If you’re anything like me, a toast lover (:-)) then a toaster has to be “fairly decent”, so it pays to get the best 4 slice toaster you can within your budget. Although most toasters are fairly inexpensive these days.
Who else loves toast as much as me?
So, let’s talk toasters.
Toast talk
For me, toast is probably the most important meal of the day.
My favourite slice of toast has to:
- Have a good amount of butter
- Be cooked to perfection – “medium to well done” for me!
Now, before the healthy eating police get involved I know it’s not good to eat a lot of carbs, BUT toast in the morning has been part of my routine I’d say 90% of the last 45 years and I don’t feel my body has suffered in any dramatic way. Which butter works for you? Now if we are talking about which butter to spread it’s got to be Flora buttery or a Salted butter block (the stuff you find wrapped in foil – although we do reserve the salted stuff for very rare special treats maybe 3 times a year.)
A 4 slice toaster without the expense.
Cook toast just how you like it. In style and with total control.
Don’t you agree this is utterly beautiful to look at?
So, let’s look at toaster stuff before we get too deeply involved with butter talk.. cough cough…
Why buy a 4 slice toaster?
Think about it, a 2 slicer isn’t that much smaller than a 4 slicer so you can rule out that as a reason. The ability to cook 4 slices at once just makes so much sense.
- When you have guests stopping over or
- More than one person wants toast
- Or you just feel like going to town and eating half a loaf because you are starving hungry (ever done this??)
It HAS to look nice! Ideally it needs to be in Red / Blue / Silver / Cream / Black / White / Purple / Chrome etc etc etc. It’s got to be able to cook the whole slice, and not have 2 centimetres sticking out of the top! There’s nothing worse than the top bit of bread sticking out of the top of the toaster that’s not managed to be cooked because the slice doesn’t fit in the toaster properly. I mean, what’s the point in cooking 3 quarters of a slice to have to peel off the last quarter and shout your dog out of his bed to come “get it”. That’s going to put you in a grumpy mood for the rest of the day! It’s got to be able to defrost bread Ok so it’s not “essential” if it can’t defrost bread, as I have found you can cook frozen bread but the taste isn’t quite the same as fresh bread, in my opinion. Any other extra’s are just nice but not absolutely necessary, in my own humble opinion
- Things such as a pull out crumb tray or high lift lifting mechanisms to help you grab smaller sliced bread without getting your fingers burnt are all nice little extra features.
So we looked at 27 toasters and were able to quickly rule out 15 that didn’t really perform well. We then filtered out the rest and two more left our review as they simply came with poor customer service. That left us with 10 that we have tested. All 10 of us took a toaster home. 10 toasters have all cooked a wide variety of toast for two weeks. That’s 560 slices of toast (some of this toast got shared by family and a couple of family dogs).
Best 4 slice toaster findings
1: De’Longhi CTJ4003.BK Brillante Faceted 4 Slice Toaster – Black
You’ve got to admit this is one very funky looking toaster. Measuring 29.01 x 30.99 x 19.99 cm it’s a bit bigger than some toasters but it’s made to be bold and designed to stand out.
What do we like about it?
- It’s got two independent toasting sections. Meaning you can just use one side if you are only cooking 2 slices of toast, and save a bit of energy
- It’s one of the most dazzling styles we have seen for some time.
- It’s got an “extra lift” feature to help you take out the smaller slices without burning your fingertips at the same time.
- It’s got variable width slots for different thicknesses of bread.
What don’t we like about it?
- Our toaster didn’t always cook evenly. Further research online showed that the majority of buyers were very happy. If in doubt return your machine within the 1 year warranty.
Click here to get the De Longhi Brillante toaster on Amazon
** Here is the matching kettle on Amazon **
2: Breville VTT702 Impressions 4 Slice Toaster – Cream
The simply beautiful Breville VTT702 4 slice toaster.
As you’d expect from a top rated toaster, this toaster will perform the usual reheat, defrost and mid-cycle cancel functions. It also has a “high lift” facility allowing you to lift out those smaller bread slices without burning your fingers. It’s available in a few colour options. It measures 30.9 x 27 x 19 cm What we like:
- The style and functions are simply what we have come to expect from a modern day 4 slice toaster.
- The matching kettle option means you can dress up your whole kitchen in a similar style and colour if you want to.
What we don’t like: Although it’s only minor, if you only want to cook two slices of toast you MUST use the right hand two slots “first”. I think this is a poor design idea as I don’t know if this could cause the right side to stop working before the whole thing. It would have been better if you could use either side so you’re not over using one side compared to the other. On the plus side, I really can’t say what the average life of a toaster is, and this might not even be an issue anyway. This is also one the of the best sellers on Amazon.
