15 Best Toasters (Review) In 2021
- The Best Toaster
- 1. Cuisinart CPT-180P1 Classic 4 Slice Toaster
- 2. Maxi-Matic ECT-3100 Long 4 Slice Toaster
- 3. Oster 2 Slice Toaster
- 4. AmazonBasics Extra Wide 2 Slice Toaster
- 5. Hamilton Beach 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster
- 6. Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown 4 Slice Toaster
- 7. BLACK+DECKER Classic Oval 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster
- 8. Sunbeam Wide Slot 4 Slice Toaster
- 9. KitchenAid KMT2115CU 2 Slice Contour Toaster
- 10. Nostalgia RTOS200AQ Retro Wide 2 Slice Toaster
- 11. Gourmia GDT2445 Multi-Function Digital 2 Slice Toaster
- 12. West Bend 77224 QuikServe Slide Through Toaster
- 13. Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed 2 Slice Smart Toaster
- 14. Mitsubishi Electric Bread Oven Toaster
- 15. KRUPS KH732D50 2 Slice Toaster
Choosing the best toaster isn't like choosing your average appliance. Other than your kettle, it is probably the second simplest piece of kitchen hardware you own, the second most used. Other appliances, like your toaster oven, microwave, washing machine, and dishwasher are far more expensive and involve much more in-depth research. Whether you end up choosing a Breville, a Hamilton Beach, a Smeg, a Dualit or a toaster Cuisinart, it is as much about style and ergonomics as it is about wattage or any other factors; it will rarely be a case of just one button; a 'waffle' button or 'bit more button', for example, making the difference.
The best toaster is the one that will complement your work surface and decor. Whether it is a family-sized four-slice model or a more modest two-slice toaster, they will all toast bread evenly, helping you have a great breakfast, leaving your white bread perfectly browned, keeping you company in those dark winter mornings when you first start off from home. You may earn kudos for having a stylish toaster, from family and friends, something less likely with your washing-machine. It's not always about the most popular brand or excellent review, therefore. Make your own mind up.
The Best Toaster
1. Cuisinart CPT-180P1 Classic 4 Slice Toaster





Key Features
Dual control panels
6-setting browning dials
Dual reheat
Defrost and bagel buttons
LED indicators
Actual unit dimensions: 11. 15″ L x 10. 65″ W x7. 5″
Limited 3-year warranty
1-1/2 inch – wide toasting slots
Extra-lift carriage lever
Slide-out crumb tray
Convenient cord storage
Instruction book included
BPA Free
Cuisinart CPT-180P1 Classic 4 Slice Toaster, with its smart chrome finish, can toast and defrost bread and bagels, with its four-button functionality. There are six levels of browning; every shade in between light and dark, with LED indicators to illustrate which one has been activated. It has inviting 1.5-inch slots for the bread slice and the carriage lever lifts up higher for added convenience. You’ll find the slide-out crumb tray very easy to use, while the cord wrap prevents unnecessary entanglements on your worktop area, thanks to some well-designed cleats on the toaster’s underside. For drier bread you can use a lower setting; for fresh bread a higher setting.
2. Maxi-Matic ECT-3100 Long 4 Slice Toaster





Key Features
Extra-wide and long slots accommodate up to 4-slices of bread at a time
Removable crumb tray for easy cleaning
6 adjustable toast shade settings
Space-saving design
Built-in warming rack for heating up bigger bread
Non-skid feet secure toaster in place
Convenient Cancel, Reheat, and Defrost buttons
Toast lever for easy removal after toasting
Beautiful stainless steel housing
The professional-looking Maxi-Matic ECT-3100 Long 4 Slice Toaster is made with stylish stainless steel. It has adjustable controls so that you can alter its functionality depending on your particular bread requirements. It boasts illuminating controls and an efficient lever for ease and convenience. It has a cancel button if needed, a reheat button for latecomers to the breakfast table, and a defrost button so you don’t have to wait for frozen supplies to gradually thaw. Its crumb tray collects any stray crumbs, and can simply be taken out, emptied, and replaced in next to no time.
3. Oster 2 Slice Toaster




