Gear Heads | The Toaster You Need to Get Perfect Toast Every Time
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2019
- Lisa McManus and Hannah Crowley put toasters to the performance, speed, and ease of use tests to find the absolute best pick for all shapes of bread.
Buy our winning long slot toaster: cooks.io/3VtEk2l
Buy our best buy toaster: cooks.io/3XayunD
Read the full review: cooks.io/2WgSS3r
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
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Just a note, the winning toaster. I've owned two of them and I have to agree that when it's working, it's a fantastic toaster. Unfortunately the first one broke after a couple of months and I got a warranty replacement. The 2nd toaster lived just past the warranty and died as well. I tried to open it up to try to see what failed and these are built specifically to not be opened without being destructive. Just something to keep in mind. Upvote for visibility.
I have 2 as well. one works great the other is terrible?
I have the Breville. It is really perfect in every way except it does not sing Layla to me and well I can
forgive that slight as it makes perfect toast for me every time.
Probably the hardest "good" appliance to buy, I've had everything from "well there goes $45" to satisfactory, but never quite what I wanted, and I'm not dropping $250 for toast. Thank you ATK for another time/money saving review, you do the work so I don't have to. Might be the Dash, might be the Breville, must discuss with the exchecker .
Dash.
Your testing toasters is the nicest thing you could ever have done for me. What a colossal headache it is to find a good one! I've ordered the Dash (couldn't resist the windows) and can't wait to try it. Oh! The red one was the cheapest and we keep ours in a cupboard so didn't need to go conservative. What fun it will be to open that cupboard door and see that cheerful beauty! Thanks, Gear Heads, we really appreciate you out here!
After watching your guys' choices, the DASH was my most recent AMAZON purchase & it's the best thing I could've ever imagined making a breakfast time so simple. Thanx for the incite.
I dunno if it's fair to criticise the Magimix one for toasting too much on the highest setting, like y'all point out there's more than just white bread out there, some stuff (like crumpets) take longer to brown, people toast from frozen etc. Seems a bit like complaining your oven gets too hot!
$250 though, why's it so hard to find a toaster that heats evenly without shelling out premium engineering prices? It's a box where the sides get hot, is that really so difficult to make?
Agreed! Higher heat would also be useful for toasting bread that's been in the freezer
Also it's see thru so if you burn your toast it's your problem.
@@andrewl118 You sure you wouldn't want higher heat for bread that wasn't in the freezer?
@@madthumbs1564 He said "also."
Yes it is hard to make a toaster
I’ve got a Bosch single long-slot toaster. It’s made in West Germany(to give you an idea of the age). Hasn’t failed me yet. Perfect for irregular bread sizes
what does made in West Germany got to do with it's age ? !
I don't really care that much where it's made. I want to know how well it works ,or if it's CRAP !!
@@wtz650 considering West Germany has not existed as a country since the end of the cold war, it should give you an idea of the age…
U guys do the best reviews!!! Hands down
Thanks Love when you do these equipment reviews.
Love these videos ❤️
Hi ATK, great to see you guys back. I always loved your channel. Can you please bring back some of the old vids they are fantastic. Big hi from Australia!
I toast you ladies for an excellent video! Very well made and it inspires confidence in your judgement. That photograph of your intern really shows the goods. ATK does the work. I'll be returning to this video and article when it's time for a new toaster! Now I know what to look for. I didn't know what I was missing!
After reading the article, the Dash may be in my near future. Finally a toaster I don't have to struggle to get a bagel into. I wish I'd seen it a little more in the video, especially the flying toast, but to me that's a minor problem I believe I will be able to resolve to my satisfaction. I'm guessing it's a problem with lighter bread slices. I could place the toaster where the bread can fall out safely or place something above to prevent bread escape. It's definitely a flaw and major quirk that many people won't accept, but for me personally and the way I use the oven (rarely with thin square sliced sandwich bread) it's not enough to make me rule out an otherwise-excellent product that's an outstanding value. Perhaps I just need to identify which long cooking implement or object in the kitchen to lean against the toaster to stop the travel of any "high fliers".
I just bought the Dash, and I'm happy with it.
So is my dog, 'Dash.
This in depth review just goes to show that there is a science to making great toast!
