Small appliances like toasters seem like such simple little gadgets, especially compared to all those multiuse toaster ovens. But one problem with the best toaster ovens: They take up a lot of space. Many nowadays can hold a small turkey. And while good toaster ovens can do a lot of different things, not everyone needs a countertop device that’s a broiler and an air fryer and that can reheat a whole pizza while doing your son’s math homework. Sometimes you just need toast.
The best toasters
We tested over 20 different toasters—cheap plastic toasters, techy toasters, aesthetically pleasing toasters. Our favorites keep things simple, the way a good toaster should, while also offering extra features here and there that enhance the toasting experience in thoughtful ways. They’re relatively compact, sturdy, and easy to use. Most importantly, they deliver all the crispy carbs you want in the morning: pieces of toast, English muffins, frozen waffles, and bagels.
Best two-slice toaster: Breville A Bit More
The Breville “A Bit More” toaster has easy-to-use digital controls including a slider with five browning levels. It also has toast, bagel, and cancel buttons along with the eponymous feature, which allows you to extend your toasting time just slightly if your bread looks a little underdone when it pops out.
Another nice feature: The lights that indicate the doneness setting black out one by one, serving as a countdown to let you know your toast is almost ready. Testers used this model on white bread, sourdough, frozen waffles, and bagels; it performed consistently across all of them. It did take longer (over four minutes on the highest toast setting) than other toasters in the test, but our patience was rewarded with evenly browned toast and a healthy range of browning on each heat setting.
What we didn’t like about the Bit More two-slice toaster
This two-slice model is oriented horizontally, meaning the buttons and sliders are on the long side of the toaster. So if you have a small kitchen with counters that are already crowded with coffee makers and knife blocks, it might be a tight fit.
Size: 11.5″ x 8.25″ x 7.5″
Weight: 4 lb.
Warranty: One year
Best four-slice toaster: Breville Die Cast
While the Breville “A Bit More“ above does come in a four-slice version, we liked Breville’s other 4-slice toaster, the Die Cast, more. Both toasters have a four-slice capacity, but the Die Cast has four individual slots, while the Bit More just has two super-long slots that could, theoretically, fit four slices of bread at a time. That means the Die Cast model is more flexible for different toasting preferences, allowing one person to toast their bagel the way they want it and another person to defrost a waffle to their specification at the same time. Instead of a regular manual lever, the Die Cast also has a luxurious motorized “lift and look” function that slowly raises your toast like baby Simba from The Lion King. This might seem ostentatious, even wholly unnecessary, but it’s a thoughtful addition that helps prevent you from digging your finished toast out of the slot with a fork (don’t ever stick a fork in the toaster, people).
What we didn’t like about the Breville Die-Cast four-slice toaster
We did notice the middle slots of the Die-Cast would brown bread more intensely than the ones on the outside, most likely just from the position of the heating elements. This is also a pretty expensive toaster, but we still think the smartly designed interface makes it a top pick.
Size: 11.5″ x 10.25″ x 7.5″
Weight: 13 lb.
Warranty: One year
Best budget toaster: Professional Series Wide Slot
Not everyone has the budget for a $100 toaster (or wants to spend $100 on a toaster even if they do). For high performance at a low price, we’d point you to this budget model from Continental Electric. It doesn’t include some of the Breville’s luxury features, like a light-up interface, but it’s still a high-quality kitchen appliance that, at the time of writing, cost a cool $44. At this price point, you’re often left with a plastic toaster as opposed to a stainless-steel one like this, so the Professional Series is a real value. It browns both thin and thick slices of bread to symmetrical golden brown beauty in under two minutes, chirping a poppy little “ding” when it’s done. The removable crumb tray makes cleanup a breeze, and at only nine” across fits nicely on smaller countertops.
What we didn’t like about the Professional Series toaster
The Professional Series will really pop your toast or bagel out like a slingshot once it’s done. It spit finished slices of toast out with such ferocity, we were afraid they’d fall out of the machine. We leave it to you whether you find this preferable to the machines that make you really fish your toast out. Otherwise this is great toaster.
Size: 8.7” x 7.7” x 11.7”
Weight: 3.45 lb.
Warranty: Three years
How we chose the best toasters
Our canvases for testing included white bread, thicker slices of sourdough, bagels, and frozen waffles. We started easy, toasting white bread at low, mid, and high heat settings. We timed each to see how long they took, and then assessed how consistently they browned. To measure the true strength of each toaster, we used slices of sourdough to get a gauge for how well each machine could handle thicker slabs of carb. We also made sure to assess reheating/defrosting and bagel features on each, noting if the toaster consistently browned the inside of our bagels and if they crisped a frozen waffle to golden perfection.
We judged the toasters on the following:
How is the toaster built?
