The toaster is an essential appliance in French kitchens. It has multiple uses, including making tasty toasts to enhance your breakfast. There are many models on the market, with various features. To choose the toaster that meets your needs, you must take into account several criteria tool.com explains the essentials to help you choose the best toaster.
Buying a toaster: all the possibilities
Buying a toaster allows you to multitask in the kitchen.
Of course, the main use of a toaster is to toast bread or heat pastries. But buying a toaster is also very useful for your snacks. During the holidays, you can use it to toasts, for example. A multi-function toaster can defrost bread or rolls. By allowing you to toast yesterday’s bread and pastries to make them tastier, the toaster proves to be an advantage in the fight against food waste. The first thing to do in choosing the best toaster is to define your needs. This will help you find the right appliance.
How to choose the right toaster for your needs
Your needs change based on the size of your home and the products you want to roast. If you have a large family, a small appliance will not be suitable. The same goes for buying a sandwich toaster, which will not be able to toast large pieces of baguette. There are two very important criteria to take into account when choosing the best toaster: the dimensions of the appliance and the number and size of its slots.
Long toaster or wide toaster: how to choose
There are two types of toasters: long and wide. Long toasters are the bulkiest. Its slot allows toasting pieces of baguette or pastries. Wide toasters are especially popular with lovers of sliced bread. It is a type of compact toaster that takes up less space in the kitchen and guarantees greater stability of the bread.
How many slots does the best toaster have?
You should choose a toaster with a number of slots that fits the size of your home and its dimensions should match the products you want to heat. If it is a single person or a couple without children, the 1- or 2-slot toaster is sufficient. On the other hand, a family may need more toast for breakfast.
The long 4- or 2 slice toaster is a better option for this need. The slots of a long toaster are the most flexible, since it is possible to fit several slices of bread or a piece of baguette into them, while those of a wide toaster are more standardized. On the market, 28 or 38 mm wide grooves are the most common.
Choosing a practical and functional toaster
The best toaster is the one that allows you to easily satisfy all your needs by providing a good user experience like 4 slice toaster and 2 slice toaster its depend on you which will you select. Therefore, you have to look at the functionality of the toaster you buy, its thermostat settings and the options it offers you.
Buying a toaster: the different features
Many models are multifunctional toasters, which can be used for several things. These toasters are more versatile and make your life easier.
Here are some examples of uses for your toaster:
Defrosting function: with this function you can toast bread or rolls that come out of the freezer.
Reheat function: use this option to reheat bread before spreading. You can also use it to eat your hot pasta.
Baguette function: a baguette toaster can brown the crumb without charring the crust.
Buying the right toaster: options for ease of use
Ease of use is another criterion to take into account when buying a toaster, especially if it is designed for frequent use. A toaster that provides you with a good user experience will make preparing your breakfast or snack more enjoyable.
There are many options to make your toaster easier to use:
The Extra High Lift – A toaster owner who doesn’t lift the toast high enough is constantly at risk of getting burned. The extra high lift incorporated in some modern models of toasters allows you to safely retrieve toast.
Automatic bread lowering and raising: this option, present above all in high-end toaster models, guarantees optimum safety when using the appliance. An automatic toaster is equipped with sensors that lower the toasts as soon as they detect their presence and raise them once they are toasted, thus avoiding any risk of burning.
A Cake Stand: This accessory allows you to place a chocolate croissant or croissant on top of the toaster to warm them up without burning.
Crumb tray: This utensil allows you to remove the bread crumbs from the toaster so that they do not burn and give off a bad smell. This is a more practical solution than turning the toaster upside down and shaking it.
Cold walls – The risk of getting burned should never be overlooked with a toaster, especially if you have children. The cold walls are equipped with thermal insulation that limits the accumulation of heat.
The LCD screen: thanks to this screen, the use, and programming of your toaster are easier and more precise.
The stop button: you can use it to stop the cooking process and check that the bread has not burned.
Buying a toaster: choosing a thermostat tailored to your needs
The tastes and colors are not debatable, and the same goes for the way you like to toast your bread: some like it barely golden, others well toasted.
The thermostat, which regulates the intensity of the appliance, is, therefore, a key criterion when buying a toaster. Most conventional toasters have a simple thermostat with a power range that allows you to adjust the browning level (from lightly browned to much browned) of the bread. However, some higher-end toasters offer a more sophisticated thermostat that also allows you to cook the inside and outside of the bread separately, depending on your preferences.
