Cook\'s Country - 2019-04-05

30 COOK’S COUNTRY • APRIL/MAY 2019

EQUIPMENT REVIEW

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CRITERIA

Breville The Bit More Toaster

Model: BTA730XL

Price: $79.99

Toaster Dimensions: 15.8 x 8 x 7.8 in

Slot Dimensions: 10 x 5 in

Heating Element: Wires

Features: “A Bit More” button, “Lift and Look” lever to

check browning

Average Speed: 2 min, 8 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++1⁄2

+++

+++

+++

Dash Clear View Toaster

Model: DVTS501 Price: $36.03

Toaster Dimensions: 15 x 5 x 8 in

Slot Dimensions: 10.5 x 5 in

Heating Element: Quartz

Features: Window, “cancel” button, reheating

Average Speed: 2 min, 12 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++1⁄2

+++

+++

+++

RECOMMENDED

Russell Hobbs Glass Accent Long Slot 2-Slice Toaster

Model: TRL9300GYR (stainless steel)

Price: $99.99

Toaster Dimensions: 15 x 5 x 7.1 in

Slot Dimensions: 10.25 x 5 in

Heating Element: Wires

Feature: Bun-warming rack

Average Speed: 1 min, 44 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++1⁄2

+++

++1⁄2

+++

Magimix Vision Toaster

Model: 11526 (chrome)

Price: $249.95

Toaster Dimensions: 15.5 x 7 x 9 in

Slot Dimensions: 10.25 x 6.88 in

Heating Element: Quartz

Features: Windows, “stop” button, bread-lift lever

Average Speed: 1 min, 25 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++

+++

+++

+++

Hamilton Beach Keep Warm 4-Slice Long-Slot Toaster

Model: 24810

Price: $36.85

Toaster Dimensions: 15.75 x 7.5 x 7.75 in

Slot Dimensions: 10 x 4.75 in

Heating Element: Wires

Feature: “Keep warm” button

Average Speed: 2 min, 3 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++

+++

++

+++

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

Cuisinart Bakery Artisan Bread 2 Slice Toaster

Model: CPT-2400

Price: $49.96

Toaster Dimensions: 15.25 x 6.75 x 8.5 in

Slot Dimensions: 10 x 5.25 in

Heating Element: Wires

Feature: Bread-lift lever

Average Speed: 2 min, 30 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++

++

++

+++

Oster 4-Slice Long-Slot Toaster

Model: TSSTTR6330-NP

Price: $52.89

Toaster Dimensions: 16.75 x 7 x 7.5 in

Slot Dimensions: 10.38 x 4.75 in

Heating Element: Wires

Feature: Bread-lift lever

Average Speed: 2 min, 3 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++

+++

++

++

Smeg 4-Slice Toaster

Model: TSF01PGUS (pastel green)

Price: $199.95

Toaster Dimensions: 15 x 8 x 8.5 in

Slot Dimensions: 10.25 x 5.5 in

Heating Element: Wires

Feature: Reheating

Average Speed: 2 min, 58 sec

Performance

Speed

Ease of Use

Cleanup

++

+

++

+++

IS YOUR TOASTER stuck in the

1950s, when all bread was white, skinny,

and square? Today, Americans are

buying bigger loaves of bread, and the

slices don’t always fi t in the average

toaster. The last time we tested toast-

ers, our winner, the Magimix Vision

Toaster ($249.95), was unique for its

one extra-long, extra-wide slot that fi t

any kind of bread, even bigger slices.

It toasted evenly, using responsive

quartz heating elements. It also boasted

see-through glass walls and a “stop”

button to halt toasting at your exact

browning preference. The downside?

The price.

But there’s hope: Recently, a

handful of “long-slot” toasters have

appeared on the market at a range

of prices. We bought eight models,

including our previous winner, priced

from $36.03 to $249.95; all had one

or two long, wide slots. We put them

through their paces, toasting all kinds

of breads and bagels.

We wanted a toaster that gave us the

browning we’d selected, with uniform

coloring. But with most of the toast-

ers, getting medium–golden brown

toast was a cumbersome process that

required retoasting. Some models also

failed to toast evenly. Only two gave us

one-and-done, reliable browning that

corresponded to the settings.

Most toasters work by heating rows

of thin metal wires that line both sides

of the toasting slot. The best toaster in

this style had 15 wires on each side of its

toaster slots; lower-rated models had as

few as six or eight. Two toasters heated

using quartz rods instead of wires on

each side of the toasting slot. Quartz

heats and cools much more quickly than

metal, and we liked the even, golden

toast these models produced. But in the

end, our top two models were split: One

used metal wires, the other quartz rods.

We liked another feature they shared,

though: Both let you check on brown-

ing while toasting—one with a window,

the other with a lever to “lift and look”

without stopping the cycle.

You use these long-slot toasters not

only for giant slabs of artisan toast but

also for regular-size sandwich bread by

placing two slices side by side in the

same slot. The trouble is, some of the

long slots were just a little too short for

this, so bread sometimes got stuck at the

top, crusts got torn, or slices bent and

toasted unevenly.

Depth also mattered: Bagels and

large bread stuck out of the tops of

shorter models, leaving big, white

untoasted stripes. Toasting slots ranged

from 4.75 to 6.88 inches deep, and any-

thing less than 5 inches was too shallow.

In the end, we found two toasters

to recommend at far more aff ordable

prices than our previous winner. The

Dash Clear View Toaster ($36.03)

toasted beautifully and has many helpful

features; the only downside is that its

toast sometimes sprang up too force-

fully and fl ew out. Ultimately, the solid

performance of the Breville The Bit

More Toaster ($79.99) won the day. It

produced crisp, uniform, golden toast

every time.

KEY Good +++ Fair ++ Poor +

Toasters

These toasters accommodate big bagels

and oversize artisan breads. But which one

should you buy? by Lisa McManus

Comments: This solid toast-

er performed reliably and

has helpful features such as

its “A Bit More” button.

Comments: This model

made pretty toast without

any fuss. We loved its win-

dow to monitor browning.

Comments: Produced good

toast, but our fi rst one died

(the replacement worked

fi ne). Controls not intuitive.

Comments: Made gorgeous

toast and was a pleasure to

use, but toast browned too

much at higher settings.

Comments: This model

toasted fast but kept us fi d-

dling with settings to get our

desired color. Short slots.

Comments: Slots were too

short and shallow for some

jobs. We often had to retoast

to get good results.

Comments: Its surface got

very hot. It toasted quickly,

but browning was uneven.

Comments: Like a sports

car: beautiful, expensive,

and a bit unreliable. Exterior

became quite hot.

8 Toasters

10+ Tests

• Measure toaster dimensions


• Measure slot dimensions


• Toast sandwich bread at 3 settings


• Time toasting 6 times


• Check exterior temperature while
  toasting


• Toast large slices of artisan bread


• Toast bagels


• Toast full capacity of bread 5 times


• Evaluate ease of use


• Empty and evaluate crumb trays


• Toast 365 consecutive slices in top
  3 models

It took 1,400 pieces of toast to find a winner.

Best Buy