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The Best Toasters Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Best Two-Slice Toasters of 2023

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The Best Toasters Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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1
Editor's Choice Product image of Breville BTA820XL
Best Overall

Breville BTA820XL

It’s pricey, but we recommend it if you want the best. Read More

Pros

  • High-quality construction
  • Helpful electronic controls

Cons

  • Expensive for a pop-up toaster
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Cuisinart CPT-122
Best Value

Cuisinart CPT-122

This toaster is not only beautifully designed, it toasts evenly and very quickly. Read More

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Fast and even toasting
  • Beautifully designed

Cons

  • Lightweight and narrow
  • Not compatible with thick bagels and muffins
3
Product image of Zwilling Enfinigy 2-Slice Toaster (53101-700)
Best Upgrade

Zwilling Enfinigy 2-Slice Toaster (53101-700)

This newcomer is pricey but worth it if evenly sliced bread at every setting is important to you. It turns out batch after batch consistently too. Read More

Pros

  • Even toasting
  • Sturdy
  • Well-built

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Takes up a lot of space
4
Product image of Revolution InstaGLO R180
Best Touchscreen Toaster

Revolution InstaGLO R180

This technology-enhanced model touchscreen controls and browns quickly and evenly, but is very expensive for a toaster. Read More

Pros

  • Digital touchscreen
  • Toasts quickly
  • Shows toasting progress

Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Can't toast lightly
  • No high-lift function
5
Product image of Hamilton Beach 22623 2-Slice Toaster

Hamilton Beach 22623 2-Slice Toaster

This is a bare-bones toaster with no settings other than cancel. However, it toasts quickly and evenly. Read More

Pros

  • Even toasting
  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • No special settings
  • Crumb tray isn't removable

The world of toasters has some exciting bells and whistles, but the best two-slice toasters also excel at what matters—crisping up bread slices, bagels, and frozen waffles without scorching them.

We tested top-selling models to find the best two-slice toasters at the right price. We deliberated about the perfect color for toast, searched for the bagel setting, and struggled to grab the small half of an English muffin from toaster slots. After testing, our favorite is the Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster (available at Amazon) . This Breville doesn’t come cheap, but its even toasting and solid build—plus some special features—make it an absolute pleasure to use.

If you're looking for something more robust, see our recommendations for the best toaster ovens or the best four-slice toasters.

Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Best Overall
Breville BTA820XL
  • Dimensions: 11 x 6.75 x 7.75 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 5.7 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, defrost, "A Bit More," and "Lift and Look"

The Breville Die-Cast 2-Slice Smart Toaster might actually make you say “I love my toaster” in casual conversation. This stainless steel toaster's weight is noticeable right out of the box. Making a product heavier to connote “quality” is an old trick, but the Breville’s quality is also obvious in its top-notch toasting of bread and thick (sliced) bagels.

It’s the little things that make our top pick stand out. The start/cancel button is handier than a traditional lever. The bread lowers and rises in its extra-wide slots with a theatrically slow speed. You select your setting by sliding a button on an LED-lighted control.

Breville did an outstanding job designing an intuitive, accommodating product. Press the “Lift & Look” button if you want a quick peek. If the toast needs a bit more time, just press the button that’s actually labeled “A Bit More.” You can even adjust or mute the volume on the beep that tells you your toast is done.

Like most Breville products, the electrical cord has a circle behind the prongs that makes it easy to remove from a socket. Even the removable crumb tray that makes this toaster easy to clean was considerately designed. It’s pricey, but we recommend it if you want the best.

Pros

  • High-quality construction

  • Helpful electronic controls

Cons

  • Expensive for a pop-up toaster

Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Best Value
Cuisinart CPT-122
  • Dimensions: 11 x 6.5 x 7.2 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 3.7 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, reheat, defrost

Cuisinart toasters are typically affordable while still usually landing among the top choices. Despite its rock-bottom price, the Cuisinart 2-Slice Compact is beautifully designed and performs well, making it our best value choice.

The lettering on the controls pops against the background, making it easy to choose your setting. It’s also very fast, serving up dark toast in under three minutes. When we toasted five 2-slice batches in a row on medium, we got 10 slices of identical toast in about six minutes.

