If you live in a large household, you may want to invest in a four-slice toaster, simply because you can cook numerous slices of bread at any one time. Two-slice toasters, meanwhile, are ideal for smaller homes. Just as you’d expect, the more features your toaster comes with, the more dollars you can expect to part with. Below we’ve included a variety of the best toasters in terms of style, features and functions, and at a range of prices too. So if you’re unsure what features you should be looking for when it comes to finding a good toaster, keep reading. Toasters with wide slots are a must if you enjoy eating thicker breads. Also consider what types of food you want toasted. A handful of tasters will not only give you the option to toast bread, but they come with an additional rack to toast bagels and croissants. We also like clever features such as a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning. Many of the best toasters also come with a range of heating speeds and toasting functions, with most giving you the option to defrost bread too. If you’re looking for other kitchen essentials, check out our guide to the best compact microwaves (opens in new tab) and the best coffee makers (opens in new tab). For now, here are the top toasters for every kitchen…
1. Breville Smart Toaster: Best toaster overall
This is hands-down the best toaster we reviewed. To start, no device is better at toasting bread evenly. In our tests, every slice of bread came out nicely browned on both sides, with minimal visible bar marks and no burning. It also did a great job with defrosting and toasting frozen bread. In one round of testing, we toasted multiple slices of bread back to back to see if the toaster would get hotter over time and begin to burn bread. This toaster maintained consistent heat and repeatedly made good toast. It yielded similar results toasting frozen bread. And in our bagel test, it continued to excel. The toaster has a bagel feature that toasts just one side of the bagel so that it’s crunchy on the inner side and soft on the outside. This toaster comes with some unique features, too. The Lift and Look feature lets you check on the toast mid-cycle. When you press a single button, the bread pops up for a few seconds and then lowers back into the toaster to finish. The A Bit More function works in tandem with the Lift and Look feature: If you think the bread needs a bit more time, this feature adds another 30 seconds to the toasting time without changing the main timing dial.
Read our Breville Smart Toaster BTA840XL review (opens in new tab)
2. Cuisinart 4-Slice Countdown: Best toaster with digital controls
The Cuisinart CPT-435 4-Slice Countdown Toaster is a digital 4-slice toaster that has the longest warranty of all the toasters we tested – three years. It also has push-button digital controls, including an automatic lift so you can check on the progress of your toast. For a full featured digital toaster, the Cuisinart CPT-435 4-Slice Countdown Toaster is somewhat affordable, although it is much more than a $20 budget model. There’s a lot of thoughtful touches in this digital toaster.The extra-lift carriage lever helps you retrieve smaller slices of toast and the separate controls for each two slice section of the toaster will allow you to defrost, reheat, and toast bagels or bread individually. A blue backlit LCD countdown feature and LED buttons give you a smart digital display which is designed to last. There’s also a three year warranty, which is great for a premium toaster like this.
Read our Cuisinart CPT-435 4-Slice Countdown Toaster review (opens in new tab)
3. Magic Chef 2-Slice Toaster: Best cheap toaster
The Magic Chef MCST2SS 2-Slice Toaster is an inexpensive toaster with wide slots to fit in bagels, burger buns, and thick slices of bread. This toaster is significantly less expensive than some of the other toasters in our roundup, but it still comes with some of the best features. The seven-point dial offers browning control and there’s a reheat/defrost option as well as a separate bagel button. A slide-out crumb tray makes the Magic Chef 2-Slice Stainless Steel Wide Slot Toaster easy to clean, and its sleek exterior isn’t cheap-looking. Sure, it’s lacking on a four-slice capacity and some of the smarter features we’ve seen on other toasters, but if you want a low price model to get the job done, this is the one we’d suggest.
4. Dualit NewGen Toaster: Best two and four slice toaster
The Dualit NewGen Toaster is expensive, but its ProHeat elements will ensure that it’s an unbreakable investment which will remain a kitchen staple for years to come. The toaster comes in two slice, three slice, four slice, and six slice options, but the technology and design remains the same. Alongside this, you get some conveniences like an adjustable rear foot so you can balance the Dualit NewGen on uneven surfaces, and a removable crumb tray for easier cleaning. These toasters allow you to choose how many slots you turn on which will save you energy when making only one or two slices in a four slice toaster. They’re also covered by a two year warranty.
