A toaster is a simple appliance, you may think – can you even get a bad one? Toast is toast, right?

Sadly not. In our latest lab test of 71 popular toasters, we reviewed some serious bread winners, but also uncovered a lot of crummy contenders. These are the models that won’t be the toast of the town anytime soon.

Lowest scoring toasters in our test

Alessi Plisse Electric Toaster MDL08 B/AU

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 52%
• Toasting evenness score: 30%
• Price: $235

This stylish number may look swish sitting on your kitchen bench, but its performance is shockingly bad for a toaster with such a high price tag.��

In fact, our testers were so bemused by how poorly this model performed in our tests, they thought they had a faulty product and bought a replacement to test instead. Unfortunately, the replacement didn’t perform much better! 

����Vlog test expert Adrian Lini says: “This toaster may look stylish but it struggles to toast bread at even the highest setting, and bread that is any denser than white bread will require two runs.” 

The only good points worth noting are that it has very good controls and the crumb tray is excellent to clean (although the unique exterior is tricky to clean). 

But since it’s so poor at doing its one job, perhaps you’ll never use it and it can remain pristine and looking good in your kitchen.

Read the full Alessi Plisse Electric Toaster review.

Sunbeam Simply Shine 4 Slice Toaster TAP4004BK

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 52%
• Toasting evenness score: 30%
• Price: $100

It may look fancy and shiny, but you won’t be toasting the success of this Sunbeam number when it comes to your morning slice. 

If you like your toast evenly browned, it will disappoint: it scored only 30% for this test. 

Plus, our testers say it’s only OK at toasting a single slice of bread. With a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 52%, it falls far behind all but one of the other toasters we’ve tested.��

That’s a lot of bench space to waste on something that doesn’t really do what it’s supposed to (not to mention there are better things you could spend $100 on). Next! 

Read the full Sunbeam Simply Shine 4 Slice Toaster review.

Milantoast 2 Slice Toaster

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Toasting evenness score: 20%
• Price: $490

Yep, you read that price tag correctly. 

This toaster will set you back $490, and one of the reasons it’s so expensive is because the manufacturer promises that it “will last forever” as all of its parts can be serviced or replaced.

It has a five-year warranty for parts and a 10-year warranty for labour. Considering that most models only have a one- or two-year warranty, Milantoast’s offering shows that the company stands behind its product and service.

Our testers had quite a few positive things to say about this appliance: it’s excellent at toasting a single slice of bread, good at toasting frozen bread, has a relatively short toasting time, and boasts a high-quality metal build.

But unfortunately it didn’t do well in other aspects of our testing: it doesn’t brown toast evenly, it’s poor at toasting multigrain bread, and it delivers inconsistent results from one cycle to another.

Our testers rated it just 20% for how evenly it browns toast – the lowest score of all 71 toasters in our review.

If appliance longevity is important to you, you may be able to get better results from the Milantoast with a bit of perseverance. Read more about the Milantoast, or view the full Milantoast 2 Slice Toaster review.

Sunbeam Arise 4 Slice Long Slot Toaster

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 55%
• Toasting evenness score: 40%
• Price: $129

Sunbeam unfortunately has two entrants into our bottom five, with this cheaper model another underwhelming performer. 

When you consider that five of the 10 toasters recommended by our experts cost less than this one, it’s clear that there are other more affordable options you’d be better off spending your money on. 

Our testers gave a thumbs up to the fact this toaster is easy to use with very good controls and a crumb tray that’s very easy to clean, but it received poor scores for toasting single slices of bread, browning evenly and toasting multigrain bread.

Read the full Sunbeam Arise 4 Slice Long Slot Toaster review.

Bugatti Volo Toaster 13-SVOLOC1/AU

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 56%
• Toasting evenness score: 40%
• Price: $359

Another futuristic-looking toaster that doesn’t live up to modern-day toasting standards, this Bugatti is a prime example of why you should thoroughly research an appliance before you buy it, especially when it costs $359!

For this much money, you’d almost expect to have your toast delivered to you perfectly buttered, and on a silver platter. But instead you can expect inconsistently browned toast and a depleted bank account.

Even a $7.50 Kmart Anko toaster performed better than this luxury appliance, which tells you just about everything you need to know about it.

The Bugatti name is generally associated with racing cars that have multi-million dollar price tags. 

The maker of this Bugatti, however, is an entirely different company that makes appliances and kitchenware (also at eye-watering prices).

Regardless of which Bugatti made this toaster, it’s certainly not going to be winning any races.

Read the full Bugatti Volo Toaster review.

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What about $400?

No, really. Our experts have put several toasters in the hot seat that cost $400+ to see if their performance is on par with their price tag.

The verdict? In some cases the answer is a firm “no”; in others it’s a solid “maybe”, depending on your priorities.

We’ll explain why these toasters are so expensive, how they performed in our testing, and whether they’re worth your money.

On this page:

• The exxy toaster to avoid
• A lifetime investment: Repairable toasters
• Is the $459 Breville Eye Q Auto any good?
• Is the $490 Milantoast worth the money?
• Is the $525 Dualit NewGen worth the money?
• Are cheap toasters any good?
• The verdict

The exxy toaster to avoid

Spending $400 on a toaster might seem like a questionable idea, but you know what’s even more questionable? Spending $400 on a toaster that’s not very good at its one job.

Enter the Bugatti Volo: a $439 toaster that’s one of the lowest scoring models in our review.

While the name makes it sound like it’s made by the excruciatingly expensive car brand, it’s actually an entirely different company that makes kitchen products.

Its eye-watering price tag might seem excessive, but this is actually the cheap version. If you thought $400 was too much for a toaster, how does $800 sound?

We bought the $439 white model for our testing, but if you’re feeling especially fancy you can drop $799 on a gold or rose gold version. 

In Europe you can even pick up a denim, newspaper, leather or embossed gold or black version for a cool €900. Wow.

We checked with the manufacturer and the only difference between the white version and the more expensive models is the coating – which means that no matter how much you pay for a Bugatti Volo, you’ll get the same performance.

And that performance is in no way proportionate to its price tag.

With a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 56%, the Bugatti Volo is one of the lowest scoring toasters in our review, which has earned it a place in our list of toasters to avoid. 

It was even outclassed by a $7.50 Kmart toaster on virtually every test we conducted. Awkward.

So what’s so bad about it?

Our experts rated it as ‘Poor’ for toasting evenness and for cooking both multigrain bread and frozen bread. It’s slightly better at turning out the same coloured toast cycle after cycle and at toasting a single slice of bread, but it still only scored 55% on these tests.

Oh, and it’s difficult to clean – so you’ll spend all that money for a flash toaster but you’ll struggle to keep it looking flash.

“The Bugatti didn’t look or feel any different in terms of build quality from other generic-brand toasters we’ve tested,” says ����Vlog expert tester Adrian Lini.

“It’s made in China like cheaper toasters and there were minor defects in the appearance that aren’t in keeping with a high-quality, expensive designer product.

