The 7 Best Toaster Reviews In The UK (2022)
Last Updated on April 20, 2022
Bread toasters can be found in nearly every home and we love how they brown our bread, bagels and crumpets. But for an item so common, it’s amazing how easily the wrong model can burn your bread and ruin breakfast.
If you’re not sure which features to look for when buying a new toaster, check out our best toaster review for more details.
Our Top 3 Toaster Picks
1. The Best Toaster By De’Longhi
2. The Best Looking Toaster By Morphy Richards
3. The Best 2-Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards
Product Testing & Review
Our reviewer used a specific set of guidelines to determine the best of the best for our list:
- Ease of use
- Consistency
- Durability
Our reviewer primarily focused on ease of use and consistency for our list. Toasters need to be two things above all else – easy to use, and consistent in performance. That means that intuitively-designed toasters ranked better than older-style ones and that anything that couldn’t regularly toast bread evenly didn’t make the list.
Finally, we looked at durability. While we don’t expect you to be playing football with the thing, it needs to be sturdy and well-designed so it can last you for years to come. Now, enough of what we want – let’s see what’s best for you, shall we?
Read Next: How to stop bread from sticking to a sandwich toaster.
Compare our top 3 picks below, or scroll past to see the detailed analysis of all 7 products.
Scroll left to view more products:
 4-Slice Browning Control Toaster By De’Longhi |  Evoke 4 Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards |  Retra 4-Slice Toaster By Tefal | |
| AWARDS |  |  |  |
| PRICE | £65.00 on Amazon View Product | Price not available on Amazon View Product | Price not available on Amazon View Product |
| OVERALL SCORE |  |  |  |
| RATING |  |  | |
| PROS | Adjustable temperature | Sexy, modern look | Easy to clean |
| CONS | Shape makes it hard to fit some bread types | Poor heat distribution when fully loaded | Spendy for a toaster |
| BOTTOM LINE | Easy to use and spacious, this will toast anything perfectly in one go. | Versatile and modern, this toaster is great for any crowded kitchen. | Easy to use and highly versatile, this toaster will last you for years. |
| RATING CATEGORIES | 4-Slice Browning Control Toaster By De’Longhi | Evoke 4 Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards | Retra 4-Slice Toaster By Tefal |
| CONSISTENCY (30%) |  |  | |
| DURABILITY (30%) | | | |
| EASE OF USE (40%) | | | |
| PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS | 4-Slice Browning Control Toaster By De’Longhi | Evoke 4 Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards | Retra 4-Slice Toaster By Tefal |
| DIMENSIONS | 31 x 29 x 20 cm | 29.5 x 27 x 21 cm | 32.2 x 27.9 x 22.5 cm |
| MATERIAL | Plastic | Stainless steel | |
| WEIGHT | 2.3 kg | 2.3 kg | |
| VIEW PRODUCTS | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
The Best Toasters Reviewed In 2022
1. 4-Slice Browning Control Toaster By De’Longhi
Best Toaster
£65.00
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 31 x 29 x 20 cm
- Material: Plastic
- Weight: 2.3 kg
Easy to use and spacious, this will toast anything perfectly in one go.
The best toaster you can buy is the 4 Slice Toaster By De’Longhi. We gave it a 5/5 star rating.
The De’Longhi CTJ4003 4 slots toaster combines an attractive finish with efficiency. The black plastic body has a very attractive chrome accent which will look great on any countertop. Like many of the best four-slice toasters, this model includes a host of useful functions like a crumb plate which can be easily removed, six browning levels, and defrost.
This toaster has variable width toasting slots and extra lift levers which make it easier to toast and retrieve pastries of various widths and sizes. Rated at 1800 watts, it’s one of the most energy-efficient 4 slice units. Its energy efficiency is further enhanced by the fact that if you want to, you may choose two slots to toast your slices.
Our reviewer loved this thing. It’s got a good capacity, is energy efficient, and is super easy to use. The adjustable temperature setting makes it easy to toast your bread to the desired doneness, and just generally does its job admirably.
READ NEXT: Top rated bread maker reviews
Pros
- Easy to use
- Large capacity
- Adjustable temperature
Cons
- Shape makes it hard to fit some bread types
2. Evoke 4 Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards
Best 4-Slice Toaster
Price not available
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 29.5 x 27 x 21 cm
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 2.3 kg
Versatile and modern, this toaster is great for any crowded kitchen.
The second best kitchen piece you can buy is the Evoke 4-Slice Toaster By Morphy Richards. We gave it a 4.5/5 star rating.
Thanks to its variable browning levels, the toast this makes looks just the way you want, every time. The addition of reheat and defrost functions makes this great for a wider range of applications than others in this list.
It’s quite a handy feature to have when you are hustling around the house while the toast gets ready. The crumb tray collects every crumb making for effortless cleaning of the four-slot toaster while the cord storage will make sure there are no wires tangling around.
