Toasters

How to choose a toaster

A toaster is an appliance you may use every morning for ten years, so it pays to pick one that browns evenly and whose slots actually fit your bread. The price difference comes down to materials, browning precision and extra functions.

• Slot size. All our toasters have 2 slots, but slots differ: a wide slot takes thick farmhouse bread, ciabatta and bagels, a long slot fits two slices end to end. Check the slot width if you toast anything other than sliced loaf.
• Power. 700–750 W toasts a slice in 2–3 minutes, 900–1050 W about a minute faster and more evenly, because the elements reach working temperature straight away.
• Browning levels. 6 levels is standard; 7–8 (Philips Daily Collection HD2581) give finer control between light gold and dark and crisp.
• Extra functions. Defrost for frozen bread, reheat for a slice that has gone cold, and a cancel button. A bun warmer (Philips HD2692, HD2511) is a separate rack for pastries that will not fit in the slot.
• Body and cleaning. A stainless-steel body (Bosch DesignLine, Philips Viva HD2651, Gorenje T800DS) lasts longer and looks more serious; plastic is lighter and cheaper. A removable crumb tray is essential — without it crumbs collect at the bottom and burn.

Toasters in our range

Most of the range is Philips and Bosch two-slice toasters: Philips Daily Collection (HD2581, HD2582, HD2583, HD2517), Viva Collection (HD2637, HD2651, HD2692) and the 3000 series HD2511 with a bun warmer; Bosch MyMoment 950 W in white, black, red and beige, and DesignLine 970 W in stainless steel. Design toasters are the TEFAL Collection Retro and Equinox, Cecotec Toast&Taste Vintage and the Princess Wave in beige. Compact models — TEFAL Ultra Mini 700 W and the compact Bosch MyMoment — fit a narrow worktop. Budget 750 W toasters come from Adler, Camry, Mesko and Tristar, the latter also in a metal-bodied BR-1009. Use the filter on the left to narrow by power, number of levels and colour.

Brands

Bosch MyMoment and DesignLine deliver even toasting and quality mechanics — which is why there are eleven of them in the range. Philips covers every price class from Daily Collection to the metal-bodied Viva Collection and offers 8 browning levels. TEFAL stands out for design — Retro, Equinox and the ultra-compact Ultra Mini. ETA Storio is 930 W and colourful, Gorenje gives you a stainless body at a low price. Adler, Tristar and Camry are the safe choice when a toaster simply has to work and cost twenty-odd euros; Cecotec and Princess bring the vintage look.

Related products

For the same breakfast set: sandwich makers for hot toasties and waffle makers for the weekend, kettles and coffee machines for the drink. All breakfast appliances are under breakfast and snacks, with the wider selection in kitchen appliances.

Frequently asked questions

Is a metal body better than plastic? Metal is more durable and stays good-looking for years, but gets hot on the outside; good plastic is lighter, cheaper and stays cool to the touch.

How much power does a toaster need? 750 W is perfectly adequate for breakfast; 900–1050 W toasts faster and more evenly.

Why is the first slice lighter than the second? A cold toaster needs more time for the first cycle. A good model compensates by itself; on a simpler one, go one level higher for the first slice.

How do I clean a toaster? Unplug it, empty the crumb tray weekly and give the toaster a gentle shake upside down — crumbs at the bottom are the main cause of burnt smells and fire risk.

How quickly will the toaster arrive? It is a small parcel: an Omniva, DPD or Venipak locker delivery takes 1–2 working days.