“If you compare that to the Dualit and Milantoast, they’re both made in their brand’s country of origin (the UK and Italy respectively), which is rare these days, and all of their components are made from metal where possible.”

Plus it only has a two-year warranty, which is pretty standard for most toasters, but then most toasters don’t cost anywhere near this much.

If it fails after those two years, you could be left with an expensive paperweight.

(Given the price, you could argue that you should receive a repair, replacement or refund under the Australian Consumer Law for a longer period of time, as a reasonable person would expect an expensive toaster to last more than two years, but you may have a battle on your hands considering that companies frequently flout consumer law.)

So where’s the value? We’re not sure really. The aesthetic? (Questionable.) The brand? (It’s not *that* Bugatti.) The cred of owning an $800 toaster? (Some people must be impressed by that kind of thing.) 

If you have this much dough to drop on a toaster, our experts suggest you don’t spend it on this one.

Is the $459 Breville Eye Q Auto any good?

Toasters are generally pretty simple appliances, but Breville has recently developed a futuristic machine for making high-tech toast.

The Eye Q Auto uses optical sensors rather than a timer to cook the bread to your preferred toastiness. It keeps an eye on how brown your toast is and once it’s the right shade, it stops toasting.

Breville says the sensors scan the bread ten times a second to check your toast’s progress.

But does something as straightforward as toast really need such fancy technology? Our experts aren’t convinced. They trialled it on various types of bread and the results were mixed.

Their verdict? It’s a lot of money for an appliance that doesn’t seem to deliver results worthy of its $459 price tag. (There’s also a four-slice version that’s $629!)

We will be putting it through its paces using our rigorous test methods later this year, comparing it alongside traditional toasters, so stay tuned for the full results.

In the meantime, here are our experts’ initial thoughts: Is the Breville Eye Q Auto toaster worth it?

A lifetime investment: Repairable toasters

While the Bugatti Volo is more about style than substance, the makers of the Milantoast and Dualit NewGen had a firm focus on substance when they designed these two toasters. 

That’s not to say they lack style – but there’s more to them than just a slick exterior.

They aren’t quite the Ferraris (or Bugattis) of the toaster world – although with prices that high you could be forgiven for thinking so. Rather, they’re more like the Teslas of toast: environmentally friendly, but a big upfront investment.

• Dualit NewGen 4 Slice Toaster D4VMHA: $580
• Dualit NewGen 2 Slice Toaster D2VMHA AU: $450
• Milantoast 2 Slice Toaster AU7205: $490

Why so expensive?

They’re designed so that every component can be replaced or repaired, so instead of having to chuck your toaster out when the element dies or the lever stops working, you can just get it fixed and then continue on your merry toasty way. 

Both Dualit and Milantoast claim the toasters will last a lifetime, so you’ll be saving the many toasters you would otherwise buy over the years from ending up in landfill. 

So are these toasters worth 500 bucks? It really depends on your priorities – and your budget. For many of us, a $500 toaster just isn’t affordable. However, if you’ve got cash to burn but don’t want the planet to, it might seem like a good investment in the future.

Is the $490 Milantoast worth the money?

Spending almost $500 on a toaster is a serious investment, so how does the Milantoast stack up?

Not well, unfortunately.

Like the Bugatti, the Milantoast makes it into our hall of shame for being one of the lowest scoring toasters in our review.

With a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 54%, it only out-scored a $29 Kmart toaster by a miniscule one percentage point. It scored just 20% for toasting evenness – the same as another Kmart Anko toaster.

But one of the most noticeable issues with this toaster was toasting consistency (whether it delivers the same level of toastiness cycle after cycle).

The Milantoast is designed to save energy by holding the heat from the first toasting cycle, which means it doesn’t need to run as long for subsequent cycles.

This means that the first cycle takes significantly longer, and then you need to reduce the cooking time for the next cycles (or you could end up with burnt toast). 

In our toasting consistency test this meant that in the first run, it produced undercooked toast, and then its residual heat meant that the remaining cycles produced inconsistent results. 

We also tested the toaster using Milantoast’s suggested method, which involves reducing the toasting time for subsequent cycles.

The results were slightly better but still inconsistent.

While the Milantoast’s potential lifespan certainly is a positive, it could work out to be a negative: do you really want to spend a lifetime with an expensive toaster that doesn’t toast well?

Is the $580 Dualit NewGen worth the money?

Another repairable toaster, the Dualit NewGen can also be pulled apart and have its parts repaired or replaced.

For around $100 more than the two-slice Milantoast, you’ll get four toast slots with the larger model, a five-year warranty – and far better performance. (The two-slice Dualit NewGen is $450.)

It did well on many of our tests, particularly tests for toasting evenness and consistency, but was less impressive at toasting frozen bread.

Its simplicity is a big drawcard in that it makes the toaster easy to repair, but it can also be a drawback – its manual design means that you’ll have to be more involved in the toasting process.

That’s not likely to be an issue for engaged home cooks, but if you’re not a morning person you might be better off sticking with a toaster that’ll do all the work for you.

Are cheap toasters any good?

Four of the 10 toasters recommended by our experts cost less than $100, so clearly you don’t need to spend a fortune to get great results. 

However, there’s no guarantee that cheaper appliances will last a long time, which means you may have to replace them after a couple of years. That’s a lot of toasters going into landfill!

According to our research, a regular toaster will last anywhere from two to six years, depending on how much you spend on them – higher-end toasters do tend to last longer, while cheaper ones often have a shorter lifespan. 

(This is just a rough guide: even expensive toasters can fail before their time, and cheaper ones can kick on for years.)

The verdict

If you have $500 to spend on a two-slice toaster and sustainability is important to you, then the Dualit NewGen could be a good investment (it’s certainly a better option than the Milantoast), whereas spending that money on the Bugatti makes no sense at all.

And the technology in the Breville Eye Q Auto could use some work before it delivers toast worthy of its high price tag. It’s also a new product and it’s not clear yet how replaceable or repairable it is.

But while the Dualit NewGen might save you money in the long term, for some, the upfront cost will be too much.

If the $500 price tag is out of reach for you, you’re probably better off buying a good-quality toaster that you shouldn’t need to replace too quickly.

And since you’ll hopefully be toasting with it for five to six years, you’ll want to make sure it works well: check our reviews to find the best toasters.

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Toasters are a surprisingly controversial subject. Every time ����Vlog publishes our toaster reviews, people proudly declare their preferred shade of toasted bread on our social platforms. 

Many express shock at someone whose preference borders on charcoal, while others scoff at those who like it light and barely touched. 

Then there are the types of breads. Sliced white bread is so 1980s. Today it’s all about sourdough, multigrain (or multigrain sourdough), artisanal bread, waffles… the list goes on. Having to juggle all these toast variables in a regular timer-based toaster can be a challenge.

But what if there was a toaster that could sense what you toasted and stopped toasting when it reached your favourite shade, no matter how long that might take or what bread you used?

