The 8 Very Best Toasters

Whatwe’relookingfor

Number of slots:Two (or afour-slice version) |Style of slots:Extra-wide |Settings: Five (plus bagel and cancel) |Size: 11.25” x 10.6” x 6.3”

Since I’ve added this toaster to my kitchen, I’ve been quite impressed. It’s not thesleekest-looking one I’ve tried out (I used to own a Smeg, am currently using the Breville Luxe, and have tested out the Balmuda steam oven, too — all of which happen to be particularly attractive and which I highlight below). But it is the best (and, I should note, not at all ugly — there’s even something nice about an appliance that doesn’t screamaesthetic). The extra-wide slots work just as well for pre-sliced bread as they do for thicker pieces I cut myself, and they fit bagels, too, for which there’s a dedicated setting. Most imperative to me, it browns bread incredibly evenly — both across the slices and on both sides (a function that, for some reason, many toasters seem to fail at). It’s also very fast, never taking more than a couple of minutes to pop. There are five browning levels and I find a two or three delivers the results I want.

Pardilla has owned the KitchenAid for a couple of years and loves it, too. She makes toast in it multiple times a week, and has put it through the wringer at big family brunches where she’s made many rounds in a row. “The high-lift lever means I’m able to delicately take toast from the top without having to play the saddest game of hot potato,” she says. “Plus, it lets out an assertive beep when toast is ready — so I never have to chew through cold toast because I couldn’t hear a ding.”

Number of slots:Two (or afour-slice version) |Style of slots:Extra-wide |Settings:Six (plus bagel, defrost, reheat, and cancel)|Size:10.75” x 7.1” x 7.1”

The Cuisinart is a quarter of the price of the Breville. While it’s a solid pick, you can definitely feel the difference. Immediately upon unboxing it for testing, I noticed that it feels a bit lighter — and in turn, a bit dinkier — than the models I’ve used previously. This means it doesn’t sit quite as sturdily on my counter, either; I can feel it move ever so slightly when I press down the lever, which also happens to take some force to stay fully locked down. Still, it doesn’t look cheap, with its nice brushed-metal exterior. It’s on the smaller side overall, which I actually like, since it doesn’t take up too much counter space.

Most importantly, it toasts well. The lever has an “extra-lift” ability so you don’t have to awkwardly extract shorter pieces. The slots are about 1.5 inches across, which is a reliable size for hand-sliced sourdough, something recipe developerRebecca Firkser, who uses this toaster, pointed out. “It’s nothing fancy, it does exactly what you need it to do, and does it well,” she says. James Beard Award–nominated journalist and Strategist contributorHannah Selinger(who has thefour-slice version) uses hers every single day to make bagels and waffles for her sons.

The range of darkness on this toaster is something I took note of, too: Like me, Firkser prefers her bread “charred (but not burnt),” and Selinger says her children like things on the blonder end of the spectrum. The Cuisinart achieves both perfectly.

Number of slots:Two |Style of slots:Extra-wide |Settings:Seven (plus frozen, bagel, and cancel) |Size:10.25” x 8” x 7”

The Black + Decker Rapid Toast is quite cheap, has the slimmest profile of any on this list, and comes with only basic settings — making it a good option for those who don’t want to spend too much, need something space-saving, and don’t require a bunch of bells and whistles. But its main selling point is that it’sfast(no small deal for busy weekday mornings and quick-fix snacks).

Pardilla says on the first setting, her slices went in and came out before she could blink (but were still a bit pale for her taste). The second setting gave her browner edges. And the third produced a golden center. She notes that while the slots may look small at first glance, they are actually extra wide with “self-centering” guides to ensure an even toasting on both sides. Alexandra Shytsman ofThe New Baguettehas the older, similarly oblong-shapedversionwith the same “extra lift” lever, which helps her grab English muffins without usingtongs.

The only caveat is that the crumb catcher on the bottom has to be pried off — pulled sideways, then lifted up. “This takes a little elbow grease,” Pardilla says, “but not so much so as to be a problem. You get the hang of it after a couple of tries.”

Number of slots:Two |Style of slots:Extra-wide |Settings:Six (plus white, wheat, bagel, waffles, pastries, English muffin, and cancel) with “A Bit More” button, frozen button, and progress indicator |Size:17.7” x 14.9” x 7.5”

On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re interested in a high-end toaster, I have been loving the Breville Luxe, which is indeed premium in every sense. It toasts bread evenly from end to end and on both sides. There are several settings to choose from, though thus far I’ve kept it on “whole wheat” for all bread and used the bagel setting a few times, which also turned out a perfectly golden surface on the flat side. The dial lets you select from 18 levels of doneness, which allows you to dial in extremely precisely. I generally leave the marker around 3, and love the “a bit more” button at the front for when my slices aren’t quite dark enough. The slots are wide, meaning your bagel will never get stuck, and you can use them for thick planks of sourdough if you’re someone who buys whole loaves. Recipe developer and cookbook authorAnna Stockwell, who first recommended this toaster to me, uses the “frozen” setting all the time, as she keeps her gluten-free bread in the freezer. She says it does a good job defrosting without sacrificing toastiness.

Another positive feature — and one I might have only recognized having tested so many different models on this list — is that this toaster feels well built, made from solid parts. Some cheaper models can lean a bit lightweight, and though I’ve never experienced that as an issue that affects performance, I appreciate that the Luxe has some heft to it. Still, it’s quite compact. And, finally, I really like its look. Stockwell describes it as “retro-chic,” which I agree with — though I’ll add that I think it’s a little more refined than Smeg’s retro design.