While the bagel setting toasted bagels beautifully, a fat New-York style bagel is a tight fit. Neither bagels nor English muffins popped up high enough to grab without raising the lever for an extra lift.

Pros

  • Very affordable

  • Fast and even toasting

  • Beautifully designed

Cons

  • Lightweight and narrow

  • Not compatible with thick bagels and muffins

Left: two slices of toast emerging from Zwilling toaster. Right: filled toasted on marble surface shot from above
Credit: Williams Sonoma

The Zwilling 2-Slice Toaster is our pick for best upgrade.

Best Upgrade
Zwilling Enfinigy 2-Slice Toaster (53101-700)
  • Dimensions: 11.50 x 6.61 x 8.11 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 4.41 pounds
  • Special settings: Defrost, warm-up, bagel

The Zwilling Enfinigy 2-Slice Toaster is pricey, but it’s worth it if you want evenly browned toast at every setting that looks the same every time. It’s wider and higher than typical models, easily accommodating half of a fat New York bagel or a long slice from a country-style loaf.

The top of the unit is plastic and stays cool, although the stainless steel sides get quite hot to the touch. As the Zwilling is heavy, it’s not the one to choose if you only pull a toaster out on special occasions.

Pros

  • Even toasting

  • Sturdy

  • Well-built

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Takes up a lot of space

Left: touchscreen toaster with two slices of toast emerging. Right: stack of bagels beside touchscreen toaster
Credit: Williams Sonoma

This touchscreen toaster features all the bells and whistles for a premium 2-slice toaster.

Best Touchscreen Toaster
Revolution InstaGLO R180
  • Dimensions: 11.6 x 6.1 x 8.4 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 6.4 pounds
  • Special settings: English muffin, bagel, waffle, toaster pastry

The Revolution Cooking R180 High-Speed 2-Slice Smart Toaster is super expensive, but state-of-the-art. It lives up to its promise to toast quickly and evenly, and its touchscreen controls are fun to use. It’s very heavy and well-designed.

The touch screen lets you select the type of bread and whether it’s fresh, frozen, or to be reheated. The setting numbers are accompanied by a preview of the toast’s shade at that setting. Once you press start, the display shows the progress of heating and browning and counts down the last 10 seconds. A pleasant little tune lets you know when your toast is ready.

And thankfully, all this technology delivers perfectly browned toast. However, there’s no high lift, which becomes problematic when you try to retrieve English muffins.

The R180 offers a lot, but it’s up to you to decide whether great toast is worth this unit’s cost.

Pros

  • Digital touchscreen

  • Toasts quickly

  • Shows toasting progress

Cons

  • Very expensive

  • Can't toast lightly

  • No high-lift function


Other Two-Slice Toasters We Tested

Product image of Hamilton Beach 22623 2-Slice Toaster
Hamilton Beach 22623 2-Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 11.2 x 6.3 x 7.1 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 1.9 pounds
  • Special settings: None

This Hamilton Beach has no settings other than cancel and doesn’t have a removable crumb tray, but it’s a darn good toaster considering its price tag.

As you’d expect at this price, it’s lightweight, so it might be a good choice if you keep your toaster stashed away most of the time. For storage, you wrap the cord around the side, which isn’t pretty but is easily accomplished.

Pros

  • Even toasting

  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • No special settings

  • Crumb tray isn't removable

Product image of Smeg 2 Slice Toaster
Smeg 2 Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 12.2 x 7.7 x 7.8 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 5 pounds
  • Special settings: Reheat, defrost, bagel

If you're looking for a conversation piece, the Smeg 2-Slice Toaster is your pick. It comes from the Italian company's '50s Retro Style line. It sports the glamor of a mid-century Maserati and is just as likely to make heads turn.

The finish (available in a number of colors) is as thick and rich as on a sports car. When you shift a gear—excuse me, a setting—it locks into place firmly. As you would expect for the price, it offers excellent toasting.

Pros

  • Very beautifully designed

  • Even toasting

Cons

  • Expensive for a pop-up toaster

Product image of GE G9TMA2SSPSS
GE 2-Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 11.18 x 6.88 x 7.64 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 5.66 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, frozen

Once a toaster powerhouse, GE has returned with a solid performer. It toasts evenly and produces three distinct shades of doneness. English muffin fans will need to use the lift lever to raise them high enough to grab them safely.