Enter the Breville boffins who say they’ve spent more than 10 years making this a reality. We tested the Breville Eye Q Auto toaster on a range of bread types to see if it worked, and got some interesting results. (Watch out for our full review later in the year, which will thoroughly compare its performance alongside other toasters.)

What’s special about the Breville Eye Q Auto toaster?

A conventional toaster uses a timer to determine how long to brown your toast. Toast times will vary depending on the toaster, and whether you’ve selected a higher (darker) or lower setting (lighter).

Generally, you’ll need to experiment to select the right level for you, and occasionally look and check to see how it’s going.

The Breville Eye Q Auto, on the other hand, dispenses with the idea of time (almost). After selecting your preferred brownness level, it gets to work using optical sensors to measure by colour. It “sees” how much darker your toast is before gently ejecting it when it’s done. Breville says that its sensors scan the toast ten times every second.

There’s also a mode for sourdough bread, a bread that is denser and more oddly shaped than a regular sliced loaf, and a crumpet mode that puts more heat on the dimpled side (this mode can also be used for bagels and English muffins).

The idea is that you don’t need to tweak the settings or check the bread mid-toast, and you can let the toaster do the watching for you, although there is a timer-based mode if you still need it.

For this review, we tried the Breville Eye Q on the usual white bread, but also expanded the test to include a range of foods it claims to work well with, including bagels, crumpets, sourdough and even Pop-Tarts.

First impressions

For this review, we tested the two-slice variation of the Eye Q, but it also comes in a four-slice mode ($629) with two lots of settings to accommodate a household’s different shade preferences.

It’s a sleek-looking appliance, with an automatic mechanism that works smoothly to raise and lower your toast and no pesky levers to trap crumbs – though it may take some getting used to having your toast slowly creep up rather than spring up when it’s done.

Settings at the side of the toaster include one central button to stop and start your toast. A long press of this button will activate sourdough mode. The plus and minus buttons underneath let you select one of seven shade levels, from low to high. There’s also a crumpet mode (which also works on bagels) and “a bit more” button if you need a little extra crunch.

White bread

Whenever we test toasters in our labs, they usually need a little tweaking to get the right levels of toasting. We aim for a particular shade of toast that’s on the darker side – much to the horror of many toast aficionados, but it helps us see how well the toaster works. 

After a few attempts with the Eye Q we found the shade we needed, but the results were fairly uneven, with some spots darker than others. The toast was still perfectly edible, but nothing a regular toaster couldn’t achieve.

How the sensors work

When in operation, peer down and you can see the optical sensors at work on one side of the toaster. This “scans” the shade of bread you start off with. The toasting will stop once the sensors see the colour change to your chosen level.

The sensors are only on one side of the toaster, as you’ll usually be putting the same type of bread in both slots (and having sensors on all sides would likely push the price up even more). So even though there is no timer, the toaster will still toast for a certain amount of time depending on the shade on one particular side.

If you’re only toasting one slide of bread, make sure you put it in the slot with the sensor, or it’ll think the toaster is empty.

Sourdough

Sourdough is a difficult piece of bread to toast at the best of times. It’s dense so it takes longer, there’s a dry crust all around it, and the loaves are typically oddly-shaped, with small and large slices alike. 

The sourdough mode is meant to tackle this style of toasting. 

On the supermarket shelves you’ll see different types of sourdough too, so to make things even more difficult we chose a nice loaf of multigrain sourdough that had slices of the same thickness, but different sizes.

On the larger slices of bread, it worked well. We got a nice crunchy exterior with soft insides, and on the whole the crust was not too hard or dry.

But to increase the challenge, we put one of the smallest pieces of sourdough into the side without the optical sensor, and a larger piece into the side with the sensor.

Our theory proved correct: the larger piece that the sensor was detecting was browning at a slower rate than the small one in the other slot.

When the small piece of sourdough began to send smoke rising from the toaster, we immediately cancelled the operation and ended the process prematurely, afraid to repeat the embarrassing moment of 2018 when this author and the smouldering edges of her artisan toast set off the smoke alarm in the ����Vlog building and led to an evacuation. Clearly, slices of huge variation in size definitely do not work.

Vienna bread

Next was the Vienna bread, which has a fluffy texture and thin crust. This bread had to be hand-cut, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that a left-handed person in possession of a serrated knife is going to slice that bread at a strange angle, because knives are usually designed for right-handed people. 

Breville’s “tips and tricks” video advises that “consistent slices will achieve consistent results”, and that a noticeably wonky slice creates an “uneven toasting canvas”. Not initially watching this video all the way through was our mistake. 

As a result, the bread got burnt around the edges and produced considerable smoke to frantically fan away. Sounds obvious, but even this smart toaster can’t outsmart bread sliced by a left-hander.

Crumpets and bagels

In crumpet mode, which can also be used for bagels, the toaster worked well, with the dense bagel still browning nicely on the cut side without losing the nice glow on the outside. 

The middle level for crumpets was quite “well done”, and while this may be some people’s preference, it’s hard to imagine what the highest level might end up tasting like.

Timer mode

For certain foods that only require re-heating and not browning, such as a cold slice of toast or a jam-filled Pop-Tart, there’s a timer mode accessed by double-pressing the start button and choosing a level.

However, there’s no actual countdown timer like you find on some higher-end models. Breville’s tips video explains that the first button is approximately 1 minute and 5 seconds, with each subsequent button adding around 16 seconds to the toast.

We tried it with a Pop-Tart, where the instructions on the box say to toast it on the “lowest” setting – but this setting varies from toaster to toaster. The Breville Eye Q’s lowest setting runs 1 minute and 5 seconds, while another toaster we compared it with is 1 minute 40. 

The Breville’s Pop-Tart was a bit cold according to our in-house Pop-Tart aficionado, so it probably needs a press of the “a bit more” function for that extra warmth and crunch.

Frozen bread

There’s no frozen bread or defrost setting on the Eye Q, because the toaster is designed to recognise change in shade no matter how cold the bread was to start with. 

We tried this test and got the same sort of result as the initial white bread test: it turned out OK, albeit uneven in parts, and didn’t take all that long to toast, either.

How does the Breville Eye Q compare to a normal toaster?

We also compared the toasted white bread from the Eye Q to another regular toaster, operating them side-by-side. Results from both toasters were similar, with slight unevenness on each side. 

Some of the crusts on the Eye Q bread that sat on the side without the sensor were looking a little more burnt than the results from the conventional toaster. 

How easy is the Breville Eye Q to use?

Because the Breville Eye Q works differently to other toasters, there is a slight learning curve (for example, long-pressing for sourdough mode) but it’s still pretty straightforward. 

Many features of modern toasters aren’t on this model by design. For example, there’s no option to “lift and check” your toast halfway through to see if it’s done; the toaster’s meant to do away with that necessity (though as we discovered, there were times when it would have been useful to see whether the crusts were burning).

