicator lights allow for easy identification of modes.
  • Removable warming wire rack.
  • The slots are truly wide.

Cons

  • Risk of overheating in higher shade settings.

Conclusion:

The CusinAid 4-Slice toaster’s unique and impressive performance begins from its construction. The 18/8 stainless steel housing gives it a cool and classy finish whilst also providing powerful protection to the interior. Its heat and fire repellent finish also make it safe to handle. The true wide slots on the other end perhaps provide so much to the toaster compared to other toaster designs as it not only accommodates different bread types but also provide a larger surface area for effective and even toasting.


10. KitchenAid KMT4115ER Toaster

The KitchenAid KMT4115ER toaster is built with practicality to help handle it with ease.

The non-bulky metal construction offers affable protection and resting on your kitchen countertop, the toaster will always be neat thanks to its removable under base cord storage.

Fend off potential bugs or burning smoke during operation by simply spray washing the removable crumb tray after every toasting session.

Available in 3 color designs, you have a chance to pick what you like.

Specifications
  • 5 shade settings.
  • Under base cord storage.
  • All metal construction design.
  • 3 available color designs.

Our In-Depth Review:

If you are looking for a toaster that offers both style and durability, you are at the right place because the KitchenAid KMT4115ER series does just this. The toaster features an all-metal construction which helps to guarantee protection and durability. This also means that the toaster is built with stainless steel on both the interior and exterior thus, also accentuating its performance.

However, this doesn’t mean that the stainless steel construction dissipates heat when the toaster is operating. In fact, the toaster is designed with a cool-touch finish, so in case you are eyesight away from the kitchen, your kid’s fingers will not get burnt when they are retrieving the freshly made toast. The toaster series is also available in 3 distinct color designs to choose from so that you can match your kitchen décor.

The toaster is designed with curved features on the corners and surfaces that provide that sophisticated finish. Couple the curves with the metallic finish and you have great style. To keep your kitchen countertop neat at all times when the toaster is not in use, it is designed with an under base cord storage to hide away the clutter of the toaster’s long cord.

The toaster is also impressively designed with 4 functional modes, i.e. bagel, defrost, reheat and cancel. The bagel mode is specially designed to reduce the power thus, heating the elements by half the regular heat. This mechanism is favored to produce that browned bottom to a sliced bagel, for a crispy outer and chewy inside.

And to achieve your desired shading, the toaster is designed with 5 browning settings chrome shaded knob from light to dark. The toaster is also built with wider and deeper slots, ensuring each part of the bread is properly and evenly toasted – be it regular sliced bread, bagels or buns. And once done, in case you are still running around the kitchen, the taster will keep your toast warm for u to an extra minute without further browning it.

However, the toaster may be a little bit heavy and takes up a little bit more space at 8.8 lbs. The KMT4115ER series is twice as heavy compared to lightweight toasters of similar design. Additionally, the KMT411ER series may boast a slower toasting rate thus, increasing the time it takes to toast your bread.

Pros

  • Neat cord storage solution.
  • Durable metal construction.
  • The cool touch design ensures safety and leaves you at ease.
  • You can choose your favorite design from the available color options.

Cons

  • The toaster is a little bit heavier.

Conclusion:

The KitchenAid KMT4115ER series truly offers functionality and practicality in your kitchen. As much as you may underrate the under base storage, you will see the difference it makes in your kitchen. The all metal construction on the other end is added perk, you get durability and enhanced performance on the inside. And the use of high quality stainless steel means that you never have to worry about rust build-up.


Toasters – Buyers Guide

What is a toaster?

father and daughter with a bread machineIt’s easy to assume everyone knows what a toaster is but it has been often confused with other appliances. There is a difference between a toaster and a sandwich maker, for instance.

A toaster is an appliance with a singular function; lightly grill slices of bread to make them more fun to eat. Simply set the level of heat you want, slide in your bread and turn the toaster on. In a minute or two, your toasted slices will pop out.

How does a toaster work?

Working on a toaster is far from rocket science, but if you’re not sure about what you’re doing, you might not get the results you desire. Most toasters have more than one slot for toasting but you don’t have to use them all.