Key Features
2 slice toaster
Extra-wide slots
Auto-adjusting
7 toast shades from light to dark
3 settings: bagel, frozen, and pastry
Removable crumb tray
The lovely looking Oster 2 Slice Toaster has oversized slots, so it can handle pretty much anything bread-related; homemade bread, bagels, granary loaf, etc. It has a dual bread function, so it can handle varying thicknesses of bread and they’ll be toasted to perfection. With an easy to use control panel and easy to understandable dial, you may adjust the particular brownness of your toast (to 7 settings) or even cancel it, via a range of buttons, while the lever raises it to a convenient level for you to pluck out. It has a handy crumb tray which can remove and trash crumbs easily; it also has an anti-jamming mechanism so that it won’t get stuck. Overall, it has a timeless feel to it and will complement the decor of any kitchen.
4. AmazonBasics Extra Wide 2 Slice Toaster





Key Features
6 shade settings
Extra-wide slots
22-inch power cord
Removable crumb tray
Buttons illuminate
Bagel setting & Frozen setting
Extra-lift lever
AmazonBasics limited 1-year warranty
The sturdy, smart looking AmazonBasics Extra Wide 2 Slice Toaster will suit any household. Its dial can be turned to one of six settings so that your toast can be toasted accordingly. Its capacious 1.25-inch slots can deal with muffins, bagels, thick homemade bread, and whatever else you ask of them. The Bagel setting toasts just half of your bagel that has bee cut, while the frozen setting makes frozen bread warm and toasted in seconds. The lever lifts the toast high up so that you won’t burn your hands when picking it out. Meanwhile, its 22-inch power cord gives you the freedom to situate your toaster wherever you wish, on your counter. The cord wrap is ideal for when you want to store your toaster away. Its removable crumb tray means easy disposal of annoying crumbs that can. become flammable if not removed.
5. Hamilton Beach 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster




Key Features
Extra-wide slots
Convenient toast shade selector
Auto shutoff
Convenient cord storage
Toast boosting technology
Material Type: Nonstick
Crumb Tray
An attractively designed Hamilton Beach 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster is sturdy, efficient, consistent, and makes delicious toast every time. Its SureGuard shock-resistant elements make it a safe, family-friendly product. It boasts wider than usual bread slots; perfect for bagels or for thick, crusty, homemade bread. It has a useful toasting shade selector as well as an auto-shutoff function which reduces the risk of your toast burning. The is able to be stored right out of the way, allowing you a clean counter and less clutter. It also has a high lift features, so you’re not trying to jam your fingers in to reach the piping hot toast. Its crumb tray is a really useful way of not having to turn the toaster upside down anymore; it simply slides out so you can trash crumbs in seconds.
6. Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown 4 Slice Toaster



Key Features
Stainless steel housing
Blue backlit LCD countdown feature display
Blue LED function buttons
7 Shade settings
Removable crumb tray
Self-adjusting 1-1/2-Inch wide slots
Elegant Design
3 Year Limited Warranty
Legendary Performance
The attractive, stylish Cuisinart CPT-435 Countdown 4 Slice Toaster boasts a futuristic, digital display that brings you various different toasting options and a useful timer. The removable crumb tray is really useful, while the cord wraps snugly beneath the unity for maximum efficiency, avoiding an unsightly appearance. The bagel option allows just the cut half of the bagel to be toasted to perfection, although both sides can be toasted if you don’t engage that function. Its toasting shade control is superb; seven settings in all, so that it can be browned just how you like it. There are also Defrost, Reheat, and Cancel options which allow you to have flexibility over retoasting or an extremely light-touch approach. It has generous 1.5″ toasting slots, so can handle a range of items, eg. crusty homemade bread, pancakes, crumpets, muffins, etc. The High Lift lever is also a welcome feature because it avoids fingertips from getting burned. Dual toasting controls mean that you won’t have to toast two empty slots, thus wasting electricity.
7. BLACK+DECKER Classic Oval 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster




