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The Best Toasters

Last updated on August 21, 2023

We looked at the top 27 Toasters and dug through the reviews from 81 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Toasters.

Best Toaster

Our Review Process

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Toasters are a kitchen counter standby that make every meal a little tastier. Browned English muffins add crunch to your breakfast, a toasted bagel warms your lunchtime tuna melt and browned buns add a “wow” factor to your burgers.

The small-but-mighty toaster is responsible for all of these creations. You might not give much thought to this little appliance, but there’s a lot going on after you hit the “toast” button.

MORE: The Best Toaster Oven

Toasters brown your bread by turning electricity into heat. Electricity flows from your wall’s outlet through your toaster’s power cord to the inside of the unit.

The electric current moves through a series of slender conducting filaments. If you’ve ever looked inside your toaster while it’s working and noticed glowing, red hot wires around your slice of bread, those are the filaments doing their job. The filaments beam heat toward your bread using infrared radiation. The steady supply of heat from the filaments rapidly cooks your bread.

When your bread has reached the desired toast level you selected, the toaster either turns off automatically with a timer or pops your bread up with a spring-loaded tray. Many models have removable crumb trays built into the toaster, so you can grab your piping hot bagel without getting crumbs all over your kitchen.

Toasters all use similar internal heating mechanisms, but different models have different features and options. A standard model has two slots to toast two slices of bread at once. Higher-end models have four slots, including an “Extra Long” slot for larger slices of bread.

You’ve got choices when it comes to controlling your toaster’s time and intensity levels, too. Some models have a timer that goes up to seven minutes, plus a lever so you can manually lift your toast out. Others also have bagel, defrost and reheat buttons. You’ll even come across toasters that have seven toast shade settings, and use advanced toasting technology for a consistent result every time.

Different kinds of bread may require different toasters. A toaster that has extra-wide slots is best for accommodating heartier bread, while other toasters may have a special setting for bagels and frozen bread.

Toasters aren’t purely utilitarian — they can also add a fun edge to your kitchen’s decor. Some models have a modern, rounded design with an elegant black finish. Others go the classic route with a stainless steel body.

Whether you go high-tech with a modern toaster or low-key with a classic design, you’ll want to think about a few things before you choose your new appliance.

Our Picks For The Top Toasters

View All Recommendations
Our Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

Elite Gourmet Adjustable Built-In Warming Rack Toaster, 4-Slice

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Elite Gourmet

Adjustable Built-In Warming Rack Toaster, 4-Slice

With six adjustable toasting levels, this toaster allows you to get your bread as light or as dark as you wish. The unit features reheat and defrost buttons, as well as an eject button for removing your toast ahead of the timer. The toaster is also easy to clean, thanks to the inclusion of the drop-down crumb tray.

Overall Take

Variable LevelsThis toaster has extra-wide slots with room for up to four slices of toast.

 Strong Contender

Keenstone BPA-Free Easy Clean Toaster, 2-Slice

Keenstone

BPA-Free Easy Clean Toaster, 2-Slice

Thanks to the extra-wide slots on this toaster, you'll be able to cook everything from bread to bagels. The appliance is equipped with six browning settings and is made from a durable stainless steel. Users will appreciate the removable crumb tray, as it makes keeping the toaster clean a breeze.

Overall Take

Multiple Color OptionsYou'll find this toaster comes in a choice of colors, including green, blue, red, sleek black and white.

 Runner Up

Cuisinart LED Indicators Metal Pop-Up Toaster, 4-Slice

Cuisinart

LED Indicators Metal Pop-Up Toaster, 4-Slice

With the Cuisinart Metal Toaster, 4-Slice, you'll get dual controls. One family member can lightly toast their bread, while another cooks a bagel. The LED indicator lights confirm your selection and the extra-lift carrier lever pops your toast up high enough to grab without getting burnt. One of the best features of this model is the wide slots tha...

Overall Take

Dual ControlsHomes with multiple occupants will appreciate the Cuisinart Metal Toaster, 4-Slice, which cooks several servings of toast at once.

Pros
" Easy to track progress"
Cons
"The toaster had a bit of an issue keeping the bread evenly toasted"
 Best Value

AmazonBasics Easy Clean Toaster, 4-Slice

AmazonBasics

Easy Clean Toaster, 4-Slice

This toaster fits neatly on any counter or utility cart and comes with a cord wrap to keep the plug tucked away when not in use. The unit is designed to toast your bread evenly. It also offers six different browning settings for light, medium and dark toast.

