This Smart Toaster Makes Perfect Toast
The Revolution InstaGlo R270 has a touchscreen to help you get the exact toast you're looking for.
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The Revolution InstaGlo R270 is one of the most premium toasters in the category. What makes it unique is its supersonic toasting speed and touchscreen just larger than an iPhone 13's. The touchscreen helps you get the exact toast level by allowing you to choose from a variety of bread options and toast settings.
Revolution Cooking says its toaster is "the biggest advancement in heating technology in over 100 years." The toaster's diamond-shaped heating element, designed by Revolution, uses less energy and heats up faster than traditional toaster coils. We more thoroughly tested these speeds in our 2020 review of the R180.
The Revolution R270 has over 30 bread types to choose from.
The R270 is preprogrammed to toast over 34 varieties of breads and includes a tailored gluten-free setting. You can personalize the order of breads and choose between an analog or digital clock face for its home screen, but that's about it. The toaster is not Wi-Fi-enabled, so you won't get mobile updates or be able to control it remotely.
This elevated toasting doesn't come cheap either: The R270 toaster goes for $399. Revolution sells two less expensive models, the R180 and R180B, both of which are priced at $329. These models support only five bread types, have no gluten-free option and lack dedicated scenes for accessories.
This toaster has accessories
What would make any premium toaster even more premium? Accessories! There are two optional accessories sold by Revolution.
First is a heating tray ($30) that is placed right on top of the toaster. This can be used to heat up leftover pizza, pastries, baked goods and more. I used it to heat up a muffin and homemade banana bread. Both times I found I needed to run the setting a couple times before the contents heated to a suitable temperature. Even after two runs, the baked goods weren't always warm inside. I'd recommend cutting most subjects in half and laying each piece next to each other for a more thorough cook.
The warming rack can be used to head up pastries, baked goods, leftover pizza and more.
Next, there's the panini press ($80). You fill the contraption up with bread, cheese, meats and vegetables, close it up and place it in the toaster. Revolution recommends heating the panini press on level 5, but I found level 6 or 7 to be most suitable for a more gooey, cheese experience.
The smart toaster could be smarter
Revolution claims this is a "smart toaster," but I don't think it goes far enough to be called "smart" in the traditional sense. The toaster's lack of Wi-Fi means there will be no updated home screen options and no connectivity to smart home assistants. I think what would take this toaster to the next level, both in terms of fun and function, would be the ability to upload pictures and use it as a digital picture frame, onscreen smart home scene commands, integration with smart home assistants like Google Home and Alexa, and perhaps even weather and calendar alerts.
These features would warrant the higher price tag for me. Personally, I'm happy with my conventional toaster, but if this toaster did more than just toast fast and accurately, I might consider it for my smart home. Ultimately, this is a super premium toaster at a super premium price and is probably best suited for someone who loves flashy kitchen tech (and perhaps wants to impress their friends).
To see the toaster in action, watch my video review.