Key Features
Bagel Function
Shade Selection – 1-7
Extra-Wide Toasting Slots
Extra Lever Lift
Drop-Down Crumb Tray
Cancel Button: Yes
Wattage: 850 Watts
The highly unusual and unique looking BLACK+DECKER Classic Oval 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster has 7 different shade settings in order to accommodate every type of toasting preference. It has uber-wide slots that can handle bagels and thick homemade bread slices with ease. Its lever has higher than normal lift, so you’ll never burn your fingers; meanwhile, there are options for frozen bread, canceling the toasting, and even a bagel button. Its drop-down crumb tray makes for efficient and rapid cleaning and will ensure that burned crumbs don’t catch fire or spoil the flavor of your freshly sliced bread. The smooth chrome and black appearance looks smart and will complement a huge range of differently designed kitchens. Welcome to the future!
8. Sunbeam Wide Slot 4 Slice Toaster



Key Features
Extra-wide slots
Separate toast controls
7 light to dark settings
Anti-jamming
Toast-lift
Removable crumb tray
Cool-touch housing
One-year limited warranty
The impressively capacious Sunbeam Wide Slot 4 Slice Toaster represents electronic toasting at its best. It produces consistently crisp and toasty muffins, bagels and crumpets just the way you like them. Despite toasting 4 items at a time, it has dual controls so that you can vary what you’re doing, catering for the needs of different diners. It has wider than usual slots to accommodate a range of bakery products, a specific bagel button, a higher than usual lift to avoid burnt fingers, and a ‘cancel’ function which stops all toasting if you wish. For peace of mind, there is an anti-jamming setting, so the risk of a fire is reduced. There is also a removable crumb tray in order to make cleaning that much easier.
9. KitchenAid KMT2115CU 2 Slice Contour Toaster



Key Features
2 Extra-Wide Slots
Bagel and Cancel Buttons
All-Metal Construction
Under Base Cord Storage
Removable Crumb Tray
Comes in a range of colors
The professional-looking, metallic design KitchenAid KMT2115CU 2 Slice Contour Toaster is a precision machine. It has a range of toasting shades available, can toast bagels just on one side if desired, by reducing the power to 50% on one half of the elements. It has a defrost and frozen option and comes with a high lift lever so that you will never need to reach down into the machine to retrieve piping hot toast. It has wider than normal slots which can fit numerous different styles of bakery items, eg. English muffins, thick crusty bread, crumpets. There are five settings, 1 to 5, in terms of toasting strength, the capacity for the cord to be stored underneath, and a removable crumb tray. This last feature is especially useful when cleaning your toaster because crumbs represent 99% of the problem in this regard.
10. Nostalgia RTOS200AQ Retro Wide 2 Slice Toaster



Key Features
Extra-wide toaster
Lighted control buttons
5 browning levels
Cord storage
Easy Clean Crumb tray
The beautifully nostalgic, elegantly designed Nostalgia RTOS200AQ Retro Wide 2 Slice Toaster boasts a powerful 900 watts of toasting power that can handle various sizes of bread and baked products, due to its extra-large slots. It offers different levels of browning, a defrost and cancel option and a bagel button that adjusts automatically to various thicknesses of bread. The buttons helpfully and stylishly illuminate when pushed, and there is a user-friendly slide-out crumb tray which makes cleaning your machine a no-brainer. You’ll be hard pushed to find a more elegant and powerful machine on the market.
11. Gourmia GDT2445 Multi-Function Digital 2 Slice Toaster




Key Features
5 Toast Functions
7 Shade Settings
Countdown display
Rapid Reheat Mode
ETL-Certified
This Gourmia Multi-Function Digital Toaster looks the part. Its handy countdown timer appears in a futuristic digital display panel; this panel also reveals 5 toasting options (bread, bagel, waffle (waffle makers), pastry, English muffin), and its knob allows you adjust the relative brownness of your item seven different ways. There is a rapid reheat mode, to eliminate waste; especially useful if there’s more than one of you in your household. Its wider than usual toasting slots permit the baked item to be held in place and toasted consistently. Its removable crumb tray makes cleaning significantly easier.
12. West Bend 77224 QuikServe Slide Through Toaster





