GH Institute

All Toasters

• 
  Review of Dualit NEwGen 4 slice toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel by manual lever. Bagel option. Front slide out crumb tray. Front facing controls

  Comments

  Good points: Coverage was good for batch toasting. Bagels toasted evenly, the backs staying soft. The front facing crumb tray is easy to pull out and empty. The lever means you can pop up toast at any time and return without resetting the timer.

  Drawbacks: Colour was slightly uneven between slices when batch toasting. Thick sliced bread had to be turned around to fit in the slots and it poked up above the top of the toaster, this edge remaining un-toasted. Finding the correct browning setting is trial and error and you need to keep an eye on progress until you get used to the controls.

  Rating: 91/100

  Price: £175

  Stockist: 01293 652 500 - http://www.dualit.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Cuisinart 4 slice toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Digital countdown timers let you see how much time is left for browning. The controls are reassuringly solid. It produced very even browning for batch and frozen tests.

  Drawbacks: Thick sliced farmhouse bread sticks up slightly above toaster edge so the top remains un-toasted and some edges were paler. The bread was unevenly browned when a single slice was toasted. The rear positioned crumb trays make emptying crumbs a little awkward.

  Rating: 90/100

  Price: £60

  Stockist: 0870 240 6902 - http://www.cuisinart.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Philips HD2648 toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: The batch and frozen tests produced very evenly browned toast right up to the edges. Thick sliced bread fitted in easily. Bagels browned evenly.

  Drawbacks: The top edge of thick sliced bread poked up above the elements and remained un-toasted. The rear positioned crumb trays make emptying them a little awkward and the shiny finish shows finger-marks easily.

  Rating: 85/100

  Price: £40

  Stockist: 0845 601 0354 - http://www.philips.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of John Lewis CPT180U toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Extra lift. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Coverage good when toasting bagels. Front crumb tray is easy to empty.

  Drawbacks: Uneven coverage on frozen bread test and thick bread only toasted in the centre of the slices. Instructions do not state how to position bagels for one sided toasting. Uneven coverage when toasting a single slice.

  Rating: 85/100

  Price: £45

  Stockist: 08456 049 049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of DeLonghi Icona toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Very good coverage on batch and frozen bread tests. Thick, large slices fit in easily. Good coverage and browning on bagels, backs staying soft.

  Drawbacks: Quite a large, bulky machine. Browning differs between sides on batch and frozen bread and considerably darker during single slice test.

  Rating: 84/100

  Price: £69.99

  Stockist: 0845 600 6845 - http://www.delonghi.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of M&S 4 slice toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Very good coverage and colour when toasting frozen bread and bagels. Fairly even colour when toasting consecutive batches of bread.

  Drawbacks: The left hand carriage takes longer to pop up. Thick bread sticks up above the level of the toaster.

  Rating: 83/100

  Price: £39.5

  Stockist: 0845 609 0200 - http://www.marksandspencer.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Russell Hobbs Atlantic 13974 toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front and side facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Good coverage on frozen bread and batch toasting test.

  Drawbacks: The left hand lever needs a couple of attempts to press down. Insides darker on batch toasting test. Thick slices had to be turned to fit inside and still poked up above edge of toaster. Instructions are unclear about how to position bagels. Slightly uneven browning on all tests and sides differ in colour when a single slice is toasted.

  Rating: 81/10

  Price: £39.99

  Stockist: 0845 658 9700 - http://www.russellhobbs.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Gordon Ramsay 4 slice toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Front slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Single slice option. Cord storage. Bun warmer. Front facing controls

  Comments

  Good points: Sturdy, commercial style toaster. Bagels toasted satisfactorily, backs remaining soft.

  Drawbacks: It does not toast to the very top of standard sized bread and thick bread pokes up above the edge of the toaster so the top edge remains pale. Only two slices of large farmhouse bread will fit in at once. Browning uneven when comparing sides.

  Rating: 77/100

  Price: £85

  Stockist: 0845 467 6743 - http://www.sensioinc.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Morphy Richards Accents 44039 toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Two rear slide out crumb trays. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Good, even colour on batch toasting. Bagels toasted evenly with good colour even though there is no dedicated bagel setting.

  Drawbacks: Patchy coverage on batch toasting. Frozen bread coverage was poor and colour uneven. Farmhouse bread was too large for the toaster and browning rather patchy. The indicator lights could be brighter. Single slice toasted unevenly.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £49.95

  Stockist: 0844 871 0957 - http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Prestige Deco toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Good, even colour when batch testing and toasting frozen bread. Thick and large slices fit well into slots. Good long slots. Even colour for frozen bread.

  Drawbacks: Instructions unclear on how to position bagels for one sided toasting. Uneven coverage and colour when toasting a single slice.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £60

  Stockist: 0151 482 8282 - http://www.prestige.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Breville VTT098 toaster

  Features

  4 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Front slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Very good coverage for batch and frozen tests. Generous slot length. Coverage good for thick slices and bagels.Good solid machine.

  Drawbacks: Slow to toast. Thick slices had to be turned to fit. Colour uneven for frozen bread.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £49.99

  Stockist: 0800 525 089 - http://www.breville.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Cookworks 4 slice long toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen bread setting. Mid cycle cancel. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Cord storage. Right facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Value model.

  Drawbacks: No automatic sensor means the time stays the same when batch toasting and results get darker. Only two slices of farmhouse bread will fit at once. Flimsy controls. Bagels dark even on low setting. Patchy browning on frozen bread.

  Rating: 72/100

  Price: £16.29

  Stockist: 0845 640 3030 - http://www.argos.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Russell Hobbs Nevada toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Indicator lights flash to countdown toasting time. Long slots fit large and thick bread easily. Colour was even for batch, frozen and thick slice tests. Coverage was good for all tests performed, toasting to the edges of the bread.

