Basic Toasters

[Tri2Cook]

43 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

Any recommendations? It will be used for toast and for reheating small portions of things that need to stay crisp. We won't use for cakes, tarts, bread, or chickens. We don't need convection, steam, rotisseries, or combi-oven features. Small is good. Simple is good. Cheap is good. Analog controls are good. Pushbuttons and computerized interfaces designed by bottom-tier engineers with Aspberger's syndrome who never see daylight or talk to other humans are a deal breaker.

That doesn't even sound like it needs recommendations... just go to the ol' Mart de Wal and pick one up for next to nothing. If it burns out in a couple years or so, go grab another for another next to nothing and onward and forward you go.

[paulraphael]

Maybe, but it seems like some of these simple ones are nicely designed and made. Others (like the Black+Decker one we're getting rid of) aren't. 

I also had two different samples of a medium-complicated Cuisinart convection toaster oven, that looked like it ticked all the boxes, but was complete trash. Took forever to toast toast, did it unevenly, and the oven thermostat was off by 50 degrees in both directions.

[liuzhou]

Toaster ovens are all crap at making toast. Buy a pop-up toaster for a fraction of the price and a fraction of the running costs.

[Tri2Cook]

17 minutes ago, paulraphael said:

Maybe, but it seems like some of these simple ones are nicely designed and made. Others (like the Black+Decker one we're getting rid of) aren't. 

I also had two different samples of a medium-complicated Cuisinart convection toaster oven, that looked like it ticked all the boxes, but was complete trash. Took forever to toast toast, did it unevenly, and the oven thermostat was off by 50 degrees in both directions.

Small, simple and cheap combined with fast, accurate and sturdy. I think you may have pick one... but hopefully somebody knows about a machine that will fit those needs.

[paulraphael]

Ok, reasonably fast, reasonably sturdy, reasonably cheap. And simple. 

I'll let go of accurate. The inaccuracy bummed me out with the cuisinart because I was hoping to bake with the convenction feature. I don't care about that anymore (but I don't want to pay for the feature).

Edited May 27, 2018 by paulraphael (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, paulraphael said:

Any recommendations? It will be used for toast and for reheating small portions of things that need to stay crisp. We won't use for cakes, tarts, bread, or chickens. We don't need convection, steam, rotisseries, or combi-oven features. Small is good. Simple is good. Cheap is good. Analog controls are good. Pushbuttons and computerized interfaces designed by bottom-tier engineers with Aspberger's syndrome who never see daylight or talk to other humans are a deal breaker.

 

It sounds like you need a toaster and something else for reheating small portions of things that need to stay crisp.  What are the things that need to stay crisp?

 

[weinoo]

I recommend the small Breville.  We had one in our DC apartment, and it was just fine.  I even sold it when we sold that apartment, 5 years old, and never a problem.

Edited May 27, 2018 by weinoo (log)

[blue_dolphin]

Did you read the review over on the Wirecutter?  If you are really anti-smart, want something simple and cheap and have given up on accuracy, that $35 Hamilton Beach model might be something to consider.

[tomishungry]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008C9UFDI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

The Panasonic oven isn't so cheap, but it's small and extremely straightforward to use. My second one's going strong on 5 years ; I cracked the heating element of my first one after about 8 years, and waited around dallying with lesser ovens until Panasonic started exporting them into the U.S. again. It's one of the few toaster ovens I've used that actually makes good toast. It uses a quartz heating element that's the same basic technology as the Breville, but seems to have a slight edge on reliability based on all the Amazon reviews.

[paulraphael]

That Panasonic has the exact kind of user interface that makes me want to scream. I realize anyone can adapt to anything, but I don't want to adapt to a toaster. I want analog dials that are obvious at first glance when I'm sleepy and caffeinated. This isn't a lot to ask for, because it's a f'ing toaster. My microwave is like that but worse. Give me dials or give me death.

 

I'm leaning toward the Hamilton Beach model at the bottom of the Wirecutter review. They said it made toast better than anything else under $100, and it has an interface which while still plagued by some utter stupidity, is at least simple.

[weinoo]

If I were you, @paulraphael, why not just toast your stuff over an open flame?

 

Or maybe...

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by weinoo (log)

[Anna N]

 Cheapest and most reliable of all:

 

Skillet toast.  

 

Click.

Edited May 31, 2018 by Anna N
To add a link (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Cheapest and most reliable of all:

 

Skillet toast.  

 

Click.

 

 

Plus you then have a pan to wash!

 

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Plus you then have a pan to wash!

 

No you don’t. I made my toast this morning this way in a well seasoned cast iron pan and wiped it out with a paper towel — done and done!

[paulraphael]

Our many decades-old black + decker dumb oven finally burst into flames, so it was time to act. I picked out a couple of great looking sub-$50 toaster ovens by Toshiba and Hamilton Beach, and we were about to pull the trigger, when my girlfriend spotted deep in the reviews that they have mechanical timers that make a ticking noise while toasting. I thought "who cares?" She thought "I'd rather die." So we descended back to the lower basements of the internet for more research. 

