Best smart toasters to make your mornings easier

If you're looking for a new toaster, a smart toaster may be the gadget you didn't know you needed until now. Plenty of household items have been upgraded into super-tech gadgets, including smart kettles, smart fridges and vacuums, so it's only right that the humble toaster had its turn.

With a plethora of features including multiple toasting levels, touchscreens, LED displays and exciting accessories (to make things like paninis and pitta breads) these clever devices will replace other devices (such as your toastie maker) and enhance your kitchenware. It can help you to make the best slices of toast you have ever eaten (or the most perfectly heated bagel, crumpet, croissant or waffle if you prefer).

Best smart toasters at a glance:

• Best low-power toaster: Oster 2-Slice Toaster - view on Amazon UK
• Best easy-to-use toaster: Sage The Smart Toast 4 Slice Toaster - view on Lakeland
• Best retro toaster: SMART Radio Toaster - view on Dunelm

Unlike your average toasting machine, a smart toaster has multiple browning levels, helping you to achieve the ideal level of cooked that you prefer, whether that's barely toasted or extremely charred. Plus, many of them allow you to save your chosen settings so that you can use them again and again, which is ideal if you live with someone who enjoys their toast completely differently from you!

Ready to take the plunge and enhance your breakfast? We've included a range of smart toasters from well-known brands including Sage, Tefal and Ninja; check them out below.

The best smart toasters

Things to consider when buying a smart toaster

Size - The first thing you need to do when buying any toaster is check that it's big enough for your home. If you've got a big family, you may need a toaster with four slots, but if it's just you or a partner at home, two slots may suffice. It's a good idea to check the measurements too to see if it will fit nicely onto your kitchen worktop. Also, check the width to make sure that it'll actually fit different sizes of bread too - some toasters won't have the width to accommodate a thicker or longer loaf (this is great particularly for bread with a thick crust or homemade loaves you may have made in a bread maker).

Settings - Like many kitchen appliances, toasters can be adjusted. Multiple settings will allow you to get the most out of your toaster. Reheat, defrost and cancel are usually the three main ones to look out for, although many smart toasters have many more than this.

Variable browning settings - These functions allow you to adjust the toaster to help you achieve your perfect slice of toast (or other toasted good), however golden, crispy or burnt that may be.

Crumb tray - An essential that captures all of the loose crumbs to prevent them from making a mess on your countertop.

Lift function - A lift and look or 'look and see' setting can allow you to see how the toasting is progressing during the toasting process. You can also get high-lift which helps to elevate your bread once toasted. This is a really handy feature for taking out smaller baked goods and for keeping your fingers clear of the heat.

Style - Finding the best style to suit your kitchenware and tastes is important. Many toasters come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and colours so we'd always recommend choosing one that best suits your own personal style.

Arabella Horspoolis a Commercial Content Writer for Mother & Baby and Yours. She enjoys reading, creative writing, spending time with her pets and cooking for her friends and family.