We’ve Tested 78 Toasters — These Are the Ones Worth Buying

While we've tested many more toasters than those listed here, these are the additional models we would recommend:

• Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster: A basic, affordable toaster with a stainless steel exterior that adds elegance compared to typical plastic models. However, it lacks different bread settings found in other toasters we've tested.
  
• Kalorik Touchscreen Toaster: This model is a user-friendly toaster featuring a touchscreen interface. It performed well with two slices of toast, but not as well with a single slice.
  
• Krups 4-Slice Toaster: A reliable choice, capable of consistent toasting with six browning settings and features like defrost, reheat and bagel functions, though it toasts slower than some models.
  
• Laura Ashley 2-Slice Toaster: This floral-themed toaster offers style at an affordable price, but it toasts on the lighter side, making it less ideal for those who prefer darker toast.
  
• Smeg 2-Slice Toaster: Combining retro aesthetics with numerous colorways to choose from, this product offers reliable performance. It's a stylish yet functional choice, albeit at a premium price.
• Thyme & Table 2-Slice Toaster: This sleek toaster comes at an affordable price point, and while it offered good temperature variation for two slices of toast, we found a single slice to be less consistent.

Our team of experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested hundreds of appliances over the years, including toasters, toaster ovens and air fryer toaster ovens.

In our quest to make the perfect toast and find the best toaster on the market, we left no crumb behind: We've tested almost 80 toasters in the last 12 years to determine how quickly and evenly they toast bread and bagels. In our most recent Lab test which wrapped up in July 2025, we tested 11 new toasters, toasting almost 150 slices of white bread.

✔️ Style and capacity: When choosing a toaster, consider how many slices of toast you regularly make at once and the size of bread you like to toast.

• Four-slice toasters: If there are more than two of you racing to make breakfast at the same time, a four-slice toaster is probably your best bet.
• Two-slice toasters: If counter space is a concern, however, you may want to opt for a two-slice toaster.
• Long-slot toasters: Long-slot toasters are gaining popularity now due to the wider availability of rustic types of bread. Opt for long slots if you love sourdough or other artisanal loaves. You'll rarely be able to fit a whole slice in a traditional toaster without cutting it in half.
• Wide-slot toasters: Keep an eye out for toasters with wide slots. These make toasting bagels and thicker slices of bread easier and fuss-free.

✔️ Material: The exterior material of toasters is more about looks than anything else. In our tests, we did not find that the material affected the quality of the toast.

• Plastic toasters: Generally, plastic toasters tend to be less expensive than metal, but they aren't always the most aesthetically pleasing.
• Metal toasters: Metal toasters are typically made of brushed steel or stainless steel and can coordinate with your other kitchen appliances.

✔️ Settings: Look for a toaster with the right settings for you in terms of bread options and doneness settings.

• The bagel setting usually toasts only the inside of a bagel and warms the outside so you don't have to worry about an overly dry or crunchy bite.
• A defrost setting is great for frozen waffles or bread; it typically adds more time to the toasting process so you get the same results you would if the item were fresh.
• Reheat settings typically toast bread or other ingredients for a short amount of time, perfect for a toaster pastry or adding a touch more color.
• Shade selector: All toasters offer a way to change the doneness (i.e., light golden to dark brown) of your piece of toast. They generally provide either a slider, dial or touchscreen that allows you to choose your toast color. We have found that they are all effective, so you can choose based on your preferred method of navigating your toaster.

✔️ Extra features: While not every toaster will have additional special features, there are some nice-to-haves that you can look for when selecting a toaster.

• A glass window will allow you to peer into your toaster as it toasts, helping to reduce the likelihood of burnt toast.
• A motorized operation eliminates the manual task of pushing the toaster lever down, as it automatically operates with the push of a button.
• A high-lift lever lets you elevate your toasted slice to help remedy the issue of stuck toast that is hard to grab from the slot.
• A digital interface is easy to read and operate, offering a sleek look and typically providing more toasting options.

A toaster is great for someone with limited counter space and with limited toasting needs. If you love toasting bagels, bread and waffles and don't need to toast or bake much else, then a reliable toaster is your best bet.

A toaster oven is great for someone who not only toasts bread but also likes to broil toppings like cheese, heat frozen pizza or even roast vegetables. While a toaster oven will take up more counter space than a toaster, it will offer additional features that can help reduce the use of a microwave or a standard oven (especially great on a hot day).

An air fryer toaster oven is ideal for those who enjoy toasting as much as they do air frying. Eliminating the need for two appliances, an air fryer toaster oven will help you toast bread, air fry chicken wings and possibly even bake a cake.

From our testing results, we found that some of the slower toasters produced more consistently even results. While speed is important to us, we do prefer a toaster that produces evenly toasted bread consistently. The fastest toaster we tested did not make this list because the toast it produced had charring in the center and un-toasted edges.

All the toasters on this list will toast to a medium shade in under three minutes, which we find acceptable, especially if you'll be performing other kitchen tasks simultaneously, such as brewing coffee or scrambling eggs.

Many of us have come across some questionable toaster cleaning methods on TikTok, but here are a few simple steps to safely maintain your toaster:

1. Unplug your toaster and let it get to room temperature.
2. Remove the crumb tray, emptying any crumbs into the trash. Then, hand wash the crumb tray with warm, soapy water.
3. Gently turn your toaster upside down over a sink or trash can to release any loose crumbs that could be remaining in the appliance. You can also use a soft brush to remove any stubborn crumbs from the interior of your toaster.
4. Wipe the exterior of the toaster with a damp cloth.
5. Allow the entire toaster to completely dry before plugging it back in.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, Eva Bleyer has tested all types of kitchen products, from blenders to kitchen scales. Eva has personally tested many toasters in the Lab and at home. Eva is always looking for the next best toaster to create delicious toast, whether it's topped with fluffy scrambled eggs or cottage cheese and seasonal fruit.

Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou oversees all content and testing related to kitchen appliances, tools, gadgets and gear. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013 and has worked at a kitchen appliance company, where she helped develop popular air fryers and related recipes. She has tested many toasters, toaster ovens and air fryer toaster ovens in her time at GH.