Credit:
Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison
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Credit:
Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison
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This sleek toaster combines aesthetics and functionality and exhibits a remarkably even toasting pattern. Read More
This compact toaster stays cool to the touch, even after producing multiple pieces of toast. Read More
This fully motorized toaster doesn’t require a lever, and it has a large number of presets that allow for customization. Read More
This stainless steel toaster delivered the fastest results on this list, but it falls short on even toasting results and build quality. Read More
This no-frills toaster is perfect for those looking for a light toasting pattern. Read More
There’s nothing better than a crisp slice of toast to go with your coffee in the morning, but in today’s fast-paced world, time is of the essence. With households becoming increasingly busy, the need for efficient kitchen appliances has never been greater.
That’s where 4-slice toasters come into play, offering a convenient solution to the morning rush. These toasters provide double the capacity of their 2-slice counterparts, and most of them offer additional functionality like toasting bagels, bread, or waffles from frozen.
After testing several popular 4-slice toasters, we found that the number of functions doesn’t necessarily translate to the best overall toaster. Some of these excelled at bagels but not bread, while others produced evenly-toasted bread regardless of the shade setting. We highly recommend the Breville 'A Bit More' 4-slice Longslot Toaster (available at Amazon for $99.95) , which aced several rounds of tests with its ability to churn out evenly toasted bread and bagels with decent speed.
Breville 'A Bit More' 4-slice Longslot Toaster is the best 4-slice toaster we've tested.
The Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch 4-Slice Toaster is our pick for the best upgrade.
LED display
Helpful functions
Programmable
Toasts bread quickly
Uneven toasting for bagels
Defrost, reheat, and bagel settings
Slide-out crumb tray
High-lift lever
Cheap build quality
Uneven toasting
Great for bagels
Simple setup
Successful at producing light toast
Doesn’t toast evenly
Shallow slots
Wide slots
Bagel and defrost settings
Uneven toasting
Difficult to tell the difference between shades
We tested each 4-slice toaster on light, medium, and heavy settings to see how well they varied and stayed consistent.
We took a simple and straightforward path for testing each 4-slice toaster. After setting up the unit, we verified whether an English muffin could be removed from the slots without reaching inside, cooked a bagel on the medium setting, and toasted bread in all four slots simultaneously.
For the bread tests, we assessed the toasting pattern on the light, medium, and high settings to characterize the evenness of toasting, and we timed how long it took on the medium setting. Along the way, we rated the toasters on ease of use, build quality, and overall experience.
Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef and a bread lover. I love nothing more than a well-toasted piece of sourdough bread, and I hate it when the toaster ruins a good slice by cooking unevenly. I’d love to help you never burn a piece of bread again by finding the right 4-slice toaster.
There are several different types of toasters, from simple slot toasters to toaster ovens that provide a broader range of cooking functionality, like baking and broiling.
For most households, a 2- or 4-slot toaster is a practical choice. They take up less counter space than toaster ovens, and they’re specifically designed for efficient toasting on both sides of the bread.
You might be tempted to get a 2-slot toaster if you live in a small household, but we generally prefer 4-slice toasters. It’s a small upgrade that provides a higher toasting capacity without taking up a lot more space, and they typically don’t cost much more than their 2-slot counterparts.
If you toast bagels regularly, you may want to opt for a toaster with a dedicated bagel setting.
One crucial aspect of any good toaster is variable browning control. This allows you to adjust the toasting level according to your preference.
Most 4-slot toasters provide two separate control panels, so you can toast each set at different settings. You’ll also want to look for a toaster with a bagel setting, too. This setting is designed to prevent burning the bagel’s exterior, and it adjusts to toast the cut sides only while gently warming the outer crust.
Some toasters have additional features, such as defrosting or reheating functions. These features are handy when you want to toast frozen bread or warm-up previously toasted slices.
All the toasters we tested have a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning, and some contained a high-lift lever that made it easy to retrieve smaller items (like English Muffins) without reaching inside the unit.
Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.
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