Detailed Buying Guide On How To Buy A Bread Toaster

Written by: Kaushik Jethva

Last Updated: January 30, 2023

a bread toaster with slices of bread and a cup of tea
A bread toaster with slices of bread and a cup of tea.

Although toasters may seem basic, they are an essential appliance for every household. In many cultures, breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day. Many people like to have slices of toasted bread along with a cup of their favorite drinks, whether it is a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of juice. Having a toaster can reduce your daily hassle of toasting loaves of bread manually.

Same as any other kitchen appliance, a toaster may differ in a variety of types, sizes, colors, and prices accordingly. Also, if you are buying a toaster for the first time, it can be pretty tricky to browse through all the different options available in the market. Here are some points to remember when looking for the best toasters.

1 Things to keep in mind when buying a bread toaster

Number of slices

The majority of standard toasters available in today’s market tend to be either 2 or 4 slices. There are a lot of other toasters on the market which offer an option of 3 slices, 6 slices, 8 slices and even 12 slices. So there’s a huge range of toasters you can choose from.

Number of members in the family

If you’re a single person living on your own, and you don’t eat too much toast, then a 2 slice bread toaster would normally be okay. If you have got a family and if you like your toast with eggs, then a 2 slice bread toaster would be better because you won’t like buying a 2 slice toaster. After all, it’s a bit cheaper than waiting for everyone’s breakfast to be ready.

Ease of cleaning the toaster

Most toasters generally have a chrome tray at the bottom, which collects all the leftover pieces of breadcrumbs. Look out for a toaster that’s got either one or two crumb trays because it can make life a lot easier, having to turn the toaster upside down over your sink and get a brush or something in there to keep it clean.

Warranty and price of the toaster

The warranty on most toasters tends to be either 1 or 2 years which is pretty standard. Some manufacturers do offer a slightly longer warranty of 3 or possibly 5 years, and that really depends on the price of the toaster.

2 Features of a bread toaster

Height life function

If you’ve got a small crumpet or a very small piece of toast, then it can be really frustrating that when the bread is toasted, you need to get it out, and you can’t get in there if it’s not quite tall enough that you can reach it straight away. Either people end up burning their fingers because they are touching the metal at the top or, even worse, putting a knife in there to try and get it down.

If your toaster has a lever, it just lifts the bead slices a little bit up, and this can really help just to raise the slices up with a touch so that when your toast is finished, then it’s a lot safer just to go and grab it.

Reheat or Defrost function

defrost and reheat control option in a bread toaster
Defrost and reheat control option in a bread toaster.

If you want to defrost a piece of bread, then you might look out for a toaster that has a defrost option on it. It doesn’t necessarily cook it. All it will do is defrost it.

A classic use of the reheat option is you’ve been cooking breakfast for everyone, and you realise you pop the toast down a little bit too early. Now because it’s sat in the toaster for a couple of minutes, it’s almost cold, so rather than having to cook it again, if the toaster did have a reheat option, then you just pop it down pop the reheat, and then it just warms it through again so that can be a really good feature to look out for.

Controls

different controls in a bread toaster
Different controls in a bread toaster.

Always look for how controllable your toaster is. Some of the higher-end toasters are equipped with controllable features like digital displays that will give you a countdown timer to monitor how long the toast will be in for, so there are a lot of different ways that you can control your toaster. Some other useful functions that the toaster must include are bun warming racks. These racks are a little wire mesh that sits on top of the toaster. There are quite a few other functions, like the bagel settings, which will be useful when you do not necessarily want to toast both sides of the bagel.

Width of the slots

width of the slots of a bread toaster
Width of the slots of a bread toaster.

If you’re going to cook things like crumpets or very wide bread, then you want to make sure that the toaster can accommodate it. If you have got things like pretty thick bread to toast or big crumpets, then you want to make sure that everything will fit in. There’s nothing worse than having your new toaster match your oven fits in the space, and then you find that you can’t fit your crumpets.

3 Types of bread toasters

Oven Toaster

an oven toaster with 2 slices of bread kept for toasting
An oven toaster with 2 slices of bread kept for toasting

An oven toaster combines the features and functionality of an oven and a toaster together. Toasters with oven compartments may also be used to roast, bake, or grill food. If you have a compact space in your kitchen, you can consider buying an oven toaster. Most oven toasters are available in both electric and gas variants.

