Hey, I'm CNet's Ryan Crist and this is a review of the Hamilton Beach classic chrome two slice toaster.
Wait, no, no, no, come back.
Don't stop the video.
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Don't go anywhere, just, I know, I know.
It's a toaster, just hold on.
Don't stop the video just yet.
Give this thing a chance.
It might be the most high-tech thing you're gonna see on CNet today, but I bet you eat toast more often than you think and that makes toasters relevant.
This one does a good job.
An average job I would say.
It never wowed me but it never disappointed me and it looks okay doing it.
It's got this shiny build.
It's a little shiny for my tastes.
I wouldn't want it quite so reflective.
I like more of a brushed metal look.
I do think that the classic look is a bit undercut by these buttons on the side.
If you take a look it's got this kind of cheap plastic look.
The font isn't great.
The lights look kind of dated.
It looks more like something from the 80s.
And I don't know.
It just doesn't look great, in my opinion.
The bottom line is that this is just an average toaster.
And that's really all you can expect from it at 30 bucks.
That said, the design of it isn't the greatest, and there are other toasters that cost about the same that, in my opinion, look a lot better.
So, I say shop around.
Find one that fits your aesthetic a little better than this one, and go with that.
You can also consider splurging on a higher end unit.
If I had to pick I'd go with the Cuisinart CPT-440 that's a $100 model.
That looks very nice.
Did a great job in our performance test and has a cool leverless build.
But again 100 bucks that's a lot to spend on a toaster.
I couldn't blame you one bit if you didn't want to.
So if you are in that camp feel free to go with the cheaper unit.
I'd probably go with one other than the.
This.
Thanks for watching.
You can check out my full review of the Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome two slice toaster at CNet.com, along with the rest of my small appliance reviews.
For CNet Appliances, I'm Rye Chris.
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