Best Toaster 2019
Sometimes an easy process becomes difficult due to the complexities of the machine. We can guess you are looking for perfectly browned toast, and thus you’re in a search of a toaster. You can simply go to an e-commerce platform and buy one. Sounds easy, right? It becomes difficult when you are out there, in the market looking for a perfect toaster. The bottom line being – every toaster pops out a toast quite similar to each other. How will you choose a toaster which best suits your need?
Along with the coffee maker, a toaster is one of the most important appliances you can fit in your kitchen. After all, a disappointing breakfast can spoil your whole day. When you are shopping for a toaster, other than the price, size and design, you also need to make sure it’s reliable and produces good toast consistently.
If you’re in the market it could be a tough choice to choose a toaster which is right for you. Two-slice and four-slice toaster ones are the most common. If you have a small kitchen and need a compact toaster, the former will be a better choice for you while for those with large families, a 4-slice toaster is the better option.
We compared the list of best toasters available in the market and narrowed down on these 5 options:
- Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster
- Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster
- Breville BTA720XL
- Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster
- Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster Oven
Let’s compare these products and find out which one is best suited for your home.
#1 – Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster – #1 Pick (2 Slide Toaster)
Key Features of The Product
Capacity-2 Slots
Color-White
Material-Stainless Steel, Plastic
Product Weight-1.63 kg
Product’s Dimension-6.5 x 11 x 7 inches
Warranty-Limited 3 years warranty
Introduction
A perfect toaster is one which is very efficient, easy to use and makes a perfect toast. It is indeed one of the most used kitchen appliances. Whether it is used for toasting a slice of bread for the morning breakfast or making bagels for a change of taste, it’s importance can’t be underestimated.
The Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster is one of the best toasters with many amazing features. The toaster is easy to use, lightweight, efficient and increases the beauty of your kitchen. Making a toast has never been easier.
The design of a product plays a crucial role in determining the usability, Cuisinart CPT-122 is launched with the same thought. It boasts seven shades of toasting , and is a very compact device. The Cuisinart offers a wide range of setting and custom controls and remains cool even after multiple batches of toasting.
Interested? Let’s take a closer look at the product.
Design
This is a compact toaster. The product measures 6.5 x 11 x 7 inches and is featured with a unique and modern design. It is the best choice for those who are looking for an elegant appliance with ample usability. This device is designed keeping in mind the interior of modern houses and how every part of your decor should blend in.
It has a plastic body of white colour with a compact design that takes less counter space. Also, the plastic is heat protected and it doesn’t feel hot to touch the toaster after multiple rounds of toasting. Cuisinart stylish and boxy design is something you can flaunt. So if you have a small kitchen and you are looking for a premium compact toaster the Cuisinart two-slice toaster is the way to go.
Easy Controls
The Cuisinart CPT-122 has simple and custom controls. It is featured with a knob that controls the brownness of the toast. You have to just press the button, use the dial, and push the lever. That’s it. Its operation is as simple as that. The lever is very smooth and raises the toast to a height from where you can pull it out very easily without burning your finger.
It is very light weighted and is easily movable. The plastic knobs and lever are much sturdier than the other toasters in the same price range. The slide-out crumb tray makes this appliance easily washable. All you have to do is take out the tray and throw the crumbs away. The knob’s setting is accurate and also there are options to reheat or defrost your toast.
A Perfect Toast
This toaster provides with an option to choose between the seven browning shades. Also, you can choose the defrost, reheat and toasting option. There are 2 slots of 1.5 inch each. Unlike many other cheap options, Cuisinart has wide slots so you don’t need to push down the bread by yourself. This toaster efficiently toasts both sides of the slice evenly. A great thing about this toaster is that your food will remain warm until it is pushed outside.
This inexpensive toaster toasts bread better than any other toaster in the price range. It takes around 1 minute and 20 seconds to toast a bread completely on medium setting which is pretty quick. All hands down to this budget toaster which offers the best toaster for your money.
| Pros | Cons |
| Even Heating | The heating element may not always work properly |
| You can choose between seven shades | Always keep an eye on the toast |
| Elegant Design | |
| Less time consuming | |
| Lightweight | |
| Easy to clean |
Verdict
Overall, Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster has an attractive design, unrivalled quality and comes with great features. It provides you with a perfectly evenly toasted bread in the least time possible. The level of browning could be chosen and also there are defrosting, reheating and toasting options as well. The toaster is easy to use and clean.
