Brown Bread, Bagels, and More With the Best Toasters We Tested

Final Verdict

We think every kitchen would benefit from having the Cuisinart 4-Slice Touchscreen Toaster because it's easy to use and performed well in our tests. If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, we recommend the Black+Decker 2-Slice Extra-Wide Slot Toaster.

How We Tested Toasters

We sent toasters to our home testers and also tested them in our Lab using various types of breads, including bagels, waffles, and more. We tested 20 four-slice toasters in our Lab in addition to over a dozen two-slice toasters. Each toaster was rated on design, performance, features, ease of cleaning, and overall value. Our testers then offered additional insights on each toaster's strengths and weaknesses. The results varied widely, with ratings ranging from 2.4 all the way up to 5.

Types of Toasters

Toaster Ovens

While the focus of this buying guide is slot toasters, it’s worth noting what differentiates a toaster from a toaster oven. Toaster ovens (which are small countertop ovens) do not have the slots of a classic toaster. Instead, there's a door and a small oven that can handle bread and bagels, roasting vegetables and meats, broiling fish, heating frozen pizza, making baked goods, and warming up leftovers. Some toaster ovens even have air frying and dehydrating functions.

While these typically occupy much more counter space than a slot toaster, you get more functions. This appliance may be worth it to you if you can see yourself relying on the appliance for more than just toast. A regular oven can do everything that most toaster ovens can, but toaster ovens use less electricity, heat up your kitchen less, and are great for smaller items if you don't want to take the time to preheat a full-size oven.

Slot Toasters

The most common types of slot toasters are two- and four-slot toasters. Two-slot toasters are more compact, which is ideal for a kitchen that’s short on space. Four-slot toasters are bigger and allow larger families to crank out fresh toast at the same time. The number of slots should not affect the evenness or consistency of the bread that you’re toasting; the quality of toast from a two-slice toaster is just the same as a four-slice toaster. Two-slice toasters are also ideal because they’re lighter and easier to maintain and clean.

What to Look for in a Toaster

Number of Slots

Most toasters offer two or four slots for toasting bread. When choosing what you need, consider how frequently you make toast and how much you like to make. If you’re consistently cooking breakfast for four and only have a toaster that can accommodate two slices of bread, the process will be time-consuming. That said, the more slots you opt for, the more counter space the appliance will take up. If kitchen space is limited, a smaller two-slot toaster may be a better option, despite its smaller capacity.

Slot Width

Once you’ve decided how many slots you want out of your toaster, the next characteristic to consider is the size of those slots. If you’re just planning to toast up thin pieces of sandwich bread, then a basic-sized slot should be fine. If you’ll be toasting bigger items like bagels, heartier slices of bread, croissants, or waffles, a wider slot is probably your better option.

Typically, the wider and larger the slot, the more likely it is to have settings for toasting on just one side. This is optimal for bagels. Toasters with long slots can toast longer slices of artisan bread or long pieces of French bread for sandwiches. In our tests, toasters that boasted a bagel setting but had too narrow of slots to actually fit a bagel received low scores.

Functionality

If you’re just looking for an appliance to crisp up a slice of sandwich bread, it may not be worth your money, counter space, and mental clarity to have a field of extra buttons to squint at in the morning. If you’re planning to use your toaster for more, however, you may appreciate the special functions for defrosting frozen items, toasting on one side (ideal for bagels), keeping toast warm after it’s done, or gently reheating the toast you forgot about (it happens to the best of us).

Motorized or High Lift

Some toasters are equipped with motorized levers that can sense when you drop bread into the slot and will lower the lever automatically. While this feature can be nice, most users find that using a manual lever is just as easy. Removable crumb trays also make for a much easier cleaning process.

Other toasters have levers to lift the finished toast extra high so you don't have to fish out your toast with your fingers or other objects.

Material

The material that your toaster is made of will be a good indicator of how hot it will get while it’s being used. Plastic toasters can tend to feel like they're on the cheaper side, even though these models can still offer the bells and whistles of higher-end versions. Plastic is generally less durable than metal, and when the control buttons and levers are made of plastic, they’re more likely to break.

Metal toasters are the most common because this material is sturdier. It’s important to look for a toaster that will remain cool to the touch during use, especially if you have small children around. The least common material is glass, which allows you to see your food as it’s toasting but often leaves a white rim and vertical lines across the bread.

Accessories

If you find yourself with a toaster that doesn’t have a high-lift function, you can always get a pair of bamboo tongs. This way, you don’t have to worry about burning your fingers when it’s time to take your toast out. While it might go without saying, never stick metal tongs inside a toaster. Plastic isn't the best option either, as it may melt if it comes into contact with the hot inner workings of your machine.

A fun accessory for your toaster is a sandwich cage, which helps keep your sandwich together as you lower it down into the toaster slot and let it cook. When you lift it up, your sandwich comes out easily in one piece.

If you have a toaster that doesn’t have a removable crumb tray, it might be worthwhile to get a brush to help dust off the hard-to-reach places in the toaster. The last thing you want is a large pile-up of stale crumbs burning at the bottom of your toaster.

FAQs

What do the numbers on a toaster mean?

The answer to this depends on your toaster; if you purchased a timer-style toaster, the numbers refer to the number of minutes it will toast. These tend to be the more expensive brands, like Smeg.

If your model runs on a capacitor, like a toaster most people own, the numbers refer to a rate of resistance. This correlates to the amount of time it takes the capacitor to charge and pop your toasted item out. Older models operate on a bimetallic strip that bends as they heat up, and the numbers on these types of toasters refer to how much electricity goes through the switch. Lower numbers equate to higher current, which heats up quicker and leaves your toast less toasty.

What does the bagel setting on a toaster do?

Toasters are constructed with two heating elements to toast both sides simultaneously. A bagel setting powers down the outer heating element to produce a crusty inside and just-warmed outside of your bagel.

How do you clean a toaster/toaster oven?

Cleaning your toaster is important if you want your appliance to last as long as possible. The most important thing when it comes to cleaning a toaster is to make sure that it is completely cooled down and unplugged when you begin cleaning. Never put it in a dishwasher or under running water. The frequency that you’ll need to clean your toaster will depend on how often you use it. If you use it on most days, it’s good to get in the habit of clearing out the crumbs every week or two.

To clean a toaster, just unplugging and cooling it, shaking any crumbs loose, and wiping off the exterior will usually suffice. This can be done anytime you notice crumbs and fingerprints accumulating. Most toasters are designed with a removable crumb tray, which you’ll find near the base. This tray is positioned to catch all of the particles that fall as you toast your bread. For deeper cleaning, you can mix up a solution of water, dish soap, and some vinegar for the exterior and brush crumbs away from the interior while the toaster is unplugged.

To clean a toaster oven, unplug it, remove and wash racks or trays if they're dirty, and shake the oven to remove crumbs from the interior. You can also mix up a quick cleaning solution and apply it to a sponge or cloth to wipe off the interior and exterior.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Anthony Irizarry is a freelancer who writes roundups for The Spruce Eats. Having previously worked as an appliance reviews editor, he's no stranger to kitchen appliances.

This article was updated by Katya Weiss-Andersson, a writer and editor who has nearly a decade of experience as a professional chef. Katya is a New Yorker and unapologetic carb eater who loves a good toasted bagel and toasting up slices of sourdough rye bread from her local farmer's market.