Cook\'s Country - 2019-04-05

(Wang) #1

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
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