The controls are very simple and the custom setting makes the device easy to use. This beautiful white coloured toaster increases the elegance of your kitchen and takes up less space. Cuisinart comes with a three-year limited warranty at an unbeatable price. The overall deal is a win-win for the buyer.
#2 – Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster – #1 Pick (4 Slide Toaster)
Key Features of The Product
Capacity-4 Slice
Color-White
Material-Stainless Steel, Plastic
Product Weight-2.04 kg
Product’s Dimension-10.8 x 10.7 x 7.2 inches inches
Warranty-Limited 3 years warranty
Introduction
The Cuisinart 4 slice toaster comes with a modern decent and compact design. It could perfectly fit in the compact needs of your kitchen. The wide slots could fit in 2 slices of bread. The dual custom controls with seven shades of toasting give a delightful flavour to your toast.
This white toaster has a plastic housing and convenient slide-out crumbs. It also features reheat, defrosts and bagel controls. This toaster is an ideal addition to your kitchen and could also be gifted as a housewarming present. It produced some of the finest, evenly toasted bread in the given price range.
It blends in completely with the design of your house and yet delivers an amazing performance with powerful features. The cleaning work is easy with the removable crumb tray.
Interested? Let’s take a closer look at the product.
Design
There’s always a beauty in the simplicity, and the device couldn’t get any simpler than that. With 4 slots Cuisinart CPT-142 is a compact device. The product measures 10.8 x 10.7 x 7.2 inches and weighs 2.04 kg. It is one of the most attractive toasters on the list which takes least counter space in your kitchen.
The white plastic looks decent and gives an aesthetic look to this device. The high lift carriages always ensure even and convenient toasting. Even after multiple rounds of cooling, the device remains comfortably hot to be touched. When every slot has filled the toaster, it makes slightly lighter toast than its 2 slice version but it could be controlled by turning up the toasting dial.
Multiple Function
This unit has multiple toasting functions as well as a shade control setting. The shade controlling option offers a range of browning options so that you can control the full perfect customization of your bread.
Setting 1-2 gives a light shade to the toast, setting 3-5 gives medium shade to the toast while setting 6-7 gives dark shade to the toast.
The unit comes with multiple toasting options like
Toast: Used for normal bread and toasting
Baggle: Used for upper half toasting only
Defrost: Used for first defrosting then toasting that frozen bread
Reheat: This is a key feature which allows reheating the toast without further browning which could result into burning
Cancel: To cancel all the toasting operation
Versatility
Cuisinart CPT-142 has 4 wide slots which allow you to toast a variety of items in the toaster like; sliced bread, bagels, toaster pastries and frozen pancakes. The toaster is featured with the high lift lever which allows the user to boost the lever upwards so that the bread could be easily removed from the toaster without burning your fingers.
The toaster has dual control panels completely independent from each other which allows you to toast two sets of toast with different settings. The slots are also much wider and deeper than the rest of the toasters. Cleaning and maintaining this device is pretty simple you can just take out the side crumbs and clean them with a damp cloth. It comes with a 3-year warranty which is one of the longest among the toasters.
| Pros | Cons |
| Even Heating | The heating element may not always work properly |
| You can choose between seven shades | Always keep an eye on the toast |
| Elegant Design | |
| Less time consuming | |
| 4 slots | |
| Easy to clean |
Verdict
Overall, Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster has an engaging design, great quality and comes with great features. The four slots with dual control panels that allow you to toast two different set of toasts with a different setting. It provides you with a perfectly evenly toasted bread. The level of browning could be controlled and also there are defrosting, reheating and toasting option as well. The toaster is easy to use and clean.
The controls are very simple and make the device easy to use. This lovely white coloured toaster increases the style of your kitchen by taking less space. Cuisinart comes with a three-year limited warranty at an unbeatable price. Overall, it is a great deal for the buyer.