  • Connect the toaster to a power source. It is important to clean the toaster, or ensure it is clean before you plug it in.
  • Slip the slice(s) into the slot(s) until the slice is almost fully submerged. Whether you put in the slice top-down or bottom-up doesn’t really matter. Be careful not to try to slide in two slices into one slot
  • Select the degree of ‘burn’ you want to apply to your bread. Most toasters will come with a knob, which will have a number of levels between light toasting and a high degree of burn. Novices to the art of toasting will want to go for the medium level to be on the safe side.
  • Lower the slices into the toaster by pressing down the lever. As the toasting starts, it’s advisable not to wander too far. It only takes a few minutes for the bread to get toasted, so be on.
  • Standby with your nose on high alert. If it smells as though the bread is burning, pull up the lever to eject them. You don’t have to wait for them to pop out automatically.
  • Remove the bread and serve it.

Toaster vs. Toaster Oven

Toaster with toastConventional toasters are limited in their application; putting some burn on your bread or bagel is as far as you can go with these. Toaster ovens open a whole new world of culinary possibilities. Even still in the realm of bread, you can go a step further and make melt sandwiches or toasted cheese.

It is, in essence, a miniature oven that you can use to prepare pastries such as muffins, baguettes, bagels, even cookies.

Being more technologically advanced than the toaster means it boasts such features as a self-cleaning mechanism. After making a meal with your toaster oven, it will clean itself the next time you turn it on, clearing up any accidental spills.

The only two advantages a toaster will have over its multifunctional younger sibling are that it is mostly cheaper and that it works faster.

Types of toasters

Pop-up toaster

Most every other home will have this toaster. It is the basic toaster that comes with one or more slots into which you pop in your slices of bread. A lever on the side lowers the slices into the toaster, putting them next to the heating element. Lowering the bread activates the heating element, which starts to toast the bread. The amount of ‘burn’ applied to the bread is determined by the appliance’s adjustable timer.

Conveyor toasters

white toasterThese are designed to do toasting on a larger scale than the traditional pop-up. Mostly used in restaurants, cafes, bakeries and other places where a lot of toasting needs to be done- some can toast up to 1600 slices per hour.

Essentially, a conveyor belt moves continuously through the toaster, presenting the slices to heating elements at the top and bottom of the toaster.

When sufficiently grilled, the bread is moved to the end of the conveyor belt and dumped onto the feeder. The initial and operational cost of these toasters means it only makes sense to buy it for commercial purposes.

Toaster ovens

We had touched on this type of toaster a little earlier. It is a sort of a cross between a microwave and a toaster. It can also be considered a miniature oven as it can be used to do actual baking. Make no mistake, however, this hybrid appliance is still a toaster at heart. You still have a place to slip in your beloved slices and wait for them to pop up.

Things to consider when choosing a toaster

Besides the size of your budget, the kind of toaster you’ll pick will be determined by what you want to do with it. Do you just want to warm your bread, or do you also want to do some light baking? Or do you want a machine that will churn out toast by the minute? Here are the points you need to ponder when doing your toaster shopping:

SizeDurabilityMaintenancePower ratingHeating elementsAdded featuresDesign

If you have a large family with which you intend to share breakfasts, why buy a two-slice toaster when you can get one that can cook four at a go? Also, consider the toasting preferences of your family members as you go toaster hunting.

There are some that allow you to vary the degree of browning per slot.

Restaurant or café owners will be wise to limit their shopping to conveyor toasters that can churn out hundreds of toasted slices every hour.

How long will your toaster serve you? While you can’t accurately predict this from the outset, there are some pointers you can deduce this from. One is the manufacturer’s warranty. How easily can you get a replacement part or a service center specializing in that particular brand of toasters?

The ease with which you can clean the toaster has a direct correlation with how long it will serve. So you need to go for a toaster with slots you can clean without the hassle and with a crumb tray, which can be emptied easily. Well maintained toasters will serve you longer.

How does the toaster deal with dirt, or how easy is it to clean? Modern toasters commonly come with a crumb tray, which collects the crumbs that fall as you’re sliding in or removing the toasted bread. A number of toaster ovens are marketed as ‘self-cleaning’. They may call for higher initial investment, but it may prove worth it in the coming months and years.

Measured in Watts, this rating will give you an idea of not only how much power it will consume, but the kind of toast it will produce and how fast it toasts.

Those with higher wattage tend to produce toast that is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. And they will do this faster than those with lower wattage toasters, which tend to produce chewy bread. Note, however, that the results also do depend on the kind of bread you’re working with.

A higher power rating may produce better results, but it will also have a greater impact on your power bills.

Traditional toasters generate heat through wire filaments that convert electrical energy into heat energy. With these, you had to preheat the toaster as it takes time for the filaments to get hot. More recent designs work with infrared elements, which produce heat almost instantly.

