Toasters

Best toasters

Although professional testers rounded up as many as 21 toasters for a single review article, a few toasters rose to the top again and again. Testers at Gourmet magazine say that the two-slice Krups FEM2B (*est. $60) has it all: It delivers truly golden toast, its slots are wide enough for bagels and thick bread, and its three-position bread lift is well designed. Gourmet's testers also praise the toaster's "energetic pop-up action," which ensures smaller items won't get stuck at the bottom of the toaster. There's a handy warming tray, which heats croissants and rolls on top of the toaster. With its black plastic, cool-touch housing and stainless-steel control panel, the Krups FEM2B toaster splits the different between plastic and metal. The toaster's other useful features include cord storage, a defrost setting and automatic centering, which ensures that toast doesn't fall to one side and burn. While a few users say that the aluminum parts inside the toaster can bend, causing the toaster to jam, most Amazon.com owners say the Krups is a great all-around toaster that isn't terribly expensive.

two-slice Krups FEM3B (*est. $80) is a digital version of the FEM2B; it features a digital LCD display and adds an extra warming level, but costs around $20 more. There aren't many professional reviews to be found, and even user feedback is limited at the moment. We're not sure an LCD is an upgrade worth $20 over the Krups FEM2B.

There's also a four-slice version of the Krups FEM2B, the Krups FEM4B (*est. $80) . The four-slice toaster has two separate sets of controls, which enable you to toast bread to different degrees of doneness at the same time. We didn't see many expert reviews of the four-slice Krups toaster, but it has gotten quite a bit of feedback at Amazon.com and Cooking.com, where owners generally say that it does a good job. It shares the same black plastic and brushed stainless steel styling as the FEM2B. The Krups FEM4W (*est. $80) , is identical, but with white plastic instead of black.

A newer four-slice model by Krups, the Krups TT9340 (*est. $120) , features an industrial style with a metal die-cast finish and a special coating to avoid fingerprints. However it lacks a couple of features found in the Krups FEM4B and has fewer heating levels (six versus eight). We didn't find any professional reviews and there are few user reviews of this toaster, though those posted thus far at Amazon.com are generally positive.

Although we found only one professional review of the Braun Impressions HT600 MultiToast (*est. $60) , many Cooking.com and Amazon.com users give it high marks for functionality and design. The toaster's single, 1.5-inch-wide slot can accommodate two slices of toast, including thick slices of artisan-style bread and long slices of baguette. Owners posting comments to Amazon.com say that the Braun toaster produces evenly browned toast quickly. The only drawbacks cited in user reviews are the toaster's unusually quiet pop-up action, which can go unheard in a noisy kitchen, and its 17-inch length. Although owners say that the MultiToast is longer than they expected, others note that the toaster can sit alongside a wall, saving space. They complain only that the stainless-steel housing shows fingerprints. If you like to buy specialty breads that which result in longer slices, the Braun toaster will save you from cutting long slices down to size.

Budget toasters

If $60 is more than you want to spend on a toaster, consider the two-slice KitchenAid KTT340 (*est. $50) . The KitchenAid KTT340 toaster comes in a choice of colors, including red, white, black and tangerine. It has wide, self-centering slots and its polycarbonate housing stays cool to the touch. The defrost feature, which reheats without browning, works well in tests, but there are a few older reviews that say it doesn't evenly toast bread 100 percent of the time. The KitchenAid KTT340 has a digital display, electronic controls and a full-width crumb tray. Cook's Illustrated, along with its sister publication Cook's Country, found that it can produce toast in five shades, from no color to deep brown. Its drawbacks are its unusually long length and utilitarian design.

Oster Counterforms 6335 (*est. $40) beats out the KitchenAid KTT340 for a spot in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers on both price and innovative style. Odds are that you've never seen a toaster like this: It's nipped in the middle and sports a wavy silver finish. It has bagel, defrost, reheat, waffle and pastry settings. The Oster toaster includes a lift lever, cancel button, extra-wide, self-centering slots, a pull-out crumb tray and stay-cool sides. While it does not have a huge amount of feedback, owner-written reviews from Amazon.com give it a fairly high average rating, with several citing the end-of-cycle alarm as a favorite feature and occasionally criticizing the toaster's sometimes uneven browning. Professional reviews say that it produces acceptable toast at a reasonable price.

The basic Cuisinart CPT-120 (*est. $30) is compact, stays cool to the touch and browns evenly. Though not everyone is pleased, the CPT-120 toaster scores fairly well at Amazon.com. However, a handful of reviewers at Epinions say the bagel function is more gimmicky than useful.