An oven toaster comes with a baking pan and a broiling grid that you can use to bake and broil food, and it is also equipped with slots on top for toasting loaves of bread and bagels and cooking muffins and cakes. Depending on the model you choose, you may also be able to defrost frozen food without having to cook it.

Smart Toaster

a smart toaster controlled with a mobile phone
A smart toaster controlled with a mobile phone

The term “smart toaster” refers to a toaster that can be controlled by a mobile application or which can be operated with the internet. You can use this to start your toast remotely, find out how long it has been on and set toast settings based on the type of bread. Toasters with smart features can even come with temperature sensors and timers to ensure that your toast always comes out perfectly.

Commercial Toaster

silver colored commercial toaster
A silver colored commercial toaster

Restaurants and cafes often use commercial toaster ovens that are built tough to handle busy kitchens and restaurant crowds. Toasters for commercial use are typically larger and more robust than toasters for home use. They are also capable of toasting more bread at once than home toasters. Some models include features such as timers and automatic shutoffs, as well as multiple slots for toasting bread.

A commercial toaster can be very expensive, so choosing one that fits your needs is crucial. If you plan to toast bread every day, consider the amount of bread, the type of bread, and the size of the appliance.

Convection Toaster

a white colored convection toaster
A white colored convection toaster.

The forced air in a convection toaster cooks bread and other foods more evenly by heating and circulating the air. Compared with traditional toasters, convection toasters typically cost more, but they can deliver better results. Also, convection toasters are heavier and larger in size. If you are looking for a perfect toast, a convection toaster will be the best for you. In the meantime, if you’re on a budget, a traditional toaster will do just fine.

4 Uses of a bread toaster

  1. The crunch and taste of toast produced by a toaster are far superior to that produced by a microwave. Slices of pizza are best toasted for two minutes in a toaster bag.
  2. A toaster can also be used to make waffles, muffins, and pancakes. Rather than using a waffle iron, you can place frozen or toasting waffles into the toaster, and you’ll have a tasty breakfast within minutes.
  3. Toasters can also be used for making crispy nachos or tortilla chips. Ensure your flour tortillas are cut into narrow edges before placing them inside the toaster slots. Just heat the tortilla chips in the toaster on medium, and they will be crisp.
  4. Toaster-made grilled cheese sandwiches are simple to prepare. Stack your ingredients, then put one slice with cheese on top into the bottom slot. Toast the other slice, then place it on top, and you will have your perfect toasted sandwich.
  5. Because vegan burgers do not contain much fat or oil, they can be safely used in toasters. In either case, you can toast the vegetarian patties for around 5 minutes if they are frozen or 3 minutes if they are refrigerated.

5 Wrapping Up

Bread toasters are a great option for quick and healthy breakfasts. You can have your breakfast ready in a few minutes by simply putting the slices of bread in the slot. We hope that you found our guide on how to buy a bread toaster helpful. If you have any doubts about how to buy a bread toaster, please let us know in the comment section below.

FAQ's about bread toasters

How many watts should a toaster be?

An average bread toaster consumes anywhere between 800 to 1500 watts. A 2 slice toaster consumes around 1150 to 1200 watts. Whereas a 4 slice toaster consumes 1200 to 2500 watts. Despite their high wattage, 4 slice toasters use less power because their time of operation is short.

Bread toasters usually have a power output range ranging between 0.8kW and 1.5kW, which costs between 3p and 6p per 10 minutes. It is estimated that most 2-slice toasters can consume 850W of power, but ‘high-power’ toasters and toasters with wide slots will consume 1150W or more. Toasters are usually used for only a few minutes per slice or slice of bread, so the cost per time is probably no more than 2p or 1p.

On an average, toasters can last for 6 to 8 years easily. The life span of a toaster depends on the quality of the material and how frequently you use it. However, if you maintain and clean your bread toaster regularly, it can last for approximately 10 years.

If you are an individual who is looking to enjoy toasted bread slices for himself, you should buy a 2-slice toaster. If you are leaving with a nuclear or joint family, you should consider buying a 4-slice toaster so that you do not need to rush every morning for individual breakfasts.

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About This Article

Kaushik Jethva
Written by: Kaushik Jethva author

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Updated: January 30, 2023
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