I Toasted Bread, Bagels, and Waffles to Find the 4 Best Toasters

Toasters top the list of one-trick pony countertop appliances. They make toast…and that’s about it. Sure, they can also handle bagels and frozen waffles, but a countertop appliance that does one thing and takes up precious counter real estate had better earn its keep. And yet, not all toasters are up to the task. Some brown only part of the bread, creating a leopard print pattern that is fun to look at but not so fun to eat. Other toasters have smaller slots that don’t accommodate long slices of bread and thick bagels. After toasting loaves of sandwich bread, dozens of bagels, countless stacks of frozen waffles, and slice after slice of sourdough, I found four models that made perfect toast, looked nice, and earned every square inch of their countertop spots. 

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Toaster

Breville BTA720XL A Bit More 2 Slice Toaster

$120 $90 at Amazon $90 at Williams-Sonoma $90 at Target

Sleek and modern-looking, the Breville “A Bit More” toaster did what a toaster should do: toast bread properly. Sandwich bread was evenly browned on both sides and oversized bagels fit comfortably in the slots. Frozen waffles warmed up crispy, and irregularly shaped slices of sourdough fit in the slots. The toaster was intuitive to use, and I especially liked the buttons that lit up when on The model’s namesake “A Bit More” button was a handy feature that browns bread, well, a bit more if you find it slightly underdone.  

The Best Value Toaster

Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

$50 $43 at Amazon $60 at Walmart $50 at Target

This toaster was a great value, with four slots and a price tag much lower than many two-slot toasters I tested. With a relatively compact footprint, the Cuisinart evenly browned toast and crisped waffles directly from the freezer. The ability to control different browning levels on the left and right slots means households with different doneness preferences will have to find something else to argue about.

The Best Long Slot Toaster

Dash Clear View Toaster

$50 at Amazon $50 at Williams-Sonoma View on Wayfair

This long and skinny toaster has a window for observing as toast browns to the ideal color. The single slot is ideal for big slices of sourdough and other irregularly shaped loaves. The mid-century modern Jetsons-style design also makes it a pretty cool-looking appliance on the countertop.

The Best Splurge Toaster

Breville BTA820XL Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster

$160 $150 at Amazon $150 at Williams-Sonoma $233 at Walmart

The Breville Die-Cast Smart toaster is a great upgrade. It has an automatic system to lower and lift bread with a simple press of a button (instead of manually pushing a lever). There’s a darkness slider that lights up as the toast progresses, and extra features like a “Lift to Look” button for check-ins before the toasting cycle is done. In my tests, toast came out evenly brown, bagels fit in the slots without any issues, and waffles emerged ready for a drizzle of maple syrup.

The Tests

• White Sandwich Bread Test: I filled in all the slots in each toaster with white sandwich bread and completed three rounds of toasting on the lightest, medium, and darkest settings. I compared how each slice came out, observing if it was evenly browned and if both sides had achieved the same toast level.
• Bagel Test: I filled each toaster’s slots with a plain, bakery-bought bagel and toasted it on the bagel button on medium darkness. I checked to see if the bagels easily fit in the slot and if the bagel’s cut side toasted evenly and consistently.
• Frozen Waffles Test: I toasted plain, store-bought frozen waffles directly from the freezer on the lightest setting, using the frozen or defrost button if the toaster had one. I repeated this process without using the button and compared the two results to see if the button made any difference in the finished quality.
• Sourdough Bread Test: After the first three tests, I selected the seven top-ranking toasters and toasted large center slices (roughly 7 to 7.5 inches long) of sourdough on medium in each toaster. I noted whether the entire pieces would fit in the toaster, and if it was evenly browned afterwards.
• Cleaning Test: I cleaned the toaster, pulling out the crumb tray and brushing it off before checking inside the toaster slots to note how many errant crumbs didn’t make it into the removable tray.