Key Features
Perfect toast in less than 90-seconds!
Convenient toast serving tray
7 settings
Bagel setting
Gluten-Free Setting
Wide slot
Cool-touch exterior
120 volts
The West Bend 77224 QuikServe Slide Through Toaster produces perfect toast in less than 120 seconds, so is one of the quickest toasters out there. The unique design suspends the bread in place while it toasts, then lets it fall on to a special serving tray, in a horizontal position. There are even bagel and gluten-free settings for your convenience and variable browning settings. The cord slots conveniently underneath the toaster and its overall design mean it fits in easily to your kitchen, due to its sleek and slender measurements. Generously wide toasting slots can handle items like waffles, homemade bread and bagels.
13. Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed 2 Slice Smart Toaster




Key Features
Proprietary InstaGlo heating system
Large color touchscreen controls
Double helix etched metal
Toasts English muffins, frozen waffles
The unique Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed 2 Slice Smart Toaster uses a state-of-the-art heating system, known as InstaGlo™ Technology. Essentially, this means a quicker and more consistently toasting experience, in which styles of baked goods are targeted. For example, where it be English muffins, waffles, toaster pastries, or bagels, the R180 measures out the optimal toast time and actively locks in the moisture and flavor, thus making the best possible toast each time. This is nothing less than a toasting revolution! It is also user-friendly, the controls being touchscreen and intuitive. Your family will love it.
14. Mitsubishi Electric Bread Oven Toaster




Key Features
Mat Brown
6.8 Pounds
Requires a transformer outside Japan
Japanese quirky style
Mitsubishi Electric Bread Oven Toaster is one of the most unique and strange oven toasters you’ll ever see. It has a stylish mat brown encasing and folds away stylishly. It is designed to toast just one slice of thick bread, the kind that would go perfectly in a meal of bacon, eggs, and other fried goodies. Actually, the quality of the toast will be evenly heated but it won’t have that crunchy, browned texture. In fact, it will produce a perfectly ‘raw’, even ‘fluffy’ toast that tastes as if it had just been baked that morning! This is achieved through heat insulation and a method of plate heating. There are various options of production – fluffy, light, normal, dark, crisp. This is a Japanese style of toasting you will never forget.
15. KRUPS KH732D50 2 Slice Toaster