Read our Dualit NewGen Toaster review (opens in new tab)
5. Dash Clear View DVTS501RD: Best toaster with a unique design
The Dash Clear View toaster performed well in our tests, producing toast that was evenly browned on both sides without any burn marks. The device also did an exceptional job toasting frozen bread and bagels. The glass door on the front of the toaster allows you to watch the browning process. Admittedly, this is a bit of a novelty design. As soon as you become familiar with your toaster, you’ll likely keep the same settings and won’t need to use the glass window all that often. But it’s nice while you discover the sweet-spot settings or if you live in a household where there’s a variety of toast preferences. There are a few tradeoffs for this great value toaster. For one, the crumb tray is awkward to access. Longer than it is wide, the tray is accessed from the side of the toaster. If the toaster sits next to a wall or other objects, you’ll have to move it to fully remove the tray. It is also a bit of a pain to pull out. The toaster has just one slot, even though it is long enough to fit two slices of bread. If you have two pieces of longer bread – such as sourdough – you might not be able to fit more than one slice in the slot at a time.
Read our Dash Clear View DVTS501RD toaster review (opens in new tab)
6. Smeg 2 Slice TSF01PGUS: Best toaster for style
This toaster is more than great looking, we also enjoyed the way the Smeg warms bagels. It looks great on the countertop and comes in a handful of colors, although it’s quite expensive for a two slice toaster. This device simply runs hot. After repeated use, it gets hotter and hotter. When you make multiple slices of toast back to back, the later ones become burned even though the settings haven’t changed. But on a low setting, this toaster makes great toasted bagels. In fact, it was better than all others in this category.
Read our Smeg 2 Slice TSF01PGUS toaster review (opens in new tab)
7. Cuisinart Classic CPT-180: Best toaster for warranty
Everything about the Cuisinart Classic CPT-180 toaster screams high quality. It’s got an attractive stainless steel exterior and four slots with versatile defrost, reheat, and bagel settings. In our tests it toasted quickly and evenly and we were impressed with how it performed on both bread and bagels. It has a removable crumb tray, but you can only access this from the back. If you’re using smaller slices you’ll need to be careful when removing from the Cuisinart Classic CPT-180 toaster, as the low lifting height doesn’t leave much room to grab when your toast is finished. That being said, this is a somewhat reasonably priced toaster with four slots which makes it perfect for a family.
Read our Cuisinart Classic CPT-180 toaster review (opens in new tab)
How we tested the best toasters
To evaluate each toaster’s performance, we conducted four tests: Evenness The evenness test was the most critical and heavily weighted test we performed. We set the toaster on the medium heat level and toasted a slice of white bread. We checked for evenness on both sides of the bread, as well as for burn marks. Consistency Some toasters get hotter after repeated use. The toaster will toast the first batch of bread evenly, but the second and third batches progressively become more burnt. We toasted several slices back-to-back on a medium setting and in the same slot to determine heat consistency. Toasters that maintained evenly toasted bread after several uses received high scores. Frozen If you freeze bread for longer storage, you’ll want a toaster that can cook frozen bread. We tested how well the appliance toasted frozen bread by setting the toaster on the medium level. If the toaster offered a defrost setting, we used it for the tests. We looked for evenness and consistency in the toast. We noticed that toasters with a defrost setting did much better than ones without it. Bagel Finally, we checked to see how well each model toasted bagels on a medium setting. If the toaster had a bagel setting – to toast just one side of the bagel – we used that.
How much should you spend on a good toaster?
Toasters come in a wide variety of styles but spending more is not always a guarantee of better toast. In our tests we found that some of our cheapest toasters made better toast than some high-end models. Toasters can range in price from less than $20 to over $150 and can feature digital or manual controls. Generally speaking, toasters with more cooking slots cost more – depending on the quality of the toaster. Our advice is to purchase a toaster that has enough slots to fit your favorite breads or bagels and fits your budget.
Why do you need a toaster?
In short: a toaster is a brilliant kitchen staple that saves you time and effort. It can be used to toast bread and some fancier models can even toast crumpets, croissants and bagels. Instead of you having to place your food under the grill to brown and check it constantly, a toaster does all the hard work for you. You simply insert your chosen food into the toaster, set your chosen browning time and let the gadget get to work. Plus, along with being super easy to use, toasters take up little to no space in the kitchen. Many models allow you to toast up to 6 pieces of bread at once. Plus toasters on the market today are even super easy to clean.
