Need to know
- Our experts tested more than 35 toasters from popular brands like Breville, Sunbeam, Kambrook, Kmart, Russell Hobbs and Smeg
- Our testing revealed cheaper models that performed well against models costing twice as much
- We rate toaster performance on metrics like toasting evenness, toasting consistency, toasting frozen and multigrain bread, and ease of use
For a product that has a seemingly simple purpose – to make your bread warm and crunchy – there's a dizzying array of products on sale, all with different features and price points. Just how complicated can a toaster really be?
We've tested toasters that cost as much as $379, but does spending extra dough guarantee good toast? Not necessarily.
What size toaster should I buy?
Think about the size of your household and how much toast you eat.
While four-slice toasters are useful for families and die-hard toast eaters, they do take up quite a bit of bench space. And they sometimes have the problem of not toasting each slice equally – the inner two slots can heat up more than the outer two. If you're feeding a horde on the daily, make sure you look for toasters that score well for toasting evenness and consistency.
In our tests, four-slice toasters are priced from $35, but many of the cheaper models didn't perform especially well. By the same token, some of the most expensive four-slice toasters didn't perform well either, so clearly price and performance aren't proportionate.
Just because you're paying less doesn't mean you have to settle for crummy toast
If you're a solo toaster or you're just toasting for two, there are plenty of great two-slice toasters on the market, many of them very reasonably priced. At this cheaper end of the market, you can expect to have fewer options when it comes to colour, finish and extra features.
But just because you're paying less doesn't mean you have to settle for crummy toast. We've found three excellent two-slice toasters under $60, plus a further five that didn't quite reach our 'Recommended' threshold but are still worth considering.
The top rated toasters for $60 and under
To help you find the best toaster for your tender, we've compiled the best buys for less than $60 based on our test results.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
