Living Home Kitchen Toaster

Living Home Kitchen Toaster

We updated this guide in November 2021 to ensure all products tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab were in stock and available, and we updated prices.

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If you're in the market for a new toaster, you'll notice a there's now a wide field: 2- and 4- slice toasters, plastic and metal options, long-slot models, smartscreen versions. It's understandable if selecting the right one can feel overwhelming. The good news is that most are designed for more than merely toasting a plain slice of bread (remember when sweet potato toast was a thing?). Whether you want to toast a thick slice of artisan multigrain bread for smashed avocado toast with egg, a piece of sourdough for nectarine bruschetta or a slice of white for classic buttered toast, we've found a toaster to suit your needs.

How we test toasters

Here at the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab, we've tested hundreds of appliances over the years to find the best ones, including toasters and toaster ovens. On our quest to make the perfect toast and find the best toaster on the market, we left no crumb behind: We tested more than 58 toasters to determine how quickly and evenly they toast white bread.

We lined up toasted slices side by side from light to dark to evaluate the range. After we toasted consecutive batches, we compared them for consistency. We reviewed the owner's manual and evaluated the ease of using the controls, surface temperatures and cleanability (we love a removable crumb tray!). We checked whether or not the slots can accommodate thick bagels, long slices of bread and small English muffins. And we noted whether slices pop up high enough for easy grabbing.

What is the best toaster?

Here are our top picks for the best toasters you can buy in 2021, including a combination of toasters we've tested in lab, road-tested at home and recommend based on specially unique features and top reviews:

• Best Overall Toaster: Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster
• Best Value Toaster: Black + Decker 2-Slice Toaster
• Best 4-Slice Toaster: Krups Savoy 4-Slice Toaster
• Best Long-Slot Toaster: Cuisinart 2-Slice Long Slot Toaster
• Best Toaster for Small Spaces: Cuisinart 2-Slice Compact Toaster
• Best Toaster for Watching Toast: Dash Clear View Toaster
• Best Retro Toaster: Smeg 2-Slice Toaster
• Best Smart Toaster: Revolution Cooking R180 Toaster

Looking for an appliance to toast and bake? Check out the best toaster ovens for cooking basically everything.

Best Overall Toaster

Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster

Breville williams-sonoma.com

$149.95

The Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Toaster took the top spot in our test. It's worth every cent if you're looking for a champion toaster that will turn out evenly golden brown slices of bread batch after batch. With the push of a button, the grates lower your toast automatically — no lever-pressing. It also features extra-wide slots for bagels.

Use the Lift and Look setting to check on its progress; if your toast isn't browned to perfection, use the A Bit More feature to add extra time. A pull-out crumb tray on the base makes it easy to clean, although it is not dishwasher safe. Also worth noting that the sleek die-cast metal housing makes it major eye candy for your countertop.

• Top-tested
• Extra-wide slots for bagels
• Consistently produces evenly toasted bread

• Pricier than some other toasters

Best Value Toaster

2-Slice Toaster

BLACK+DECKER amazon.com

$24.99

The brushed stainless steel Black + Decker 2-Slice Toasterproves you don't need to spend a bundle to get a good toaster. If you have bread for breakfast on the reg, you'll love that this model can toast bagels, big homemade slices of bread and English muffins alike. Because of its low price and small countertop footprint, it's great for dorm rooms, kitchens with minimal counter space and anyone on a budget. It's available in red or black.

• Compact and budget-friendly
• Extra-wide toasting slots

• Only available in red or black

Best 4-Slice Toaster

Savoy 4-Slice Toaster

This black and stainless steel model can be depended on to toast white bread to a delicate golden color as well as rye bread to a deeper brown. It's great for entertaining too — not only can it toast up to four slices at once, but if there's a crowd at the table, it will pop up slice after slice to the same degree of doneness without burning by the second or third batch.

• Can toast up to 4 slices at once
• Consistently toasts bread evenly
• Has defrost feature for frozen bread

• Takes up more counter space than most 2-slice models

Best Long-Slot Toaster

2-Slice Long Slot Toaster

If there's always an unsliced loaf of sourdough in your kitchen, clear room on your countertop for the stainless steel Cuisinart Bakery Artisan Toaster. It has two long slots that make it big enough for oversize slices from round loaves — or you can toast four regular-size pieces of bread at once. The controls on this model are exceptionally easy to read. It also features a removable crumb tray.

