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
Best easy to use toaster
www.lakeland.co.uk
Toasting popular breakfast items couldn't be simpler with the Sage Smart Toaster. You hardly have to lift a finger as the machine does everything for you including lowering your food with the one-touch system. Whilst it's cooking, the bar at the bottom with start to light up, indicating how long is left.
One reviewer said: "A vast improvement on our old toaster - we are loving our new sage toaster. It feels solid and well made - but the best bit is the sneak peek feature closely followed by the bagel option for toasting just one side and leaving the top soft and fluffy. It took a little trial and error to get the settings right for us - and we usually only use settings 1 or 2 as anything else is a bit fierce - but that is our own personal preference. Wouldn't be without it and have fallen in love with toast again."
Pros
- Simple sliding bars
- Special button allows you to check on food during cooking
Cons
- Quite big
Best low-power toaster
Running at just 800 Watts, the Oster 2-slice toaster will save you money whilst cooking your toast to perfection. It has a touchscreen that makes it easy to use and we love the fact that you can switch between six varied toast shade settings.
One reviewer said: "Wow, this toaster exceeded my expectations; it toasts everything perfectly. Once you know the right number for each item i.e. toast, English muffins, waffles etc., you're golden. It toasts them perfectly every time evenly across. It has a few other extra features that other toasters don’t, plus it looks nice too. I love it."
Pros
- Clear digital display
- Six different toast shade settings
Cons
- A handful of reviewers want the lights to be brighter
Best affordable toaster
Shopping on a budget? Popular brand Tefal have created this affordable Smart 'N' Light Toaster which has just as many - if not more - functions as other, more costly alternatives. You have the ability to swap between 7 browning levels, which is handy if one of you loves extra crispy toast and another prefers theirs to be lightly golden.
One reviewer said: "So we're a household of two and I love my bagels so having two favourite settings is an ideal feature. It toasted my bagels beautifully; the slots are nice and wide; the popup mechanism works great and the screen is clear. The overall look is clean and crisp."
Pros
- Streamlined shape
- Fits thick slices of bread
Cons
- One user said they'd prefer u[/down buttons to adjust the timings
Best digital toaster
www.currys.co.uk
Kitted out with its very own touch display, the Russell Hobbs Attentiv 26210 2-Slice Toaster allows you to set the device exactly to your liking, providing you with the perfect toasted good every single time. The smart Colour sense will check the colour of your toast and automatically stop it at your preferred shade of brown. Save your favourite settings with the memory function and fit everything from bagels to baguettes!
One reviewer said: "Love the LED Touch display."
Pros
- Easy-to-use controls
- Easy to clean
- Smart appearance
Cons
- One user found it didn't toast evenly
Best multipurpose toaster
www.onbuy.com
If you are short on kitchen space, the Toast n Bean maker can do two jobs at once, so you won't need to get out loads of saucepans and other kitchenware. Whether you fancy eggs and dippy soldiers or beans on toast, you can be certain that everything will be hot and ready at the same time.
One reviewer said: "I have bought this because I'm buying a gas cooker without a toaster; it's going to be very handy. It's so beautiful as I can do so much on it like poached egg, boiled egg and fried egg. I can also warm up beans, meat and bacon - I can do so much on it - it's a marvellous, amazing product."
Pros
- Built-in side pod
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Some users say that the slots are quite small
Best multifunctional toaster
129.99 (was 149.99)
Whether you're making breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late-night snack, this 3-in-1 from Ninja can help you to create plenty of dishes at the touch of a button. Seven of the brilliant settings include: Defrost, Grill, Bake, Reheat, Toast, Bagel and Panini.
One reviewer said: "A brilliant timesaver for quick snacks. Ours gets used almost daily in our household by kids and grownups for a small portion of anything grillable! Much faster than the oven, it's easy to clean. Plus, it looks smart and stylish on countertop. Toast two pieces of bread, chips, garlic bread, panini/grilled cheese toast, baked eggs, up to slices of pizza, baked cookies, frozen spring rolls/samosas etc. - the list goes on endlessly. We love it."
Pros
- Durable stainless steel
- Flip to evenly cook
Cons
- Crumb tray isn't removable
Best retro toaster
www.dunelm.com
Fancy listening to some great tunes or the news as you go about making your delicious breakfast? Try this SMART Radio Toaster which combines both to make your mornings that extra bit enjoyable. We love that you can store up to 10 of your favourite stations.
Pros
- Sound quality is good
- Backlit screen is clear
Cons
- Only holds up to 2 slices at a time
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.
