On high-end toaster models, the numbers sometimes correlate to minutes, but again, that's not the case on all toasters. It's also a good idea to turn the actual toaster upside down and give it a shake over the trash can or sink to dislodge any additional crumbs. If any crumbs remain, you can use a small brush to clean them from the toaster slots. Features found in most four-slice toasters include a crumb tray, lift lever (allowing you to lift the finished toast higher to avoid getting burned), and width slots. Depending on how wide they are, the width slots will allow you to fit and evenly toast more than just a regular slice of toast, such as bagels, artisan bread slices, pastries, and more. Even though aluminum foil is designed to withstand heat, it's not a good idea to use it in a toaster; there isn't enough clearance in toaster slots to make sure the foil isn't touching the heating elements. Save the foil for a toaster oven or standard oven. A defrost setting is useful for frozen bread. First, it defrosts bread then switches to the toasting cycle. Each model is different: on some models, you need to press the defrost button before you push the bread carriage down, while others are pushed once you’ve activated the toaster.

The CPT-T40 4-Slice Touchscreen Toaster outperformed the competition in our tests, particularly when you factor in its price. Touchscreen controls on the front and six shade settings give precise control, and features include bagel, defrost, single-slice toasting, a +30 second option when the toast needs just a little more time, and a cancel button that stops the toasting right away. The Spruce Eats has been testing four-slice toasters for years, both at home and in our Lab’s dedicated test kitchen, where we pitted 20 of the most popular models against each other, side by side. Each was tested to see how well they toasted regular white bread, bagels, and frozen waffles on multiple settings. If special features were available, we tested those, too. We also wiped down each machine repeatedly, emptied the crumb trays, and stored them.It’s also available as a four-slice model, which should perform similarly to this one and has the advantage of two great big slots (rather than the more common four smaller slots) so that you can toast longer items with ease. Though this looks like it belongs in a midcentury modern house, the Buydeem has all the features of a 21st-century toaster. There are bagel/muffin, reheat, and defrost options, plus seven shade settings. The two sides are independently controlled, and it comes with a high-lift lever for smaller items. This toaster performed beautifully across the board; it dependably toasted up bagels and bread to a golden brown in the medium settings, with the high setting getting very toasty but not inedible. Similar to bagels, if toasting frozen waffles into your toaster is a frequent event in your kitchen, life will be much more enjoyable if your toaster excels at it. Whether you top yours with homemade whipped cream or need a base for a waffle sundae, the Cuisinart 4-Slice Custom Select Toaster performed the best in our tests when it came to waffles. We did find that this toaster skews a bit darker on the regular settings, so keep that in mind. It also appeared to show fingerprints, but those were easy to clean.

Before cleaning your toaster, unplug it and make sure it's completely cooled down. Then, remove the crumb tray and shake loose crumbs from the tray into a trashcan or the sink. The tray can be washed by hand if needed, and should be completely dry before returning it to the toaster. Smeg, an Italian company, has been making inroads in the American market and gaining a following thanks to the retro look of its appliances and unique color options that will make a statement in any kitchen. The exterior of this toaster is powder-coated steel with polished chrome accents, but its accolades go beyond just its good looks. If you're looking for a very affordable, no-frills toaster, there are tons of options, but one thing our testing proved is that there aren't a lot of basic four-slice toasters that won't regularly burn your toast or malfunction. Efficiency and a simple design are what made the Procter Silex 4-Slice Wide Slot Toaster stand out in our tests.A reheat button usually activates a short (one-minute) cycle to heat up cold toast. Note that on some toasters, this function is marked on the timer dial instead of being a separate button. Similarly, the “a bit more” button gives your toast an extra 30 seconds. Two levers each control a pair of toast slots, and each pair can operate separately, so it’s easy to toast one side lighter and the other side darker at the same time. This toaster’s display rests in standby mode when it’s not being used and wakes up at the touch of an icon, ready to help with breakfast tasks.