Our reviewer loved this thing. It looks fantastic and comes in a wide range of looks to best fit your kitchen’s aesthetic. Add in that it’s efficient, easy to use, and durable, and it’s honestly hard to find something bad to say about it – with one exception. It struggles to consistently toast both sides unless you halve its potential capacity. The heat distribution seems to be a bit off in this thing – but damn, is it pretty.
Read Next: Russel Hobbs 22241 hand blender review.
Pros
- Sexy, modern look
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
- Simple to store
Cons
- Poor heat distribution when fully loaded
3. Retra 4-Slice Toaster By Tefal
Best Versatile Toaster
Price not available
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 32.2 x 27.9 x 22.5 cm
- Material:
- Weight:
Easy to use and highly versatile, this toaster will last you for years.
Third place goes to the 4-slice Retra By Tefal. We gave it a 4.5/5 star rating.
Our reviewer loved this thing. It’s sturdy thanks to its durable plastic and stainless steel construction, has 4 separable toast slots, and comes with seven browning levels.
Add in the reheat, stop, and defrost functions, and you’re guaranteed the perfect toast – every time. This toaster is rated at 1700 watts, so it’s not the most energy-efficient, but it is extremely high-quality in design and operation.
Seriously, our reviewer loved this thing. She did note that it’s a bit spendy (£94.99 at the time of publication), but she felt it’s worth the cost for a toaster that’ll last for years without issue. Especially considering how slick this thing looks!
READ NEXT: The interesting history of the toaster.
Pros
- Durable
- Effective
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Spendy for a toaster
- Somewhat energy-inefficient
4. Silver 2 Slice Toaster By Russell Hobbs
Best 2-Slice Toaster
£64.99
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 28.6 x 16.8 x 20.1 cm
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 2.06 kg
The first thing you’ll notice about this model is its shiny stainless steel exterior with black accents.
The fourth best smart buy is the Silver 2-slice Toaster By Russell Hobbs. We gave it a 4/5 star rating.
At 980 watts, this toaster is much more energy-efficient compared to some competing two-slice units. This model has a quality cool-touch exterior design that protects you from burns.
The great build quality, polished exterior and detachable rack make it easy to use and clean this toaster. It includes every you could need such as browning management, reheat, high lift and defrost functions which enable you to get your toast just as you like it, perfectly browned in very little time. All these things make this unit one of the best you can buy for the price.
Our reviewer quite liked this as a simple, effective 2-slot toaster. While it struggles to fully toast things on the exterior side, this can be remedied by flipping the toast. This is the only reason it’s not our #3 choice.
Read Next: Breville Curve 4-Slice Toaster Review.
Pros
- Durable
- Simple but effective
- Defrost
- High lift
Cons
- Poor heat distribution on the exterior side requires that you flip the toast halfway through.
5. High Lift 2 Slice Toaster By Breville
Best High Lift Toaster
£39.00
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 34.7 x 23.9 x 19.6 cm
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 1.96 kg
If you’re a Warburton fan, the 2-slice toaster is specially made for you.
Fifth place goes to the 2-Slice Toaster by Breville. We gave it a 4/5 star rating. The links below can show you the budget-friendly price range and key details.
It’s a two slice toaster that comes in a tested stainless steel body. It can add an assortment of functions that make it one of the best 2 slots units UK consumers can get.
Its electronic browning controls, reheat function and lift and look function give you the oversight you need over the toasting progress. An extra high-lift feature enables you to toast and remove small snacks such as bagels and crumpets without the need for wooden forks. And perhaps best of all, its variable toast width slots will help you toast different sized bagels, crumpets, toasts and more. It does so evenly and from bottom to top without any trouble and in very little time. Other big aspects include a removable crumb tray, convenient power cord storage, manual lever, defrost function and non-slip feet. It doesn’t have a keep warm setting but it still is one of the most ideal kitchen devices on the market for its price.
Our reviewer quite liked this. It’s a bit big for its capacity, but otherwise, she found that it was effective, budget-friendly (only £38 at the time of publication), and generally easy to use. She did note that its power needs are strong enough that it tripped a breaker in her home, so if you need an energy-efficient device, this may not be the choice.
Read Next: How to fix a broken toaster.
Pros
- Simple
- Effective
- Easy to use.
Cons
- Occasionally toasts one side more than the other
- High power needs (tripped a breaker)
6. High Lift 4 Slice Toaster By Dualit
Best Basic Toaster
£104.95
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 41 x 16.99 x 20.29 cm
- Material: Stainless steel and plastic
- Weight: 2.67 kg
First things first – this thing is spendy for a toaster – £106.04 at the time of publication.
The sixth pick on our test list is the Two Slice Toaster by Dualit. We gave it a 4/5 star rating.