A toaster can have near-infrared heating elements or far heating elements. The latter cooks the outer part of the slice effectively but the former effectively cooks both the inside and the outside.

We’ve come a long way from the basic toaster, and different brands and models today woo buyers with various add-ons. They include defrost functionality that defrosts and toasts bread that may have been stored in the freezer. Newer designs have automatic lifts for easier removal of toasted food. In place of the traditional lever is a button, which you press to pop out your toast.

Another handy feature some toasters come with is the reheat option, which allows you to warm toasted food that may have cooled down without adding further burn to it.

Toasters come in a variety of shapes and sizes and colors. Given that toasters are pretty much the same in terms of their core function, their aesthetic appeal may be the deal-breaker.

Depending on your home, or kitchen’s prevailing theme, you may want to go for a retro design toaster or one with more contemporary styling.

If you’re into all things retro, you’ll find a modern toaster with a digital display to be a bit of an eyesore. One with the old-school transistor radio-style knobs may tickle your fancy a bit more.

Faq’s related to Toasters

How long does it take to toast bread in a toaster?

If you’re using a conventional pop-up toaster, you’ll only have to wait two to three minutes before your slices pop. But if you’re using a toaster oven, you may have to wait twice as long before your bread is done. It is generally a good idea not to wander too far from the toaster once you’ve slid in your bread.

Can you put buttered bread in a toaster?

It is generally not a good idea to put buttered bread in a toaster as it will melt and make a mess in your toaster that won’t be so easy to clean. This is if the toaster is a basic pop-up toaster. And that is the best-case scenario for this kind of toaster. The worst is the butter will scorch and potentially spark off an electric fire. If you must toast your bread when buttered, you’re well advised to use a toaster oven. With this kind of toaster, you can lay on the butter as thickly as you want, provided you put your toast on a tray that can collect the excess melted butter.

Can I put frozen bread in a toaster?

If you don’t have a brood of infants who will dismantle an entire loaf in one sitting, you will want to freeze whatever bread is left over after you’ve had your fill. Freezing it will help preserve the freshness but then the question arises, do you have to defrost the bread before toasting it? Defrosting the bread naturally under room temperature is not advisable as it may make it go stale. Using your microwave may leave the bread too soft to produce the desired results after toasting. The trick is, therefore, to pop the frozen slices directly into the toaster. Some toasters come with a defrost function that allows you to defrost the bread and toast it at a go. If you’re using an ordinary toaster, bear in mind you will need to leave the bread in the toaster a bit longer.

Do toasters use a lot of electricity?

The amount of electricity a toaster, or any appliance for that matter, uses will depend on its wattage. It will also depend on how long, and how many times you use it as power consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours. Toasters energy ratings ordinarily range between 800 and 1500 watts. So to determine how much electricity your toaster is using, and to, therefore, answer the burning question, we need to do some simple math. Multiply the wattage of your toaster by the number of hours you use your toaster per day. If you use a 1200W toaster for an average of 10 minutes, it will use 1200 x 10/60 watt-hours. Which means it uses 200w/h, which works out to 0.2 kW/h. If you use your toaster faithfully on a daily base, it will consume 6 kW/h monthly. Should your average monthly power consumption by, say, 60 kW/h, your toaster can be said to contribute a tenth of your energy bill. Whether this level of energy consumption is high or acceptable will vary from household to household. You can control the amount of energy your toaster consumes by selecting a make with a lower energy rating. Bear in mind, though, that a toaster with a lower rating may not be the most efficient.

Why shouldn’t you put a knife in the toaster?

You will literally get the shock of your life if you do. Those who have tried to do so, perhaps in a misguided attempt to free a stuck slice, will readily testify. A burst of electric energy flowing through your body is not the only hazard you will be exposing yourself to when you put a knife in the toaster. If the toaster is still on, you also run the risk of heating the knife and burning your hand in the process. The possibility of this happening is greater if the knife has a metallic handle as most metals are good conductors of heat. Besides the danger to your person, you also risk damaging your precious toaster. The elements or the resistive wires in the toaster that enable it to convert electrical energy into heat energy can be ruined when you short-circuit the regular flow of electrical current with your knife. If you have to reach into the toaster slots to remove stuck food, make sure the toaster is switched off at the power supply. Unplug it from its slot on the power strip or surge suppressor if it is plugged into one. Then use chopsticks or tongs made from a non-conductive material to reach into the slots.

How often should you replace your toaster?