Key Features
Extra-large, self-centering slots
6 browning settings
High lift lever
4 push button functions
Removable crumb tray
2-year worldwide warranty
The highly fashionable KRUPS KH732D50 2 Slice Toaster, made by German expertise, has a high-lift lever which means you need never burn your fingertips reaching for the toast again even for smaller items like English muffins. It produces perfectly browned toast, evenly browned toast, and every shade of brown from lightest (1) to darkest (6). It even has a 30-second reheating capability, so that unused toast doesn’t have to be put in the trash. It boasts a bagel option, as well as a rear crumb tray which makes cleaning up incredibly straightforward. Defrosting and toasting frozen bread is no problem at all, and its generous self-centering slots can manage a range of bread, muffins, buns, bagels, and even thick slices of homemade bread. The bagel option toasts the cut half and gently warms the natural half!
Features To Consider With Toasters
Even Toasting
No one likes unevenly toasted bread. The majority of toasters will produce perfectly browned slices, each and every time. However, some of them have centrally suspending springs, whereby the toaster will balance the slice so that it doesn't rest unevenly against either side of the heating slots. You may also notice lift and look at the toast, using the cancel function if you're worried that the toasting is completely even and burning is now starting to take place. Most models will have a high-lever function, so you can examine the texture of your toast before heating it to golden brown perfection.
Settings
Many top brands, from Hamilton Beach to Black & Decker, and many others, will offer you a range of settings, both in terms of the timing of the heating process and also the type of bread you might want to insert (bagel, waffle, homemade, etc.). Settings are a good way of controlling your toaster's performance, ensuring that whatever pieces enter the toaster will exit it in prime eating condition. Some models will have the traditional-button approach, whereas others will have a digital display or even LED lit switches.
Slot Size
Extra-wide toasting slots are what you want. Why would you want small sized slots that can't handle a wide range of bread? The best toasters will even have a centering capability whereby the toasts are kept spring-loaded in the middle so that the toasting is as even as possible. It is also a huge advantage not to have to worry about potential fires from breaking out due to toast being jammed into inappropriately sized slots. Golden brown toast - good. Charred black toast - bad.
Lever
The best models will have a generous lever integrated into them so that your slices of bread will effortlessly reach upwards into your waiting hand. In the bad old days, you had to reach into your toaster with your finger or a knife, and risk burning yourself or worse! If you're someone who delights in eating English muffins and bagels on a regular basis, then the higher the lever's reach the better off you'll be. It's also reassuring to know that your children can use your toaster with almost no risk to their health or safety.
Crumb Trays
Removable crumb trays are such a welcome innovation, due to the ease with which you can now rid your toaster of crumbs and even throw your crumb tray in the dishwasher. Slices of bread are notorious for shedding umpteen crumbs, and homemade bread or seeded loaves are usually the worst culprits. With a crumb tray to hand it's so easy to rid your machine of most of its crumbs. You'll still have to gently shake the remaining crumbs out of the main toaster, but it's no longer an ordeal, more a pleasure.
Cook Time
Toasting times vary, in terms of how crunchy you like your two slices to be. The quickest time claimed by manufacturers is 90 seconds, but it will depend on how thick your slices are, and whether or not they're bagels or frozen slices. The beauty of toasters is that they can help you make a quick breakfast or lunch. We don't live in an age where ovens and stoves can toast things gradually. We want our toast, and we want it now!
Defrost
With the majority of toasters, you will be able to toast your way through a batch of frozen sliced bread in no time at all. The specification or guide can instruct you more specifically, but frozen bread presents no problem for modern toasters, giving you time to chill out while it magically thaws and turns into sumptuous toasted deliciousness.
Amount Of Slots
This is pretty much a question of how big your household is. If there is just one or maybe two, then two slots will do. If you're a family of more than that then it makes absolute sense to go for a 4-slice toaster. The only downside is that it will tend to take up more space on your work surface. Actually, there is a one-slot toaster among the reviews above. This is quite a rare phenomenon. I'm sure that many families would be appreciative of a six-slot toaster, but they seem to be few and far between.
Toaster FAQ
Q: How often should you replace your toaster?
The best answer, really, is just to replace it when it no longer works properly. The average age that a toaster lasts is apparently 7 years. They vary in price and so the more you spend the more you’re going to want a generous warranty when buying a new one; one that doesn’t require you to pay the return postage, and that covers both labour as well as replacement parts. Because there aren’t that many moving parts in a toaster, it’s unlikely to go wrong. The most common fault will be an electrical fault, and should this happen hopefully it would be within the time of warranty.
Q: Should I buy a 2 or 4 slice toaster?
The decision whether to go for a 2 or a 4 slice toaster depends solely on the needs of your family or flatmates. Obviously a 4 slice toaster will take up more room on your work surface. However, the benefits of a 4-slice toaster are considerable, especially if it has two slide-down button which will allow you to use it as a 2-slice toaster, as you wish. You can dramatically speed up the time it takes to make breakfast and so can cater for a family which much greater ease. However, if you live alone or as a couple then it’s probably not worth it.
Q: How do you deep clean a toaster?
You must, of course, ensure that your toaster is unplugged before cleaning your toaster. If your toaster has a crumb tray then gently slide it out, ensuring a trash can is close to hand. Upend the crumbs into the trash, then wash the crumb tray in soap warm water, leaving to dry. Then, upend your toaster, shaking out the remaining crumbs, sweeping all into the trash. You cannot put your toaster in the dishwasher but can wipe all its exterior surfaces down with a damp cloth.
Q: Should toasters be unplugged when not in use?
Mechanical faults are the biggest cause of fires in toasters, and also timers malfunctioning, followed by burning crumbs which haven’t been satisfactorily expelled from the machine. The only fail-safe way to guard against this is to completely unplug your toaster when it is not being used. If a fire does happen, a heavy towel is best, rather than water.
Q: Is the toaster dial for heat or time?
The toaster dial is generally for the amount of time that the bread remains in the toaster. Many toasters use a circuit in order to cut off at the point when the toast is ready. A capacitor is used; when a certain voltage is reached at the circuit stops and the toast pops out. The dial can be used to extend the amount of time that expires before this cutting out occurs.
Sources
How does an electric toaster work? - Explain that Stuff
How to Make Toast: 6 Steps - Instructables
How to Clean a Toaster Oven - HowStuffWorks