How much should you spend on a toaster?
Like most kitchen appliances, the more features and capacity a device has, the higher price you can expect to pay. And the same could be said for toasters. Some high spec toasters can set you back around $100. But that’s not to say you can’t find a brilliant toaster for under $30. Affordable toasters will still ensure your toast is nicely browned on both sides, and many will give you full control over how browned your bread is. Usually, cheaper models are designed with room for two pieces of bread. Whereas, higher prices models will give you more capacity. The higher priced toasters can even include a LED display, cool touch sides and up to six slice options. Essentially, the key takeaway is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a brilliant basic toaster. But if you want a device with all the bells and whistles be prepared to pay a premium.
Toaster safety
While toasters are simple in function, they can still be a dangerous appliance. We’ve all laughed as a cartoon character or actor was zapped by putting a fork in the toaster or from dropping their toaster in the bath - but these aren’t the only safety considerations for your toaster. Firstly, you should always make sure the crumb tray is regularly cleaned out. This can prevent smoke and burning food. Toasters generate heat, but do you ever think about where that heat goes? It goes up. Use your toaster in an area that doesn’t have overhanging cabinets or appliances to avoid possible flames or heat damage. Other simple toaster safety tips include:
Keep the toaster and cord away from countertop edges where it could be pulled or bumped off.Unplug the toaster and let it cool completely before storing.Keep it out of reach of children and teach older children how to properly use the toaster.If a piece of bread gets stuck - unplug the unit before attempting to remove it.
What to consider when choosing the best toaster for you
Cleaning and reliability If you are looking for a toaster that won’t leave a mess, find one that has an easy-to-remove crumb tray. A crumb tray that can be removed from the front is the most convenient and easiest to clean and replace. When we spoke with Alexus, an appliance associate at Best Buy, she told us that the number one reason toasters were returned – surprisingly enough – was because the crumb trays were difficult to remove. “You get what you pay for. The cheaper ones won’t cost as much, but they might be plastic or require a manual to know how to remove [the crumb tray].” She went on to say that the more expensive devices, while they do cost more, are typically better designed and easier to use. We contacted multiple restaurant locations of a well-known breakfast franchise to get a better idea for the reliability of these appliances. The general managers from each location told us that they have never had an issue with their toasters even though they typically use their devices at least 20 times a day. This isn’t very surprising since toasters are relatively simple machines. They did note, however, that cleaning the crumb trays regularly helps the toaster work better and prevents them from giving off any smells. Checking on Your Toast Another design feature to look for is an automatic lift. Rather than pulling down a lever to lower your bread, all you need to do is press a button. The toaster then smoothly lowers the bread for you and lifts it when it’s finished.
Two-slice versus four-slice toasters
If you’re in college or live on your own, you will likely only need a two-slot toaster. These are typically cheaper and take up less counter space. However, if you have kids or usually have breakfast at the same time as someone else in your household, having a four-slice toaster can help make your mornings run more smoothly. The best four-slice toasters have dual control, meaning that the two sets of toaster slots operate independently of each other so you can perfectly toast your bread while your significant other toasts their bread at a different setting. This way if you and someone else want to use the toaster at the same time, you can. These machines are often twice the size of the two-slice toasters so you will want to make sure you have counter space available.
Can you toast a croissant in a toaster?
Because of the flaky, delicate nature of croissants, toasting them in a traditional toaster isn’t the best way to heat them. This is because, first, it is easy for the croissant to catch on the heating elements and tear, both ruining your croissant and creating a possible fire hazard. Second, it’s hard to tell how high to set your heat level to avoid burning. A lot of standard toasters don’t have slots big enough to fit a croissant either. We suggest using either a traditional oven (opens in new tab) or a toaster oven (opens in new tab) for croissants. Both of these have windows that let you watch your croissant to ensure it doesn’t overcook. Both also cook croissants without squishing or tearing them. Using a toaster oven also lets you bypass a tray or baking sheet so you can get a good, golden color on both sides of the croissant without having to flip it over.