Understandably, there’s also no countdown timer, though there is a flashing progress light that gives you an idea when the toast is going to emerge.

And the auto-lift mechanism is smooth and impressive, even though some observers declared it “creepy” to see the toast stealthily emerge from the slots instead of with the more familiar springing action.

Cleaning

We didn’t assess cleaning to our full ease-of-use method, but we noticed minimal cracks and crevices where crumbs might collect, and the large crumb tray is easy to remove and empty. The carriages are quite wide and crumbs are designed to fall straight through without getting caught into the carriage slots. The top of the toaster is ceramic-coated and easy to wipe down when needed.

Sustainability  

We’ve tested expensive toasters before from longstanding European brands Milantoast and Dualit, but these are at the other design extreme and have mechanical, replaceable components. While we found them fiddly to use, their high emphasis on repairability means they should last many years (albeit with parts and labour costs) before being consigned to landfill.

The Eye Q uses optical sensors that are usually found on products like smartphones and cameras, not toasters. Yet it only has a two-year warranty, in line with most of the mid-priced toasters we’ve tested. The instructions have little information about spare parts or repair beyond the standard notices applicable to all Breville products.

Is the Eye Q worth the money?

Supporting Aussie innovation is great and there are some things to like about this toaster. However, the price is not one of them, and the results for some breads weren’t earth-shatteringly impressive. A cheap model can do the job just fine once you get to know its quirks. 

If you’re using a lot of different types of bread, then the Eye Q can take a lot of the guesswork out of how long to toast it for, but then again, so can a little mid-toast glance or a little extra toasting time.

We will, however, give the Breville Eye Q a chance to display its true colours with a full in-depth review later in the year. 

We’re particularly interested to see its results for consistency of browning cycle after cycle. A lot of the heat retention in timer-based models means that a subsequent batch may turn out darker than intended. If the Eye Q does its job, it’ll know if the toast is already brown enough, and eject the toast at the right time.

Right now though, unless you’re splurging on absolutely everything in your new kitchen and want to show off some new tech, it’s not an absolute game-changer. But we know the Breville Eye Q will keep people talking about toasters!

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On this page:

• What is it?
• The Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker vs traditional methods
• How does it perform?
• How easy is it to use and clean?
• ����Vlog verdict

Enter the Kmart Anko Microwave Toastie Maker (also available at Target). A small, microwave-compatible gadget that can create a toasted sandwich without the fuss of using a sandwich press or jaffle maker. At first glance it looks a bit like a school lunchbox – but don’t be fooled, this colourful and compact design can create a toastie in next to no time.

We put it to the test, in our labs and at home with some toastie-loving kids to see if this sandwich-shaped gadget can replace a traditional sandwich press to give you a comfort food hit from your microwave.

What is it?

The Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker consists of two non-stick coated plates on the interior surfaces and a soft silicone exterior casing.

Simply make your sandwich, place it inside the toastie maker, close the two halves and clamp the silicone latches together (much like a sandwich container). Put it in the microwave to get a crispy toasted sandwich in minutes.

It can be placed in the dishwasher for cleaning and Kmart claims it’s made from BPA-free materials.

Kmart is selling it for $15 (also available at Target), but you can also pick up similar models from places like Big W, Harvey Norman and Bunnings and online from Amazon.

The Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker vs traditional methods

Wondering how the toastie maker measures up against using a traditional sandwich press or jaffle? We’ve weighed up the pros and cons.

Sandwich press

Sandwich presses come in two sizes – two-slice or four-slice. They generally have flat hot plates, but in some cases you may find ones with ribbed plates which give a more ‘char-grilled’ look.

Pros

• You can cook more than one sandwich at once (if you have a 4-slice you can cook up to 4 sandwiches).
• If it has a lockable top plate you can also cook things like eggs, bacon and pancakes.
• More versatility in the types of breads you can use.
• Some multi-function presses have a top plate that opens flat to create larger cooking surfaces and can be used to barbecue meats.

Cons

• They take up space on your benchtop.
• Can be bulky to store.
• They require more cleaning time.
• Need to preheat.

Jaffle maker

Unlike a sandwich press that has plates to press and toast a sandwich, jaffle makers have grooves on the top and bottom hotplates that clamp and seal the edges to create a ‘closed’ toasted sandwich.

Pros

• Usually more compact than a sandwich press
• You can cook more than one sandwich at once

Cons

• Limited bread types can be used.
• Overfilling can cause messy spills.
• Cleaning can be more fiddly and difficult.
• Need to preheat.

Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker

The microwave toastie maker looks more like a jaffle maker, but without the electrical cord and bulkier footprint.

Pros

• Compact in size.
• Quick and easy to use.
• No preheating required.
• Easy to clean.
• Easy to store.
• Comparatively inexpensive.

Cons

• Limited bread types can be used.
• Only accommodates standard bread slices.
• Might not get the crispy and crunchy results you’d get from a sandwich press or jaffle maker.

How does it perform?

����Vlog kitchen lab test

����Vlog home economist, Fiona Mair, put the microwave toastie maker to the test, making a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich.

The instructions say to cook in the microwave for two and a half minutes (for a 1000W microwave) and then flip the toastie maker and cook for a further one minute. Fiona found doing this gave a good result, the bread was evenly toasted but it wasn’t very crunchy and the filling wasn’t oozing.

She found cooking for two minutes on each side yielded the best result – the bread was evenly toasted with a slightly crunchy texture and oozing centre.

Fiona says: “To get the best results, you’ll need to make sure you flip the toastie maker. By doing this you’ll achieve even crispness on both sides of the sandwich.”

“You may need to experiment with cooking times as it will depend on your microwave wattage as well as the type and amount of fillings used. It’s also best not to overfill the toastie maker.”

Fiona checked how it performed without flipping and found the bread to be unevenly toasted with a soggy texture and filling that wasn’t oozing.

She also says “it’s best to eat the sandwich as soon as possible (once the filling has cooled slightly) as the texture can become soggy if left too long and the bread can become chewy”.

Hot tip: Remember to butter the outside surface of the bread. This will help to achieve ideal browning and extra golden results.

Home test

To get another perspective, I decided to try the toastie maker at home to see if it lived up to the expectations of my toastie-loving kids.

My 10- and 7-year-old enjoyed the novelty of the toastie maker but it didn’t produce a sandwich that was “crunchy enough” for their liking.

My husband, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised by the results and particularly liked how quick it was to use and that it would take up much less space than our bulky 4-slice sandwich press.

How easy is it to use and clean?

The Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker is very easy to use and clean. The silicone exterior doesn’t get hot, so it can be safely handled without gloves when you need to flip it and remove it from the microwave.

The silicone can also be easily wiped over. The hot plates are easy to remove and then reinsert into the silicone sleeves and can be cleaned either in the kitchen sink or in the dishwasher.

As an added bonus, the toastie maker is compact and very easy to store.

