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I need a toaster

dscheidt

By dscheidt
in Kitchen Consumer

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dscheidt

dscheidt

Posted
Posted

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? 

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chromedome

chromedome

Posted
Posted

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.

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
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.

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"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

Posted
Posted

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.

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andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted (edited)

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 by andiesenji (log)
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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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EatingBen

EatingBen

Posted
Posted

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

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boilsover

boilsover

Posted
Posted
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!

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Barrytm

Barrytm

Posted
Posted

The Waring WCT704  It is $130 ,  but it has very long slots, so I can use it when slicing home made bread, and has a lever to lift up the toast a little higher than the regular return ,  and has worked flawlessly since I got it.   The crumb tray is quite small, but that is the only downside I have found so far.  https://www.webstaurantstore.com/waring-wct704-4-slice-commercial-toaster-nsf/929WCT704.html   

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IndyRob

IndyRob

Posted
Posted

Yay, Heywood Banks.  We saw him do that live.

 

IMHO, the toaster that tries to do more than it was conceived for is a poser.  Toaster ovens are the worst (for toast). 

 

The best toast is crispy on the outside and soft and yielding on the inside.  That means having the heating elements close to the slice so that the outsides can get browned before the inside gets dry.  Even a wide-slot model that accommodates a bagel slice is a compromise.

 

My toaster has some movable grates that move in to grasp the slice when you push the plunger down.

 

I'd like to see a toaster that moves the heating elements in as well to accommodate the width of the slice.

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dscheidt

dscheidt

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
On 3/15/2019 at 11:44 AM, Alex said:

 

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.

 

I've had bad luck with used toasters.  Even if they work when I get them, they fail soon after.  Generally, there's a reason people get rid of them. 

 

So, I bought the used Breville from amazon.  There's no damage to the toaster.  It came in a different box, and had no documentation (is there an instruction manual?  Do I need it?).  My experience with Amazon's used stuff is that the people who grade it have no idea what anything is, so they judge the condition of the box.  And when it turns out to be crap, it's easy enought to return. 

I've only toasted a supermarket bagel, which it did a good job with.  The toaster being replaced was burning one side of the bagel, while the other was still cold.  Only complaint is that the buttons are on the side, which means it didn't fit in the counter space the other one did.  I had to swap the blender and the toaster on the counter, and turn the toaster 90 degrees.  No big deal.  I'll see how it does with other stuff. 

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, dscheidt said:

(is there an instruction manual?  Do I need it?).

 

Here you go

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

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  • 1 year later...
andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted

Amazon sent me another toaster to test.  It was just released for sale a few days ago and already other reviewers have raved about it.

Cukor Glass Toaster Model:  WT-8420    

 

Like the iconic Sunbeam T20  and all its descendants,  this is a SELF-LOWERING and SLOW-RISING toaster.  The controls are simple, intuitive and on top of the toaster which has a long, SINGLE slot.  And it has a warming rack that fits on top.  It has a very good instruction manual and has an 18-month warranty.

It toasts much more rapidly than other toasters, even on defrost!

It toasts evenly except for a little more browning at the very bottom edges of end slices that curve a bit and are therefor closer to the heating rods.

HPIM4784.thumb.jpg.0b355309d8bcd9af4ceeb00beb0c52d1.jpg

  

 

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Anna N

Anna N

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, andiesenji said:

Amazon sent me another toaster to test.  It was just released for sale a few days ago and already other reviewers have raved about it.

I think if I were in the market for a toaster, which I am not, I would have to seriously look at this one. Thanks for sharing your experience.g

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted
On 3/15/2019 at 5:17 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.

 

Yeah, bagels were smaller back when this toaster was first released.

 

On 3/21/2019 at 8:17 PM, IndyRob said:

IMHO, the toaster that tries to do more than it was conceived for is a poser.  Toaster ovens are the worst (for toast). 

 

This is a rather ridiculous statement.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted

This 1950's Sunbeam is what we use in the country.    My d-oi-l was incredulous when the bread just disappeared.    Unlike today's modern wonders with more electronics than the first moon rocket, this simple tank-of-a-toaster is going on its 6th decade without ever mucking up a slice. 

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eGullet member #80.

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, andiesenji said:

Amazon sent me another toaster to test.  It was just released for sale a few days ago and already other reviewers have raved about it.

Cukor Glass Toaster Model:  WT-8420    

 

Thanks for sharing.  That looks very similar to this one branded Cusimax.

I'm happy with using the CSO for toast but prior to getting that, a toaster with a single long slot has been my favorite, though I never had one with glass sides.  It's nice that one comes apart for cleaning.  Not sure I'd want the crumby toaster interior on display at all times.  I noticed that one of the reviewers used the rack to hold a small glass bowl to melt butter.  That seems handy.  

 

My favorite pre-CSO toaster was a red Kitchen Aid single slot and a feature I especially liked was a button labeled "reheat" which was perfect when the toast was just a bit too pale.  Without needing to change the main setting or risk incineration with a second full cycle, this just toasted briefly.  

I see that this Breville single slot has something similar with a button labeled "A Bit More." Very handy feature. I might go for that one in a post-CSO world.

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andiesenji

andiesenji

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Thanks for sharing.  That looks very similar to this one branded Cusimax.

I'm happy with using the CSO for toast but prior to getting that, a toaster with a single long slot has been my favorite, though I never had one with glass sides.  It's nice that one comes apart for cleaning.  Not sure I'd want the crumby toaster interior on display at all times.  I noticed that one of the reviewers used the rack to hold a small glass bowl to melt butter.  That seems handy.  

 

My favorite pre-CSO toaster was a red Kitchen Aid single slot and a feature I especially liked was a button labeled "reheat" which was perfect when the toast was just a bit too pale.  Without needing to change the main setting or risk incineration with a second full cycle, this just toasted briefly.  

I see that this Breville single slot has something similar with a button labeled "A Bit More." Very handy feature. I might go for that one in a post-CSO world.

This one can reheat and you can watch it and it toasts much more rapidly than most modern toasters, even with bread from the freezer with the "Defrost" button.

 

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, andiesenji said:

This one can reheat and you can watch it and it toasts much more rapidly than most modern toasters, even with bread from the freezer with the "Defrost" button.

 

 

Thanks, that's good to know.  I missed the reheat button.  And as for watching it...my problem with toast is what happens when I'm not watching 🤣

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weinoo

weinoo

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, andiesenji said:

This one can reheat and you can watch it and it toasts much more rapidly than most modern toasters, even with bread from the freezer with the "Defrost" button.

 

I'm pretty bored these days, but I don't know if I'm yet at the stage where watching my toast reheat is gonna be the highlight of my day!

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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