Pros

  • Sturdy and well built

  • Even toasting

  • Consistent toasting

Cons

  • Struggles to pop up English muffins

Product image of Oster TSSTTR63 2-Slice Toaster
Oster 2-Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 11.7 x 6.9 x 7.3 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 3.54 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, frozen, and warm

With its rounded retro shape, the Oster 2-Slice Toaster is cheery looking. English muffin lovers should be forewarned that small items don’t pop up very high and can be hard to nab from the slots. Buttons for the toaster’s settings are large and clearly identified.

Pros

  • Fairly even toasting

  • Cheerful design

Cons

  • Struggles to pop up English muffins

Product image of GE Cafe C9TMA2S2PS3
GE Café Two-Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 12.28 x 7 x 8 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 7 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, reheat, frozen, “Express Finish”

The GE Café Two-Slice Toaster is a beautiful, solidly built product that comes in matte white, matte black, or stainless steel, each with copper accents. However, it’s also relatively pricey and requires more countertop space than average. Its regular toast settings take a fairly long time, it doesn’t color bread evenly, and the “light” setting comes out closer to medium. English muffins barely pop up above the slots, but the lever raises them high enough to grab safely.

There's also a unique “Express Finish” setting which toasts exceptionally quickly—under a minute at medium—and toasts fairly evenly.The lights that indicate settings are so small that we had to squint to see them. Overall, you’re paying for design and sturdy construction, rather than the performance.

Pros

  • Attractive design and sturdy construction

  • Quick toasting setting

Cons

  • Expensive for a pop-up toaster

  • Setting lights are difficult to see

  • Struggles to pop up English muffins

Product image of Haden Dorset 2-Slice Toaster
Haden Dorset 2-Slice Toaster
  • Dimensions: 12.5 x 8.5 x 7.5 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 4.2 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, defrost

If you’re looking for stylish ’50s design without breaking the bank, the sturdy, British Haden Dorset 2-Slice Toaster is for you. It features a rotary dial and an analog display for the settings, plus clearly marked buttons.

While the Dorset browns very evenly, medium-toasted bread came out darker than we expected for the setting. To toast bagels, you insert them with the cut side facing out rather than in—perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Brits drive on the other side of the road?

Pros

  • Even toasting

  • beautiful design

Cons

  • Unintuitive toasting bagels

  • Browns a little dark

Product image of Made by Design 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster
Made by Design 2 Slice Extra Wide Slot Toaster
  • Dimensions: 9.92 x 5.82 x 7.2 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 2.46 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel

This toaster from Target’s house brand, Made By Design, sells for an unbeatable price. It’s as utilitarian-looking and lightweight as you’d expect, but it does a reasonably good job of toasting bread. And surprisingly, it’s one of the only toasters we tested that stays cool enough to touch just about everywhere except the stainless steel on the top of the slots. The bagel setting extends the toast time, but toasts both sides of the bagel.

Pros

  • Very affordable

  • Sides stay cool to the touch

Cons

  • Lightweight

Product image of Black & Decker T2569B
Black & Decker T2569B
  • Dimensions: 12.01 x 7.28 x 8.07 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 3.25 pounds
  • Special settings: Bagel, frozen

The Black and Decker 2-Slice Toaster T2659B really shines at toasting evenly, and showed minimal variation when toasting five batches in a row. Another big plus: this stayed coolest to the touch of all the models we tested, as long as you mind the stainless steel on the top of the slots.

Unfortunately, English muffins don’t rise up to the top of the slots, even using the high-lift lever, so you have to be careful to avoid burning your fingertips. This toaster is on the chunky side, so while it takes up a little more countertop space, it easily handles chubby bagels. Unlike most, the bagel setting toasts both sides.