According to experts, the two-slice Farberware FST-200 (*est. $25) is easy to use and browns evenly most of the time. Cook's Illustrated recommends the Farberware FST-200 toaster, and reviewers at Amazon.com give it fairly good marks. Many like the toaster's stay-cool exterior and say it is easy to clean. One major complaint is that the Farberware FST-200 has an eager pop-up mechanism, sometimes ejecting bread into space.

Proctor-Silex 2-Slice SmartToast 22450 (*est. $15) is inexpensive and consistent, but its small slots can't accommodate larger bread and bagels, and it has a hinged crumb tray instead of a removable tray (reviews say that pull-out trays are easier to clean and less likely to spill crumbs). Owners report that this toaster is good choice for someone who wants a basic toaster with simple features. A few owners posting comments to Amazon.com and Epinions say that the toaster is so lightweight that the when the lever is depressed, the other end rises off the countertop. Other owners say that using this toaster is a two-handed operation -- you'll need one hand to raise the toast and the other to remove it. Cook's Illustrated and its sister publication Cook's Country found it impossible to get dark toast in a single cycle using this toaster.

Designer toasters

If you have a contemporary kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, the pricey two-slice DeLonghi Brushed Aluminum DTT900 toaster (*est. $130) will fit right in. Tom Bartlett of Slate.com says that this rounded, silver toaster was the best-looking and best performing of the eight toasters he tested. The toaster's base serves as its crumb tray, which Bartlett calls "the most elegant solution to the crumb problem I've seen." The DeLonghi lowers and raises bread automatically and delivers evenly browned toast in a range of shades. This toaster has extra-wide, self-centering slots as well as a cancel button, and users say that its exterior stays relatively cool. Its lowest setting reheats toast without browning. Testers like the DeLonghi toaster's soft bell, which isn't as annoying or teeth-rattling as some toasters' bells. Reviews mention a couple of minor flaws: Single slices of toast tend to brown a bit more on one side than the other because of the heat radiating from the empty slot. Fine Cooking's editors say that the toaster's removable warming rack isn't that useful.

The majority of toasters on the market automatically pop up the toast at the end of the cycle. That makes it easy to grab your toast, but it also means that your toast starts to cool down right away. A few toasters, such as the Dualit Vario 20297 (*est. $220) and the KitchenAid Pro Line KPTT780 (*est. $250), keep toast warm until you eject it by pushing a button or raising a lever. These toasters are very expensive compared to others, however, and reviewers generally prefer the pop-up variety. However, the pop-mechanism is also one of the first things to fail as a toaster ages.

The two-slice Vario 20297 (*est. $220) is a heavy-gauge toaster that was first produced in England in the late 1940s. It looks a bit like a vintage radio and comes in more than a dozen colors, so if you're looking for a pink toaster, you'll find it here. Unfortunately, the toaster generally receives low marks in professional reviews for its inability to toast consistently. Gourmet magazine notes that it doesn't have self-centering slots, which means that bread doesn't stay centered between heating elements. Other drawbacks include its timer, which produces a ticking sound. The toaster must be preheated, and its slots are too narrow for most bagels. It should be noted that in spite of its relatively poor performance in professional, comparative reviews, the Dualit Vario toaster has many loyal fans who love its retro design and 13 color choices.

Dualit markets a unique accessory for its toasters: a sandwich cage with a drip tray and a stay-cool handle (*est. $20). Owners posting to Amazon.com say that it's best to use thinly sliced bread in the sandwich cage. Dualit also makes a four-slice version of this toaster (*est. $300).

The two-slice KitchenAid Pro Line KPTT780 keeps toast warm for about five minutes after the cycle is finished, and the toast stays in the toaster until you manually raise the lever. This heavyweight toaster has a stainless steel and die-cast aluminum finish. While Slate.com's Tom Bartlett says that it "consistently makes excellent, evenly browned toast," other professional reviewers disagree, saying that its performance doesn't justify its hefty price tag. The KitchenAid KPTT780 lacks special features and a warming rack, but you can buy an optional sandwich cage.

The two-slice KitchenAid KMTT200 (*est. $70) is a more conventional and lower-priced toaster that is better received. Editors at Fine Cooking magazine say that the KitchenAid KMTT200 toaster browns evenly in a wide range of shades. It has bagel and reheating modes, stay-cool sides, a lever that lifts English muffins and small pastries, and a removable crumb tray. Testers say that unlike many of its competitors, this toaster doesn't brown single slices more on one side than on the other. It is available in a number of finishes, including red, black, blue and stainless steel. User reviews at Amazon.com are limited but positive. A four-slice version, the KitchenAid KMTT400 (*est. $100) , scores highly in lots of reviews at Amazon.com and Cooking.com.