I❤toast!
I could never understand why the Brits like cold toast.
There's a science to making toasters not toast.
@@bwanadave76
YOU are entitled to YOUR opinion...HOWEVER;
There is a science to making GREAT toast..
Of course everyone has their preferences..
This is why there are so many different types of toasters with different settings for darkness, lightness, crispness and thickness of the bread. ..which all play into the making of toast perfection.
Of which I like mine, med dark, thick crusted and crisp!🤷🏾♀️
As someone who often toasts high moisture beads I prefer a toaster that can overtoast white bread.
Usually type tests are pretty good but I feel like this time there were some weird inconsistencies. Like wouldn't it make more sense to toast for 2 minutes and see which gets the darkest because that would be the fastest?
There is a problem with the links. Both the Winning and the Best Buy are the same, not the toaster recommended in the video.
Looks like someone saw your comment and fixed it.
Love this series and I love these host
we got the dash recently and just stumbled across this video. glad we bought right.
Have been using the same two slice Breville toaster for over ten years and it’s the best.
I purchased the 4 slice 730xl A bit more toaster . People who are complaining about the middle elements do not like the appearance of the toast. I toasted Panera Bread tomato bread and was pleased .
I have the Breville two slice toaster that Adam recommended, I love it. You can put thick bagels in their, English muffins as well.
The Breville toaster you reviewed is the longer 4-slice model which costs $97. The shorter 2-slice model is $80.
The testing process took time. When they bought it, I bet they paid $80.
@@seikibrian8641 25% inflation in a month? The CPI is less than 2% per annum...
@@geedoubleu641 It's not inflation, which is a decrease in the buying power of the currency, but a simple price increase. Retailers can charge whatever they want, and are free to raise the price as high as they think the market will bear. If the high price results in slow sales, they'll lower the price; if it doesn't, they won't. Check out the Amazon link: Amazon is asking over $130 at the moment.
@@seikibrian8641 - Technically inflation means an increase in the money supply. Typically monetary inflation results in price inflation which is the same as a decrease in purchasing power.
@@geedoubleu641 Right, and as I said the increase in the price of the Breville toaster is not related to inflation, but simply to a marketing decision.
Okay, I bought the Dash Clearview on your review BUT, you all comment that 68% of the market is larger bread. Well, the Dash will not toast two pieces of heart wheat bread side-by-side. I’m not talking about some artesian wide bread but store bought wheat that is slightly wider than Wonder Bread white. The Dash is not wide enough for anything but the smallest bread slices when toasting in tandem. It appears that you update your testing protocols each year, I would like to suggest adding this to next year’s test.
First, great video, I’m a big fan of Lisa, what a treasure of a lady. Second, I think the review of the Magimix is unfair, you say it burns bread on its strong setting, well it’s a flimsy white bread, of course it’s going to burn it. Magimix is French and have you ever tried to toast a frozen baguette? Or what you call artisanal bread (which is just normal bread here), we usually freeze baguettes and other types of bread so they retain moisture. We need really strong toasters to unfreeze them then give them a light brown colour. I would love to see another test that is made for the real use of the Magimix which is a superior (yet expensive) toaster.
The problem with "Bit More" is there is no window so no way to judge if the bread needs more time. Combine a Window + BitMore would be great.
Your toast pops, you want it a bit more. You press the lever down again and then hit the button.
@@theguytobeat Actually, no. When you see it's getting toward the end of the cycle you lift the handle (which doesn't cancel the cycle), do a check, let it drop back down and then hit the "Bit More"
@@theguytobeat If you waited until the toast pops up, pushing the lever again would start a new full cycle. Doing as you suggest wouldn't be one cycle plus a bit more, it would be two cycles plus a bit more; fine if you want burnt toast.
It has a function that lets you peek at the toast by lifting the lever. I have one
Almost all cheap toasters and many expensive ones do not toast evenly on both sides. What I did with my cheap toaster is set the timer on low (about 1-1/2) and run a cycle. When cycle is finished turn the bread around in each slot and toast for one more cycle using the low setting. The toast will come out evenly toasted. Let me know how this works for you.
the thing is, people don't always toast wheat bread, for the rye bread - only the toasters that burnt wheat on max setting - will be able to make darker rye bread at least crunchy enough in one go, forcing to toast twice
I still use my moms Morphy Richards toaster which bleeps when its done it's thing having popped up.