#3 – Breville BTA720XL – Best High End (2 Slide Toaster)
Key Features of The Product
Capacity-2 Slice
Material-Stainless Steel
Product Weight-1.81 kg
Product’s Dimension-6.5 x 11 x 7 inches
Warranty-One year warranty
Introduction
If you desire a high-end toaster, Breville 720XL takes the functionality to another level. It anticipates what a user wants and performs accordingly. The stainless steel casing looks classic and suits your kitchen perfectly. It will surely serve you a lovely breakfast in the morning. A good tasting toast is what makes this toaster one of the top picks.
This model has a stainless steel exterior with excellent quality. The metal exterior body only gets slightly warm during the toasting process. It has a 5 different shade setting and defrost and bagel settings. When the process is completed, there is a light chime with toast rising up automatically.
Breville provides you with a better toasting performance along with some added features, though it’s a bit expensive. It gives the feature of a ‘bit more’ button that allows adding a little more time for toasting any undone slice and a ‘lift and look’ lever that allows you to look at the level of browning of your slice without disturbing the toasting process.
Let’s dig deeper into the product.
Design
Breville 720XL is a good looking and sturdy toaster. The steel casing gives a classic look which will fit the aesthetics of any kitchen. The product measures 11.2 x 8 x 7.8 inches and weighs 1.81 kg. It has an icon printed on the top which directs the way to insert the slice. This stainless steel toaster goes perfectly with the interior of your house.
All over the design of Breville 720XL is bold and pleasing. Although the device is on the costlier side you get the quality you pay for. What makes this toaster different from the other stainless steel body toaster is that after multiple rounds of heating, it doesn’t get so hot to burn your fingers. If you are looking for a quality toaster and your budget is not too cheap, this could be the best toaster for you.
Innovative Function
There are very few toasters in the market with automated functions. An automatic toaster enhances your toasting experience and makes the process far too efficient and easy. It has an auto lift and look button which allows you to look at the toast while it is in the toaster. With this feature, you can remove the toast whenever you feel that it is crispy enough.
Other than these options the toaster also comes with a bagel, defrost and a cancel option. It toasts bread evenly without any trace of pale edges. With checking the fineness of the toast in mid toasting the toaster allows you to add 30 seconds to the toasting cycle. It has a more advanced bagel setting which toasts bagels better than any other toaster. It comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty.
Additional Features
On this 2 slice toaster, all the progress could be tracked with LED light display system. The lower level browning system can be used to adjust the level of browning needed. The wider and deeper slots can accommodate wider bread.
Breville buys you two amazing features that other toasters don’t. These features are marketed as ‘Lift & Look’ lever and ‘A Bit More’ button. They are named accurately. The lift & look feature allows you to raise the bread and look into the slice if it is properly toasted without interrupting the toasting cycle. The second ‘a bit more feature lets you add 30 seconds to finish any undone toast.
| Pros | Cons |
| Smart Design | Fails to toast evenly sometimes |
| ‘A bit more’ and ‘Lift & Look’ feature | |
| Wider toasting slots | |
| LED Lights |
Verdict
Breville 720XL is a high-quality product. Even toasting throughout the slice could be a problem sometimes. Other than this, the toaster performs exceptionally well. All these features work well together and the device is designed to last longer with less maintenance and repairs.
The exterior made of stainless steel is very easy to clean and could be cleaned just with a damp cloth. Users who have purchased this product are happy with the appliance and have recommended it to others too. Overall it’s a good deal.
#4 – Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster – Best High End (4 Slide Toaster)
Key Features of The Product
Capacity-4 Slice
Material-Stainless Steel
Product Weight-4.3 kg
Product’s Dimension-13.2 x 13.2 x 9.2 inches
Warranty-One year warranty
Introduction
Breville BTA840XL is a 4 slice toaster with a decent design and some amazing features. The intelligent one-touch lowering function is the key innovative feature of this toaster. There is a smart chip installed in the device which lowers the bread with a single touch and also controls the toasting time. An LED display on the front of the device illuminates the selected setting and toasting option.
The toaster beeps when the toasting cycle is complete and the display acts as the indicator of this process, counting down the time left in the toasting cycle. The auto lift and look feature allows you to look at the toasting process without cancelling or resetting the toasting cycle.
The dual independent controls allow each pair of slots to work independently and toast the slice according to your preference. The bit more feature allows you to lower the bread automatically for some additional toasting.
