Toasters Buyers Guide

Information on Toasters and How To Buy the Best Toasters.

Many people would be lost without their toast in the morning for breakfast, so a toaster counts as one of our most important appliances. If you are thinking of buying a new toaster there are a few simple criteria to help you to reach an informed decision on which one to buy.

Toasters Guide - Table of Contents

• 1 Toasters Product Types
• 2 Toasters Product Advice
• 3 Toasters Buying Tips
• 4 Popular Toasters Brands

Toasters are pretty basic machines and the main product types are 2 slice toasters or 4 slice toasters. There are however some 6 slice toasters also on the market from certain manufacturers.

Most toasters are made from stainless steel or plastic but there are also toughened glass toasters available.

However there are some variations on the traditional toaster available including:

• Combi toasters for both toast and toasted sandwiches. These are similar in design to a traditional toaster but also come with one or two sandwich cages.
• Another type of combi toaster cooks a second type of food as well as toast such as a toast and egg toaster.
• Bun toasters for toasting buns, bagels and teacakes. These toast one side of the bread and warm the other, and are available for 4 or 6 slices.
• Sandwich toaster. Not to be confused with a traditional sandwich maker, these are similar in design to a traditional toaster and are equipped with sandwich cages.
• Conveyor Toasters. These commercial toasters are used mainly by hotels.

The first thing to decide is whether you require a 2, 4 or 6 slice toaster, and this is down to personal preference and the size of your household. Some 4 slice models also have a feature which means that you can use both sides of the toaster independently and/or heat just one slot if required.

The width and length of the slots is also important and they can differ between models. It is better to choose a toaster that has wide, deep and long slots as this will be able to handle different types of bread. Some models have variable width bread slots which means that you can adjust the width of the slots. While the basic toasters will just take sliced bread, others will be able to toast half baguettes, bagels, croissants, teacakes, waffles and other types of bread product.

Most toasters have a defrost button, so that frozen bread can be toasted, and a cancel button to stop the toasting if required. They also have a variable toasting button so that you can set how brown you want your toast to be. There is a crumb tray at the bottom of the toaster to catch any falling crumbs, which you should remove and clean on a regular basis.

Some toasters have manual controls, while others have electronic controls or touch panel control often with LED display.

Other features which might help you in your decision may include:

• High rise - this allows the easy removal of small items such as crumpets
• A feature which allows the user to check the toast without cancelling the cycle
• Reheat - this allows you to reheat the bread without fully toasting it
• Electronic heat sensors for more even toasting
• Integral cord storage
• Illuminated controls
• Optional sandwich cage for making toasted sandwiches
• Bun warming rack for rolls
• One sided toasting for bagels and buns
• Audible sound when the toast has finished
• Cool touch exterior

As many people leave the toaster permanently on the work top, design may be important and many manufacturers offers toasters in black, white and stainless steel. Some manufacturers offer them in blue, cream, red, green and other colours and many offer retro design models.

Some manufacturers market matching appliances such as toasters and kettles. They may look good but will not necessarily be the best choice.