Toast might just be the ultimate breakfast staple, and yet toasters can't seem to get any respect. We decided to change that, with a roundup of toaster reviews covering everything from bargain bin basics to high-end luxury models. After weeks spent testing the things out, here's a quick rundown of the results.
If you close your eyes and imagine a toaster, this "Classic Chrome" model from Hamilton Beach is probably pretty close to what pops into your mind. With a shiny build reminiscent of a certain courageous cartoon, it's about as simple as toasters get. Is it any good?
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Tyler Lizenby/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
2
of 15
A bit well-done
For $30, I'd say these results aren't bad, and about what you'd expect from a basic toaster on low, medium, and high. The middle setting is perhaps a bit overdone, but overall, this looks like acceptable toast to me. The real question: can more expensive models do any better?
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
5
of 15
Frigidaire Professional 4-Slice Toaster
The Frigidaire Professional was another slow toaster, needing five and a half minutes to toast bread on the high setting. Still, it's a good looking appliance, and the low and medium toast times were more reasonable. So, how did it do?
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Tyler Lizenby/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
6
of 15
Dark, but even
Pretty well, actually. With longer cook times, it definitely skews toward dark at the higher settings, but all in all, the performance earned our approval.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
7
of 15
Cuisinart Leverless 4-Slice Toaster
How about this leverless model from Cuisinart? Like the Frigidaire Pro, it sells for $100 (a little over £60, or about AU$120, converted roughly). At that price, it better be a top performer.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Tyler Lizenby/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
8
of 15
Just about right
Fortunately, the performance here is also very good -- probably the best yet. The medium settings yielded nice, even, golden-brown results every time we tested them. It's one of the speediest toasters in this roundup, too.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
9
of 15
Alessi Electric Toaster
We've seen what $100 toasters can do -- how about this elongated model from Alessi, which sells for more than twice as much as the Cuisinart or Frigidaire models?
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Tyler Lizenby/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
10
of 15
Looking good
That's a good-looking spread of toast, if I do say so myself. Still, at that price point, there's really no excuse for anything less -- which brings us right to our last toaster...
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
11
of 15
KitchenAid Pro Line 4-Slice Toaster
Meet the $500 KitchenAid Pro Line Toaster. That's right, $500. That's about £320, or just over AU$600, but no matter what currency you use, it's an awful lot of money for a toaster, even one that combines KitchenAid's signature retro design with subtle, futuristic flourishes. If you're paying that much, you're going to want perfect performance at the very least.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Tyler Lizenby/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
12
of 15
Underdone results
As you can see, however, that isn't what you get. Toasting to a four out of seven produces undercooked results. The highest setting actually looks decent as a darkened golden brown, but I think you probably want a little more oomph at that level, for those times when you're toasting bread straight out of the fridge. All in all, pretty disappointing.
Published:Caption:Ry CristPhoto:Ry Crist/CNETDisclosure:We may get a commission from retail offers.
13
of 15
The complete lineup
All right, let's review. From cheapest to most expensive, there really isn't a great deal of differentiation. That tells us that you're probably better off saving your money and going with a lower end model with a design that fits your tastes. You've certainly got a lot of options to choose from.
That said, if you want to splurge on one of the higher-end models, our pick is the leverless Cuisinart CPT-440. We like the appropriately high-end build and the silly-yet-nifty touch-to-toast feature, which gently lowers and raises your bread like it's in an elevator. Plus, it was a solid performer across the board, with satisfying results from everything from bagels to Pop-Tarts.
