February 23, 2014 - 9:04am
The best toaster for Artisan Bread shapes
I no longer have a toaster oven and don't need one, but I would like to find a bread toaster that can hold the longer and oddly shaped slices of artisan bread. I will only be using it for this purpose. Does anyone have one to recommend?
Karen
Share
But …….. you no longer have one or need one.
I meant that I no longer need a toaster OVEN. I don't want something that large if I will never use it for anything but toasting. That's why I'm seeking a 2 slice toaster.
Karen
made by Cuisinart about 10 years ago, but they don't make it anymore. It works really good with long slices of artisan bread. Search Amazon.com for "long slot toasters", they work good on long slices of bread and the slots are also extra wide for bagels.
long slot model that we have owned for about 10 years. Works great on long slices of artisan bread, bagels, etc. It's called a "4 slot" but it actually has 2 long slots. It has bagel options like only toasting one side, etc.
http://www.sears.com/cuisinart-2-slot-4-slice-toaster/p-00854522000P
Thanks, this is more in my price range...as long as the quality is the same as your 10 year old one.... :)
I would be happy to just find one these days that toast evenly on both sides! the last two we've purchased had problems with uneven toasting. We took one back but are dealing with the second one. It was a consumers choice for even toasting too! It does ok but I still tend to flip the slices.
but Dualit toasters made in the U.K. are the best. I own a 2 slot and a 4 slot. All the parts are replaceable, including the heating elements. The bread toasts perfectly. Don't get the Dualit Lite models, they are made in China. Get the Classic model.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_1_1_acs_h_4i_3027020011_289938?ie=UTF8&qid=1393178900&sr=8-1-acs&node=289938&srs=3027020011&field-keywords=dual...
I didn't pay $200 or $300 for them. Watch Amazon, occasionally they will have an open or damaged box special. I bought my Dualit Classics for about $125 each.
Having read some negative reviews that indicated possible "fire" I am steering clear of them. Living in a log home is not conducive to that kind of risk.
I notice in addition to the LITE model there is a SOFT TOUCH model. Is that also different from the Classic? Sheesh, they are pricey!! There is one soft touch one for $100. I'll have to check Craigslist and eBay, too. Thanks for your help.
And to "tchism", I gave up Consumer Reports stuff some years ago after failing appliances that were highly rated on their site. I think the customer reviews at Amazon are much better.
Karen
Dualit toasters on eBay are often refurbs that don't have the original elements or have the elements wrongly installed. Dualit elements are customised for each position in the toaster to produce evenly browned toast.
The toasters are huge, heavy and SLOW.
Patsy
The Dualit toaster slots are not deep enough for long slices of artisan bread (except the shorter ends). I have had mine for over 30 years, though there are replacement elements--they are attached with an odd sized bolt. I ordered an wrench or spreader on Ebay from the UK that was suppose to be made for Dualit toaster--but after spending about $20 (shipping cost--item is ony $4-5)--it turned out that it still was the wrong size and it was stamped on it. Well, I had to go to a lot of trouble with the seller to get my money back due to false advertising (they wanted me to mail it back registered mail for $17 and they would give me credit just for the item.) Ebay got me back a full refund. I found a repair shop that actually had been a former Dualit repairman--so he had the correct size tool to fix it. I had already purchased the element from another company in the US.
However to answer your question, you might consider getting a small toaster oven or use cast iron skillet to toast your long slice of bread. I have always had very bad luck with toasters.
Wow, are you ever a tenacious, patient person. I would have given up at the wrench issue....Thanks for the response!
I have the 2 slot and the 4 slot w/sandwich holders Dualit toaster's. I ordered the 4 slot from England. The 2 slot came from a reputable kitchen store. I perfer the 4 slot it can be set for 2 slices.
Sylvia
Waring WCT704 4 Slice Commercial Toaster is $116.39 with free shipping. While 4 slices, it is actually two long slots that would hold 4 slices or two long ones. see pic in link below.
ghttp://www.webstaurantstore.com/waring-wct704-4-slice-commercial-toaster-nsf/929WCT704.html
I'll have to compare this one to the Cuisinart with the same long slots. Thanks!
I see amazon has several different ones that thave long slots, plenty or user reviews which may be helpful even though cant speak from first hand experience...
I purchased the classic model a couple of years ago. Don't know if I was just unlucky but the timer failed after 2 months and -a fatal flaw- when the timer fails, the unit does not switch off. In other words, in the best case you'll end up with burned toast, in a worst case scenario with fire.
I sent the unit (together with a strongly voiced complaint) in for repairs and received it back, 3 months later: identical issue, following this I simply threw it out. It should not be allowed on the market as it is or at least was.
It is a toaster oven but Panasonic Flash Xpress is fairly small and pretty awesome.
I actually like this one a lot - it is very compact. Apparently it takes a long time to bake in it, but toasting would be quicker. Thanks!
If you're not looking for a premium toaster, Oster has a dual, long, wide slot toaster that handles those long rustic loaf slices and the slots are wide enough to toast bagels. I got mine from Walmart 4 or 5 years ago for under $25 or maybe it was less than $20.
It is not a world class toaster. Mine toasts a little unevenly, but not so much that it isn't usable.
cheers,
gary
I have a Chefmate LT6000 w/slots 6 5/8 in long specifically made for artisan bread. We received it as a wedding gift in1998. I haven't seen one since. I guess the manufacturers felt there wasn't a big enough market for them. It was purchased at Target. It works fine and I hope it never dies as I will have to replace it with one of those very long slot toasters.
We purchased the Breville BTA830XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Long Slot Smart Toaster last year because our beloved toaster finally failed and was no longer being manufactured. The Breville works well with our artisan loaves, it has two long slots and has fit everything that I want to get into it. I also really like the "Peek" feature because when I bake various recipes I never know how long it takes to toast each one (they vary a lot, obviously) so one tap makes the slices glide up then holds in the up position for two seconds then it goes back down smoothly all by itself. If you want to stop you just tap Cancel or if you want it to keep toasting just tap the A Bit More button.
I've been recommending its it to all my family and friends.
The one I got is the die cast aluminum one because it fees so much sturdier and looks nice but you can save money by getting the sheet steel version.
The one I have: Breville BTA830XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Long Slot Smart Toaster
I think that this is the lower cost version: Breville BTA830XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Long Slot Smart Toaster
Another feature that I use often is the Bagel button. It then uses only the inner elements so that only the inside of a bagel or hamburger bun is toasted. Best toaster I've owned.
For a long time I have puzzled over why some toasters do a better job of toasting my sourdough than others. Surely it's just a radiant heater with a timer?! Some toasters burned the crust when the middle was just right. Others didn't.
Turns out that the crust on a slice of sourdougjh likes to be at the edge of the heating surface. That way it is toasted a bit less than the crumb in the middle of the slice which has heat all around it. The middle gets nicely browned without burning the crust during the long toasting time.
I now toast my slices upside down, as the top crust is more darkly baked than the bottom one (they are more wide than high) and sometimes I cut the slice in half so I can put one half at each edge of the long slot.
Puzzle solved.
Next time i will buy a 4 x 1 slice toaster in preference to a 2 x double.