Top 4 4-Slice Toasters
Most Sleek: Cuisinart Metal Classic Four-Slice Toaster Best Controls: Cuisinart Four-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster Most Compact: Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Four-Slice Long Toaster Best Safety Features: Hamilton Beach Four-Slice Toaster
Most Sleek: Cuisinart Metal Classic Four-Slice Toaster
This Cuisinart toaster has a body made entirely of stainless steel for a sleek look that will match the other appliances in your kitchen. Plus, it offers a variety of functions and shading levels to customize how your bread is toasted.
Key Features
11.15 by 10.65 by 7.5 inches Four slots Two sets of buttons, dials, and levers Six browning functions Bagel, defrost, reheat, and cancel buttons Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
This toaster received high ratings from customers because it was easy to use, featured an easy-to-clean body, and evenly toasted bread products. Dissatisfied reviewers were disappointed with the toaster’s bagel setting. Some customers also mentioned that the lettering along the buttons rubbed off over time.
Best Controls: Cuisinart Four-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster
This toaster has four 1.5-inch toasting slots and seven toast settings for customizable toasting of up to four pieces of bread at once. The dials on each side of the toaster let you select your desired toasting level, the buttons let you select your toasting function, and the levers let you start the toasting process.
Key Features
10.8 by 10.7 by 7.2 inches Four slots Two sets of buttons, dials, and levers Seven browning functions Bagel, defrost, reheat, and cancel buttons Three-year warranty Two finish options
What Customers Are Saying
Reviewers said that this toaster was reliable, affordable, and stylish. Reviewers were also pleased with the toaster’s compact size. Unsatisfied customers said that it sometimes made patchy toast and filled their kitchen with a strange smell during the toasting process.
Most Compact: Elite Gourmet Maxi-Matic Four-Slice Long Toaster
This double long-slot toaster allows you to toast four pieces of bread at once without taking up too much counter space. The extra-wide toasting slots can accommodate a variety of bread items, including Texas toast, croissants, and ciabatta.
Key Features
14.68 by 7.13 by 7.68 inches Two slots One set of buttons, dials, and levers Six browning functions Defrost, reheat, and cancel buttons One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers noted that this toaster provided consistent browning on all bread and pastry items. Other reviewers commented on its durable and easy-to-clean chrome exterior. However, some customers said that the few highest settings burnt their bread.
Best Safety Features: Hamilton Beach Four-Slice Toaster
This toaster has built-in safety features, including a cool-to-the-touch exterior and an automatic shut-off function, to prevent accidents during use. It can also toast multiple types of breakfast items, including frozen waffles with its defrost button and bagels with its bagel function.
Key Features
10.43 by 7.28 by 10.23 inches Four slots Two sets of buttons, dials, and levers Six browning functions Bagel, defrost, and cancel buttons One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers liked the toaster’s affordability. Several reviewers also said that it provided several toasting capabilities without taking up too much counter space. Dissatisfied customers said that the toaster unevenly browned their food items. A couple reviewers mentioned that the crumb tray was inconveniently located.
Buyer’s Guide
Before purchasing a four-slice toaster, consider its slots, safety features, and usability.
Slot Size
Consider both length and width when looking at a toaster’s slots.
Width: Width is important if you plan on toasting bagels, artisanal bread, or Texas toast. Most toaster slots have a width of 1.5 inches, which is enough to accommodate most types of bread. Length: In some cases, four-slice toasters have two slots instead of four. The two slots are double the length of the slots in a four-slot toaster, allowing you to fit two pieces of bread in each slot. If you plan on buying a four-slot toaster, make sure that its slots are fairly long so that it can fit abnormally shaped pieces of bread.
Safety Features
Toasters should have safety features to prevent you from burning yourself or catching your kitchen on fire.
Automatic shut-off: Toasters with an automatic shut-off function turn off when the cooking process is done, preventing the toaster from starting a fire. Feet: Your toaster should have rubber feet to prevent it from tipping or sliding. Exterior temperature: Some toasters, especially those made of stainless steel, can get as hot as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re worried about you or your family members burning their hands on the exterior of your toaster, choose an aluminum or plastic model since those materials don’t get as hot.
Ease of Use
Toasters will have a range of features to make toasting easier.
Toast dial/button: Toasters will have a dial or buttons to increase or decrease how toasted you want your bread to be. Modes: Some toasters have defrost, reheat, bagel, and cancel buttons so that you can tailor your toasting experience to the type of bread you’re toasting. Lever: Your toaster will have a lever that you push to start the toasting process. The lever will pop back up when your toast is done, and you can usually pull the lever up a little farther to get any bread that’s too far down the slot to reach. Crumb tray: Toasters have crumb trays to catch crumbs before they hit your counter. Remove this tray and dump the crumbs in the trash every so often to prevent them from burning. Timer: High-end toasters will typically have a timer that lets you know how much time is left in the toasting process.
What should I do if I don’t have a lot of counter space for a toaster?
If you don’t have a lot of counter space, you can buy a toaster with two extra-long slots. If you live alone, have a small family, or don’t make a lot of toast, a standard two-slice toaster may be a better option.
How do I prevent my toaster from electrocuting me?
Here are a few safety tips to follow when using a toaster:
Unplug your toaster before cleaning it. Remove your toasted bread by using a wooden or plastic fork, or unplug the toaster before using a metal fork.
How much do toasters cost?
In general, toasters cost between $30 and $500. Cheaper toasters may not last as long as expensive toasters, and they likely won’t have extra features, such as toasting modes or timers.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
