The most basic toasters come with a lever for lowering your bread and a dial for selecting its color, but more models are offering bells and whistles like touch-button controls, settings for specific types of bread, and even digital screens. Though these manufacturers continue to embrace the tried-and-true design of a conventional toaster, many have added a few features along the way. You’ll see more than 30 brands represented in our toaster ratings, including Breville, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and KitchenAid.
Whether you’re making avocado toast, PB&J, or an egg-and-cheese sandwich, a solid toaster is almost as important as the ingredients themselves. It does one thing and does it really well, consistently serving up a beautifully browned slice of bread. Despite all the talk of multitasking countertop appliances, there’s something satisfying about a great toaster.
