Table of Contents
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You need a toaster. Everyone needs a toaster. We’re aware that you can make toast in your oven, but a toaster is faster and offers a few more options as well. The best part about a toaster isn’t the speed at which is toasts bread. The best part is it does all the work while you do other things. With an oven, you need to watch the toast to make sure it doesn’t burn while a toaster doesn’t need babysitting.
That said, a good toaster does a better job of preparing frozen waffles and bagels than your oven or microwave could ever hope to do. If you get creative and get a toaster than has extra-wide slots, you can reheat leftover pizza quickly or make sandwiches like grilled cheese or thin panini. Check your favorite search engine for more ideas and unique ways to use your toaster.
Comparison Table
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How We Chose the Toasters on the List
A lot of research time goes into choosing any kitchen appliance. If you’ve done the research before, you know there are several things to consider. One thing we didn’t consider, other than to offer it as a budget-friendly option, was the price tag on the toasters. While doing the research, we discovered that most four-slot toasters fall into the budget-friendly category, so their prices didn’t matter as a whole.We included one toaster on the list that’s a long way from affordable, but it got great reviews and offered some smart features that we liked. In order of importance, we picked these toasters based on the following criteria:
- Owner opinions and reviews: User reviews and comments are essential things to look into before buying anything.
- Reliability and durability: Will the toaster stand up to heavy use and will the toast come out the same way on day 500 as it did on the first day?
- Features and versatility: Most toasters have the same features, but any bonus perks got considered.
- Cleaning: How hard is it to clean the toaster?
- Aesthetics and size: Does it look good and will it fit in your kitchen?
Finding out what owners and users of any product think about it is an integral part of the selection process when buying or recommending anything. Thanks to the internet, getting opinions online is easy but deciding if a complaint is a product flaw, or user error may be challenging. We’re pretty good at seeing the whole picture, and we’re passing that knowledge on to you in the mini-reviews below.The lifespan of the toaster is essential. Whether you spend a small or large amount on a product, you want it to last as long as possible. So, durability stands on equal footing with reliability. However, where toasters are concerned, reliability is easier defined as how consistent the toaster toasts. Many toasters develop hotspots over time and start browning toast unevenly.Honestly, most toasters offer the same features. Some have a few minor perks like a digital timer or an audible alert, but most of them are simple and provide around seven toasting settings along with preset defrost and reheat options. Versatility is the key player at this level and toasters with extra-wide or long slots get to be the favorites.Cleaning is usually a big deal because toasters collect a lot of crumbs and food particles especially if you use them to reheat things like pizza. Grease and other things accumulate in the bottom of the toaster. The walls of the toaster aren’t usually an issue since any fat burns off and crumbs fall to the bottom. So, a removable crumb tray is a definite bonus to any toaster.Aesthetics and price didn’t carry much weight during the selection process. We just can’t know which toaster you’ll like based on looks and how the toaster got designed doesn’t play a big part in how well it lasts or makes toast. Since all but one of the toasters on the list came in at a low to average price, with many costing much less, their price tag just wasn’t a factor.
Best 4 Slice Toasters
Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay
These toasters aren’t listed in any specific order. Check the buyer’s guide after this section for more information on which toasters we recommend based on particular criteria. You’ll need to weigh the information we give you against any specific needs you have or size problems based on your kitchen and available counter space.
Cuisinart CPT-180 Metal Classic 4-Slice Toaster
[amazon box=”B0000A1ZN1″]
You can get this toaster on Amazon at an average price. Each side of the toaster is adjustable so that you can make two pieces of toast on one side dark and the other two light. The slots in this toaster are extra-wide to allow for a larger variety of items. It also comes in a two-slot version in case you decide four slices of toast might be a bit much.People who own this toaster love it. Some owners claim the toaster may not cook things the same on both sides. For instance, if you set both sides to five, one is always lighter than the other side. However, most users agree that the difference is rarely extreme and not a big problem. The lack of a proper crumb tray is a little bit of a letdown.
BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Extra-Wide Slot Toaster
[amazon box=”B0764C9BQB”]
You can get this four-slot toaster on Amazon at an average price. It offers independent toasting settings for each side of the toaster. The slots are extra-wide, and you may be able to make a grilled cheese sandwich of panini in this toaster if you use thinly sliced bread or slice your own to fit. It’s easy to clean and simple to use.Some of the owners of this toaster claim they’ve had it or similar model for years and had no complaints. While it’s easy to clean thanks to a removable crumb tray, the crumb tray is tricky to get in and out according to some users. The toaster isn’t very deep, so some types of bread that tend to be taller than usual may no toast perfectly near the top edge.
Cuisinart CPT-340 Compact Stainless 4-Slice Toaster
[amazon box=”B0000A1ZN1″]
You can get this toaster on Amazon for an average price. It’s designed to fit in smaller spaces compared to the CPT-180 above. However, the size difference is not that much and probably unnoticeable to most people. That’s said, it does offer independent settings for each side and easy cleanup via the removable crumb tray.Most owners say this toaster hasn’t given them a reason to complain and they love it. However, Cuisinart toasters are notorious for uneven toasting across the toaster. In other words, the toast gets toasted evenly, but one side of the toaster is usually a little hotter than the other even if both sides are using the same settings.
Sunbeam Wide Slot 4-Slice Toaster
[amazon box=”B0007Y17WO”]
You can get this toaster on Amazon for at a low to average price. The slots in this toaster are wide enough to fit most types of bread including hamburger buns. The toaster is larger than many on this list, so make sure you have enough kitchen space to accommodate it. It comes with seven toasting settings, and each side may get set independently.People that own this toaster say it is one of the most consistent toasters they’ve owned. Both sides of the toaster usually brown toast evenly and it doesn’t develop hot spots over time. Many toasters tend to get hotter on one end as they age. It’s a little difficult to keep clean since it doesn’t have a removable crumb tray.
Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Long Slot Keep Warm Toaster
[amazon box=”B00EJQ8OR2″]
This toaster is available on Amazon at an average price. It only offers one control for all four slots, but the slots run front to back which makes it a slim toaster that will fit in almost any space you have available. It has extra-wide slots so that you can toast most types of bread including thick cut bread and hamburger buns. It’s the perfect choice for small kitchens.Overall, owners of this toaster love it. In what seems like a trend with this brand, there’s no beep or notification that lets you know the toast is ready. Some people complain about this and call it a missing feature. However, this seems more like a personal preference than a device flaw to us. That said, if you commonly stick toast in the toaster and walk away, a beep might be handy.
Breville 4 Slice Smart Toaster
[amazon box=”B00AZY3TFE”]
You can get this four-slice toaster on Amazon at a premium price. This toaster does not fall in the affordable category. However, it is probably worth the price tag it comes with since it’s one of the few toasters we found that monitors your toast and increases the heat if it’s browning unevenly. The long slots make it ideal for creating thin sandwiches as well.People that own this toaster love it, but most of them think it’s a little expensive. However, the toaster operated as advertised and got almost no complaints from users. The main complaint is that cleaning the toaster is difficult and often needed more frequently since many people use this toaster for more than toasting bread due to its longer slots.
KitchenAid 4 Slice Long Slot Toaster
[amazon box=”B00Y2KFZUE”]
You can get this toaster on Amazon at an average to premium price. The long slots mean there’s nothing between the left and right slices of toast, but this also opens up the door to more creative toasting. It’s more affordable and easier to clean than the previous long slot toaster. It offers seven toasting settings on a single dial along with defrost, reheat, and keep warm options.Owners of this toaster love everything about it except for the control knob position. The toaster is thin, but they put the settings on the long side of the toaster which causes it to need more countertop space. If the controls were on the end of the toaster with the level, it would fit in smaller areas and be an ideal toaster for small or cluttered kitchens.