To answer this question, we have to ask ourselves another one: what are the signs that your toaster is due for replacement? The first and most noticeable is the quality of toast it produces. If you notice a steady decline in the quality of the toast popping out of your toaster, it may be time to get a new toaster. If you look at the inside of your toaster and notice traces of rust- perhaps resulting from accumulated dirt, this may be a sign that the end is nigh. A power cord that is torn, exposing the wires underneath, is another sign that your toaster may be due for replacement. It is wiser to begin saving up for a new toaster than to try taping up the exposed cord. Such signs usually start appearing after five or six years, though such appliances are typically expected to serve for not less than eight years. But besides the lifespan of the toaster, another important consideration is whether the toaster is adequately meeting the need it was meant to fulfill. If you got your toaster when you were still single and now have a brood of kids, you will need to consider if that old single-slot toaster will manage. Consider those busy mornings when you’re in a hurry to get to work. You don’t want to waste precious time waiting for one slice to pop up at a time. Buying a four-slot toaster may set you back a tidy sum initially, but it will be a wise investment for the future. This is especially true for businesses- if you notice a bump in the request for toast in your café. It may be time for you to replace your current conveyor toaster with a higher capacity appliance. Restaurants may also want to get a higher or lower capacity toaster because of changes in their menus.

Are toasters unhealthy?

Toasters can be havens of pollution if you don’t maintain them well. Whenever you turn it on, it could be releasing harmful particles into the air that will have adverse effects on the body when inhaled. A sure sign that this is happening is when you see smoke whenever you’re toasting. When food particles are left in them, they become a source of air pollution as they produce smoke whenever the toaster is turned on. You would, therefore, do well to clean your toaster as often as you use it, being careful to remove dried up the oils and crumbs that tend to collect at the bottom or get stuck on the element. It is also advisable not to burn toast too heavily as research has shown that this leads to the production of high levels of acrylamide, a cancer-causing toxin. Toasting the bread just enough to make it a crispy light brown will help reduce your exposure to that deadly disease. The dodgy labeling on some toasters can make it difficult to know how to get the right level of burn on your bread, though.

How do you keep a toaster clean?

With the above dangers in view, this is a very important question. There are features on the toasters that help you keep it clean, such as the crumb tray. To get rid of bread crumbs that have fallen into the toaster, simply slide the tray out from the bottom, dump the collected crumbs out and wash it with dishwashing soap. Washing with soap may not be necessary if the toaster has only been used lightly. Tilting the toaster and shaking it will help remove any food particles that may be lodged between the element and the walls of the slots. It is advisable to do this over your kitchen sink so it is easy to dispose of the food debris. It is also advisable not to get too carried away so as to damage your toaster in the name of cleaning it. Use a soft, clean toothbrush to dislodge particles that stubbornly cling to the inside of your toaster. Work in a systematic top-to-bottom motion so you don’t miss any spot. Remaining crumbs can be got rid of using a vacuum cleaner and a straw. Simply hold an ordinary drinking straw at the mouth of the vacuum and point it into those hard-to-reach areas at the bottom and sides of the toaster. This is way more effective and safer than poking at the insides of the toaster with a knife. The outside of the toaster can be wiped with a piece of cloth or sponge dipped in soapy water. You can then go over the exterior once again with a cloth dipped in diluted vinegar to give it an extra shine. Before embarking on any of the above steps, make sure your toaster is off and disconnected from the power source.

Do all toasters have a crumb tray?

Old toaster models may not have this very handy cleaning tool, but most of them do nowadays.

How do you clean a greasy toaster?

Wiping the greasy surface with a cloth dipped in soapy water should do the trick if you clean your toaster regularly. If you have neglected your toaster for a while and allowed the greasy mess to dry up, it will take a bit more effort to clean it up. Get some baking soda and pour it into a bowl then mix it with a little water until it forms a paste. If the paste is a bit too stiff, add a little more water and mix. Apply this paste onto the stained surfaces then scrub with a scrubbing pad and some water. If the grease stains are old and stubborn, you will need to let the paste soak through and soften them before you begin scrubbing. Scrubbing should continue until the grease is off but if the stains don’t come off immediately, apply another layer of the paste and go at it again. White vinegar can be used if the stains are particularly stubborn. Once the grease is off, wipe the area down with a cloth dipped in soapy water to remove the loosened grease particles as well as any traces of the baking soda.

Nirbhay Singh

Nirbhay Singh is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of gadgetsdeck.com. He is a Full Stack Engineer with very deep understanding of modern day technology. His definitive objective here is to help people in purchasing the best item for their money. If it's not worth the price, Nirbhay wouldn't recommend it.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Top