I think she bought it in 1990. It has 9 digital timer settings, and I find on most toasters, setting no.6 is about right for thick sliced white bread. I periodically blow them clean with a high pressure air line.
I toast my bread on my lodge caste iron...works like a charm!
You're wasting heat energy and or getting uneven browning. Even those cheap ceramic non-stick could do a better job and last a lifetime (if that's all they did). - But there are better choices yet.
@@madthumbs1564 there's a distinct difference in flavour when buttered bread hits a primed cast iron.
@Whats Up? whatever you call it, it tastes good. Ha ha...
Thank you! I can still find in 2023!😅 I keep having to hold onto my old toaster because new ones aren’t working well, even Mueller. I thought I was upgrading.
Hosts: *Puts toaster on highest setting*
Toaster: *Burns toast*
Hosts: *Shocked Pikachu face*
Well "high" shouldn't mean blackened. Just dark toast.
laReina Diondra like another commenter said. Not all toast is white bread. Some types of bread have a lot more moisture and hence won’t be burnt on the highest setting.
Chris Garcia
They’re trying to say that for the busy parent, you’re trying to get the kids out of the door, the toddler is running around, the baby is crying, coffee machine just broke and the toast is burning. Y’know? In an alternate reality the coffee machine worked and the toast was nice and golden, the kids got out but were slightly late.
I really love rye toast and find that rye bread takes much longer to get a good toasting than white or even sourdough so I completely agree that the test was biased towards white bread even though the hosts started the segment off by acknowledging that white bread is a shrinking preference.
Funny I put my oven on 475 and put the lasagna in for 30 minutes and the top was blackened. . .huh ! Maybe a thin slice of relatively dry white bread is not a good test. Do they think these things have AI or maybe probes to monitor toasting ?
Wish I could get a toaster from the 50’s. I haven’t had a good slice of toast since they made the slots wider for bagels, which I don’t like.
Now that is a useful post
I bought the Breville with full electronic controls for $180 and we absolutely love it
That Was Good 👍
I love Lisa
SMEG reminds me of the toaster in Red Dwarf.
Howdy doodily do
I really appreciate these reviews. I bought a Black&Decker toaster that had good reviews on Consumer Reports about six months ago, and I am sick of using that piece of junk. The toasting consistency is terrible, even if you don't touch the controls! Sometimes you get burnt toast, sometimes it bairly toasts at all. It's a crapshoot every morning!
Toaster oven - all bread/bagels/rolls fit.
The most uneven toast, and inefficient. I'd rather have an air fryer in that counter space.
Kinda garbage for toasting bread. One side is always more toasted than the other. It's also really spotty with the toasting. I've moved from cheap, to more expensive and they are all sub par compared to a toaster. If I had more room in my kitchen, I would have a toaster AND a toaster oven.
yeah, a Toaster Oven is like a budget Salamander, but they're also just okay for making just Toast.
Runs With Scissors
Toaster oven is more like a countertop oven. It’s great for thanksgiving or big dinner parties but not so much for toast (that’s a lie, my breville compact works wonders on frozen bread)
My experience with multiple Breville products is that the electronics do not last that is a downside to a higher-priced product. I've owned Dash love the windows I feel it's a second to the magimix. I love the dash I get consistent quick toast and it hasn't fallen apart at 6 months like the Breville.
Hannah yum yum
Can u say 'Toaster Tongs'? A must.
I have never gotten the toast results which are beautiful and just what I want that I get from my air fryer. I do toast English muffins beautiful bagels I can put anything in there and toast it and it comes out perfect every time because I know the temperature and time that I like my toasted breads to be at! :-)
So which toaster gives the same result with the second or more pieces of bread. Mine gives a much darker result when I try to do another slice without letting it cool down.
I was just in the UK and was blown away by how fast the toaster and kettles were on 220 volts. If I was to build a new house I'd put in a designated 220 outlet just for the kettle and toaster.