Let’s take a closer look at the product
Design
If you are in a need of a 4 slot toaster that toasts bread perfectly, this toaster has some amazing features and looks cool with the stainless steel furnishing, Breville BTA840XL may be the product you are looking for. It measures 13.2 x 13.2 x 9.2 inches and weighs 4.3 kg. Though it’s a bit on the pricey side and is not very compact, yet it has many features that other 4 slot toaster don’t have.
The device is slightly bigger but goes with the aesthetics of your kitchen. It is not the larger version of Breville BTA720XL. It is a long slot toaster that can fit four slices of bread in its two slots. All in all the device has a decent design and could meet your toasting needs easily.
Key Innovations
All toasters in the market are more or less the same. What makes Breville BTA840XL different is that this 4 slice model has two independent controls so you can choose different settings for two different set of toasts accordingly. You don’t have to work with any lever, the process begins with a simple Toast/Cancel button which automatically lowers the toast. Everything is controlled electronically.
The 2 other important functions that deserve a mention is the ‘Lift and Look’ and ‘A bit more’ function. The former allows you to take a look at your toast without disturbing the process. You can look at the browning of your toast. A bit more option will add 30 seconds to the toasting cycle. If you want your toast to be a bit darker than the original toast then you can use this feature.
Additional Features
There is an LED indicator at the bottom of the toaster. The progress bar aligns itself with the browning settings, and starts the countdown when the toasting process begins. The timer ranges from 30 seconds to 5 minutes 30 seconds. After the completion of the toasting process, the carriage will automatically rise and the toaster will beep.
The slots are wide and deep enough to accommodate two slices of bread in one slot. You can also adjust the volume of the beep or mute it if you don’t like to be disturbed.
| Pro | Cons |
| Convenient | No reheat |
| Browning Control | Expensive |
| Consistent Result | Doesn’t last |
| Independent controls | |
| Set and Forget |
Verdict
For the given price Breville BTA840XL is a great option that looks classy as compared to other cheap plastic models. The two specific feature ‘Lift & Look’ and ‘A bit more’ makes this appliance a hot favourite. If you think you need these features, then this must be the perfect appliance for you. With motorized mechanism, cool design, push buttons and compact design, you will have a pretty good toaster on your part.
#5 – Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster Oven – Best Value
Key Features of the Product
Capacity-2 Slice
Material-Stainless Steel
Product Weight-3.9 kg
Product’s Dimension-16.9 x 9.6 x 9 inches
Warranty-One year warranty
Introduction
This Hamilton Beach toaster combines the function of a traditional toaster and an oven. It saves a lot of space and still gets the job done perfectly. It is easy to switch between an oven and toaster mode just by sliding the lever. Overall this toaster can do both jobs properly. The design looks good and with this compact structure, it easily goes with the aesthetics of your kitchen.
The built-in smart controls come with automatic shut off and good heat insulation of this device ensures safety. Don’t be fooled by its compact design, this toaster is loaded with many cooking features. The slots are big enough for a bagel or an English muffin. Below the toaster is a spacious oven that could store two slices of pizza. You can surely rely on the power and functionality of this toaster.
The powerful heating element of 1300 watt saves time and energy on heating and cooking. The crumb tray could be removed from the front, making the cleaning process easy. All in all, it is a good deal.
Interested? Let’s dig deeper into the product.
Design
Hamilton has several other competitors in the given price range, still it outshines due to its multipurpose usage and awesome design. The product measures 16.9 x 9.6 x 9 inches and weighs 3.9 kg. It will be really hard to find another toaster oven of this compact size, also the toaster is really light weighed thus contributing to the convenient mobility of the device.
This toaster is mainly designed for small families looking for a reliable toaster which could also be used for occasional heating. The top slot is extra wide to hold a thick bread. The design could blend in perfectly with the needs of your kitchen. It provides ample space to double the cooking pleasure hence making a hot buy amongst the buyers.
Technical Features
This device combines the feature of a traditional toaster and an oven. The powerful heating elements save time and energy. Moreover, the auto cut off technology is a great addition to the safety feature. Even after prolonged usage, the exterior remains cool and comfortable to be touched. It offers more cooking versatility in less space.