  Drawbacks: The indicator lights could be larger. Shiny finish shows finger-marks.

  Rating: 93/100

  Price: £39.99

  Stockist: 0845 658 9700 - http://www.russellhobbs.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Magimix Vision toaster

  Features

  1 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. One sided toasting. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls. Glass sides which flip down for cleaning.

  Comments

  Good points: The glass sides allow you to control browning and pop up when the toast reaches preferred colour. These can be flipped down for cleaning and make it easy to see when the crumb tray needs emptying. The extra long slot can accommodate larger slices and width allows for very thick items. Good coverage for all tests and even browning. Bagels toasted well, backs remaining soft. Solid construction and sturdy controls.

  Rating: 93/100

  Price: £160

  Stockist: 01252 727755 - http://ww.magimix.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of John Lewis CPT160U toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Rear slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Front facing controls

  Comments

  Good points: Solid build. Coverage was good for batch and bagel tests and browning even for all tests.

  Drawbacks: It left an un-toasted strip across the top of frozen bread and thick sliced bread slightly patchy in colour. The slide out crumb trays are positioned at the back of the toaster which makes emptying them awkward. The instructions are unclear on how to position bagels for one sided toasting.

  Rating: 91/100

  Price: £35

  Stockist: 08456 049 049 - http://www.johnlewis.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Gordon Ramsay 2 slice toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen. Mid cycle cancel. Front slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Single slice option. Cord storage. Bun warmer. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: It toasted bread evenly for the batch, frozen and thick slice tests. Bright blue indicator lights are clear to see and the toaster ‘pings' when the toast pops up. The crumb tray is conveniently positioned at the front.

  Drawbacks: It left a narrow un-toasted strip across the top of the bread. Colour and coverage differed between sides when a single slice was toasted.

  Rating: 90/100

  Price: £60

  Stockist: 0845 467 6749 - http://ww.sensioinc.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Philips HD2628 toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Right hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Left hand facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Brushed stainless steel finish shows marks less readily than a shiny surface. Indicator lights are bright and easy to see. Browning good on frozen test.

  Drawbacks: The side controls are hard to access. The defrost control needs a few attempts to work. When toasting a single slice, one side is darker than the other. Browning differs on each side when batch toasting.

  Rating: 89/100

  Price: £30

  Stockist: 0845 601 0354 - http://www.philips.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Breville VTT001 toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Rear slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front controls.

  Comments

  Good points: The slots are angled slightly forward for easy access. Very good coverage for frozen bread and bagels, colour even.

  Drawbacks: Shiny surface shows finger-marks easily. It doesn't automatically adjust the time when batch toasting, bread getting progressively darker.

  Rating: 89/100

  Price: £19.99

  Stockist: 0800 525 089 - http://www.breville.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Prestige Dakota toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Front slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Very bright, clear lights. Indicators flash to countdown toasting time. Front crumb tray is easy to access. Good, even colour for frozen test. Very good coverage when toasting bagels.

  Drawbacks: Thick bread pokes up above top of toaster and remains un-toasted at the top.

  Rating: 88/100

  Price: £26

  Stockist: 0151 482 8282 - http://www.prestige.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Morphy Richards Metalik 44415 toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Bun warmer. Top controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Good coverage and even colour when batch toasting. Good coverage and even colour when toasting thick sliced bread and bagels.

  Drawbacks: Frozen bread evenly coloured but coverage varied from side to side. LED lights are hard to see. Uneven browning on each side when toasting a single slice.

  Rating: 87/100

  Price: £39.99

  Stockist: 0844 871 0957 - http://www.morphyrichards.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Cuisinart Two slice toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel option. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Right hand facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Very good coverage when batch toasting, both sides the same colour. Bagels toasted evenly. Useful countdown timer shows how much toasting time is left. Frozen bread is a good even colour and satisfactory coverage.

  Drawbacks: Slight un-toasted border remains on frozen bread. Backs a little crispy on bagels. Surface shows finger-marks.

  Rating: 86/100

  Price: £40

  Stockist: 0870 240 6902 - http://www.cuisinart.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Dualit Peek and Pop toaster

  Features

  2 slot design. Mid cycle cancel. Bagel setting. Right hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Sandwich cage available as extra. Left hand controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Instructions very clear with large diagrams. Lever allows you to check browning progress without resetting the timer. Bagels toasted well, backs remaining soft.

  Drawbacks: Variable coverage when batch toasting and for frozen bread. Thick sliced bread sticks up above the top of the toaster and remains un-toasted.

  Rating: 83/100

  Price: £59

  Stockist: 01293 652 500 - http://www.dualit.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Krups FEM2 Toastexpert

  Features

  2 slot design. Reheat. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Front slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: The lever enables you to remove even very small items. Quick to toast.

  Drawbacks: Coverage is poor for batch toasting and colour variable. Frozen bread poorly toasted on usual setting plus defrost. Controls and instructions confusing about which setting is for bagels and reheat.

  Rating: 83/10

  Price: £44.99

  Stockist: 0845 602 1545 - http://www.krups.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010

• 
  Review of Russell Hobbs Swarovski toaster

  Features

  1 slot design. Frozen setting. Mid cycle cancel. Left hand slide out crumb tray. Extra lift. Cord storage. Front facing controls.

  Comments

  Good points: Indicator lights countdown toasting time. Good bagel browning. Frozen bread toasted evenly only if not followed quickly with another two slices.

  Drawbacks: The embedded crystals make it hard to wipe down. Batch toasting starts well but slices become progressively pale and untoasted, the same result for frozen. Indicator lights could be larger. Disappointing for the high price tag.

  Rating: 82/100

  Price: £149.99

  Stockist: 0845 658 9700 - http://www.russellhobbs.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2010