What We Learned

Most Toasters Did an Adequate Job Toasting Plain White Sandwich Bread

Although expensive toasters came with bells and whistles, the cheaper toasters did an adequate job of turning white bread into toast. Inexpensive options, like the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster and the Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster, browned bread fairly evenly on both sides, with some splotchy lighter and darker areas, but nothing that would concern most toast aficionados. What set the more expensive toasters apart was how they tackled the other items you might toast, like bagels, frozen waffles, and sourdough bread. If you use a toaster infrequently or prefer bagged bread for toast, you’re probably fine with a cheaper model. But if you have a wider appetite for toasted carbs, you’re better off with a moderate upgrade.

What the Bagel and Frozen Button Do

Most modern toasters come with a bagel button, but I’ve always been baffled by what the function does. After consulting a user manual,  I learned it’s designed to toast the cut side of the bagel only! The bagel button triggers the toaster to heat only one side of the slot, so your bagel tops and bottoms stay soft. It’s useful not just for bagels but for English muffins, rolls, and baguette slices, or anytime you want a crispy, toasty side and a softer crust.

Most toasters instruct you to orient the flat side of the bagel inward, with the center sides heating up. But some toasters, like the SMEG toaster, specify facing the flat side outward—the opposite of what you’d expect. Always read the instruction manual (but you knew that, right?).

Every toaster I tested claimed to fit bagels, but not all bagels (and sourdough bread slices) fit into the slots. Most bagels are thicker than sandwich bread, but I intentionally tested with chubby New York-style bagels. In testing, some toasters, like the Hamilton Beach and the SMEG, couldn’t accommodate the thicker bagel—I had to jam it into the slot. Other toasters, like the Breville “A Bit More,” the Breville Die-Cast, and the Zwilling Enfinigy Toaster easily accommodated the thicker bagel, sliding in and popping out without any pushing or pulling.

Most toasters also come with a frozen or defrost button. Less mysterious than the bagel button, the frozen button is just a way to extend the cooking time. When pressed, the toasting time is extended anywhere from 20 to 40 seconds longer to accommodate thawing. It’s a nice feature, but you can just as easily increase the browning level when preparing frozen items, like store-bought or premade waffles. 

There Was No Standard for Browning

All toasters come with a browning adjustment, whether a dial or a slider, which regulates the toasting cycle. The darker you want your toast, the longer the bread sits in the slot. But there’s no standard amount of time for toasting, nor is there a standard for what defines light, medium, or dark. Some “medium” toasting yielded barely tan toast, while “dark” toast came out either pale brown, attractively golden, or charcoal-black.

To complicate things, a “medium” toasted sandwich bread slice might be an ideal brown for your taste but the same level yields different results for sourdough or bagels. But how well a toaster does at a specific doneness level is less important than how evenly it toasts, as you can always adjust the toaster to a darker or lighter setting.

Are Toasters With Special Features Worth It? 

Beyond the bagel and frozen options, there’s typically a cancel button that will do exactly what you think it does: cancel the toasting cycle. Some toasters, however, go above and beyond with extra features.

Both Breville models that I tested, the “A Bit More” Toaster and the Die-Cast Toaster, have a button for adding a little time to a completed cycle—but not so much that your toast becomes burnt: It’s a nice-to-have feature but by no means a necessary one. Both toasters also have a “Lift and Look” button, which allows you to check the rate the toast is browning. It’s most useful for toasting bread you’re not familiar with (say, multigrain, thick-cut, seeded, or oddly shaped bread that may brown differently than what you are used to). Of course, the cancel button works just as well, but it stops the whole toasting cycle, requiring you to start all over again if more time is desired.

Another potentially useful feature: the windows in the Dash Clear View and MagiMix toasters  that function like a real-time “Lift and Look.” Those two toasters also have longer slots than traditional models, an irrelevant detail if you only toast sandwich bread and bagels; but essential if you’re partial to homemade or bakery-style loaves with longer slices. 