The toaster needed to feel sturdy. While things like aesthetics, materials, and size can differ based on price point and brand, we didn’t want anything that felt flimsy or wobbled. This included the body of the toaster, as well as the lift lever, and any buttons or knobs. We also favored smaller profile toasters that were smartly designed to nestle in the corner of a kitchen.
Can it fit large items and toast well?
While the average toaster can fit a slice of bread and bagel, we wanted models that could accommodate a variety of sizes and shapes—completely lowering each piece and toasting it entirely. We also checked for consistency in toasting, making sure each machine offered a healthy range of browning that corresponded with each heat setting.
Can it defrost without over toasting?
Not all toasters defrost equally, even if they have the function in the first place. While a lot of toasters have a defrost or reheat function to thaw waffles and other frozen pastries, they don’t all work, oftentimes spitting out waffles that are burnt to a crisp, cold in the middle, or just straight up soggy. We wanted to find a toaster that actually defrosted well.
Are the settings easy to use?
The function of a toaster is pretty simple—it just needs to toast a variety of different carbs, and toast them well. We preferred models that kept things streamlined, and didn’t tack on unnecessary functions. We also wanted an interface that was easy to use, giving you your perfect toast with an easy twist of a knob and push of a button.
Other toaster we tested
Smeg Toaster
What we think of the Smeg toaster
Not only does the Smeg look nice, it’s also a dream to use—glossy cherry red exterior, chrome lever, and intuitive control knob that satisfyingly clicks into place as you select your toasting preferences. While it toasts evenly on all temperature settings, we did notice it runs a little hot and slices could come out darker than expected or even burnt. But we did like the generously sized slots, which could fit hunks of sourdough, and the slide out crumb tray that makes clean up a breeze. Overall it’s a great toaster, but an expensive one. We found other models to be better values. Still, we’d recommend this in a heartbeat to anyone who prioritizes style in their kitchen appliances.
Breville Die-Cast Toaster
What we think of the Breville Die-Cast toaster
The two-slice version of our favorite four-slice toaster, the Breville Die-Cast looks sleek, works like a dream, and has the hefty price tag to go with it. Unlike some models, the Die-Cast has no lever, only buttons. You adjust your setting, press a button, and watch your slice get magically lowered away and pushed back up for your enjoyment when it’s done. The design is also friendly for small spaces—all the controls are on the short side of the toaster instead of the wide side. This makes it easier to nestle in a small spot in your kitchen. Still, the Die-Cast’s a good $60 more than the ‘A Bit More,’ which might push it out of your price range.
Cuisinart CPT-520 2-Slice Motorized Toaster
What we think of the Cuisinart CPT-520 2-Slice Motorized toaster
Consider the Cuisinart CPT-520 a more affordable, less luxe version of the Die-Cast—they both feature the futuristic motorized lift feature, position all their buttons to the short side of the machine, and include a button to add a bit of extra time. That said, the lower price tag of the Cuisinart is apparent in its build quality. It also doesn’t always toast evenly on every function, especially when it comes to denser items like bagels.
KitchenAid four-slice toaster
What we think of the KitchenAid four-slice toaster
While the KitchenAid toasts bread as evenly as the Breville, it falls short in several other ways. For one, it doesn’t include a defrost option. We would’ve overlooked this—especially considering it seemed to make frozen waffles just fine using the regular toaster function—except that the one other setting it had for bagels didn’t work at all. We couldn’t get more than a light speckling of brown, even set to the highest heat setting. While you could toast bagels just fine using the regular toaster setting, the fact the bagel setting didn’t work took the KitchenAid out of the running.
Oster Jelly Bean
What we think of the Oster Jelly Bean
Don’t let the silhouette and your assumptions about the flimsiness of the plastic body fool you—the Oster Jelly Bean is actually a quality toaster. While the curvy, charcoal silhouette of the Oster sets it apart from some of its sleek, stainless steel contemporaries, the matte look actually makes it resistant to fingerprints or smudges. It also performed pretty well. It evenly toasted everything we put it up against, even on the higher settings—though the curved design does mean the bread doesn’t get fully submerged for toasting, leaving the tops of your bread bare.
Breville Long Slot ‘A Bit More’ Toaster
What we think of the Breville Long Slot ‘A Bit More’ toaster
The four-slice version of our favorite two-slice toaster, the Breville Long Slot toaster is designed to fit slices from much wider loaves of bread. Nice idea, right? Well, the longer length meant there was a gap in the heating elements that left a pale strip in the middle of out bread. This toaster is nice in theory but, considering the high price tag, you’re probably better off investing in a really good toaster oven.
Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Toaster
What we think of the Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch toaster
Like a lot of Zwilling appliances, the Cool Touch Toaster offers a lot of curb appeal. It’s a sleek black, with nondescript buttons (they’re labeled with icons in stead of word), but the high-quality look didn’t translate to high-performance. The Zwilling lacked much of a toasting range. Even on the highest setting the Zwilling produced, at best, a mid-level of browning.
Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Toaster
What we think of the Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Toaster
We liked how the CPT-142 captured a range of browning with the different toasting levels—which is more than other models can say—but it performed weakly when defrosting waffles.
KitchenAid Pro Line Series
What we think of the KitchenAid Pro Line Series toaster
While this KitchenAid model certainly looks nice with its bulbous retro shape and vintage-inspired control panel, it weighed a ton. We disqualified it before testing because we could hardly lift it onto the counter.
Wolf Gourmet Two- and Four Slice Toasters
What we think of the Wolf Gourmet toasters
These were some of the most expensive toasters we tested. Priced well over $300, they cost even more than our winning Breville toasters. Yet that price didn’t reflect quality. They both toasted inconsistently, making them not worth the price in the least.
Tineco Toasty One Smart Toaster
What we think of the Tineco Toasty One Smart toaster
In addition to the nice motorized lift and lower function we liked in the Breville, the Tineco adds some other techy features. Instead of buttons and a lever, you select all of your toasting preferences using a small touchscreen that juts out from the front of the machine—making you feel a bit like Cher in Clueless picking out her outfit for the day (IYKYK). It toasted evenly, especially on the darker settings. It did a particularly good job toasting all the way to the edges of the bread. However, despite all its technology, the Tineco didn’t do well with frozen waffles. Even using the defrost mode on the highest setting only still yielded pale and soggy results, a disappointing revelation considering the price.
Cuisinart CPT-160 Two-Slot Toaster
What we think of the Cuisinart two-slot toaster
Everything about the Cuisinart felt flimsy—it wobbled on the counter, the lever squeaked, and we sometimes got worried the loose control knobs would pull right off. The toasting power was also one of the weakest of all the models.
Crux Two-Slice Toaster
What we think of the Crux two-slot toaster
The Crux offered a nice range of toasting, delivering nice browning on the mid to high heat settings. However, it only offered two other functions for bagels and gluten free bread—but no “defrost” function. It does have a single reheat function that’s tacked on to the heat dial. We tried the defrost our waffles using that setting, but it only took about 40 seconds and cooked a rather sad, soggy waffle. Truthfully a reheat function on a toaster seems a little strange, considering most of what you’d want to reheat you’d need to put in a toaster. The tradeoff ultimately lost the Crux a lot of points and took it out of the running.
Hamilton Beach Extra Wide Slot Toaster
What we think of the Hamilton Beach extra wide slot toaster
Just unboxing this toaster and moving it to the counter caused plenty of loud rattles, so if you want a sturdy, stainless steel toaster, the plastic Hamilton Beach will probably disappoint. The heating elements also seemed weak. Other models offered more power and range in browning.
Hamilton Beach Cool Wall Two-Slice
What we think of the Hamilton Beach Cool Wall two-slice toaster
The Hamilton Beach Cool Wall felt just as flimsy as the other Extra Wide slot model from the brand. While light weight isn’t always an indicator of poor performance, we felt like each piece on this model was one toast away from falling apart.
Cuisinart CPT-620 2-Slice Custom Select Toaster
What we think of the Cuisinart CPT-620 2-Slice Custom Select toaster
The Cuisinart CPT-620 seemed promising with its wonder wheel of toasting functions that included settings for bread, bagels, waffles, English muffins, and pastries (hello Pop Tarts). We soon discovered it rushed through toasting—taking just about two minutes on the highest heat setting—and yet hardly toasted the bread or bagels.
Black+Decker Two-Slice Toaster
What we think of the Black+Decker Two-Slice toaster
The Black+Decker only worked on the highest heat settings, leaving pale, lightly golden waffles, bagels, and bread slices on any mid-range settings. While it did toast more evenly on those higher settings, we couldn’t get past the lack of range.
Krups Two- and Four-Slice Toasters
What we think of the Krups toaster
The highest heat setting on the Krups toasters yielded the type of browning you’d expect from one of the mid-heat settings—this was especially noticeable on the bagels. The defrost setting by comparison felt disproportionately powerful, burning waffles to a crisp on the highest setting.
Dash Clear View Toaster
What we think of the Dash Clear View toaster
We liked the idea of the Dash toaster, with its clear window that allows you to peak inside your toaster. It seemed to fix one of the shortcomings of almost all pop-up toasters: It lets you monitor the progress of your bread to make sure it never burns. Unfortunately that window revealed a toaster that produced incredibly inconsistent results.
What does the “bagel“ function actually do?
Almost every toaster you can buy comes with a little button labeled “bagel,” but lots of people don’t know what happens if you push it. Because bagels are thicker than regular old bread, they need to get toasted slightly differently than regular toast. Enter the bagel setting. This button will increase the temperature on the heating elements in the middle of the toaster—the ones working on the cut side of the bagel—while maintaining the constant temperature on the outside elements. This then gives you the perfectly toasted bagel, with a firm, but not burnt exterior and a nice, crisp inside to spread your cream cheese across.