Oster Long Slot 4-Slice Toaster
[amazon box=”B00NZIQLMU”]
You can get this toaster on Amazon at an average price. It offers seven toasting settings and the bread guides self-adjust to make sure your toast stands up and browns evenly. It comes with a removable crumb tray to make cleanup fast and easy. It’s the perfect toaster for small or cluttered kitchens due to its thin design.Most people that own this toaster don’t have any complaints beyond a few minor problems. The crumb tray may become difficult to remove over time if you don’t clean it thoroughly. You need to wash it after every three or four uses according to most users. However, we don’t view this issue as a design flaw. This toaster fits almost anywhere, and it’s easy to store.
Elite Cuisine Long Slot Toaster
[amazon box=”B0763ZK56Q”]
You can get this toaster on Amazon at a low to premium price. It offers six toasting settings and a removable crumb tray to make cleaning it easier. It comes with extra-wide, long slots to accommodate most types of bread including artisanal ones. If the control knob weren’t on the side, this slim toaster would be perfect for smaller kitchens. As it is, it doesn’t take up much space either way.Owners of this toaster love it and its low price. Like us, they all wish the control knob was mounted on the end so the toaster would take up less counter space. That said, it does a great job of evenly toasting all types of bread, and it’s easy to clean. Unlike this one, many four slice toasters don’t have a removable crumb tray which is a limitation in our opinion.
Proctor Silex Toaster with Wide Slots
[amazon box=”B00065L4ZO”]
You can get this toaster on Amazon at a low price. The extra-wide slots in this toaster allow you to toast thick bread like bagels and hamburger buns easily without cramming them into it. It offers seven toasting settings and comes with a removable crumb tray to speed up cleaning. It is one of the cheapest toasters to make our list.Most people that own this toaster compare it to more expensive brands and claim it works just as good. However, each side of the toaster uses a different control setting, and the result is that the sides don’t toast the same even if they’re using the same configuration. That said, this is a common flaw in almost every four-slot toaster that uses independent controls for each set of slots.
Your Toaster Buyer’s Guide
The final decision is obviously up to you since you know your needs and kitchen space better than we know it. Any of the toasters on our list will make an excellent gift, and they’re all affordable. If you’re giving one as a gift, try to do a little snooping and make sure you’re picking one that you think might fit well in the other person’s kitchen and match their current décor.
If you’re working with a tight budget, the Sunbeam Wide Slot 4-Slice Toaster is our pick for the most affordable four slice toaster. It has everything you’ll need in a simple to use a toaster and comes with a price tag that’s in the average range. If the Sunbeam toaster is too big for your kitchen, consider the Proctor Silex Toaster with Wide Slots as the next best budget-friendly four slice toaster.
The Oster Long Slot 4-Slice Toaster is the best toaster on the list for small kitchens where space is limited. It uses one control knob for all four slots, and the slots are set up with two in the back and two in the front. This design makes the toaster thin which helps it fit in wherever you need it to fit. It’s affordable at an average price rate as well.
The KitchenAid 4 Slice Long Slot Toaster is our favorite long slot toaster. Long slot toasters hold four average slices of bread but don’t separate each side of the toaster, so it allows you to get creative and reheat more things or make longer paninis. This toaster would have been our pick for small kitchens, but they put the control knob on the side instead of on the end.
Ultimately, the decision is in your hands. We’ve included several excellent four-slot toasters in the list for you to pick from and this buyer’s guide should help as well. Be mindful of your counter space and consider how you plan to use the toaster before you buy one. If you plan to make sandwiches in the toaster, look for one that offers extra-wide slots and has a removable crumb tray.
Some Final Notes
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
It’s our opinion that a four-slice toaster is the all-around best type of toaster. Whether you choose a long slot toaster or one with traditional slots, making four pieces of toast at once is ideal for family breakfasts or making toasted sandwiches. It’s easier, and you get more toast faster. On that note, we’re sure there’s a four-slice toaster on this list that fits your needs and your budget.
