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It was one of the few models that browned the top of bread at lower settings. When we turned the dial up, brown quickly turned to black on the edges of the toast and bagel. You have to watch this toaster carefully unless you prefer your toast on the dark side. It’s also very, very expensive, leaving you to decide if you’d rather have a pop-up toaster or multi-function toaster oven for the same price. While there is a four-slice model, the price is higher and it still only has a single lever and set of controls, making for somewhat more difficult handling. The crumb tray was deep enough to hold big crumbs, and the toaster has adjustable rear feet to ensure it sits level on your counter.
We also kept these criteria in mind as we slathered slice after slice with butter. Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication. Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016.
Home Toaster Oven #3:
Only toaster ovens that passed all the standards above made it into this final review. So, you can rest assured that the model you choose from this enumeration will meet all your cooking needs and requirements. You'll also want to think about what you'll be using your toaster oven for most often. If you like toast with your coffee each morning, prioritize a toaster oven with a precise preset. If you like to broil things like hamburgers, make sure you get a toaster oven with a high top rack position just 2 or 3 inches underneath the heating elements.
Beyond performance, there are several considerations to make before buying a toaster such as size, functionality, design and overall value. I hauled in a whole lot of bread to see how fast and evenly each oven made this breakfast and sandwich staple. It typically retails for $200, which I view as solid value considering the quality, versatility and performance of this countertop oven. David lives in Brooklyn where he's logged more than a decade writing about all things edible, including meal kits and meal delivery subscriptions, cooking, kitchen gear and commerce. These days, he's likely somewhere trying the latest this or tasting the latest that - and reporting back, of course.
Toaster oven specs
Given its larger size, we weren’t surprised that It wasn’t the fastest to preheat, though it was faster than the similarly bulky Panasonic FlashXpress. Lastly, it doesn’t have an air fryer mode, though we found its high convection gave crispy results comparable to the models we tested that did offer the popular setting. The two-slot Cuisinart CPT Slice Compact Plastic Toaster and its four-slot counterpart, the CPT Slice Compact Plastic Toaster, produce the best toast for your money, hands down. These inexpensive toasters browned bread, bagels, and waffles better than all of the competition in their price range. Unlike some other cheap toasters, the Cuisinarts have slots that are wide enough to fit thick, hand-cut bagels without requiring you to push them down yourself.
She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013 and lends her experience working at kitchen appliance companies where she helped develop popular air fryers and such recipes. For this roundup, she conducted toaster, toaster oven and air fryer toaster oven testing and analyzed data. Which option is best depends on how many slices you need to make and what space you have. If you're making toast for many people, having only two slices can make it a hassle.
What to consider when choosing the best toaster for you
The most common types of slot toasters are two- and four-slot toasters. Obviously, 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.
You can turn the dial at the front of the toaster to increase the toasting time. There is also an insert at the top of the toaster which can be used to heat up pastries without forcing them into the toaster slot. We enjoyed the bagel setting, but keep in mind that you need to place the two slices facing away from each other to use this mode, which feels counter-intuitive. It's not just a pretty face, either, as the six browning levels allow you to create the perfect toast. The neat, compact design can integrate into both small and large kitchens alike.
While our tester appreciated the extra features, she warned that the "smart" designation might be a bit misleading. Everything about the Cuisinart Classic CPT-180 toaster screams high quality. It’s got an attractive stainless steel exterior and four slots with versatile defrost, reheat, and bagel settings. In our tests it toasted quickly and evenly and we were impressed with how it performed on both bread and bagels. It has a removable crumb tray, but you can only access this from the back.
Packed with smarts, June Oven has a full 12 cooking modes and packs a technological punch. My daughter in particular loved the shells, which were lightly toasted on the outside just like my mother-in-law makes. The burrito bowls were great, and the whole process of assembly and cooking took significantly less time than a home-cooked meal from scratch. Like other fresh food subscription services, its meals arrive in a chilled shipping box. Each contains cooking trays, ingredients, and simple instructions for preparing and assembling the meal. A few of those are self-explanatory (a toaster should toast, what else is there to say?) but others require some unpacking.
Use the toaster oven's instructions carefully in order to preserve it for the longest time possible. Sharp objects, such as forks and knives, should not be stuck in the slots. The toaster should be turned upside down so that any leftover crumbs can be shaken out.
The size of your toaster is another big differentiator and something to carefully consider. There are large countertop ovens that can fit a whole chicken and itty-bitty models best for bread and the odd frozen waffle or personal pizza. Like the smart oven itself, those meal kits are awfully expensive, with dinner for two ranging from $28 to $45.
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