Dualit Toasters

[tommy]

what gives with those expensive, albeit pretty, Dualit toasters.  they are about 300 bucks, and as far as i can tell only toast bread.

does anyone actually have one of these things?  and if so, was it worth it?

(Edited by tommy at 12:15 pm on Jan. 23, 2002)

[Jim Dixon]

When our last toaster died (and the ๖ unit didn't seem to last all that long, but we did have 4 teen-aged boys abusing it) I was tempted to spring for one these...but my wife said no way are we paying 跌 for a f**king toaster. I'm quite happy with the compromise, a 4-slice retro style Cuisinart that reminds me of the toaster I grew up with in the '50s.

[Fat Guy]

I've never found a toaster that makes good toast. I use the oven, despite the hassle of preheating it every time I want toast.

I have a good friend who shelled out for one of the Dualit toasters, and I can't detect any difference between its results and those of a โ Black & Decker toaster oven which is, incidentally, a much more useful device.

I have a KitchenAid toaster, chosen because its slender profile allows it to fit on a very shallow shelf I have in the kitchen. I use it rarely, mostly to toast a frozen bagel in a pinch.

[Jason Perlow]

We bought a Cuisinart toast-r-oven deluxe model with convection cooking. Was over 趚 bucks but this thing makes amazing toast and cooks small portions of food great. One of the best appliances if not the best I have ever bought. Totally computerised, it times everything perfectly. Has special programming for bagels.

[Matthew Grant]

I have the Dulait model that you have pictured.  Of course it doesn't make toast any different from any other toaster. The advantages are that a) it is designed as an industrial toaster and can handle large a amounts of toast (a 4 slice dualit can do 130 slices an hour).  

b) It is very reliable, most toasters I've had in the past tend to burn out after a couple of years, I've had this one for 5 years no problems at all.

c) It looks so cool!

Happy toasting!

[Rachel Perlow]

Please Jason, don't make us sound like total idiots!

We only spent 赳 on the Cuisinart, and that's with tax.

Sheesh!  ;)

[tommy]

Quote: from RPerlow on 8:32 am on Jan. 24, 2002

Please Jason, don't make us sound like total idiots!

We only spent 赳 on the Cuisinart, and that's with tax.

Sheesh!  ;)

well then matthew and i must be complete *and* total idiots.  i did buy the dualit, and was hoping that someone would support that decision as matthew did.  my primary rationalization:  it will be the last dollar i ever spend on a toaster.  i'll let you know in 5 years!  

oh yeah, and it does look pretty neat i think.

[B Edulis]

I got the Cuisinart Classic retro-look toaster, it's got two wide slots, each big enough for two pullman slices. I haven't been very happy with it. The functional parts of the design are awful: (1) the indicator for which side to use for one slice is illegible, (2) the button you push to light one or both sides is counter-intuitive and activitates the opposite side -- it's taken me over a year to get used to it, and (3) there's no visual indication whether the current setting is one or both sides -- I can't count the times I've toasted only half the bread I've put in.

It also seems to take longer, at least 'til it heats up, tho' I haven't actually timed it, so perhaps I'm just impatient. The only other design problem I had was esthetic: the Cuisinart logo was prominent on the front in cheap, ugly printing on chrome -- but I was able to remove that. I seriously considered returning it, but never got around to it. Seems the designer never read a book on functional design -- I suggest Donald Norman's Psychology of Everyday Things.

For the price, I expected much more.....

[Jim Dixon]

I found those buttons to be incomprehensible, too. So I never use them. No matter how much bread I put in, I just push down the toaster lever (and what would you call that thing, anyway) and wait for it to pop.

[Rachel Perlow]

Quote: from tommy on 9:03 am on Jan. 24, 2002

Quote: from RPerlow on 8:32 am on Jan. 24, 2002

Please Jason, don't make us sound like total idiots! We only spent 赳 on the Cuisinart, and that's with tax. Sheesh!  ;)

well then matthew and i must be complete *and* total idiots.  i did buy the dualit, and was hoping that someone would support that decision as matthew did.

I didn't mean to imply that you guys were idiots. It's just that I feel bad enough I paid full retail! I didn't want people to think we paid more than retail for it to boot!

[Fat Guy]

Not every purchase has to be rational. It's perfectly legitimate to buy something because it looks nice, or for any other reason. But to try to justify a 躔 toaster because it won't have to be replaced, well, as they say down here in the South, that dog just won't hunt. If you put 躔 in T-bills today you could buy a new โ toaster every couple of years until the end of time.

In terms of the speed at which a toaster makes toast, there are two factors: How quickly it heats up, and how quickly it toasts the toast once it has reached its toasting temperature. You can find toasters among the cheapos that heat just as quickly as the most expensive ones. The second factor is mostly a matter of temperature: The higher the faster. And I think a high toasting temperature is a bad thing, because what it gives you is bread with a toasted exterior as opposed to toast, which should be toasted through.

That's why I like to use the oven, or, barring that, a toaster oven like the Black & Decker on a bake setting rather than a toast setting.