����Vlog verdict

We’ve tested 12 sandwich presses in our kitchen lab, and most perform well in our testing. They aren’t an overly complicated appliance but they can be bulky, so if benchtop space is tight and storage space is even tighter, then the Kmart Anko Microwave Toastie Maker (also available in Target) is an inexpensive and space-saving alternative.

However, it is lacking in terms of versatility. If you want to be able to experiment with different types of breads (like focaccia for example) and like to layer on the fillings, you might find you’d be better off making space for a traditional sandwich press.

The post Is the $15 Kmart Microwave Toastie Maker any good? appeared first on ����Vlog.

People go wild for Aldi’s weekly Special Buys, and sometimes you can pick up some great deals: think budget bed-in-a-box mattresses, household appliances and even musical instruments for bargain prices.

But while the prices are good, sometimes the deals aren’t quite as great as they appear.��

If you’re looking to spruce up your kitchen, you might be tempted by Aldi’s deal this Wednesday 26 February: a ‘breakfast pack’ containing the matching DeLonghi Icona kettle and 2-slice toaster for $129.

Available in either a black or a white pair, it certainly looks like a hot deal, but will you get burnt if you take it up? We take a look at the pros and cons.

Pros of buying Aldi’s DeLonghi Icona pack

• $129 for both the DeLonghi Icona kettle and toaster is a significant discount from the recommended retail prices of these products. The RRP for a DeLonghi Icona kettle is $109 and for a DeLonghi Icona toaster is $139, which means you’ll save $119 by buying them together from Aldi.
• If you’re interested in a different colour, you can find the same DeLonghi Icona breakfast pack from $159 in alternative shades and finishes at other retailers, including The Good Guys and Harvey Norman.
• Appliances in the same colour can help tie your kitchen aesthetic together.

��DzԲ���of buying Aldi’s DeLonghi Icona pack

• You’ll need to go instore to buy. (If you’re keen on the pack and happy to pay more, you may be able to opt for delivery or click and collect through a different retailer.)
• Neither the DeLonghi Icona toaster or kettle scored particularly well in our expert tests.��
• Aldi Special Buys often sell out quickly, and it’s hard to tell whether your local store will have much stock.
• If you’re willing to consider other colours, you may find the individual items on sale elsewhere. For example, the DeLonghi website currently offers a 50% discount on the Icona kettle in red.

Things to consider before you buy

When we tested the DeLonghi Icona 2-slice toaster, we gave it a ����Vlog Expert Score of 69%.��

Our experts rated it ‘good’ or ‘very good’ at a number of tasks we tested it on, such as toasting frozen bread and producing the same toast colour cycle after cycle. But it received an ‘only OK’ score for evenly browning, and wasn’t great at toasting multigrain bread.��

There are ten 2-slice toasters in our current toaster review that received higher scores than this Icona model, with a few costing less than $60.��

The DeLonghi Icona kettle scores similarly with a ����Vlog Expert Rating of 67%.��

It was very noisy, slightly awkward to use (with a detached lid), and took a lengthy 3 minutes 30 seconds to boil. The kettles that receive our highest score on boiling time are around half a minute faster. On the other hand, our experts note that it has very good handle comfort and cord storage.��

You can compare the performance of almost 70 kettles in our current kettle review, including eight models we recommend under $80.��

The post Should you buy a DeLonghi toaster and kettle pack from Aldi? appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Fridges
• Coffee grinder
• Personal blender
• Kettles
• Toasters
• Stand mixer
• Microwave
• Dishwasher
• Cooktops
• Rangehoods
• Wall ovens
• Freestanding ovens
• Blender

Before you start deciding which Smeg colour you want to kit out your kitchen with, press pause for a moment: our rigorous testing shows not all of their products perform as well as you’d expect for the price you pay.

As much as matchy-matchy appliances might sound appealing, what you’ll gain in aesthetics you may lose in performance.��The good news, though, is that if you choose carefully, you can have both beauty and function.

“There’s more to a kitchen appliance than just good looks – our independent, comparative tests show that Smeg products aren’t always recommended, despite their retro appeal,” says ����Vlog appliance expert Kim Gilmour.

And even when Smeg appliances do perform well, they’re usually more expensive than some of the top scoring products, so you could spend less on a different brand and still get an appliance that delivers the same (or even better) performance.

We look at which Smeg products rate best, and which leave something to be desired.

The Smeg products to avoid

Fridges

Smeg has a reputation as a luxury brand, but it doesn’t always deliver bang for your buck.��

Its fridges are priced at the very upper end of the market, but they’re made by the same company that produces Beko fridges, which fall at the lower end of the price scale and often don’t perform well in our tests.��

“Looks aren’t everything, and considering that your fridge is a core kitchen appliance, you really need it to do its job well,” says ����Vlog whitegoods expert Denis Gallagher.

“Choosing a smart-looking fridge over a high-performing one can leave you with big power bills and food that goes off before it should – and perhaps worst of all, ice cream that’s melted or become icy from defrosting and refreezing.”

We’ve tested a few Smeg fridges over the years and while their retro design is certainly popular and eye-catching, we’ve found they can be all style and no substance.��

First there was the Smeg FAB38RCRAU, AKA “the worst fridge we’ve ever tested“, then the Smeg FAB32RRDNA1 retro-styled bottom-mount fridge, which had a price tag of over $3400 but failed its energy check. (They’ve both since been discontinued.)

And now there’s the $4000 Smeg FAB32RPB5AU which scored a shocking 0% for temperature stability and earned a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 43%.��

Coffee grinder

Most of us are prepared to pay a little extra for a quality product, but paying extra only to get a poor performance? 

Not our favourite thing.��

In our coffee grinder testing, we were surprised to find that the $389 Smeg burr grinder failed to outperform a $65 Breville blade grinder.��(In fact, it actually failed to outperform almost every other grinder we tested, coming in second-last place.)

That’s a particularly embarrassing result considering that burr grinders almost always outperform blade grinders.

Personal blender

Are you a green smoothie lover who wants to blend in style? We suggest you don’t buy this $199 Smeg number.

Despite its smooth looks, the Smeg will leave you lumped with lumpy drinks.��

To test their ability to make a green smoothie that’s actually smooth, our experts use each personal blender to blitz up fruit and vegetables, then pass it through a fine sieve to see how well it’s done its job.��

The Smeg’s attempt left so many chunks that our experts scored it just 50% – the lowest green smoothie score of all the personal blenders we tested. (And lower even than a $69 Kmart personal blender!)

Not only that, but it’s also the lowest scoring personal blender overall, sharing the wooden spoon with two $50 models. It’s four times the price of these basic blenders, which just shows how overpriced it is for the performance it delivers (or rather doesn’t).

Kettles

They may look the business, but the three 50s-style Smeg kettles we looked at didn’t impress our testers.��

Despite their steep cost – $199 for an 800mL ‘mini’ kettle up to $269 for the larger models – they only managed to score between 68% and 72% in our kettle reviews, and even the quietest boils at a noisy 60dB.��

If you’re after a kettle that does the job and won’t burn a hole in your pocket, check out our kettle reviews.