I was also watching and wondering who the hell waits 2mins for toast. Then I remembered I'm in a country with 220-240v as well. You really can't afford to step far way from your toaster
We need a new Toaster Oven review video! There are a lot of new competitors in the market, and a lot of new features have been added too.
Would the magimix burn thick hearty bread on the darkest setting? Or would it come out perfect? Would that same piece of bread need to be toasted twice in another toaster?
Thanks
I don't want recognition, I want answers!
I bought the Dash Clearview and found it to be flimsy. A small note was in the box advising to be gentle when operating the lever. I quickly saw why that note was there. The glass panel was loose and rattling, the lever did not want to lock in the down position without a lot of fiddling. I sent it back.
My $20 Black & Decker works good. I can set it to different levels of crispness.
I have the Breville "A Bit More," toaster, which I purchased about a year ago. I purchased it because I like to buy "rounds," of crusty French bread, rather than the long loaves, which produces slices that are smaller.
The "Bit More" does have longer slots, to accommodate the SIZE of a slice of round bread. HOWEVER, it's designed for four STANDARD slices. The middle of the slots do not have wire toaster capability, so a slice comes out browned on either end, but un-toasted in the middle. I have to cut the slices of bread in half, and toast them on separate ends of the slots. I prefer to toast them whole.
For that reason, I regret the purchase ... although, I respect the Breville line.
Should you rate toaster, again, you might want to check to confirm how fully the browning surface in the slots.
I've got a KitchenAid. Works a treat.
We recently bought a $380 Bteville Toaster Oven that can do everything.
It's big, but it's attractive, and nothing performs better.
It even air fries and dehydrates, and can roast a 14lb turkey.
But a toaster could pay for itself in energy efficiency. In a toaster oven; you're heating up a whole oven.
We advanced from toasters to toaster ovens and then they became little ovens and now we're going back to the toaster. 😂
So now we have toaster, toaster oven, toaster convection oven, air fryer, oven /stove, and convection oven / stove / hob.
I was going to open a new bank account to get a new toaster.
Instead, I just ordered the Dash based on this review, about $39 including shipping.
It was available in red, should look good in my kitchen.
Besides, my dog's name is 'Dash, a good omen.
I have spent WAY more on toasters than any person should, trying to find that perfect one. There is one test that they did not perform which in my eyes is one of the most important tests needed.
They tested all the toasters very well and came up with their winner and their budget winner but what about the 1st slice(s) of the morning in a cold toaster. Currently, we own a 4-slice Oyster toaster that cost me $85 2 yrs ago and from the begining, we've had to run the 1st cycle without bread to warm up the toaster because if we didn't, the result would be an extremely under-toasted piece of toast and we have to set the toaster to a lower setting to get that piece toasted.
So, return to this test and let us know what the 1st one of the day looked like from at least the two winners.
"...we have to set the toaster to a lower setting to get that piece toasted."
Don't you mean a *higher* setting for the first slice?
My Sunbeam T-20 is 30 years old and still makes a perfect slice of toast.
mine too there isn't another that makes better toast
The current Chinese-made crap will be lucky to work after 4 or 5 years.
I wouldn't recommend modern Sunbeam or Oster (same company) though
Wonder what they would say if they watched the Technology Connection video on that old automatic toaster
My wife said get a new toaster I bought her one if those. They are great if your ok with spending 200 dollars on a toaster.
I can't wait for the store to open, I'm grabbing me "a bit more."
Cast Iron is my toaster :)
Large waste of heat energy, and uneven browning. Great weapon; horrible pan.
What did you do with all of the left-over toast?
Reviews on the Breville scared me from buying it. Everyone complains that the toaster quits toasting on one side or another. They last a handful of months till they break.
I miss my grandmother's Toastmaster... Today's toasters are weak sauce next to that thing.
Hey Checked your tutorial. I like the cuisinart. I have had a
T-Fal lasted very long time. I’m talking long time 30 years. I can open it up and fix because parts are available.
Love that 1950's skinny white bread.
Agree with oven and/or cast iron griddle on stovetop, BUT What about Dualit, I mean c'mon NOT Even a mention!? They are beautiful & well made. Plus the cage accessory💓🍞💖💟 Dualit
Sunbeam came up with a great toaster back in the 1940's. It had a radiant control, meaning it detected the doneness of the toast by the heat it radiated. It also lowered the bread automatically. For an in-depth look at this toasting marvel, check the link below.
