# Testing 19 Toasters to Find Which One Toasts Best ($24 to $400) | Epicurious Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-wqidcBg40 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/t-wqidcBg40 Generated: 2025-12-01T17:43:24.163+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster produced the best overall toast quality, offering the most even results across four slices and justifying its high price, while the Dualit Classic was rated as a return due to its uneven toasting and manual operation, and the $23.99 Amazon Basics toaster was rated as buy for budget-conscious consumers. **Key Points:** - The Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster ($249.95) achieved the best overall toast quality, demonstrating superior evenness across all four slots in both test rounds. - The Dualit Classic 4-Slice Toaster ($379.99) was marked for return because it produced inconsistent toasting, especially on the side closest to the machine, and required manual lifting of the toast. - The $23.99 Amazon Basics 2-Slice toaster performed adequately for its price, producing toast that was slightly darker on the interior side compared to the exterior. - The $49.96 Beautiful by Drew Barrymore toaster was marked for return due to significant unevenness between the front and back slots, and its touch-sensitive controls were deemed impractical with wet hands. - The $379.00 Balmuda Toaster Oven produced excellent, evenly crisp toast with a soft interior due to its steam function, but its high price and inability to toast more than two slices at a time led to it being placed on the return shelf. - The Revolution R180 Connect Plus ($399.95) produced very even toast but was ultimately returned because the presenter disliked the smartphone-like interface. - The Haden Dorset toaster ($74.99) produced decent toast, but the unevenness on the second round placed it in the 'keep your receipt' category. ![Screenshot at 24:44: Breville Smart Oven Pro toasting four slices of bread simultaneously to demonstrate its superior capacity and consistent toasting across multiple slots.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-24-44.png) **Context:** Culinary Technologist Dave Arnold from the Museum of Food and Drink tested 19 different toasters and toaster ovens across a price range of $23.99 to $399.95 to determine which one makes the best toast, using Wonder Bread for consistency and testing for evenness, speed, and features like bagel settings and smart technology. ## Detailed Analysis Dave Arnold tested 19 toasters and toaster ovens, ultimately categorizing them into Buy, Return, and Keep Your Receipt piles. The $23.99 Amazon Basics 2-Slice toaster performed adequately for its price, but the toast was slightly darker on the interior side. The $49.96 Bella 2-Slice toaster was marked for return due to uneven toasting and impractical touch controls. The $39.95 Cuisinart Compact Plastic 2-Slice toaster was also a return due to inconsistent toasting across its four slots and poor build quality compared to its price. The $74.99 Haden Dorset produced decent toast but had second-round inconsistencies, placing it in the 'keep your receipt' category. The $149.95 Ninja Flip Toaster Oven, which uses quartz heating elements, produced even toast but was ultimately returned due to its large size and the way the heating elements degraded over time. The $379.00 Balmuda Toaster Oven produced excellent toast using a steam function, but its high price and two-slice capacity meant it was returned. The $249.95 Magimix Vision toaster produced very good, even toast, but the presenter disliked the visual gimmick of the clear glass sides. The $249.95 Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster was rated as a 'Buy' for its excellent, even toasting across all four slots, despite its high price. The final two toasters tested were the $399.95 Revolution R180, which had excellent toasting but whose touch-screen interface was disliked, leading to a 'Return,' and the 100-year-old Vintage Toaster, which was rated as a 'Buy' for its novelty and simple nichrome heating elements but was not practical. The Breville Smart Oven Pro ($269.95) was rated as a 'Buy' because it produced the most consistent toast overall, even when using all four slots, and featured useful smart functions like 'A Bit More' and 'Lift & Look,' despite its high price. ### Budget Toasters (Under $50) - Amazon Basics ($23.99) was rated BUY for decent performance; Bella 2-Slice ($24.99) was RETURNED for unevenness and poor controls; Cuisinart Compact Plastic ($39.95) was RETURNED due to poor build quality and inconsistent slots. ### Mid-Range Toasters ($50 - $150) - Continental Electric Professional Series ($40.66) was RETURNED for inconsistent slots and thin metal construction; Haden Dorset ($74.99) was KEEP YOUR RECEIPT due to second-round inconsistency; Toastmaster 4-Slice ($49.99) was RETURNED due to unevenness and a bad dial/lever mechanism. ### High-End & Specialty Models - Breville 'A Bit More' 2-Slice ($109.95) was a BUY for its specialized functions ('A Bit More', 'Lift & Look') despite being large; Our Place Wonder Oven ($185.00) was RETURNED due to excessive heat on the exterior and long toasting times; Magimix Vision ($249.00) was a BUY despite its high price due to excellent, even toasting quality; Revolution R180 ($399.95) was RETURNED because the presenter disliked the complex touchscreen interface. ### Best & Worst Performers - Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice ($249.95) was the best overall performer for toasting consistency; Dualit Classic 4-Slice ($379.99) was RETURNED for uneven toasting and lack of auto-pop-up. ### Vintage Test - The 100-year-old Vintage Toaster ($60.00) was rated BUY for its historical interest and simple nichrome elements, despite its uneven toasting pattern. ### Final Verdict Summary - The Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice was the overall winner, while the Amazon Basics was the best budget option, and the Dualit Classic and Our Place Wonder Oven were among the worst performers. ![Screenshot at 06:07: Dave Arnold holding the two pieces of toast from the Cuisinart toaster, showing inconsistent toasting results.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-06-07.png) ![Screenshot at 11:36: Toast comparison showing the Haden Dorset toaster produced toast that was better on the second round but still had noticeable unevenness.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-11-36.png) ![Screenshot at 15:20: Overhead view of the four slices toasted in the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore toaster, showing significant variation in color.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-15-20.png) ![Screenshot at 21:20: Close-up of the Revolution R180 screen displaying the heating process, highlighting its digital interface.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-21-20.png) ![Screenshot at 29:27: Side-by-side comparison of toast from the Revolution R180 showing relatively even color across the slice.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/t-wqidcBg40/00-29-27.png)