Toasters

Two of Smeg’s retro-styled toasters performed reasonably well across some of our toaster tests – but not quite well enough for us to recommend them, meaning they may not be worth their relatively high price tags.

But each of them delivered patchy performance, showing skill in some tests but underperforming on others.

The recently released $329 four-slice Smeg toaster left our testers cold, delivering unevenly-toasted slices and struggling with multigrain and frozen bread.

However, they all left our experts pleasantly surprised by how easy they are to operate and to clean.��

For their prices ($269, $299 and $329), they’re particularly expensive single-function appliances that aren’t solid performers.

If you’re not convinced about paying a premium price tag for a toaster, check our reviews to find the best toasters from our tests that won’t deplete your bank account.��

Stand mixer

Smeg’s $729-a-pop, 50s-style stand mixer may have the looks to rival a KitchenAid, but is its beauty mostly on the surface?

In short, yes. It didn’t impress in a number of tests, including ease of use and beating, and our experts found it was only OK for mixing a cake batter with the flex edge beater.

It was even outclassed by a $100 Kogan stand mixer.

It’s not the lowest scoring Smeg product we’ve ever seen, but for the same price (or even less!) you can pick up far better performers.

If you want a mixer that’s functional, not just decorative, see our kitchen mixer reviews.

The Smeg products to buy with caution

Microwave

At $430, the Smeg SA34MX microwave is at the pricier end of the scale. But does the cost translate to good performance? 

Not really.��

It actually scored pretty well on some of our tests, but for the price, you can do much better.��

Or you could even spend less and still get better performance: seven of the 16 microwaves recommended by our experts cost less than $300.��

Instead of paying $430 for a Smeg microwave, you could take out a 12-month ����Vlog membership for $83.95, pick up a ����Vlog recommended microwave for $300 and still come out ahead.��

It’s the same story with Smeg’s convection microwave: it’s $890, but you could pick up a hot performer for hundreds of dollars less.

For microwaves that won’t drain your bank balance, check our microwave reviews before you buy.��

Dishwasher

Another pricey product, Smeg’s dishwashers tend to sit at the upper end of the price range.��

But do they deliver? 

Well, they’re certainly not terrible, but for the price you could do better.��

In fact, we found that an $800 dishwasher performed very similarly to a $1390 Smeg in our dishwasher lab testing.��

See how Smeg compares with other brands in our dishwasher reviews.��

Cooktops

In news that will surprise nobody, Smeg’s gas cooktops sit at the more expensive end of the price range, from $1790 to $2590.��

The gas cooktops didn’t wow us but they weren’t terrible either – our experts rated them ‘Very good’ or ‘Excellent’ across a number of tests, and overall they were rated as ‘Good’.��

It’s a similar story with Smeg’s 60cm induction cooktop. It’s not the most expensive cooktop of the lot, but at $2790 it’s still pretty pricey, and costs more than some larger cooktops.��

And Smeg’s $1490 4-element ceramic cooktop is one of the more expensive for its size, but also has the lowest ����Vlog Expert Rating of all the ceramic cooktops in our review.

Plenty of cooktops that cost about the same or even less outperformed the Smeg products across all three cooktop types.

So before you rush out and buy one, do your research – you could pick up a much better performer for the price of a Smeg, or even save yourself some serious money on a higher-scoring model.

See our expert cooktop reviews to find out.��

Rangehoods

Rangehoods are another hit-and-miss category for Smeg.��

We’ve tested three models that range in price from $1250 to $1890.��

Somewhat surprisingly, the most expensive model is the worst performing, scoring just 64% overall in our expert tests. Other models perform quite well, but you can get similar (or even better) performance for a lot less money.��

To stop your money going up in smoke, check our rangehood reviews first.��

The Smeg products that are worth considering

Wall ovens

Ranging in price from $1790 to $2790, Smeg’s wall ovens certainly aren’t the cheapest on the market, but compared to some of the high-end products that cost $4000+, they seem almost affordable!

The models we tested in our wall oven reviews scored well for baking, roasting and overall performance, but were marked down for ease of use.

They didn’t make the cut to be recommended by our experts, but they’re still decent performers. However, you can pick up better-performing ovens for less, so we suggest you look at other brands as well.

Freestanding ovens

Smeg’s freestanding ovens certainly aren’t cheap: the models in our current review cost $3590 and $7890.��

Although they didn’t score high enough overall to be recommended by our experts, they scored reasonably well for baking, roasting and grilling – and not so well for ease of use.��

Our suggestion? Before you spend over $3000 (or far more!) on a Smeg oven, check our reviews to see which models our experts rate as the best freestanding ovens to make sure you’re spending your money wisely.��

Blender

Another retro-styled appliance that performed quite well, the Smeg BLF01CRAU blender makes a pretty darn good green smoothie and absolutely blitzes kale (it scored 95% on the kale test).��

Sure, it’s no Vitamix, but at $329 it’s a fraction of the price.��

It’s not the highest scoring blender in our blender reviews, but if you absolutely must have a pretty blender in your kitchen, this is a decent option.

What about the stick blender?

While the blender is a good buy, the Smeg stick blender isn’t quite as impressive. Priced at $259, it comes with a range of attachments to help you chop, process, whip and blend.

Our expert says it’s good overall, but only OK for ease of use. However, it scored well in many of our other tests like chopping and processing.��

For the price (or even less), you could buy a stick blender with attachments that’s not as pretty but performs better. And let’s face it, a stick blender isn’t exactly something you’re going to show off on the kitchen bench when you’re not using it, is it?

You can see how the Smeg model stacks up in our stick blender reviews.��

The post Smeg appliances: Best buys and what to avoid appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Our expert testers
• How we choose what we test
• How we test toasters
• Test criteria explained

But which ones can you rely on to produce evenly browned toast every time? That’s where our expert toaster reviews come in.

Our expert testers

Our toaster gurus know what makes good toast, seeing beyond the shiny chrome finishes and the gimmicks that manufacturers throw into this essential kitchen appliance. Australians are putting a lot of different things into their toasters these days, but they still want to know if they’ll get evenly browned toast with every cycle.

How we choose what we test

Our market researchers survey major manufacturers and scour the market to see what’s out there. We include ‘top of the line’ brands with sleek or unusual designs, as well as cheap chainstore models to see if it’s really worth paying more if all you want is a decent slice of toast. We also look at both two- and four-slice toasters.

Once our market research is complete, we put together a final list that goes to our buyers. They then head out to the retailers and buy each product, just as a regular consumer would. We do this so we can be sure the toasters are the same as any consumer would find them and not ‘tweaked’ in any way for better performance.

How we test toasters

Our toasters go through many checks, and we regularly review our test method to make sure we’re helping consumers get the most out of their toasters. After surveying more than 500 ����Vlog members, we revamped our test to incorporate a multigrain performance score, because 70% of respondents use multigrain bread in their toasters.

