Four slice toasters review 2006

What to buy

• # KAMBROOK Wide Slice KT98 $35
• # KENWOOD Eon Auto Toast TT980 $152
• BREVILLE Emporia CT45B $100
• BREVILLE Freestyle BT905 (A) $43
• SUNBEAM Cafe Series TA9400 $180
• SUNBEAM Quantum Thick & Thin 4 TA4400 (B) $40

(A) Not recommended if you often toast only one slice.
(B) Not recommended if you often toast frozen bread.
# Discontinued models. Prices and availability checked November 2008.

What about the rest?

• The BELLINI and DELONGHI have good overall scores, but you could do better for the price.
• The RUSSELL HOBBS, TIFFANY, and HOME COLLECTION don't handle single slices very well.
• The SANYO failed to brown the toast evenly and also struggled with toasting frozen bread.
• The TEFAL, HELLER and MAXIM weren't easy to use, and also had mediocre toasting scores.

Product profiles -  the best

# KAMBROOK Wide Slice KT98

Price: $35

Good points

• Excellent toasting performance - consistently produces evenly browned toast.
• The only model on test with a perfect score for toasting frozen bread.
• Good at toasting single slices.

Bad points

• None to speak of.
  

# KENWOOD Eon Auto Toast TT980

Price: $152

Good points

• Excellent toasting performance - produces evenly browned toast fairly consistently .
• Very good at toasting frozen bread.
• Good at toasting a single slice.
• Only model on test with a bread carriage that lowers and raises itself.

Bad points

• Slowest model on test.
  

BREVILLE Emporia CT45B

Price: $100

Good points

• Excellent toasting performance - consistently produces evenly browned toast.
• Very good at toasting frozen bread.
• Good at toasting a single slice.

Bad points

• None to speak of.
  

BREVILLE Freestyle BT905

Price: $43

Good points

• Very good toasting performance - consistently produces evenly browned toast.
• Very good at toasting frozen bread.

Bad points

• Poorest on test at toasting a single slice.
  

SUNBEAM Cafe Series TA9400

Price: $180

Good points

• Very good toasting performance - produces evenly browned toast fairly consistently.
• Good at toasting frozen bread.
• Best on test at toasting a single slice.
• Gently raises the toast when its done, instead of the usual 'pop' up.

Bad points

• Heavy (5.5 kg).
  

SUNBEAM Quantum Thick & Thin 4 TA4400

Price: $40

Good points

• Very good toasting performance - produces fairly evenly browned toast fairly consistently.
• Very good at toasting a single slice.

Bad points

• Equal poorest score on test for toasting frozen bread.

Use these tips to make shopping for a toaster easier:

• Smooth joins on the exterior and relatively few buttons make the toaster easy to clean.
• Stainless steel is popular but hard to keep fingerprint-free.
• Removable crumb tray that slides out easily.
• High-lift carriage lever makes it easier to remove smaller items like crumpets and muffins.
• Wide slots with a self-centring mechanism helps ensure crumpets and muffins don't jam, and also help ensure bread is evenly toasted.

For people with a disability

• None of the tested models is ideal for someone with a disability, but the best choice is probably the SUNBEAM Cafe Series. Its controls are reasonably well labelled and easy to use. The crumb tray is easy to remove, but replacing the tray could be difficult for some people. It's also the heaviest model on test.
  
• People with dexterity problems are likely to have difficulty with the HOME COLLECTION and MAXIM toasters. The controls are difficult to grip, you need a screwdriver to remove the crumb tray, the walls get very hot (around 130°C, compared to below 68°C for most other models) and there's no high-lift mechanism to help remove the toast.