8 best toasters for the perfect slice, tried and tested

This space-saving toaster also has a grill and panini press function, making it a versatile kitchen companion. If you love sourdough or other toasting bread, you’ll love how easily long slices fit into this toaster. It has seven settings, to ensure you get your preferred crispness, while the grill function is ideal for open-faced sandwiches and quick snacks. The controls are all labelled and easy to use, and the handy timer shows a countdown on the top. Plus, when your toast is done, the toaster has an automatic shut-off feature and will make a noise, so you know your food is ready.

If you have a camper van or caravan, this small, compact toaster from Status is ideal. It’s not the most robust toaster but it has a variable browning control with seven settings and a removal crumb tray, so you can keep it clean. Despite its stainless steel exterior, it stays pretty cool even when in use. It didn’t fit a whole slice of regular shop-bought white bread but it will handle slices from smaller loaves perfectly.

This super stylish and efficient toaster adds a touch of class to any kitchen. It has multiple functions, including defrost, bagel and warm-up, so it’s a good all-rounder and perfect for almost any breakfast situation. It has large slots and each side works independently, so, if you like your toast a little more done than someone else in your household, you can easily set up different settings at once. Getting the toast and other smaller items out of the toaster was also easy, as this model has a high-lift eject. It also has a removable crumb tray, for easy cleaning. This is a solid toaster that will last you for years to come.

This toaster is so stylish, you’ll end up giving it pride of place on your countertop. It has a Scandinavian-inspired design, with rubberised wood-effect controls that are easy to use. This toaster has three functions: toast, reheat and defrost. It also has six power settings, to ensure your toast is just how you like it. Cleaning is a breeze, too, with a removable crumb tray that just pops out and slots back in. This toaster fits standard-sized slices of bread, and we found they browned quickly. Plus, it has an auto-electric cut-off, for extra safety.

If you’re looking for a toaster that will produce the perfect slice of toast and look good while doing it, look no further. This four-slice toaster has seven heat settings, so you can get your perfect level of toasting. It also has an auto-centring feature, meaning it’ll toast your bread evenly, whether you’ve opted for thick or thin slices. There’s a warming rack, too, so you can keep croissants toasty. This model also features a defrost function (which works really quickly) and a reheat function. Overall, it’s a practical and stylish pick.

If you want a toaster you can rely on to feed the whole family each morning, the Toronto four-slice toaster from Salter should be top of your list. This toaster did a great job of quickly and evenly toasting bread. Each side of the toaster is operated separately, so you can set each to different browning levels, of which there are six.

This toaster also feels really solid and is so well made, the only thing that lets it down is that the controls don’t feel as high-end as the rest of it. It comes in a choice of black or white, has reheat and defrost functions, plus there’s a cancel button, if you want to stop toasting halfway through.

This toaster makes for a stylish and functional addition to any kitchen. Our toast came out perfect every time, thanks to the self-centring function. If you are toasting smaller items, this model’s high-lift lever means you can raise them up to retrieve them with ease. There are six different browning levels, and this toaster works really well with both thin and thick slices of bread. As well as being able to operate each side individually, it also has two separate crumb trays, for easier cleaning.

If you’re looking for a toaster that will stand the test of time, this stainless steel model from ProCook is up for the job. Its sleek and modern design looks good in any kitchen, and it has large buttons that are easy to operate, making it super user-friendly, too. This toaster also has variable browning control with seven settings; extra-wide slots, which will fit standard bread, bagels or thick artisan bread; and defrost, reheat and mid-cycle cancel functions. The toaster does get a little hot when in use but it produces evenly toasted bread time after time.