Test preparation

Buying the bread: We use standard loaves of white supermarket bread for our evenness of browning and consistency tests, making sure it has minimum contact with the air so it stays fresh throughout the test. We use a commonly found multigrain bread for the multigrain test.

Optimising the toasters: We don’t test the toasters right out of the box. We first give them a chance to settle in by running them for a cycle (or in accordance with instructions, if available) at ambient room temperature. We then determine the best browning control settings over a couple of cycles using a standard reference photograph that illustrates the ideal toast colour.

Toaster positions: We put the toaster in the most appropriate position from a user’s perspective so that the controls are easily accessible. This helps determine the ease of use score.

Toaster features: We note any particular features, such as whether there’s a high-lift carriage or separate browning controls for four-slice toasters.

Performance tests

Evenness of browning and “repeatability” of browning tests: Using the reference photo, and with the toasters prepared to an optimum browning level, we run the toast through four cycles. We assess the evenness of browning and compare the results from each toast run to make sure that the toaster delivers consistent results, cycle after cycle. A toaster that scores top marks for evenness of browning will have evenly toasted sides on all slices.

Temperature: We test the surface temperature of the control knob and body surface. Anything that registers heat above 78°C can’t be recommended.

Frozen bread: We toast bread that has come directly out of the freezer. Where available, the defrost setting is used. We assess the slices for evenness of cooking and consistency of colour across cycles.

Single slice test: Sometimes you might only want to toast one slice of bread. We look at how well each toaster handles this.

Multigrain test: We now include a multigrain bread result in our test. We also looked at crumpets, but most toasters don’t handle them well, and we recommend that when toasting crumpets you monitor the browning process closely – a repeat full or partial cycle may be needed for best results.

Ease of use

Our experts look at:

• ease of operating the controls and how easy it is to lock the bread carriage into position
• ease of removing and replacing the crumb tray
• ease of cleaning the exterior, including how easy it is to wipe clean and whether the toaster has places that may trap dirt and breadcrumbs.

Our experts also record any other interesting features about the toasters, such as whether it has repairable parts, or may comment on how well it can handle particular types of bread (such as sourdough).

Test criteria explained

The ����Vlog Expert Rating, our overall score, is determined by performance (70%) and ease of use (30%).

Performance consists of: 

• the evenness of browning and consistency (50%)
• multigrain bread (20%)
• single-slice bread (15%)
• frozen bread (15%).

Ease of use consists of ease of crumb removal, ease of cleaning the exterior and ease of operating the controls.

Recommended toasters have to score a ����Vlog Expert Rating of at least 75% and pass our external temperature safety check. We may occasionally withdraw a recommendation if member reviews relating to ongoing reliability are overwhelmingly negative.

The post How we test toasters appeared first on ����Vlog.

We’ve put sandwich presses through their paces in our kitchen lab and here we’ll tell you about our test methods.

Our expert testers

Our home economist Fiona Mair is a whiz in the kitchen and knows a thing or two about operating any appliance you put in front of her. With over 30 years of experience she’s seen lots of new technology enter the kitchen space, and she spends her time at ����Vlog regularly testing ovens, cooktops and many other small kitchen appliances. Martha Psiroukis, our other kitchen lab tester, put sandwich presses to the test for our latest review (and ����Vlog staff got to eat the results!).

How we choose what we test

With so many models available, what makes us choose one sandwich press to test over another? As with most of our product testing, our aim is to test the most popular products on the market and what you’re most likely to see in stores and online.

We survey manufacturers to find out about their range of models, we check market sales information and we also check for any member requests to test specific models. From this information we put together a final list that goes to our buyers. They then head out to the retailers and buy each product, just as a regular consumer would. We do this so we can be sure the products we get are the same as any consumer would find them and not ‘tweaked’ in any way for better performance.

How we test

Performance

We conduct two performance tests for each sandwich press to see how well it can handle various types of bread, cheese and moist fillings.

1. Evenness of toasting

We make a cheese and tomato toastie using thick white sliced bread. This test is based on the Australian Standard AS 1907P-1976, assessing colour and evenness of browning.

2. Evenness of compression

In this test we use thicker-sliced Turkish bread filled with pesto, semi-dried tomatoes, roasted capsicum and eggplant and bocconcini cheese. We assess how evenly each sandwich press can compress.

Ease of use

For ease of use we assess how easy the sandwich presses are to clean, inside and out. We also look at their versatility: are the plates large enough to hold various types of bread? How easy are they to load and unload?

Multi-function models: If the top plate can open flat to 180° to create a larger cooking surface, the sandwich press can be compared to a small balcony BBQ and we conduct our BBQ testing on the product.

Test criteria explained

The ����Vlog Expert Rating (or overall score) is made up of:

• performance (70%)
• ease of use (30%).

Our test lab

We maintain a kitchen lab that is up to date with the latest reference machines and calibrated measurement tools for our testers to bring you the right results.

The post How we test sandwich presses appeared first on ����Vlog.

Our testing regularly reveals cheap products that deliver hot performance, and pricey products that are lukewarm at best.��

In fact, in our toasters review, a $39 toaster was one of the top performers, outclassing products costing hundreds of dollars more.��

So, since a $40 toaster will more than do the job for your breakfast each morning, what does the extra $360 buy you if you opt for the most expensive one?

“There really isn’t a difference between a $400 toaster and a $40 one, performance-wise,” says ����Vlog small appliances expert Adrian Lini.��

“The biggest difference is the finish, brand name and features. Cheaper toasters often have a plastic exterior, while buying a more expensive brand will get you a stainless steel or fancy finish with some bells and whistles.”

So, are these extra features and fancy aesthetics worth the extra money? It really depends on what’s important to you.��

How much should you pay for a toaster?

While we can’t give away all our secrets (these are available for ����Vlog members, though), what we can tell you is that of the 12 toasters our experts recommend, five of them cost $100 or less – so clearly performance isn’t linked to price.��

Still not convinced? We took all the toasters from our June 2022 review and plotted their price against their ����Vlog Expert Rating (our overall test score).��

We found that there’s no correlation between the price of a toaster and how well it scored – so there’s definitely no way to tell if a toaster will be any good based on price alone.

Median cost of best vs worst performing toasters in our test

We also did a number-crunch of prices for the best and worst performers in our tests.

Cost of recommended toasters:

• Lowest price: $39
• Highest price: $315
• Median price: $139.50.

Cost of lowest scoring toasters:

• Lowest price: $39
• Highest price: $269
• Median price: $100.

As you can see, there isn’t a vast difference in the median price between the highest and lowest scoring toasters.

All of this just goes to show that there’s actually very little price difference between the knockouts and the dropouts. You can get great performance from a cheap, basic toaster, or terrible performance from an expensive toaster with all the fancy features.

Do expensive toasters last longer?