• Can toast extra-long pieces of bread
• Easy-to-read controls
• Removable crumb tray

• Takes up more counter space

Best Toaster for Small Spaces

2-Slice Compact Toaster

Cuisinart amazon.com

$29.95

If you'd rather not give up too much counter space or live in a house or dorm with a small kitchen,the Cuisinart 2-Slice Compact Toaster is your best bet at just 6.5" x 11" x 7". The settings (bagel, defrost and reheat) are easy to read and select, and it unfailingly toasts bread to golden brown doneness. More perks: The Cuisinart's slots are wide enough to accommodate thick bagels.

• Compact
• Extra-wide slots

• Only available in black or white

Best Toaster for Watching Toast

Clear View Toaster

No need to pop your toast out to check if it's done: The Dash Clear View Toaster allows you to watch your toast browning through a glass window. We also love that this 2-slice toaster has one long slot instead of two short ones — not only can it fit two slices of bread side by side, it can also fit a single long slice. The removable crumb tray makes it easy to clean. It is available in four colors.

Some reviewers note that the range of toast settings between 2 and 6 (there are seven total) is hard to differentiate but that it does a good job of toasting evenly.

• Easy to check toast through glass window
• Extra-long slot

• Some reviewers say the toast settings produce similar results

Best Retro Toaster

2-Slice Toaster

Smeg williams-sonoma.com

$179.95

If good looks take all in your kitchen, the Smeg 2-Slice Toaster is worth the price. With itsbright, glossy finish (that comes in nine colors!) and its 1950s aesthetic, this sturdy toaster is a beauty that takes up minimal counter space. When you select a setting, it locks into place so you know you've set it precisely. Also available in 4-slice size.

• Stylish design
• Available in nine colors
• Compact

• More expensive than some others

Best Smart Toaster

R180 Toaster

Revolution Cooking amazon.com

$299.95

$249.95 (17% off)

This smart toaster has a touch screen tablet as a control panel. Each time, you make three selections by tapping the screen: What you're toasting (bread, bagel, English muffins, waffles or toaster pastries); whether it is fresh, frozen or for reheating; and the level of brownness (seven total). The toast automatically lowers and lifts high enough so that you won't get burned. When the screen is idle, it features the current date and time. Plus, the screen brightness is adjustable.

The manufacturer claims the toaster will heat quickly, resulting in better-tasting toast because it can toast the exterior without drying out the inside. Reviewers agree, but some claim that it toasts slightly unevenly.

• Touch screen control panel
• Toast automatically lowers and lifts
• Displays date and time

• More expensive than some others

How to choose the right toaster

✔️ 2-slice toasters vs. 4-slice toasters : When choosing a toaster, consider how many slices of toast you and your family will be making at once. If there are more than two of you racing to make breakfast at the same time, a 4-slice toaster is probably your best bet. If counter space is a concern, however, you may want to opt for a 2-slice toaster.

✔️ Long-slot toasters and wide-slot toasters: Long-slot toasters are gaining popularity now due to the rise in more rustic forms of bread. Opt for long slots if you love sourdough or other artisanal bread. You'll rarely be able to fit a whole slice in a traditional toaster without cutting it in half. We like the Cuisinart 2-Slice Long Slot Toaster. Another model to keep an eye out for is toasters with wide slots: These make toasting bagels and thicker slices of bread easier and fuss-free.

✔️ Plastic toasters vs. metal toasters: Generally, plastic toasters tend to be less expensive than metal. There's also the aesthetic to consider. In our tests, we found that toast quality wasn't compromised either way.

✔️ Settings: In addition to toasting bread to your favorite shade and doneness, look for a toaster with the right settings for your lifestyle. For example, the bagel setting usually toasts only the inside of a bagel and warms the outside so you don't have to worry about an overly dry or crunchy bite. A defrost setting is great for frozen waffles or bread; it typically adds more time to the toasting process so you get the same results as you would if the waffles or bread were fresh. Reheat typically toasts bread or other ingredients for a short amount of time, perfect for a toaster pastry or adding a touch more color.

Betty Gold, Good Housekeeping Institute Senior Editor & Product Analyst, Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab Betty Gold is the former Senior Editor & Product Analyst of the Kitchen Appliances Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she evaluated and wrote about every type of cooking tool and food-related item on the market.

Myo Quinn Myo Quinn is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, food writer and on-air talent.

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Living Home Kitchen Toaster

Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/appliances/toaster-reviews/g4921/top-tested-toasters/