Can Anyone Recommend a Good Toaster?

[Snoop Doug]

I don't mean the non-melodic vocal performance styleee, I mean browned, crispy hot bread

Y'see ev'ry morning I make toast for me and the family snoopington under the grill. This is:

Time consuming
Energy Inefficient
Frequently burnt due to attention deficit problems here

I wonder if any of you good people uses a toaster the performance of which you are delighted with? In the past I've owned a few toasters and they've all gone bad on me. Y'know the kind of thing, they promise delightfully toasted bread, buns and suchlike, they deliver enough burnt offerings to set up your own carbon dating agency

O woe is me - won't someone help with my toasty dilemma

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

"Which" magazine tested them last month and came up with their best buys - I'll look it for you Cap'n

Guru P

[George]

[img]http://www.uk-toastmaster.com/images/john.jpg[/img]

[Sylv]

I used to do this (under the grill) at home and at work not having a toaster

Then I set the alarm off at home and had to reassur the neighbours that it was ok

Then I set the alarm off at work and that was a bit more problematic - we had to evacuate the whole six blocks of offices or about 100 people

Ever since that I have to endure the jokes whenever there is a smell of toast or a false alarm at work (but that's ok I take part in the jokes)

Since that, we have toasters at work and I bought one for home. There's even a sign in our new offices that if someone lets toast burn we will have to evacuate 27 floors of occupants

The one I got is polished steel, nice and retro, and with wide openings to toast any type of bread. It is not quite long enough though so I have to slice my paninis in two for toasting ...

[Snoop Doug]

Good stuff folks, keep 'em coming.

George - do you rent out the auld feller then...? Does he do (hot) cross (bun) toasts too

[Andrew G]

I've had similar problems Snoop and come to the conclusion they're all sh1t so I just get the cheap "economy" one from Sainsbury's for about a tenner - doeas the job just as well.

The only good one I've used is Dualit which we used to have at work but they cost as much as a set of good wheels.

[Dombo]

Dualit 3 slot - two for toast and one with a cage for sarnies and bagels. Last forever and easily serviced by oneself. About £150.
The Chris King headset of toasters

[adrian]

The old maxim 'buy the best, and you'll only cry once' applies in this case. Buy cheap sh1t and you'll only end up getting your fingers burnt (arf).

Mind you, these days they come with all sorts of features you just don't need and that push the price up. So you can be paying a lot without necessarily getting something that toasts well. So get the most expensive one with the fewest features, if you see what I mean.

What you're looking for specifically are wells wide enough so the outside of your thicker slices/muffins/bagels don't get caramelised within seconds without getting toasted through, and shallow enough so you don't have to go fishing around with your fingers, thereby singeing your knuckle-hair (if applicable), or worse, go fishing around with a fork, which has the potential to escalate the problem. Sounds like common sense, but so many toasters fall down these points.

Good luck, Snoop - let us know how it goes.

[Elliot M]

I note that you can now get a Dualit for £50, but I have no idea if they are up to the same standard - I guess it is very unlikely

http://www.johnlewis.com/230440132/Product.aspx

Check this out though - [quote]Enjoy a tasty start to the day with this clever combined toaster and egg poacher.

[Jon H]

Make sure your toaster has a powermeter, so you can see just how hard it is working. Otherwise you could end up with your toaster convincing you it is toasting properly but in fact it's just warming up your bread a bit. Or going to the other extreme it could set off too hard and burn out too quickly.

Power measurement - the way forward in toasting technology.

[Ivor]

Its just going to have to be one of these: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1770
[img]http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/01_03/toaster1505_468x494.jpg[/img]

[Del]

You need to speak to Ed Begley Jr in Australia. You can read about his cycle driven toaster here:

[url]http://www.homesite.com.au/howto/12[/url]

Here's a picture of Ed in action:

[img]http://i29.tinypic.com/34rdnhf.jpg[/img]

Ed is eco-friendly and has his own TV show. In an interview on his web site, he was asked about his toaster:

"It seems you have an interesting way of making toast in the morning. What else do you ride your bike for to create energy?

The stationary bike I have is plugged into my solar battery array. Years ago I figured if I was going to exercise, I might as well make a little extra power. Normally, I ride my regular bike or my hybrid electric bike on the street for transportation and exercise. Sometimes, however, if the weather is bad, I’ll ride the stationary bike and make a little power. A 15 minute stationary workout makes about enough power to toast some bread….the producers thought that was funny and put it on the show. It’s not really a method I use to make usable power, but it does make a little."

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

What you need is a lightweight carbon fibre job with titanium inserts

[Andrew G]

[quote="Jon Hemming"]Make sure your toaster has a powermeter, so you can see just how hard it is working. Otherwise you could end up with your toaster convincing you it is toasting properly but in fact it's just warming up your bread a bit. Or going to the other extreme it could set off too hard and burn out too quickly.

Power measurement - the way forward in toasting technology.

[Toks]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]:shock: I don't mean the non-melodic vocal performance styleee, I mean browned, crispy hot bread