Toasters seem to be such easy little devices, particularly in comparison with all these shiny, multi-use toaster ovens. However one drawback with the most effective toaster ovens: They take up plenty of area—a few of our high picks comfortably maintain a small turkey. And whereas they will do a lot, not everybody wants a countertop system that may broil, air fry, reheat a complete pizza, and do your son’s math homework. Typically you simply want toast.
The most effective toasters
Our favourite toasters, even the largest one on this listing, are comparatively compact, dependable, and easy-to-use. They’ll ship all of the crispy carbs you need within the morning: items of toast, English muffins, frozen waffles, and bagels.
Finest two-slice toaster: Breville A Bit Extra
When our sister publication Epicurious examined greater than two dozen toasters, they discovered that Breville truly makes the most effective two and four-slice toasters. They’re weighty, sturdy, and have that slick, chrome steel, quasi-industrial look that Breville is legendary for throughout their entire vary together with the ovens, meals processors, and espresso makers they produce.
The 2-slice “A Bit Extra” toaster has easy-to-use digital controls together with a slider with 5 doneness settings. It additionally has toast, bagel, and cancel buttons together with the eponymous function, which lets you prolong your toasting time simply barely in case your bread appears a bit underdone when it pops out.
One other good function: The lights that point out the doneness setting black out one after the other, serving as a countdown to let you realize your toast is sort of prepared. Testers used this mannequin on white bread, sourdough, frozen waffles, and bagels; it carried out constantly throughout all of them. It did take longer (about three minutes and 45 seconds on toast stage 4) than different toasters within the check, however our endurance was rewarded with evenly browned toast.
There’s one actual potential detrimental right here: This two-slice mannequin is oriented horizontally, that means the buttons and sliders are on the lengthy aspect of the toaster. So it won’t be a match for a small kitchen with tight counter area. When you’re in search of a greater toaster for small areas, take a look at the choose from meals editor Shilpa Uskokvic beneath.
Finest four-slice toaster: Breville Die Solid
Professionals: feels sturdy, extra-wide slots, easy-to-use controls, constant toasting
Cons: excessive price ticket, the scale and orientation trigger it to take up more room
Whereas the Breville “A Bit Extra“ does are available a four-slice model, we appreciated Breville’s different 4-slice toaster, the Die Solid, extra. Each toasters have a four-slice capability, however the Die Solid has 4 particular person slots, whereas the Bit Extra is a long-slot toaster and simply has two. Which means the Die Solid mannequin is extra versatile: “If one particular person needs a bagel and the opposite a waffle, or if one likes toast barely browned and the opposite likes toast as darkish as a carbon shingle, that may all get achieved on the similar time,“ notes producer Alaina Chou, who most lately examined all of those toasters. As a substitute of an everyday handbook lever, the Die Solid additionally has an opulent motorized “raise and look” perform that slowly raises your toast like child Simba from the Lion King. If that sounds a bit ostentatious, it’s, however it feels good to look at.
Finest funds toaster: Skilled Collection Broad Slot
Professionals: inexpensive, huge slots that’ll match nearly any slice of bread, detachable crumb tray, symmetrical toasting
Cons: the raise mechanism could also be robust than you’d need
Not everybody has the funds for a $100 toaster (or needs to spend $100 on a toaster even when they do). For prime efficiency at a low worth we’d level you to this funds mannequin from Skilled Collection. It doesn’t embrace a number of the Breville’s luxurious options, like a light-up interface or sluggish movement toast presentation, however it’s nonetheless a high-quality kitchen equipment that, on the time of writing, value a cool $44. At this worth level, you’re usually left with a plastic toaster versus a stainless-steel one like this. The Skilled Collection browns each skinny and thick slices of bread to symmetrical golden brown magnificence in underneath two minutes. The detachable crumb tray makes clean-up a breeze, however the pop-up raise mechanism can get a bit “aggressive” because the Epicurious reviewers discovered—“springing lighter items of bread proper out of the slot once in a while.” Except for that, this can be a terrific little toaster for the cash, and at solely 9 inches throughout suits properly even on smaller counter tops.
Finest toaster for small kitchens: Cuisinart CPT-620 2-Slice Customized Choose Toaster
Professionals: inexpensive, toasts evenly, number of toast settings, compact
Cons: typically takes barely longer to toast, barely shorter slots
Senior meals editor Shilpa Uskokovic had by no means owned a toaster as an grownup till January of 2024. For the longest time she simply used a panini press if she needed to toast bread for breakfast or a sandwich. However lately she started to really feel that the panini press wasn’t delivering the warmth she needed and determined it was time to purchase a toaster. Initially she had her eyes on a retro Smeg mannequin and even an air-fryer-toaster-oven combo—however, after being unconvinced by her analysis that they’d match her explicit kitchen and wishes, she lastly impulse-bought this toaster from Cuisinart at Costco.