It has two mode operation; a toaster and an oven between which you could easily switch by a lever. The dial makes it easy to set the temperature. Also, a signal in the form of a beep will let you know if the time is up and you are away. What’s special in this device is its multipurpose usage. This toaster provides you with a lot of features taking the least space possible.
Usability
With the help of shade selector, you could control the level of browning of your bread. The drop drowns removable crumb tray makes this device easy to clean and also it’s dishwasher safe. It features a wider slot to accommodate think bread easily. This toaster toast up to 30% faster than other leading toaster oven. For best performance regularly clean the toaster in and out.
| Pros | Cons |
| Quick Preheat and cooling | Lack of Interior Light |
| Affordable | |
| Easy Cleaning |
Verdict
Hamilton Beach is an old name in designing home appliances and does a pretty good job especially when it comes to toaster ovens. Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster Oven is specifically designed to take the least space but at the same time provide you with excellent quality and toasting.
If you are looking for a simpler toaster you could definitely find a cheaper option n the market but if you are looking for a good quality toaster with multiple feature Hamilton Beach (22720) Toaster Oven might be the best option for you.
How to choose the best toaster?
Toasters haven’t changed much in the last few decades. Although now they have some new features like the bagel mode and the frozen bread mode. The heating process behind every toaster is almost the same. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that ideally, a toaster should toast bread evenly and quickly without much trouble Every slot of the toaster should perform equally well and should be able to toast different types of bread. When buying a perfect toaster you must look for-
- Even Toasting is one of the most crucial parts of the toaster. The toaster should produce a crispy bread without any white patches and no burned edges. Most of the toasters are based on nichrome while some use other costly materials which heat up faster than nichrome. The tests also show that the design plays a crucial role in the heating process. Also, a toaster with a good design increases the aesthetics of your kitchen.
- It should have accurate and varied toasting setting. When the dial is set to the medium you shouldn’t get a white or a slight bread but a brown perfection. The toasting should be consistent from batch to batch but as even the best of toaster becomes slightly hotter after the first round hence we recommend decreasing the dial after the first batch.
- The toasting slots should be wide and at the same time, it shouldn’t swallow a small English muffin. There are few toasters with long slots which can hold large bread but these toaster produced bread with raw centres and burnt edges.
- A manual will be very helpful as it allows you to take out the toast as well as put it in easily. Also, the device should be made of suitable material which is cool to touch even after several rounds of toasting. The removable cleaning tray will make the cleaning process a lot easier.
- Many new useful features will help make the toasting process easier. For example, the cancel button can help you stop the toasting process in between if you smell burning smoke, the reheat option could be used to reheat the bread without testing it any further and the bagel option could help to toast thick bread easily.
- A toaster should be compact as it a single use appliance and will mostly stay on the counter and it shouldn’t take a lot of your kitchen space. The toasting should be fast. Most people are running short of time in the morning and they need their breakfast as soon as possible, hence a quick toaster would be really helpful.
- The pricing shouldn’t be very high. Apart from a toaster oven generally all other toasters have a single use and nobody likes to spend a lot of money on a single-use appliance. Also, the toaster should be durable and hold up to repeated use.
Other attributes which are not necessary but are found helpful-
The toaster whose exterior is made of glass allows you to watch the toasting process and eject it if you feel the toast is done. These toasters are generally cost and also not durable.
A defrost mode helps you to toast the frozen bread easily by extending the toasting cycle. Some extra features like ‘Lift and look’ feature which allows you to look at the doneness of your toast without disturbing the toasting cycle. ‘A bit more’ button which darkens the toast without any chance of burning it. Theses feature act as a deal breaker.
So overall, a perfect toaster has a good design, quality and everything comes down to the perfect toasting. Every toaster needs a little help. You need to push the lever down. No bread could be toasted perfectly without supervision. So, all in all, you have to accept that.
After all these calculations. Find a perfect toaster for yourself and enjoy your breakfast happily.
Sometimes an easy process becomes difficult due to the complexities of the machine. We can guess you are looking for perfectly browned toast, and thus you’re in a search of a toaster. You can simply go to an e-commerce platform and buy one. Sounds easy, right? It becomes difficult when you are out there, in…