The 10 Best Toasters to Toast Any Bread to Perfection

Composite of toasters — Photo:
Courtesy of Amazon, Crate & Barrel

If you find joy in the little things, a perfectly golden-brown slice of toast certainly qualifies. And given the enormous selection of toasters on the market, you'd think it would be easy. But let's face it: Not all toasters are created equal. Some of them run hot. Some of them run cool. Some of them are just plain hard to clean, with crumbs pooling at the bottom and the residual char intensifying with every use.

But we believe in a Goldilocks toaster that gets the job done just right every time. And we're here to help you find it—whatever that looks like for you.

KitchenAid 4-Slice Toaster

Four extra-wide slots make the KitchenAid 4-Slice Toaster an attractive option for your kitchen counter. Adjustable shade control, a manual lift lever, and a bagel setting mean that you'll never have a problem removing bread from your toaster or getting your bagel toasted just right.

$80 at Amazon

All-Clad TJ822D51 2-Slice Stainless Steel Digital Toaster

All-Clad 2-Slice Stainless Steel Digital Toaster — Courtesy of Amazon

The All-Clad Stainless Steel Digital Toaster features four different toasting modes (reheat, defrost, bagel, and more time) and five adjustable levels of toasting shades. The wide slots can hold breads of all thicknesses, and the removable crumb tray means easy cleaning.

$130 at Amazon

Cuisinart CPT-720 2-Slice Digital Toaster with MemorySet Feature

The MemorySet feature on the Cuisinart Digital Toaster will make mornings much easier. The toaster will remember your favorite toaster settings with just the tap of a button. You can also customize the settings to the specific type of bread you're toasting—white, grain, bagel, sweet, waffles, English muffin, and gluten-free.

$70 at Amazon

Krups Breakfast Set Stainless Steel Toaster 4 Slice

This four-slice toaster has dual independent control panels so that you can adjust shade levels while simultaneously toasting multiple pieces of bread. Six shade levels and four controls make toasting bread and bagels for the whole family a breeze on busy mornings.

$80 at Amazon

ZWILLING Enfinigy Cool Touch Toaster 4 Slice

Never accidentally burn yourself again with this cool-touch toaster. Four slots mean you can toast bread for the whole family at the same time, while three pre-set options, seven browning levels, and an automatic shut-off guarantee perfect toast each time.

$180 at Amazon

Smeg Cream 2-Slice Retro Toaster

If aesthetics are a major factor when it comes to choosing your appliances—there's no shame in that!—the retro-inspired SMEG toaster makes a fun statement piece. In colors including mint green, bubblegum pink, and cream, its curved mid-century lines evoke a spirit of the good old days. With six browning levels and three pre-set programs, it's no slouch in the function department, either. Extra-wide slots make this toaster bagel-friendly, and a removable crumb tray ensures that cleaning is a snap.

$200 at Crate & Barrel

Oster 2-Slice Metropolitan Collection Rose Gold Toaster

If you're dealing with limited counter space, this small appliance measures just 7-by-9 inches at its base and ensures that you won't have to stop living large when it comes to breakfast. Nine unique shade settings help you prepare your toast just the way you like it, including a defrost mode to toast items straight from the freezer and a bagel option that automatically adjusts for the extra thickness.

"I find a toaster particularly useful for toasting frozen bread. Because I live alone, whole loaves of bread tend to get moldy before I can finish them, so I store my bread in the freezer and pop a slice or two into the toaster whenever I need it," says Emily Fedner, a self-proclaimed "carb-lover," cook, and food writer. (And also a fan of this toaster.)

Elegant rose gold accents will blend perfectly with any copper in your kitchen or make a lovely statement all by themselves.

$60 at Amazon

Balmuda The Toaster

When it comes to technology, most toasters don't stray far from the traditional heated coil interior (though some execute it better than others). This toaster raises the standard, using steam technology and precise temperature control to create distinct settings for perfectly browning sandwich bread, artisan bread, pizza, pastries, or even serving as an oven. The quick-heating steam technique toasts the item's surface while keeping its inner moisture and flavor from escaping. It's perfect for the foodie who takes their baked goods very seriously, and its sleek matte black finish looks nice on the counter, too.

$300 at Amazon

Breville A Bit More 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster

Any toaster you opt for should have one basic function: toast. Anyone who has delighted in baking a crusty country loaf has likely felt frustrated while attempting to squeeze it into a toaster slot made for tiny commercial-grade slices. The folks behind Breville's A Bit More toaster know the struggle, which is why they've created a toaster with extra-wide, extra-long slots to accommodate large slices of homemade bread, thick bagels, or dense pastries that require a bit more wiggle room. Settings like "A Bit More" (which adds an extra touch of brownness) and "Lift and Look" ensure that your goodies are toasted exactly to your liking.

$100 at Crate & Barrel

Revolution InstaGLO R180 2-Slice High Speed Smart Toaster

Revolution InstaGLO R180 High Speed Smart Toaster — Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

Now that we've got smartphones and smart houses, it was only a matter of time until smart toasters made an appearance. This toaster ushers in a new age of breakfast with a high-speed touchscreen and smart sensors that customize the heating process based on bread type, voltage level, and toaster temperature. Choose from bread, bagel, waffle, English muffin, or toaster pastry settings, then select your ideal shade and level of crispness. Bonus: The screen doubles as a digital clock on your counter.

$350 at Williams-Sonoma

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