Click here to buy this Breville toaster on Amazon
Click here to look at the matching kettle
3: Dualit 46205 4 Slot Lite Toaster in Black Finish
We really liked using the Dualit 46205 toaster (and the optional sandwich cage you can buy extra to make awesome toasties!)
Available in Black, Cream Gloss, Stoneware Basalt, Canvas White and Stoneware Granite Cook two slices one way, and the other two slices another way, all at the same time. Take a look at the features:
- Peek and Pop function to check bread while toasting without interrupting the toasting cycle and giving greater browning control
- Defrost and cancel button
- Bagel toasting function
- High-lift mechanism
- Extra-wide slots to accommodate different varieties of bread
- Concealed, removable crumb tray
We think this toaster has all the features you could ever need. It’s one of the only toasters we have featured that does a brilliant job at cooking every part of the bread (unlike many other toasters!) With the peek and pop function you can lift the toast whenever you want while it is cooking to look at it.
Click here to buy the Dualit toaster on Amazon
Click here to get the sandwich cage to fit this toaster
4: De’Longhi CTOV4003.BG Vintage Icona 4 Slice Toaster – Cream
De ‘Longhi, the company formed in 1902 who are renowned for quality, build the Vintage Icona Dolcevita range of toasters for the discerning buyer. This is the Pastel Cream and Mahogany design with a Chrome finish, making this one of the most stylish toasters we have ever seen.
It has everything you want from a toaster.
- Extra wide slots for thicker or thinner bread.
- Variable Browning control – have it toasted anywhere from light Brown, or dark “burnt”, if that’s your preference
- Two independant Browning controls
- Two separate crumb trays
- Options for re-heat, Bagel cooking, Defrost and cancel
(Bagel cooking turns off certain elements so that you only toast the “cut” side of the Bagel) Like the look of this toaster?
What we did like about the toaster.
We love the fact that this toaster is quite a bit more “posher” than your typical toaster thanks to the Mahogany colouring on the buttons
What we didn’t like about this toaster
The crumb trays were a bit pointless, not exactly catching all the crumbs, but that could be said for many toasters in comparison.
Sizes
The slots that you put your toast in measure 3.7 x 14.4 cm Overall size: 34 x 30 x 20.5 cm
Click here to buy the De’Longhi toaster on Amazon
Click here to view the matching kettle
5: Morphy Richards 248107 Prism Toaster, Purple
This is a Purple coloured prism toaster (there are other colours available too). As with all good toasters it has all the features you’d expect from a toaster:
- Two independant Browning controls
- High lift mechanism
- Illuminated control buttons – “Defrost”, “Cancel” and “Reheat”
- Removable crumb trays
- Variable width deep toaster compartments
What we like about this toaster
The colours and styling are just so striking they really do stand out and enhance any kitchen.
What we don’t like
Although our toaster we tested was faultless, we have researched and found that around 5% of other buyers had a poor experience with it. One fault mentioned a few times was that the toaster element would stop working on one side. Don’t let this discourage you, as there is a 2 year warranty, and be assured that most manufacturers expect a small percentage of their items to develop a problem over time. In addition, a few people have complained about the matching kettle lid to be poorly attached, if you were thinking of buying that. Again, if you buy this, just remember you have a 2 year peace of mind warranty. To get your 2 year warranty be sure to register your product on their website here. This gives you the two years warranty, otherwsie you only get a 1 year warranty.
Click here to buy the Morphy Richards prism toaster
Click here to view the Morphy Richards prism matching kettle
6: Dualit 4-Slot Vario Toaster 40352 – Silver
The 4 slot Vario hand built toaster pays resdpect to the long standing Dualit name. This is the classic design that has carried through a lot of Dualit’s history in a very close form. In essence it is instantly noticeable as a Dualit. Tough and hard working. If you’d like to know more, you can click here to read about the Dualit story and how it all started in 1946.
Each Vario toaster is hand built. The person who built it puts their name on the bottom on a sticker, to ensure sheer premium quality shines with every toaster made. Sometimes simple is best. Every single part is repairable or replaceable. If you’re old enough to remember, this was how things were made in the 1950’s to 1980’s and then products became more of a throwaway item. This means every Dualit toaster is designed to last a lifetime.
Here are the main features (taken from Amazon itself)
- Hand built in the UK since the 1950’s, the Classic Toaster has earned its place as a kitchen essential.