Overall Take

Attractive Modern DesignYou'll find this toaster is basic, yet elegant, and available in white, black and brushed silver.

Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
34

Products Considered

We identified the majority of the toasters available to purchase.
27

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

View All Product Rankings

81

Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: MyKitchenAdvisor, New York Mag, Best Choice Reviews, BestReviews, Kitchen Fold.

149,259

User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 27 Toasters and also dug through the reviews from 81 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Toasters.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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The Best Bang For Your Buck

AmazonBasics Easy Clean Toaster, 4-Slice

User Summarized Score

9.0
477 user reviews

Our Take

This toaster fits neatly on any counter or utility cart and comes with a cord wrap to keep the plug tucked away when not in use. The unit is designed to toast your bread evenly. It also offers six different browning settings for light, medium and dark toast.

What to Look For

  • How often will you use your toaster? If you’re a big fan of toasted sandwiches and bagels, you might want to drop some extra cash for a feature-rich mode. On a budget? Go with a toaster that works just as well without the bells and whistles.
  • How much free countertop room do you have? Look for a model that takes up only as much space as a standard piece of computer paper, and one that has under base cord storage to keep things tidy when it’s not in use. Other models are several inches larger and weigh twice as much, but they are loaded with extra features.
  • What kinds of bread will you be toasting? Some models have an extra-long slot for artisanal bread, while others have a one-touch option for warming up bagels.

MORE: The Best Bread Slicer

  • How particular are you about your toast’s done-ness? Some toasters have six shade settings from a little crunchy to extra crispy. Others have seven browning settings, as well as bagel, defrost and reheat buttons.

Toaster Rankings

2. Keenstone BPA-Free Easy Clean Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 9.5
Reviews Included: 1

3. Cuisinart LED Indicators Metal Pop-Up Toaster, 4-Slice

Overall Score: 9.5
Reviews Included: 5

4. AmazonBasics Easy Clean Toaster, 4-Slice

Overall Score: 9.3
Reviews Included: 1

5. iSiLER Stainless Steel Energy Saving Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 1

7. REDMOND 6-Setting Non-Toxic Pop-Up Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 1

8. CUSINAID Stainless Steel Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 2

9. KRUPS Stainless Steel Multi-Function Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 9

15. Cuisinart Customizable Toaster, 4-Slice

Overall Score: 8.7
Reviews Included: 13

16. KitchenAid Retro Automatic Pop-Up Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.7
Reviews Included: 5

17. Smeg TSF01PBUS 50’s Vintage Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.7
Reviews Included: 6

18. Cuisinart Countertop Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.6
Reviews Included: 10

19. Bella Even Heating Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.5
Reviews Included: 7

20. CUSINAID Classic Wide Slot Pop-Up Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.3
Reviews Included: 2

21. Breville Bit More Manual Lift Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.2
Reviews Included: 11

22. T-fal Element Defrosting Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 8.0
Reviews Included: 8

24. AmazonBasics 2-Setting Bagel Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 7.5
Reviews Included: 5

25. Oster Jellybean Advanced Technology Toaster, 2-Slice

Overall Score: 7.5
Reviews Included: 9

27. KRUPS Extra High Lift Toaster, 4-Slice

Overall Score: 7.2
Reviews Included: 10

More to Explore

Toasters might seem like a simple appliance, but nailing down the technology that makes it safe to heat up bread was trickier than you’d think.

Up until the early 1900s, people were still toasting bread by placing it in a metal frame and holding it over an open flame. Inventors struggled to find a safe heating element for countertop toasters. It needed to be sturdy enough to withstand repeated heated and cooling, but most materials got brittle and broke apart after a few tries. A few inventors tried making a toaster with iron wires, but they melted at high temperatures, creating a serious fire hazard.

MORE: The Best Bread Knife

An engineer named Albert Marsh finally solved the toaster’s troubles in 1905. He patented an alloy of nickel and chromium called Nichrome, which could heat up toaster filaments without breaking or catching on fire. The days of warming morning toast over an open fire were finally over — and today, we have more toaster options than ever before.

More to explore