I really don't see why someone doesn't make an updated version of that toaster.
czcams.com/video/1OfxlSG6q5Y/video.html
I’ve had a few of these radiant control toasters, and they’re great. My only complaint is that they can really only accommodate pretty slim slices of bread.
Lisa and Hannah are the best duo in ATK.
Just FYI, the Dash Toaster is not available in Canada. It will cost you more than the toaster itself for shipping.
The # setting on the toaster is supposed to reflect minutes of toasting. The "done-ness" is adjusted to individual taste.
Hey ladies! will you do a video on choosing a Mortise and Pestle
* *Mortar* and pestle. (A "mortise" is part of a woodworking joint, the mortise and tenon.)
Ladies', I love the way you reviewed the toasters but I was wondering if you have any reviews for standard 4 slice toasters?
I prefer the Breville the Smart Toast Toaster (Model: BTA830)
I love my Breville but, it’s not the long one. I slice the artisan bread in half to toast in both slots. Great for bagels and English muffins.
I feel this toaster test should have included BAGEL toasting mode. We own the previous model white PLASTIC Breville and it will BLACKEN in bagel mode unless it is set to the lowest possible power AND monitored very closely!
Cool
How deep does the slots go down on the Breville toaster?
Dualit!
I have a Dualit and will never switch.
You didn't try the top of the line toatsers like Belmuda or Mittsubishi they cost upwards to $400 and the one only toast 1 piece. They are very big in japan
For $250, I expect unparalleled excellence, without exception!
For $250, I would expect the machine to mill the grain, mix and knead the dough, bake, slice AND toast the bread, and serve it with bacon and scrambled eggs at my bedside!
I love toast...let's get toasted.....with salted butter of course😁
I think the most frustrating part of the toasters I've owned is that the first toast to come out is NEVER the measure for how the toast will come out right after that. I never remember to preheat my toaster. I always burn the second batch. :)
I have the shorter version of the Breville, and I think it takes into account of preheating
Y'know what? I want the highest setting to burn white sliced bread pretty thoroughly. Because how else are you going to get a decent browning on something that doesn't toast so readily?
Why toasters put "toast levels" instead of time, is the question. Test our breads and know your timing. Stoves don't come with egg styles on them.
I agree. Some toasters actually have a sensor, but I think not many new ones do
Try this (real world): family of 6, all eating approximately same and overlapping times, each wanting 2 slices of whatever, widely varying color gradations of toasted bread/bagel/Eggo/muffin/etc, widely varying order of service. What toaster do you recommend?
Can you please do a test of a Dualit toaster?
The winning Breville toaster is misrepresented. The model shown is not $80 but $130+. If you want to pay $80 you get a regular 2-slice toaster (Amazon)
I love the idea of clear sides, but can anyone who owns one say if the sides remain clear after many uses?
The best solution I've found for toasting oversized bread is my cast iron skillet.
I’ve been looking for a really good waffle maker for a long time, preferably one that makes four at a time. From the reviews I’ve seen it’s really difficult to choose, would love to see you review some for us.
Get an old cast iron one.
There's really a toaster named SMEG? Those of us who watched Red Dwarf are rolling over laughing.
yea...can't get past the name..lol
You should test the Revolution R180 toaster
3:04 You've got to be kidding. There's a toaster manufacturer by the name of _Smeg_ ? What the pho!
I got rid of the Brevile it toasted bread way darker on one side all the time. After a year stopped working all together.
What do you do with all that toast?
why is it an issue if the darkest setting burns toast? just turn it down. I have had the other issue with toasters - the darkest setting barely toasts at all. the breville looks nice, but does not seem to toast sufficiently
The Breville toaster you list at $80? Your link goes to Amazon where it ranges between $110 - $140. That’s a big difference!
Need to figure out the cost of that Breville. I had a $70 toaster oven in college that was much more even.
A toast to Hannah and Lisa for helping us see which brands are crusty or crumby and which brands are worth the bread.
My $8.00 toaster works just fine.
I'm looking for a toaster that will accommodate a tall bread machine slice.
As am I!
Should have tested a Dualit as well