Some Bells and Whistles Are Unnecessary

Some high-end toasters have extra features that are a little…extra. Although I liked the Breville Die-Cast Toaster, it raises and lowers the toast for you with just a button push, akin to an elevator for bread. It seems a bit over the top, with the potential for the mechanism to break faster than a traditional mechanical lever.

Also unnecessary are spring-release crumb trays. Both the Zwilling Enfinigy 4-Slice Toaster and the SMEG required a firm press on the crumb tray to get it to pop open: more potential for failure down the road, with the threat of the spring breaking. A simple crumb tray that pulls out and pushes back in is all you need. Then there's the SMEG toaster, which offers little in the way of flashy features—but is has a large price sticker for its vintage appeal.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Toaster

Consider what sort of bread you plan on toasting before picking a toaster. If you only toast grocery store sandwich bread, you probably don’t need a high-end toaster. But if you like to toast a wide range of breads and other things like bagels, English muffins, and frozen waffles, pick a toaster that can accommodate all those items. No matter what price you choose, look for wide, long slots, and bagel and frozen buttons.

If you have a busy or large household, consider a four-slice toaster. If you have a smaller household or rarely make toast, a two-slice toaster is sufficient. Finally, look at your countertop space. If you have room and eat a variety of bread products, consider a toaster with a window or one with extra features like a “Lift and Look” button. Otherwise, stick to a more compact model that gets the job done without taking up too much real estate.

Our Favorite Toasters

The Best Toaster

Breville BTA720XL A Bit More 2 Slice Toaster

$120 $90 at Amazon $90 at Williams-Sonoma $90 at Target

What we liked: The Breville “A Bit More” has a helpful number of extra features without going over the top. A simple slider allowed me to change the darkness of my toast, from barely crispy but still white, to bordering-on-black dark, with everything in between.

More importantly: Toast came out evenly brown, from top to bottom and back and front—something not all toasters achieved. The slots were wide enough to accommodate bagel halves without a need to push the lever (or fish out the bagel). Freezer waffles toasted an additional 45 seconds longer with the frozen button, thawing then properly toasting the waffle. And long sourdough slices mostly fit into the slot diagonally, better than most other toasters I tested. 

I liked the “A Bit More” button that toasted bread slightly longer and the “Lift and Look” lever that checked the toasting progress without canceling the cycle. Though it’s slightly more expensive than other toasters I tested, this one stood out as my favorite for daily use.

What we didn’t like: The light and medium toast level came out rather light, especially compared to the other toasters I tested. But this can be worked around by adjusting the darkness level to slightly higher than your desired doneness.

Key Specs

• Weight: 4 pounds, 4.25 ounces
• Capacity: Two slices
• Dimensions: 7.5 x 11.25 x 7.75 inches
• Material:  Stainless steel
• Wattage: 900 watts
• Settings: Browning 1-5 slider, “A Bit More” button, bagel button, frozen button, cancel button, lever with “Lift and Look” function
• Care and cleaning: Unplug and make sure the toaster is cool. Pull out the crumb tray and empty tray. Turn the toaster upside down and shake out any other crumbs. Wipe the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth.

The Best Value Toaster

Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

$50 $43 at Amazon $60 at Walmart $50 at Target

What we liked: Although it’s not the cheapest toaster that I tested, the Cuisinart 4-Slice toaster tested better than some of the more expensive models, and it offered four slots so I could make a lot of toast at once. This toaster was surprisingly compact for a four-slice model, which made it a great option for those with smaller kitchens or limited counter space.

Toast came out evenly colored, with a thin ring of lighter bread around the edges. Bagels fared similarly and waffles were warm and crunchy. Long sourdough slices were a little more challenging but they squished into the toaster, toasting up decently. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on a toaster, the Cuisinart is an excellent choice.

