10 Best Toasters 2025: Reviews and Recommendations

Breville’s 'A Bit More' toaster leans into user-friendly controls like the 'Lift and Look' and the handy 'A Bit More' button, which we found invaluable for nudging toast without restarting the cycle. In our testing its extra-wide slots and LED progress indicator make it feel modern, but we noted slower overall performance and some uneven browning in places; the exterior also runs hot during extended use. At $89.95 and an 8/10 score, it’s a good midrange option for people who prize control over speed.

If you want a statement piece on the counter, the SMEG 2 Slice Toaster delivers that classic 50s retro look while still offering practical features like bagel, defrost and reheat settings. In our testing it toasted evenly across both slots at first, but we found toast got noticeably darker after consecutive batches and the exterior ran very hot — something to watch around curious kids. It lacks a cycle countdown indicator, which makes timing trickier, and at $199.95 its 7.5/10 score reflects style traded against a few performance compromises.

On a tight budget, the Amazon Basics 2-Slice Toaster is hard to beat at under $20 thanks to extra-wide slots that easily handle thick slices and bagels. During our review we appreciated the bagel and defrost functions and the clean illuminated buttons, but we found uneven toasting was an issue—toast tended to be darker in front than in back—and the exterior became hot in use. It scored 6.5/10: great for value and flexibility, less so if you need perfectly consistent browning.

The Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster balances affordability with useful features like extra-wide slots and a compact, brushed stainless footprint, earning a respectable 7/10 in our guide. Our experience shows it toasts reliably for everyday use, but during our testing some units reported lever breakage and the stainless finish picks up fingerprints easily, so you may need gentle handling and more frequent cleaning. If you want budget-friendly performance with room for bagels and thicker bread, this is a sensible pick—just be mindful of long-term durability.

The BLACK+DECKER 2-Slice Toaster impressed us with consistent toasting and extra-wide slots that handle bagels and thick slices easily, which explains its solid 7.5/10 score. During our review we appreciated the self-centering guides and brushed stainless look, but our experience shows it toasts a bit slowly and the top between the slots can get excessively hot—something to consider if you have limited counter clearance. It’s a dependable everyday machine if you value even results and don’t mind a slightly slower cycle.

KitchenAid’s 2-Slice Toaster offers a durable metal build and extra-wide slots, and during our review the bagel setting performed as intended by toasting the cut side while gently warming the outside. We found it tends to produce lighter results even at higher settings, and our experience shows some uneven browning between sides; it also lacks a countdown indicator. With a 7/10 score and a $89.99 price, this is a stylish, sturdy choice if you prefer gentler toasting and long-lasting construction.

The Cuisinart 4-Slice Toaster is a straightforward, economical choice with a proper bagel setting that toasts only the cut side, which we appreciated in our testing. Our experience shows it offers useful features like defrost and cancel, but it can be inconsistent between slots and lacks a countdown indicator to tell you exactly when toast will pop. Scoring 6.5/10, it’s a practical option for households needing extra capacity, though you might swap slices between slots to get uniform browning.

The Elite Gourmet Cool Touch Toaster aims at safety-conscious buyers with extra-wide slots, a cool-touch exterior, and a removable crumb tray that makes cleanup easy. During our review we liked those user-friendly touches, but our testing revealed uneven toasting that sometimes required flipping bread, slower times to reach darker settings, and a lightweight build that left durability in question—hence its 5.5/10 score. It’s a sensible, budget-safe option if surface heat is a concern, but not the best choice for perfectionists.

If you need a family-ready option, the GE 4 Slice Toaster brings features like seven shade settings, wide slots, and illuminated buttons that simplify breakfast routines. In our testing the extra capacity and controls were welcome, but we found inconsistent toasting across slots and some users experienced a burning smell—issues that hurt its reliability and contribute to a 6/10 score. It’s a feature-rich, budget-friendly four-slice pick if you’re willing to monitor performance and clean carefully after heavy use.

Breville’s Smart Toaster™ earned its top-tier 9.5/10 rating by delivering consistently even toasting, a premium die-cast aluminum build, and extra-long slots that handle a wide range of breads. In our testing the 'Lift & Look' feature was a standout for checking progress without restarting cycles, though we did find the exterior can become very hot and some inner sides browned faster than outer sides for certain breads. If you want near-professional results and don’t mind paying $199.95, this is our top-rated choice for 2025.