- Featuring fully replaceable or repairable parts, timeless styling and the unique, patented Proheat element.
- The Dualit Classic Toaster is environmentally responsible, fully repairable or replaceable parts for a toaster that will last a lifetime.
- Exclusive to Dualit, ProHeat elements have a protective armour plated layer covering the filament making them virtually unbreakable.
- Each toaster is hand-assembled from start to finish. Who made your toaster? Find the assembler’s name on the base plate.
- Incorporates our trademark mechanical timer and ejector lever.
The manual ejector lever means your toast doesn’t pop up when done, it sit’s inside keeping warm for much longer, so you simply eject the toast when you are ready for it.
What we like about it
Incredible build quality, feels really strong and well built. Simple in features but very very good at what it does. Cooking perfect toast and defrosting frozen bread ready for toasting. These toasters are the kind that last for 10 to 20 years.
What we don’t like about it
We would have “preferred” a non-mechanical timer but that is just more of a personal taste thing.
Click here to order the Dualit vario 4 slice toaster on Amazon
Click here to order the matching kettle
Click here to order the kettle and toaster combined
7: Dualit Architect 4-Slot Toaster 40505 – Stainless Steel with Black Finish
Here is the Architect. Another Dualit toaster. It is extremely well built and looks stunning. Not the cheapest toaster around but it looks superb. Even the matching kettle looks beautiful.
Video showcasing the Architect range
It features the following:
- Interchangeable panels – select the colour option to suit your taste
- Commercial grade heating elements – performs day in, day out without drama
- Peek and pop – a Dualit feature to let you check the toast without cancelling the timer
- Wider slots to accommodate chunkier slices
- An optional sandwich cage accessory lets you make handsome tasty toasties
Measures: 36.6 x 35.4 x 26.6 cm
What we like about it
Feels well planted and tough. Claims to be able to toast up to 120 slices per hour!
What we don’t like about it
Nothing
Click here to buy the Dualit Architect on Amazon
Click here for the matching kettle
8: De’Longhi Avvolta CTA4003.R Wraparound Design Toaster – Red
There is something very satisfying about the way this toaster looks.
So let’s begin by saying it’s from a well known brand, and with that comes all the usual peace of mind, quality assurance and warranty.
It measures: 36.8 x 34.2 x 25.2 cm
You get the things you expect with the Avvolta:
- The De’Longhi Italian design flair in stunning Red
- An optional matching kettle can be purchased too
- Defrost, reheat and cancel button options
- High lift function to save your fingers from being burnt
What we like about this toaster
Pretty much all of it
What we don’t like about it
Dual Browning controls are not present, only a single Browning control.
Click here to order this utterly desirable toaster on Amazon
Good news! there is a matching kettle too!
9: Breville VTT628 Colour Notes 4 Slice Toaster – Red
The VTT628 is a budget friendly, yet stylish 4 slice toaster that performs admirably.
Called the “Colour Notes” range, the Breville toaster offers a lovely design with all the usual features:
- High lift mechanism
- Mid-cycle cancel button
- Defrost button
- Reheat
- Variable width slots for different thicknesses of bread
- An optional matching affordable kettle
It has a Red pearlescent high gloss finish.
It also has Red illuminated control buttons
What we like about it
The price is very competitive and for the money it offers good value
The pearlescent colouring adds a shimmery colour (like glitter is inside the paint)
What we don’t like about it
The crumb trays are at the rear (although not necessarily a “bad” thing!)
Click here to buy the Breville VKJ926 colour notes toaster
Click here to check out the matching kettle
10: Breville VTT571 4-Slice Toaster
The best toaster for Warburtons bread
One of the cheapest toasters featured in this review.
It’s got the features and it doesn’t have the price tag.
- Extra high lift to avoid burnt fingers
- Lift and look without cancelling the timer
- Variable width toasting slots
- Red illuminated buttons
- Reheat, defrost and mid-cycle cancel buttons
- Crumb trays
What else do you need from a toaster?
What we like about this toaster
Everything about it is high end, apart from the price.
What we don’t like about it
A few runs of our test toaster produced uneven cooking but the rest of the time the toast came out perfect.
Click here to buy this toaster on Amazon
Click here to look at a similar matching kettle
Ever wanted to know how a toaster works?
This short 1 minute video gives a basic introduction into the technical stuff that happens inside your humble toaster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYcw_DcZsak
Any questions on anything you’ve seen on this page? Any issues? Please do get in touch with us by contacting us or leaving a comment below.
Thanks 🙂
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