What we didn’t like: The slots for this compact model were narrow, which meant I had difficulty fitting thicker bagels into the toaster. But a gentle push had them going down fine, and they toasted nicely. The white plastic casing for the toaster felt a little lightweight and cheap.

Key Specs

• Weight: 4 pounds, 4.25 ounces
• Capacity: Four slices
• Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.25 x 7 inches
• Material: Plastic
• Wattage: 825 watts
• Settings: Two individual dials for browning, 1-7, bagel button, defrost button, reheat button, cancel button, lever that also lifts up which helps you grab shorter bread pieces.
• Care and cleaning: Unplug toaster. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Remove the crumb tray and discard crumbs. Turn the toaster upside down and gently shake to remove any lodged crumbs.

The Best Long Slot Toaster

Dash Clear View Toaster

$50 at Amazon $50 at Williams-Sonoma View on Wayfair

What we liked: Most people figure out the ideal browning level on their toaster and then leave it there. The Dash Clear View is a good option for people who toast various bread products. It was long enough to handle slices from boules, and the large window on the side was handy for watching the bread (or other delicious carb) get to the perfect shade of brown.

Sandwich bread and bagels toasted consistently. The sandwich bread, in particular, had an excellent color progression, depending on level. Waffles came out piping hot but not overdone. This was the only toaster that could truly accommodate longer sourdough slices without smushing or flipping around mid-cycle. The ability to watch the toast as it browned took all the guesswork out of whether it was ready. And yes: The inner glass window slid out easily, so I could clean off smudges and crumbs without a hassle.

What we didn’t like: The length of the toaster means it takes up a lot of space on the countertop. And unlike other models, because of the window, you won’t want to tuck this toaster behind other appliances. The length of this toaster also means the single metal spindle that holds toast as it gets lowered can potentially twist or jam, which happened once during testing. It resolved itself but could be an issue during the lifespan of the toaster.

Key Specs

• Weight: 3 pounds, 12.5 ounces
• Capacity: Two slices
• Dimensions: 15.5 x 6 x 7.5 inches
• Material: Stainless steel, glass, polypropylene plastic
• Wattage: 1100 watts
• Settings: Browning 1-7 dial, bagel button, reheat button, frozen button, cancel button
• Care and cleaning: Unplug the toaster and make sure it is cool. Wipe down the outside surface with a damp cloth. Clean out the slide out crumb tray with warm water and mild soap then rinse and dry thoroughly before inserting back into the toaster. Once the tray is clean and empty, turn the toaster upside down and press the glass panel clamp under the toaster and slide the glass panel out. Carefully wash with warm soapy water, and rinse and dry thoroughly before sliding it back into the toaster.

The Best Splurge Toaster

Breville BTA820XL Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster

$160 $150 at Amazon $150 at Williams-Sonoma $233 at Walmart

What we liked: The Die-Cast Smart Toaster has all the flashy features a cook could want, plus a couple of extras. With a touch of a button, my toast lowered into the slot, no lever required: utterly unnecessary and entirely cool. But even without this feature, the toaster did a great job evenly toasting bread, browning bagels, and crisping up frozen waffles.

The slots on the Die Cast Smart toaster are slightly wider and accommodate bagels and long slices of sourdough. The “Lift and Look” button allowed me to check on the bread without canceling the toasting cycle. The “A Bit More” button added bonus time, so I didn’t have to vigilantly monitor a second cycle. None of these features are must-haves but once I started using them, I realized how convenient they were. The Die-Cast toaster looks mighty sleek and seamless, without any joints on the outer shell. It’s easier to clean, which is good because you’ll want to keep this handsome toaster on your counter all the time.

What we didn’t like: The bottom of the slots had very small openings for the crumbs to fall through to the collection tray. This meant crumbs got caught in the bottom of the toaster—but not into the crumb tray. The electronic lowering of the toast is cool, but one more thing that could easily break (with no easy way of fixing).

