I got a 4-slice Cuisinart CPT-640 for the rental property (well, two of them) a couple years back, and when we stayed there with some friends everyone liked them so much that when our old toaster went bad we got one for home as well.


Toast performance has been very good, no service needed on any of the three. Features: 2x2 (four slices, two independently controlled sides) bagel setting, single slice function, etc.

Currently $80 at Amazon (list price: $145).

RE: why is this so hard

I worked at the GE Allentown housewares plant (sold to Black and Decker) for a while in the late '70s and worked with the toaster engineers frequently, getting new parts sourced and exploring ways to reduce costs. What the toaster does is heat full bore till it's done. How does it know when it's done? The secret really is in two parts: the controls and the sensor(s). Sensors track what the bread is actually doing and the controls know when to stop. Sounds simple, right?

The science (at least at the time) was that there were three phases of toasting a slice of bread.

• The first phase, the heat is essentially pulling the moisture out of the bread and not heating it much. For thin bread slices this is very quick, but for thick bread, takes somewhat longer (water needs time to migrate out from the center of the slice.)
  
  
• Then, when most of the water is gone, the bread starts heating up. This is mostly radiative heating, so the starting color of the bread matters because dark colors (rye, e.g.) absorb heat faster (classic black body radiation.)
  
  
• Then, the bread starts to turn color. As the color darkens, this too accelerates heat transfer. The hope/plan is that the controls will detect when this has reached the precise hue that matches the customer's set preference, stop the heat and pop the toast up - too soon and the toast is too light, too late and the toast is overdone.
  
  
• (Well, there is a fourth phase but that involves smoke, fire alarms, and adrenaline...hopefully nobody goes there.)

TL: DR - The controls and sensors are what differentiate the pricey beasts from the 'affordable' ones. Anyone who thinks this is a simple problem, I suspect Black and Decker/Sunbeam/Cuisinart engineering personnel offices would like to talk with you.

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
All I can say is, if Appliance Brad can’t find a decent toaster, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Well, I have one:

Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill
www.amazon.com/dp/B003SIN0BC/r..._api_i_KcWHFbC0HM41Q

I’ve used it for years. It toasts everything well: 4 slices of most bread, bagels. Even Ritz crackers (to get them darker). Works well with dense breads that most toasters struggle with. Stood upright, it takes no more counter space than an ordinary 4-slice toaster.

A bit pricey for a toaster, but I have many other uses for it too.

We've got a Cuisinart, Model is on papers in a filing cabinet somewhere, that we've had for about 12-15 years. It works, not very exciting, but it does bagels, toast and weird (to me) things my wife buys that she toasts.

Nothing replaces those old 50s-early 70s toasters we had when I was younger (we always had GE). But, everything changes.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Well, I have one:

Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill
www.amazon.com/dp/B003SIN0BC/r..._api_i_KcWHFbC0HM41Q


A bit pricey for a toaster, but I have many other uses for it too.

I was so delighted when my $120 Breville toaster let the Magic Smoke out that I took it out back and put a .44 Spl or two through it.

Same conversation could be had of coffee makers...

My 25 year old Krup was acting up, decided to shop for a new one... Yuk. Reviews were all mixed, looking at them in the store, they appeared extra cheap. Decided, half hour replacing a plastic tube (with copper tube) was time well spent.

Boy can openers and now toasters. I guess it is time to hit the garage sales! Maybe speed queen or waste king could get in the business.

There's always Ebay for "vintage toasters".

If you're not in a hurry, or needing a lot of toast quickly for a hungry horde, you can heat up a cast iron flat griddle. Add butter, melt it, and put the bread on the melted butter to toast. I have the same SmartGrill Mr PipeSmoker has and it works great for toasting bread on butter as I described.
.

quote:

Originally posted by mindustrial:
Same conversation could be had of coffee makers...

My 25 year old Krup was acting up, decided to shop for a new one... Yuk. Reviews were all mixed, looking at them in the store, they appeared extra cheap. Decided, half hour replacing a plastic tube (with copper tube) was time well spent.

I probably have the same model Krups and I dread if it ever dies. Best drip coffee maker I've ever owned.

Kenmore European Toaster Model 238-48339. Handles thick toast, has a frozen setting, handle has an assist to further lift the toast up for retrieval if needed. Close to 2 decades old now and still operating like a champ. Excellent on both sides of the bread with accurate light to dark settings. Can't ask for more.

So old I couldn't find any decent pictures online. Just this from an old sales ad. Mine is the 4 slice job in the big picture.





Don't know what I'd do / get should this ever die.

I've had this $70 Cuisinart 4 slice toaster and it does a pretty good job......

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.c...6018?keyword=toaster

Breville " a bit more " toaster.
Per America's Test Kitchen.

Bta720xl, on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Brevill...a-275333818741&psc=1

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable, October 20, 2020 06:34 AM

I have the toaster oven version of the Breville, and we’re happy with it. Had it about 6 months.

I bought my Breville toaster oven about three years ago and couldn't be happier. Sure, it's a little pricey but worth every penny.

Brad,

You need to try this. I haven’t bought one yet, but I have had toast from one. It is without a doubt, the best toast I have ever had. Honest to God, it ruined toast for me, as this was a whole new experience.
Now, standard toasted bread seems dry. It’s like bread jerky. The Balmuda makes a nice medium rare to medium bread, seared just right on the outside.
That’s the best way I can describe it. This is on my Christmas list.

https://us.balmuda.com/collections/toaster


Mitsubishi makes a pretty great one from what I have read, but it only does one slice at a time. I also have never had toast from this so I can’t say if it’s good or not.
https://www.amazon.com/Mitsubi...timate/dp/B07PHLN9DD

$800+ WTAF!!!

Realize it's commercial, but sheesh. Plus I've got to rewire for 208V....

quote:

$800+ WTAF!!!

Realize it's commercial, but sheesh.

Not to drift the thread, but remember this whenever a complaint about the cost of eating out surfaces. If the toaster cost that much, imagine the cost of outfitting the entire kitchen. Wasn't too long ago that I was pricing $50,000 to $80,000 pizza ovens.

$800.00 !

I hope it has a 40 year warranty

I’ve stayed at a lot of hotels that use the above pictured $800 toaster, and have been unimpressed with its performance.

quote:

Mitsubishi makes a pretty great one from what I have read, but it only does one slice at a time.

Yeah it is only 338 dollars. I guess the company had to cover the costs of retooling from fighter aircraft.

^^^^^^^^
Only $291.60 on Amazon!

Mitsubishi Electric bread oven TO-ST1-T
https://a.co/d/dTBNjHZ