In fact, the Smeg used to hold a spot on this list, and though I think it’s a solid-enough toaster, I’ve taken it off in favor of this one, which not only is comparable in looks, but in price point. (You can read more about the Smeg below.)

Number of slots:Two |Style of slots:Extra-long to accommodate up to four slices |Settings:Five (plus bagel and frozen), “A Bit More” button, progress indicator|Size:17.7” x 14.9” x 7.5”

This is another pricier toaster from Breville, but the standout feature here is the long slots. They’re meant to hold up to four slices or accommodate larger ones that might come from an artisanal sourdough loaf. Most four-slice toasters tend to be deep, but this model, as the name suggests, takes its space in length. It’s a design I haven’t seen elsewhere, and one that could be great for people with shallower countertops.

The Long Slot also performs incredibly well. Like the Luxe, it toasts evenly and has the “a bit more” setting and other nice features (like a lift-and-look lever that allows you grab your toast without any need fortoaster tongs). This one is even heavier than the Luxe, and the design is very simple in a nice way. It also garnered the most praise among the experts I spoke to: Culinary producer and cookbook consultantLaura Arnold, recipe developer and cookbook authorOdette Williams, and recipe developer and cookbook authorAli Slagleall own and love it.

Number of slots:None, but fits up to six slices |Style of slots:No slots |Settings:Seven (plus bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, warm) |Size:16” x 13.5” x 8.75”

Breville currently offerseight different versionsof toaster ovens — but this was the one that came up most among experts I talked to. While any is likely to be a good bet (and a couple of others were specifically recommended, too) the original Smart Oven is a reliable classic. In my own testing, I found it preheats in a matter of minutes and thanks to the removable racks and stainless steel interior, is easy to wipe down clean. (Celia Lee, pastry chef at New York City’sNARO, expressed the same sentiment.) The functions are simple to control: It has a dial to choose temperature, another one for time, and a third to cycle through the different settings (bake, broil, and the like). Perhaps most impressively, it bakes, broils, and toasts evenly, without hot spots. Recipe developer and cookbook authorCaroline Chamberseven used hers to create and test dishes in place of a full-size oven for two years. “It cooks things fast and efficiently,” she says. For her part, recipe developer and cookbook authorJocelyn Delk Adamsnotes the even heat distribution, too, which she says works just as well for making uniformly colored toast (like she makes every morning) as it does for roasting a few salmon filets for dinner. She also likes it for reheating food, especially when she wants something to maintain its original crispiness, like fritters or pizza.

It can fit up to six pieces of square sandwich bread (and four of larger cuts). You select the darkness on a scale from one to seven and also tell the machine how many slices are inside to help it regulate where it’s emitting heat (this is controlled by the time dial). The oven shows a minute and second countdown so you know exactly when your toast will be ready (even more specific than the progress bars on some of the models above).

Number of slots:None, but fits up to four slices |Style of slots:No slots |Settings:Toast, roll, waffle, pizza, quick reheat, frozen hash brown |Size:12.5” x 17.3” x 12.8”

The Panasonic looks a bit intimidating (“a quirky device that feels like it speaks a different language than every other oven I’ve used,” says Strategist senior writerMichael Zhao, who has owned one for a decade). But once you get the hang of it, it’s a truly great machine. For the purposes of this guide, I’ll speak to toast specifically (though if you want to read more about its other capabilities, you can do so in my dedicatedtoaster ovenguide). You choose your level of darkness (the photo below shows the second to last setting). It heats faster than any other toaster oven I’ve tried, and the bread browns evenly every time, no matter how many slices (from one to four) you put inside.

Number of slots:None, but fits up to two slices |Style of slots:No slots |Settings:15 (plus 350-, 400-, and 450-degree bake; sandwich bread; artisan bread; pizza; pastry) |Size:14.1” x 12.6” x 8.2”

A steam toaster oven differs from a regular toaster oven in that you add water before you toast. This generates steam as it heats, keeping bread and pastries super moist, pillowy, and soft on the inside, even as they crisp on the outside.In the case of this Balmuda, the water is measured with a tiny cup (which is included with the toaster oven) via a small chamber at the top. It truly works — especially, I’ve found, in reviving leftovers like pizza, reheating foods like empanadas, and toasting bread like pita where in other scenarios, the center gets too crunchy. The machine has several settings for different types of breads and pastries, as well as a few exact degrees (350, 400, and 450) for baking other types of food, and then a dial for choosing the amount of time. Food writer and editorMelissa Kravitz Hoeffnersays the steam effect re-creates the texture of just-baked bread, and recipe developer and cookbook authorSamah Dadacalls it a “refresher” for the way the steam breathes new life into days-old baked goods. Pardilla loves it for foods other than toast, too. “You get the flakiest pastries — that fluffiness of a croissant — and grilled cheese with the pulliest cheeses, like those Hubba Bubba commercials.” she says.

To my mind, there are two notable downsides worth mentioning (though they may not be deal breakers for you, depending on how you plan to use it): Toast takes several minutes longer than a traditional toaster oven to crisp up, and the oven doesn’t include a broil setting — one function I particularly like.

I owned the Smeg for several years and though I liked it fine enough, I don’t necessarily think it’s worth the steep cost. (Both Breville models above are similarly priced but yield better results with a better design.) My main qualm is the slight divot around the top of the toaster that catches all manner of crumbs and seeds. After a few sessions, it ends up looking dirty and I have to use a toothpick to clean it out.

Ourexperts