If you are a fanatic of bread, a toaster is essential in your home. It is a small user-friendly kitchen appliance, is used to toast and lightly cooks bread slices. This will make the bread slices crispier, darker, and more delicious. You can adjust the knob to control how dark your bread slices should be.
Nowadays, toasters can be used for more than just toasting bread at breakfast. Modern toasters have many settings that can be used to make many different types of recipes.
There are a variety of toasters to choose from on the market. The most suitable toaster is actually a matter of toast preferences.
Should your toaster have a browning control, an auto-shutoff, and large slots that let you toast bagels? Is there a retractable cord? Or does it have safety settings like cool-touch housing and crumbs tray? What if the toaster with deeper slots and a reheat function?
All these considerations should be taken into account when you are choosing a toaster for your kitchen. Continue reading to find out some fun facts about toasters and some top-rated toasters for you to choose from.
Best Toasters
1. Dash Clear View Toaster
11 used from $32.52
Free shipping
Amazon.com
- Stylish toasters with multiple color options
- Extra wide slots allow for various bread types
- One-touch buttons for defrosting, reheating, and bagels
- Various browning levels for different crispness
- See-through window to monitor the browning levels
- Slide out crumb tray and glass window for easy cleanup
- Toast pop out of the toaster sometimes
2. Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster
5 used from $26.34
Free shipping
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- Lightweight and wide slots for various toast
- High-lift toast boost
- Adjustable shade selector
- Removable crumb tray
- Plastic smell for initial uses
- Question about longevity
3. REDMOND 2-Slice Toaster
1 used from $35.99
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- Lightweight and space-saving on the counter
- Adjustable heating levels
- Multiple beautiful color options
- Go well with any kitchen
- A bit smell for initial uses
4. BUYDEEM DT620 2-Slice Toaster
1 used from $37.62
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Amazon.com
- Nice retro looking neatly matches any kitchen style
- Lightweight and compact design with cord storage on the countertop
- Multiple browning settings
- Easy to use and clean
- Front crumb try included
- Hot top and sides in use. Should be careful.
5. Sunbeam Wide Slot 4-Slice Toaster
Free shipping
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- Sleek and cool-touch housing complements the kitchen decor
- Can toast thicker bagels and hamburger buns
- Multiple heating settings
- Evenly toast
- Removable crumb tray
- Burning plastic smell reports for initial uses.
What to Consider When Buying A Toaster?
Toaster types
There are many types of toasters on the market today. Let’s take a look at some to help you choose the right toaster for you.
Pop-up toasters
Pop-up toasters are the most popular type of toaster, which you will usually call “toasters”. They have two to four slots at the top where you can drop bread slices. The bread will be lowered by pressing down on the button or lever. Toasts will pop up when the bread reaches the desired temperature or crispiness.
You can choose from 2-slice or 4-slice pop-up toasters. They are specially designed for toasting. Some models have wider slots which allow for thicker slices and pastries to be toasted better.
They are small and affordable, as well as easy to use. They are specifically designed for this purpose, making them easier to use. A toaster is better for toast lovers than a toaster oven. Toaster ovens don’t toast bread as fast or evenly as traditional pop-up ones.
Toaster oven
A countertop oven is small enough to prepare The Toaster Oven is often used to heat smaller kitchen ovens. It reheats and browns small quantities of food, as well as broils and toasts them.
The toaster oven is becoming more popular as it can prepare many different foods quickly and efficiently, moreover, it functions as an appliance between countertop ovens and toasters. It is small and takes up little counter space. You can use it to make toast and other dishes, including hot sandwiches or grilled cheese by toasting multiple slices of bread at once.
Toaster ovens can be more expensive than pop-up toasters but are well worth the money if you want to make pizza, cookies, and other treats.
Automatic shutoff
Automatic shutoff is a safety feature found in many standard toasters today. It turns off the heating element when toast gets stuck or the appliance heats up too much.
Bagel setting
Bagel settings heat only one side of the bread. This setting is great if you prefer a bagel, English muffin, or English muffin that can be cut and toasted on one side.
Number of slots
Two slots are available for bread. This is the most common configuration of a toaster. A four-slot model is more appropriate for large families. A four-slot toaster reduces morning competition and the wait time for breakfast.
Long, wide, or deep slots
A toaster with extra-long slots or deep slots is a great option if you are prone to eating a lot of bread in one loaf or two (like sourdough). Also longer and wider slots give you more choices to handle different bread thicknesses, such as bagels and homemade bread.
Crumb tray
Toasters are often filled with breadcrumbs. These crumbs can be dangerous and should be removed as soon as possible. Toaster cleaning is easy with a slide-out crumb tray. You can use a damp cloth to wipe off the tray. If the crumb tray is hinged, you have to hold the whole toaster when cleaning. It is less convenient than the slide-out models.
Bread lifter
This feature allows you to lift the finished toast slightly higher than regular pop-up toasters. It makes it easier to grab the toast and avoid burning your fingers. However, some accidents of excessive ejection may occur, it is best to place the toaster on a larger countertop to prevent the toast from falling on the floor.