Important Features: Toasters

Here's what reviews say about selecting a toaster:

• Consider what you want to toast. Models with a single, long slot, like the Braun Impressions HT600, can accommodate long slices of artisan bread. If you frequently toast items like English muffins, look for a model with a high bread lift so you don't have to fish out smaller items.

• Assess your counter space. If space is tight, consider a toaster with one long slot rather than two side-by-side slots. Four-slice toasters tend to be bulky, as do toasters with retro styling.

• Decide how much you're willing to pay for style. Experts say that white toasters show their age faster than chrome or colored toasters. Chrome or polished stainless-steel toasters are more likely to show scratches and fingerprints.

• Look for safety features. If your household includes children, look for a stay-cool top and sides, cord storage, and a bread lift that will prevent you from having to dig for mini-bagels and other small items.

• Toasters need a "break-in" period. Experts say that most new toasters need to be used at least six times in order for their heating elements to work properly, so don't judge a toaster on its first few batches.

• Look for automatic centering. Without it, toast falls to one side of the slot and browns more on one side than on the other.

• Look for a removable crumb tray. These are much more convenient and easier to clean than hinged trays. All of the toasters recommended in Fast Answers have a removable crumb tray. The best crumb trays are dishwasher-safe.

• Experts favor electronic controls or numbered dials over shade dials without numbers. If you plan to toast frozen waffles or oblong slices of bread, look for slots at least 5.5-inches deep.

If you are fond of frozen waffles, look for a toaster with a defrost feature, which thaws and toasts in a single cycle. Most experts, however, say that they could easily do without pastry, waffle and bagel settings. The latter toasts only the cut side of the bagel. A reheat setting, which warms cold toast without adding color, is handy but hardly essential. Some toasters come with warming racks, which usually sit atop the toaster, for croissants and other pastries that don't fit easily into toasters.

While reviews favor toasters with cords longer than 40 inches, they agree that families with children should opt for models with cord storage (which allows you to wrap extra cord underneath the machine). Four-slice toasters are a time-saving option for families. Look for a model with dual controls if the adults in your household prefer their toast darker than the children do. Some toasters require preheating, which can eat up precious minutes.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon
2	Krups FEM2B (*est. $60)	details
2	Krups FEM3B (*est. $80)	details
2	Krups FEM4B (*est. $80) FEM4W	details
2	DeLonghi Brushed Aluminum DTT900 (*est. $130)	details
2	Dualit Vario 20297 (*est. $220)	details
2	Back to Basics TEM500 Egg & Muffin Toaster (*est. $45)	details
2	Rowenta Morrison (*est. $135)	details
2	KitchenAid KTT340 (*est. $50)	details
2	Braun Impressions HT600 (*est. $60)	-
2	Proctor-Silex Cool-Touch 22450 (*est. $15)	-
2	Oster Counterforms 6335 (*est. $40)	details
1 each	Sunbeam 6253, Oster 2-Slice 6325 , GE 4-Slice Classic 169137, Proctor-Silex 2-Slice SmartToast 22447, KitchenAid ProLine KPTT780 , KitchenAid KMTT200 , Dualit Lite 25363, Cuisinart CPT-120 , GE 106808, Hamilton Beach Toastation ,Farberware FST200, T-Fal Avente Elite, Russell Hobbs 10617, Dualit two-slice 20297 , Cuisinart Classic Chrome CPT-70 , Russell Hobbs Chrome four-slice, Breville Ikon Ct75XL

Reviewers and users name Krups toasters as a top choice more often than other brands. The two-slice Krups FEM2B and FEM3B are very similar. The latter is a digital version that adds an LCD display and an extra warming level, but costs $20 more. The Krups FEM4B is a four-slice model with dual controls that's otherwise similar to the FEM2B. It is also available in white as the Krups FEM4W. Other toasters that get recognition include the Oster Counterforms 6335, which performs well and adds a unique touch of style without breaking the bank. The Braun Impressions HT600 is a single-slot toaster that's a good choice for those who enjoy artisan and other unusually shaped breads. The DeLonghi DTT900 is pricey, but looks good, works well and has an unusual and practical approach to handling crumbs. The Proctor-Silex Cool-Touch 22450 is not without flaws, but it outperforms anything else near its budget price.

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