Pros

  • Even toasting

  • Sides stay cool to touch

Cons

  • Struggles to pop up English Muffins

Product image of Breville Toast Select Luxe
Breville the Toast Select Luxe
  • Dimensions: 13.43 x 8.23 x 7.87 inches (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 7.1 pounds
  • Special settings: “A Bit More,”/reheat, “Lift and Look,” frozen

Breville’s “The Toast Select Luxe” is beautifully made, but its looks are its one strong asset. It comes in sophisticated glossy shades in brushed stainless steel. The dial display is styled like a watch face and includes number settings, as well as specific settings for white, brown, grain, fruit, rye, and crumpets. During toasting, the dial lights up and tracks the toast’s progress.

This toaster also has lots of extras: Lift and Look for taking a sneak peek during toasting, “A Bit More” to add just a little time, plus reheat and frozen buttons. Handles on the bottom make it easy to lift and move around. While all these fancy features may seem worth the big bucks, the Luxe’s actual toasting disappointed, browning unevenly. And despite the high-lift lever, it was almost impossible to grab half an English muffin out of the slots.

Pros

  • Solid

  • Well-built

  • Attractive design

Cons

  • Toasts unevenly

  • Very expensive

  • Struggles to pop up English muffins


How We Tested Two-Slice Toasters

The Tester

Hi, I'm Sharon Franke, and I’ve been reviewing kitchen equipment for the past 30 years. In addition to testing and writing about everything from bagel slicers to bread machines, I’m a passionate home cook.

Before I became obsessed with cooking appliances and tools of all kinds, I spent seven years working as a professional chef in New York City restaurants. While I’m always on the lookout for the newest recipes and restaurants to try, when I’m cocooning at home—more often than not—it’s a toasted bagel that’s on my plate.

The Tests

The best toasters - consistency
Credit: Reviewed / Sharon Franke

Consistency is everything when it comes to testing toasters. We weighted it very highly in our scores.

Each two-slice pop-up electric toaster we tested was rated first and foremost on how well it toasts bread. We looked for a range of toast shades and even toasting on all sides. We also tested for consistency across repeated use, and we checked out the bagel setting.

We also considered user experience, including how easy the controls are to use and whether the special features—defrost setting, bagel option, etc.—are actually helpful. The heating elements for all the toasters caused the appliances to get too hot to touch around the slots, so we tested whether English muffins and bagels popped up high enough to grab without burning your fingers.

We also evaluated how well each one was constructed, including wide slot and long slot toasters built to handle different types of bread. And while we didn’t include appearance or size in our ratings, we took them into consideration, as this is one kitchen appliance that will almost certainly take up counter space in your home.

What You Should Know About Two-Slice Toasters

What You Should Know About Toasters
Credit: Pixabay

Get the most out of your toaster with these tips.

How to Make Sure a Two-Slice Toaster Toasts Evenly

Different types of bread require different settings to toast evenly. A slice of white bread might need a lower temperature and less time to toast well, while a thick rye bread might need a higher setting to reach the right crispiness.

Learning toaster settings is also important to get the toast you want. Be patient and let the toaster work properly instead of hitting the cancel button to check it. Stopping the toaster and starting it again is a great way to burn your toast, since the timer starts over, but the bread is nearly done.

Another common mistake is putting bagels into the toaster the wrong way. If your toaster doesn’t have a bagel setting, put the bagel soft side facing in to prevent it from toasting unevenly or burning. Bagels are dense and require more toasting time than a slice of bread, so learn your settings to avoid burning your breakfast.

How to Clean a Toaster

Toasters are prone to gathering dust, lint, and even (disgustingly) bugs. Keeping your appliance clean is important, and requires more than just giving it a shake over your kitchen sink.

First, unplug the toaster so that you won’t electrocute yourself. Then, pull the crumb tray out and gently wash it with warm water and dish soap.

While the crumb tray dries, clean the bread slots with a damp cloth doused in vinegar. Make sure not to wet the toaster too much, because it will take a long time to dry. Wipe the toaster’s insides with a damp cloth to remove any leftover vinegar residue and let it dry upside down, giving it one last shake for good measure. If the idea of dust and bugs in your appliance understandably grosses you out, you can also purchase a cover to protect it.

Meet the tester

Sharon Franke

Sharon Franke

Contributor

Sharon has been testing kitchen equipment for the past 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools maven, she worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years.

See all of Sharon Franke's reviews

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