Breville Die-Cast 4 Slice Smart Toaster

I probably am the last person I ever would have expected to get excited by a toaster. It is after all the most utilitarian of devices. But this toaster is far more than a jack-in-the-box with a heating element -- which is what it makes all other toasters resemble. The sliding controls are elegant. The raising and lowering device is fluid. The "doneness" alarm is subtle. And the toaster itself is -- well, is "beautiful" a silly word to lavish on a toaster?

Who knew?

This toaster is expensive, but is worth every penny! It has lots of bells and whistles which are easy and fun to use, but the bottom line is it makes great toast. The darkness adjustment has a timer displayed with blue LED lights that turn off one by one as the toasting cycle progresses. And, unlike my last toaster, a Krups FEM4, it toasts the entire slice evenly and faster than any other toaster I've used - no burnt edges to get the center toasted. It looks like I'm going to end up with a kitchen full of Breville appliances - their build quality and innovative designs are quite amazing.

I am not much of a gadget or appliance person, but I love this toaster. There are more controls than you might expect on a toaster, but they are user-friendly. I particularly like the "A BIT MORE" option. I only looked at this brand because a friend had other Breville products and had commented on their quality, otherwise I might have overlooked it.