Unless they completely failed our tests or are wildly unsafe, most toasters will do the job of cooking your toast. But when you’re buying a cheaper product, there’s a risk that it won’t last as long, which can mean yet another appliance in landfill far sooner than it should be.��

But, as with any product, it’s not always black and white – sometimes cheaper products can last for decades and some expensive products might give up the ghost in a few short years.��

“If it was possible to know that the $400 one would last 20 years and the $40 one only six months, then it would be easier to decide, but price isn’t always an indicator of quality or lifespan,” says Adrian.

Brand tax: Are you paying more for ‘prestige’?

Certain brands will command higher prices. For instance, you can expect to pay more than $200 for a Smeg or KitchenAid toaster – but don’t assume that the extra money will always deliver excellent performance.��

If you look at the consumer comments on the toaster reviews on our site, you’ll find mixed reviews from people who’ve bought these prestige brand-name toasters. Some of them are very happy with their purchase, but a number of others have complained about their reliability and longevity.��

Comments on a $250 toaster ranged from “best toaster we have ever owned” to “just a step up from holding the bread on a big fork over a fire” – which just goes to show that experiences can vary widely.��

To save yourself from spending too much on a toaster that won’t give you years of fuss-free toasting, make sure you check our expert toaster reviews before you buy.��

Which features will cost you more?

“For extra money, you may get extra features like a larger capacity (such as four slices versus two), and specific bread settings such as bagels, crumpets, fruit bread etc – which can be pretty nice if you’re consistently eating those foods,” Adrian says.

“But you don’t need these specific settings to toast different products. It may just take a bit more practice and vigilance while you’re toasting.”

There are some extra features that you might find you need, depending on your kitchen habits.��

“I personally prefer the long slot toasters because they can fit a great diversity of bread sizes, especially if you bake your own or buy more artisan bread,” says Adrian.

And of course you’ll pay more for a stainless steel toaster than a plastic one – and you can expect to pay more again for a toaster that’s been designed with aesthetics in mind.��

What else to look for in a toaster

Of course, there’s more to a toaster than just its ability to warm bread. When we test toasters, we assess:

• how evenly they toast the bread
• how consistently they reproduce the same results
• how hot the external (surface) temperature gets – anything that’s hotter than 78°C is unsafe and we can’t recommend it 
• how well it toasts frozen bread, multigrain bread and a single slice of bread
• how easy it is to use: is it easy to clean? Is the crumb tray difficult to remove? How tricky are the controls? Can you easily lock the bread carriage into position?

So, how do you choose the best toaster?

Our expert toaster reviews include information on all these tests, and you can filter by price, brand, number of slices and features to find the perfect toaster for your household.��

It’s worth putting in the time to research a product before buying. You don’t want to splurge $400 on a toaster, only to find that it doesn’t perform any better than a $40 one.��

“If you can find a good balance between good quality construction and price, then look for a toaster that matches the style of your kitchen, has the features you’re going to use, and go with a brand that’s known to stand the test of time,” says Adrian.

The post How much do you really need to spend to get a good toaster? appeared first on ����Vlog.

You know the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’? Well, it’s time to think outside the (bread) box – our expert reviews consistently show that it’s not always the case.

In our latest product reviews, our expert toaster testers found a range of lower-priced toasters that performed as well as more expensive models. We’ll show you three cheap (or cheapish) toasters that rival exxy ones to help you decide which are worth your dough.��

Check our toaster reviews to assess each product on its ease of use (including cleaning and controls), toasting consistency, multigrain bread score, and more.

How we test toasters

Our expert testers painstakingly configure each toaster to brown each piece of bread to the optimal colour, according to a toast shade chart (yes, that really is a thing). Then we rate how evenly and consistently the toasters brown the bread to shade B4.��

We also test how well they toast multigrain bread, frozen bread and single slices of bread, as well as how easy each toaster is to use.��

After comparing all the toasters in our test, from chainstore cheapies to high-end models with more features than some cars, we’ve found that sometimes cheap is indeed cheerful. And with some toasters, you don’t always get what you pay for.��

Which ones are worth the dough, and which ones are just plain crummy?

Splurge vs save: the benchtop bling

• Splurge: Smeg TSF02BLAU ($229)
• Save: Sunbeam Diamond Collection 2 Slice TA1900 ($50)

If you’re after a show-stopping toaster, a sleek black number can look a million bucks – but you don’t need to spend that much to get good results.��

In fact, despite their significantly different price tags, these two toasters performed comparably when tested by our experts. They’re both excellent at producing the same toast colour, cycle after cycle, but the Sunbeam is very good at toasting frozen bread, while the Smeg is only okay.��

The only feature you’ll miss out on if you buy the cheaper Sunbeam is the crumpet/bagel setting, but with an extra $179 in your pocket, you can probably justify shouting yourself a cafe breakfast or two.��

The Smeg toaster also takes a full 1min 10 sec longer to toast, so not only will you save money by buying the Sunbeam, you’ll also save yourself precious time in the mornings – winning!

The understated 2-slice toaster

• Splurge: Cuisinart 2 Slice Toaster Stainless Steel CPT-5A ($90)
• Save: Kmart Anko 2 Slice Stainless Steel Toaster LD-T007 ($20)

Separated by only one percentage point in their final scores, but with one costing more than four times the price, these two toasters are virtually indistinguishable in appearance.��

They’re also neck and neck in terms of performance, with the Kmart model just edging ahead for toasting evenness – it was rated ‘good’ while the Cuisinart was just ‘OK’. However, the Cuisinart is just a nose ahead when it comes to toasting multigrain bread and toasting consistency.��

In a toasting race, the Kmart Anko toaster is first past the post, clocking a time of just 2 minutes 35 seconds – a full 20 seconds ahead of the Cuisinart model, and one of the faster toasters in the lineup.��

The 4-slice toast Titan

• Splurge: Breville The Smart Toast BTA845 ($220)
• Save: Russell Hobbs Brooklyn 4 Slice Toaster Copper RHT94COP ($99)

Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just carb-loading, using a four-slice toaster can make short work of breakfast prep. But do you need to drop a couple of hundred dollars on a four-slice toaster to get results? Not necessarily.

Despite costing less than half the price of the Breville toaster, the Russell Hobbs model held its own in most of our toaster tests, even outperforming its expensive counterpart in some aspects.

Unfortunately, neither toaster particularly wowed our expert testers, performing just okay for toasting evenness. But when it came to toasting consistency, the cheap option outshone the exxy, scoring 70% where the Breville scored a lukewarm 35%.

For $120 more for the Breville, you get a crumpet/bagel setting and ‘smarter’ features such as a motorised button to lower/raise your bread and a ‘lift and look’ option to peek at your toast’s progress. It may be ‘smart’, but it doesn’t make toast any better than the non-smart Russell Hobbs, which doesn’t have these features.

You’ll also have to wait longer for your toast: the Breville takes an agonising 3min 55sec to pop, while the Russell Hobbs takes just 2min 20sec to deliver your daily bread.

Neither toaster is a winner, but we can think of far better ways to spend $220 than on a Breville Smart Toaster.

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