[OB]

Steven <Fat-Guy>....

You are truly amazing...I don't read every post on here, but the posts I do read by you are great...you have a knack for getting to the heart of the matter and articulating it perfectly...at least to my brain...

One question though....what's you blind spot? Surely you have something in the cooking/dining/etc...universe that you don't have an educated opinoin on?

I've said it before and I'll say it again...this site is awesome...the information and personalities are incredible...I look forward to reading this board everyday...and I would like to thank everyone for their input...

Tom

[Fat Guy]

I have an opinion on everything. That's why I have no friends.

[Catseye]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 10:31 pm on Jan. 24, 2002

I have an opinion on everything. That's why I have no friends.

Ah, but Grasshopper, of what value are those who call you friend, if they do not value your opinion?  :)

Besides, I thought that's why you liked junk mail.

Cats

[tommy]

Quote: from Fat Guy on 9:33 pm on Jan. 24, 2002

If you put 躔 in T-bills today you could buy a new โ toaster every couple of years until the end of time.

but my time, the time i'd spend shopping for a new toaster every couple of years, is worth much more.  additionally, this toaster *will* last to the end of time. so, reviewing the math, i've spent the same, and the cost of my time is much less.  i'm coming out ahead.  looking foolish perhaps, but ahead nonetheless.

what's a t-bill?  ;) 

[Bux]

The amount of time you will save not only not buying a new toaster every five years, but not deciding on what toaster to get, will be worth every penny you spend today. Not only that, but the IRS is not likely to tax it as part of your estate when you go. You will not only leave a tax shelter for the next generation but relieve them of the need to shop for a toaster. On the other hand, my latest toaster was a middle bottom end model, but it has the widest slot I've seen. I can toast a baguette, or warm one up, without slicing it. My last toaster, standard double slotter, would only toast the outside faces of the inside faces by the time I withdrew my support for it and the one before that almost set fire to my house. Can your Dualit do any of those things. I doubt it. Case closed.

[Katherine]

If money and space were no object, and I did a lot of toasting, I'd definitely get a conveyor toaster.

http://www.bigtray.com/productdetails.asp!sku.APWATEXPRESS,catid.13220.html

These babies are fun to use!

[tommy]

Quote: from Katherine on 9:28 am on Jan. 27, 2002

These babies are fun to use!

they are exactly the opposite to use when some idiot in front of you has the settings so effed up that it takes him/her 10 minutes to get the bread toasted.  i find it interesting that people are so intimidated by the speed setting on this high-tech piece of equipment.  sloooowerrrrrr = brooownerrrrr...

:)

[Steve Klc]

Just came back from a visit to the Williams-Sonoma outlet, which was well-stocked with both Dualit models, looking oh so retro stylish and available for the bargain price of 贫 and 贿 depending on the model.  So style can come inexpensively, providing less of a tax shelter Bux, unfortunately.

What no one has actually said is whether this thing does the job consistently and well.

[Fat Guy]

Steve, where is the Williams-Sonoma outlet? I remember there used to be one in Chelsea, but I think it may have closed. Are you talking New York or D.C.?

[mamster]

Screw the Dualit.  I want one of these:

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Sm...._SK_KT2

[Fat Guy]

I love the careful analysis by the reviewers:

"Pros: Hello Kitty's face on toast is adorable

Cons: Seems to work better with thick bread"

I also looked at the epinions on the Dualit. While I find that site too often overburdened with the opinions of morons, I did find a couple of obviously intelligent critiques of the Dualit:

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-review-443-567A68F-39FADDEF-prod1

http://www.epinions.com/content_42711289476

[Matthew Grant]

"Hello Kitty" obviously looks better than the dualit and scores a massive 4.5 out of 5 for style. The guys writing on this website obviously know a thing or two about the latest trends, can we expect to see any other "Hello Kitty products"? How about a Hello Kitty stainless steel fridge, black iron frying pan, potato ricer or and Industrial extractor bearing the cute little kitty logo?

As for rust on the Dualit -  is he storing it in his kitchen sink?

[Steve Klc]

There are two W-S outlet stores in DC--of course, neither of them is actually in DC:  one is in Old Town, Alexandria and the other, the one that I go to is in Leesburg, Va. on the Rte. 15 connector past the Dulles toll road and Route 7.  The Leesburg W-S outlet is in a very large outlet mall along with a Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel outlet--and I've had good luck, culinarily-speaking, at all three.  

[JAZ]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a moderately priced, low tech toaster? My little $9 unit just died and I need to replace it. [it actually still heats up, it just never turns off unless it's unplugged.]

Yes, I work at Sur La Table, but we only sell expensive models. I don't want to spend more than $20 -- is that possible? How are the basic Black and Deckers?

I don't care at all about the look of the toaster -- undoubtedly because of some bizarre genetic trait, I can't stand to have a toaster out on the counter when it's not in use, so pretty or not, it will live in the cupboard. It would be nice to have wide slots, but that's about all I require. [Well, except that the heating element turn off when the toast pops up -- that would be a good thing.]