 

And what did we find but a smaller, less smart smart oven by Breville. The interface is straightforward and pretty intuitive. It has annoying presets ("Pizza") but you can ignore them and just use toast, bake, broil, etc. There's no convection feature, and I don't care. This will be used 90% for toast, and the rest of the time for reheating, for broiling things like croque monsieurs, and maybe for warming plates. I don't need to roast a cornish hen or bake a cake in my toaster.

 

The thing is about halfway between the size of our old toaster oven and the full size ones that will fit a 12" pizza or full chicken. About right for us. The 1800 watt quartz elements cook toast evenly and reasonably quickly. Haven't used it for anything else yet. I'm especially impressed by the design of the crumb tray. Trivially easy to pull out and clean. Its biggest weakness so far is a complete lack of insulation. You could probably make pancakes on the top surface

 

 

[chromedome]

I used to have a wonderful little oven that was sold by our Superstore grocery chain under its own President's Choice brand. It was (perhaps) slightly smaller than the french-door Oster, but had two racks, convection, a rotisserie, and digital controls. It sold for $89.99 Canadian, which even then was a ridiculously low price for its features.

 

My late wife smashed it with a hammer one day in a fit of rage (not at the oven) and was very unhappy with herself when she learned they were no longer available. I've not seen anything since with the same features for anything under the $150 range.

[dscheidt]

I need a toaster.  Not a toaster oven.  Not a steam oven.  Just something to, you know, make toast, and toast a bagel occasionally.  Two slots.   Not a million bucks, and not huge.  What's good in current production? 

[chromedome]

That's a deceptively simple request, isn't it?

I bought and returned about a dozen at different price points before settling on my current one. It's Calphalon-branded, and God only knows who actually makes it for them. Working well for the...uh...five? six? years I've owned it.

[ElsieD]

Mine is a two slot Breville and works just fine.

[Alex]

12 hours ago, dscheidt said:

I need a toaster.  Not a toaster oven.  Not a steam oven.  Just something to, you know, make toast, and toast a bagel occasionally.  Two slots.   Not a million bucks, and not huge.  What's good in current production? 

 

Could you be more specific about "not a million bucks?"

 

Wirecutter liked the Breville BTA720XL, but it's expensive for a toaster ($79.90), unless you don't mind "major cosmetic damages but still usable," which is $44.77 from Amazon. For a cheaper toaster, they liked Cuisinart ($31 at Amazon).

 

Do you live near a Goodwill or similar resale shop? Regular toasters are frequent visitors. For $5 or so, it's worth the gamble. In fact, if you bring some bread with you, they should let you try it out before you buy. And with luck, you might find a very cool vintage Sunbeam.

[wabi]

I use a vintage T-20 toaster. They are awesome for toast, but suck for bagels...the slot isn't wide enough.

[Katie Meadow]

We all need a toaster. Even those of us who already have more than one. I have spent a disproportionate amount of time in my life thinking about toasters. The old Sunbeams I used to find at Goodwill worked great for a few years, then kicked the bucket. The perfect toaster is the one that doesn't cost much and works for a few years. And that is still elusive. I will never give up on toasters and it will be a cold day in hell when I allow a toaster oven on my counter. 

 

When it comes to toasters, I have now determined that the great is the enemy of the good, at least for those of us who don't have a vast collection of vintage beauties. My only recommendation is this: if you buy a new toaster get one with a bagel button. That means the slot will only heat on one side. Not only does this work for bagels but it gives your toaster a Plan B. When your toaster starts to act up, burning one side of the toast or undercooking one side, the bagel button can be a  corrective and a life extender. Oh, and one other thing. Any toaster that brags about its ability to cook fast should be avoided. Cooking fast is never a good thing when it comes to toast. Slow and steady wins. Morning is golden.

[andiesenji]

I review stuff for Amazon, including appliances and I recently received one of these Vestaware  toasters and was very impressed with it.  Very reasonable price.

I have loads of toasters, having collected vintage ones for 40 years as well as a few unusual more recent models.

I currently use a Magimix see-through which only has one long slot and was very expensive but I had a gift card.

 

The Vestaware toasts more evenly than the one that cost 5 times as much.  It has the BEST Defrost that I have ever found.

The slots are extra wide and a fat bagel sliced in half will fit, as will double wide bread slices.  I even stuck a smallish frozen croissant in it and it fit - one of the Costco 3/4 size.  It's easy to clean.  

They have a 1 year refund or replace warranty.  

 

P.S. I also used one of the toaster bags with a grilled cheese sandwich and it worked perfectly.

Edited March 17, 2019 by andiesenji (log)

[EatingBen]

I've a breville button one, like the version suggested above but the buttons are on top no on the side. 

 

Best damned toaster I've ever had! Can even do crumpets (just the one element on to toast the top but not the bottom) 

 

And it's quiet, it doesn't pop and I've had it almost 2 years now and been happy with it. 

 

It just aint the cheapest but its not a million bucks

[boilsover]

On 3/15/2019 at 2:17 PM, wabi said:

I use a vintage T-20 toaster. They are awesome for toast, but suck for bagels...the slot isn't wide enough.

 

E, wabi:

 

  Dakine advice.  The T-20 is the one to have if you don't need capacity for thick.  Safer, too.

 

Aloha!