Countdown timer
Is your toast ready? This handy tool lets you know how long you have to wait before your toast finishes. It usually takes 2-4 minutes to achieve a perfect toast effect.
Cool-touch housing
Toasters’ exteriors don’t get too hot, even after being used. To prevent heat-related injuries and accidents, the outer wall of toasters is insulated. If you have children, a toaster with cool-touch housing can be a valuable addition.
Browning control
Browning control is usually a knob or dial on the toaster. You can choose the level of toasting you prefer, from very light to very dense. Some toasters use a variety of colors to indicate browning; others use LED lighting to indicate toasting level. A numbered control system is better, but you may prefer it.
Frozen/Defrost button
This feature increases the heating time for your toasting session. It may be useful if you are using frozen bread. You can achieve the same result by leaving your toast in for longer, though this is not a convenient option.
Reheat button
This setting is for warming up cold toast. Toast should be eaten immediately. However, if you don’t have a reheat option, you can turn the toaster on for several seconds and get the same result.
Cancel button
You can cancel the toasting process by pressing the cancel button.
Wrap-around or retractable cords
As with all appliances that have heating elements, unplug your toaster when it is not in use. You can keep your toaster away from the countertop with a built-in retractable or wrap-around cord.
Style and color
Toasters are more than just unadorned boxes. At least, some toasters aren’t. Toasters can be stylish and sophisticated today.
Stainless steel toasters, for example, give your countertop a modern, sleek look. A vintage look can add a touch of character to any kitchen. You don’t have to stick with metallic toasters. We found several options for toasters in different colors during our research, including purple and red.
The style of your toaster is up to you, but it’s worth the extra money to get a trendy toaster. Your toaster should be easy-to-clean, no matter what finish you choose.
How Do Toasters Work?
Pop-up toasters are the toasters featured in this shopping guide. Pop-up toasters are simpler appliances that only serve one purpose, and they differ from toaster ovens.
There is a metal heating element in pop-up toaster boxes. It is usually made from a nickel-chromium alloy. The heating element emits heat that causes the bread to become crisper. The Maillard reaction occurs when the bread is heated to approximately 310°F. This chemical reaction caramelizes sugars and starches and gives the bread its characteristic golden color.
Carbonization occurs when the heat rises too high and leaves you with the strong odor and blackened waste of burned toast.
What Kind of Bread Can I Toast in A Toaster?
You can toast various bread in the toaster, including whole wheat, white, sourdough, gluten-free, artisan bread, English muffins, bagels, pop-tarts, etc. If your toaster has wide slots, you can also toast garlic bread, sandwich, veggie burgers, paninis, or reheat leftover pizza or toasted bread.
If you want to achieve the perfect golden color and crispness, it is best to use quality fresh bread that is dense and at room temperature. This will ensure the best results.
How to Use a Toaster?
There are many types of toasters available, each with its own unique features. You can follow the general steps for using a regular toaster.
1. Place the bread slices in each toaster slot
If you prefer, you can toast one slice of bread on a multi-slot toaster. In this case, you only need to select one slot and place your bread slice in it. If your toaster only has a single long slot, you can also toast two slices at once.
2. Set the toast level
Now it’s time to adjust the toaster settings. You can adjust the toaster’s front-side knob to control how dark the toast should be. There are many browning settings available for most toasters. The lowest setting is the lightest and the highest is the darkest.
If this is your first time using the toaster, it is best to start from the lower settings, such as 2 or 3. You can toast your bread medially and if you don’t like the darkness level, you may toast it again.
Some toasters have different settings, such as waffles, bagels, toast, or toast. You can choose the setting that matches your meal best.
There are also some toasters that have a see-through window, it is convenient to monitor the browning level of the bread slice.
3. Press the lever down and start toasting
Allow the slices to toast for enough time. It is important to keep your nose open during this process in order to detect burning. Toasting should take no more than two minutes, depending on how dark your toast would like to be.
Although most toasters have a timer set to pop out the bread slices automatically, I advise you to always keep your toaster on. You can pop the bread out quickly by doing this, even if they start to burn.
To manually pop the bread slice, hold the top corner of the toaster and lift the lever upwards. This is only recommended if the bread slices start to burn.
4. Take out the food
You complete toasting your meal. The toasting process is complete when the lever pops up. Take the toasts out with your hand, or use wood tongs. The bread slices have nicely risen so you don’t need to worry if your fingers get burned.
To ensure your safety, do not use any metal objects to retrieve the toasts. You could electrocute yourself.
5. Clean up the crumb tray
It’s better to clean the crumb tray and wipe the outside surfaces after each use. You can slide out the crumb tray on the back or bottom of the toaster, wipe the tray with a damp cloth, and dry it with a paper towel. some models don’t have a removable crumb tray but a hinged door at the bottom. You can shake and empty the toaster.
Accessories