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds, 9 ounces
• Capacity: Two slices
• Material: Brushed stainless steel
• Wattage: 900 watts
• Settings: Browning 1-5 slider, “A Bit More” button, bagel button, frozen button, “Lift and Look” button, cancel button
• Care and cleaning: Unplug the toaster and make sure it is cool. Pull out the crumb tray and empty it. Turn the toaster upside down and shake out any other crumbs. Wipe the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth.

The Competition:

• Black+Decker 2-Slice Extra Wide Toaster: This budget-friendly toaster did a fine job at toasting sandwich bread evenly and had wide enough slots to handle bagels. But it couldn’t fit the sourdough—nearly half the slice stuck out of the toaster.
• Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Extra Wide Toaster: Here is another budget-friendly toaster that did an okay job at toasting bread. But bagels didn’t fit well into the narrow slots, and worse was the lack of a crumb tray. The swing-away bottom door meant I had to move the entire toaster to the sink or trash can to clean it, which was cumbersome.
• SMEG 2-Slice Toaster: This beautiful and expensive toaster has a chic retro look and an easy-to-pull-down handle. The toast came out evenly brown, but the dark setting burnt the sandwich bread. The slots were too snug for the bagels. Sourdough bread also stuck out too far, which led to uneven toasting.
• Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch 4-Slice Toaster: The Zwilling is a behemoth of a toaster, looking as sleek as it was expensive ($215 at the time of publishing). But unfortunately, the toast came out unevenly colored, with the bottom corner significantly lighter than the rest. Toasting time was also unpredictable, with the left side popping up earlier than the right when both were set on the medium level. Frozen waffles didn’t come out quite as warm as other toasters, even when using the “defrost” button. Finally, the crumb trays required a push to release, which was slightly annoying to have to do. Beyond being a quibble, it could fail in the long term, as spring mechanisms wear out.
• KitchenAid 4-Slice Toaster: The KitchenAid had an alarmingly loud sound alert when my toast was finished. For all the sonic fanfare, the toast came out uneven, with the top right corner being a little darker than the rest of the bread. Bagels required a tight squeeze. And there was no frozen or defrost button, which struck me as odd, as every other toaster I tested, even the budget ones, had this feature. 
• MagiMix Toaster Vision: This was the only other toaster I tested that had a long slot and a window but it cost nearly five times as much as the Dash Clear View. The toaster was pretty aggressive with its browning: The medium setting looked darker than most other toaster’s dark settings, and the dark setting was burnt. At this price, I expect nothing less than not-charred toast.

FAQs

Should you unplug your toaster when you’re not using it?

Since a toaster has a heating element on the inside, it’s recommended that you unplug the toaster when it’s not in use. Once the toasting cycle is done, all the heating elements should turn off and cool. But there’s a chance that faulty electricity could switch the toaster back on by accident. A hot toaster could cause a fire, so unplugging it when not in use is the safest thing to do.

How do you clean a toaster?

Most modern toasters have a crumb tray underneath (or a way to open the bottom of the toaster). First, unplug your toaster and make sure it’s at room temperature. Then remove the tray and brush the crumbs into your trash or compost bin and replace the crumb tray.

If there are still crumbs in the bottom, turn the toaster upside down and shake out the remaining debris. Wipe the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Never submerge the toaster in water.

Which toaster brand is best?

After thorough testing, I found Breville to be a great brand for toasters. Both models (the A Bit More and the Die-Cast) did an excellent job of evenly browning bread, and accommodating bagels and bakery loaves. They both had value-added features like “A Bit More” and “Lift and Look” buttons, which were useful in getting toast to the desired browned level. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist. He wrote the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, which was picked by the New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016. Irvin also runs a blog called Eat the Love, where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010. 
• He’s product tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items, including stand mixers and digital thermometers.
• For this review, Irvin tested 10 toasters, toasting grocery store white sandwich bread, New York-style bagels, frozen waffles, and local bakery sourdough bread, checking to see how evenly the toasters browned each product.