With that said, it is a well-made and durable product. Its slots are wide enough to fit a large range of bread, from flatbread to thick artisan bread. It does struggle to fully toast thick pieces of bread, but that’s only with slices that push the capacity of the slot. Keep them reasonably sized and you’ll be fine.
Our reviewer wanted to emphasize how expensive this is in comparison to others on the list. It performs equally to the others in this list but costs much more. If you have the budget, you won’t be disappointed by this, but if you don’t, maybe opt for a cheaper (and still solid) product on this list. (Maybe #5?)
Pros
- Efficient
- Large capacity (despite being 2-slot, they’re extra wide slots)
- Easy to use
Cons
- Struggles to toast thicker pieces evenly
- Spendy
7. Futura 4 Slice Toaster By Russell Hobbs
Best Budget Toaster
£34.99
at Amazon
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 28.2 x 28.2 x 17.9 cm
- Material: Stainless steel
- Weight: 1.94 kg
This device is simple, effective, and budget-friendly.
Our seventh-best find is the Futura Four Slice Toaster By Russell Hobbs. We gave it a 4/5 star rating.
It’s able to defrost frozen bread and reheat previously cooked bread to a nice, welcoming, warm temperature without burning it. The Futura comes with several ease-of-use features such as an indicator light, stop function, variable browning, and a removable crumb tray – just like the others in this list.
Our reviewer quite liked this due to its high-quality make and budget-friendly price tag of only £32.95 at the time of publication. However, she noted that it’s rather small in terms of width, limiting what you can toast to thin pieces of bread. Additionally, the heating element stops 1-2 cm below the top, meaning taller pieces won’t toast on top. Nonetheless, this is a solid, durable, and easy to use toaster.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Effective
- Durable
Cons
- Can’t fit thick pieces of bread.
- Heating elements stop short of the top.
A Mini Buying Guide For Toasters
Types Of Toasters
There are three main types of toasters, pop-up, conveyor and toaster ovens.
Pop-up devices are the traditional small units you’re likely to buy for your home. They have 2, 4 or even 8 slots. Each slot toasts a single slice at a time. This review is going to focus on the pop-up type.
Conveyor ones are usually big units that have two main parts; a top compartment for loading bread and a bottom compartment for delivering toasted slices of bread.
Due to their size and output (hundreds of slices per hour), they’re commonly used in the catering industry.
Toaster ovens are hybrid kitchen appliances that work as toasters, ovens and microwaves. Most are countertop appliances and come with many functions that make it easy to customize the toasting process.
What To Look For When Buying A Toaster
Size
The size of the toaster is largely determined by the number of slots it has. If you have limited worktop space, 2 slice units are the best option. Our advice – you should also consider the unit’s weight when looking at size.
Uses
If you’ll only toast standard-sized bread slices, a simple toaster will do. If, however, you want to evenly toast a variety of snacks, a toaster with wide slots and settings such as high lift and browning control is your best option.
Ease of use
Today’s devices will feature a number of useful settings. This however doesn’t mean that the best ones are those with the most bells and whistles. You should only go for the device with the features that you need. Some of the features to look out for include defrost and convection heating.
Ease of cleaning
Generally, go for devices with removable crumb trays and an easy to clean exterior.
Power consumption
The best units are energy efficient appliances. You don’t want a device that consumes a lot of power for every few minutes.
Toaster Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How long should a toaster last?
A. A toaster should last at least 5-6 years. This is because the median life expectancy of a toaster is 6yrs.
Q. How often should a toaster be replaced?
A. A toaster should be replaced after 6-8 years under good working conditions.
Q. Do toasters wear out?
A. They do wear out. Their heating elements can burn, plugs and switches become faulty, but if you maintain the toaster well, it should serve you for a long time before its electrical parts begin to wear out.
Q. Can you defrost bread in the toaster?
A. You can defrost bread in the toaster if you wish to or if you live without a microwave.
Q. Is it safe to put buttered bread in a toaster?
A. No it is not safe to insert buttered bread in a toaster. It will melt and potentially cause an electrical fire.
Q. Is using a toaster on its one side safe?
A. It is not safe to use a toaster on its side. It is very dangerous and can cause your toaster to combust, your bread to burn and other life-threatening hazards can occur.
Q. How do toasters know when to pop up?
A. Units know when to pop after the heating elements get to a certain temperature for a specific duration of time. You are able to set the timer on the majority of devices as to how long you wish the bread to be toasting.
Q. Should you unplug the toaster after use?
A. You should unplug the toaster after using it to prevent fires. They work by generating heat to brown bread and with this heat, they can readily catch fire. So, it’s a safe rule to unplug the device when not working.
Q. How do you clean a toaster?
A. You clean a toaster by following these easy steps:
- Unplug the toaster and shake it over a sink in an upside-down position
- Pull out the crumb plate (if any) and wash with warm water and dish soap
- Wipe the inside with a water-damped clothe to remove residues.
