Achougoo's Guide - Choosing a toaster. Review on Choosing an Oven / Toaster

ACHOUGOO's Guide For Buying Toaster

Come breakfast time and we find ourselves equipped with knife and we pick up that innocent bread slice and Amul butter pack, and then stab the butter to have a scoop of it to be spread on the slice. Yummy! Jam anyone? But some of us would not be satisfied with that soft slice of bread. We need it hard, browned and crispy. Nothing beats toast bread or toast sandwich and the melting butter on it. No wonder then that some wise guy invented the toaster and I genuinely thank him for it.

But then which toaster to buy? What are the features that one should look for?

Do not worry Sir/Madam, just read Achougoo's guide designed to solve all your problems. So where do we start?

«« HOW MANY TOAST LOVERS IN YOUR FAMILY? »»

This is good question to start with. The reason being that more the number of toast lovers, you would want more number of slices to toast in less time. It is not a good idea to get up early, keep toasting the slices and serve them all together during breakfast hour. Kidding! So in such case, we need to go in for a heavy duty toaster or one that has long slots or more number of slots, so that more than two slices can be toasted simultaneously.

«« HOW SMALL IS THE KITCHEN? »»

Ordinarily a toaster is not big sized appliance. If you have a longer space and less in width, it would be advisable to get toaster with long single slot where two slices can be put side-by-side. There is Toastie ELX and Crispmate from Singer or Classic Extra from Tefal or Forbes by Eureka Forbes are some models with long slots. If it is the other way, then get a model with two slots where each slot is good enough for a single slice. Most models in India are this type like HD series from Philips, Popmate Plus from Singer and Bajaj majesty.

«« EXTRA LIFT »»

Most pop-up toasters are equipped with a lever, which is depressed and the slices go in the slots. Release it and the slices pop up. This is fine if the slices you are using as big. But given breads like Wibbs, Brittania with small slices, the slices pop and settle back in the slots and are difficult to remove, especially since they are hot. This is what makes it important to seek model that has extra lift to lever the slices high enough.

«« TIMERS »»

If you are or even if you aren't working, toasting slices is not the only thing to be done in morning. So pop in slices and then wait for it to be brown. Pop them out and recheck for the level of browning, put them back in for some time or replace them with new slices. Very cumbersome. Instead you can seek a model that comes with electronic timer. After a few trials, you learn the time settings and level of crispiness for each setting. Then just pop in slices, go do some other work. The slices pop out after set time and the appliance beeps for your attention. Much better this way!

«« DEFROST AND REHEAT »»

Also look for reheat option if your toasted slices soften and get cold. This just warms it for sometime, just enough to make the slice crispy again. If you store the bread or bagel in refrigerators, go in for models with defrost feature that allows the slices to thaw before toasting it.

«« ANY OTHER FEATURE »»

Look out

• For a suitable colour that will match with your kitchen

  
  




• A safety trip feature, if you leave the toaster on and forget about it, it will shut itself off.

  
  




• Choose the one with cool body to save your fingers from being burnt. Some of them tend to have metal rims just surrounding the slots. Ouch!

  
  

So I hope I have been of some help. So lets raise a TOAST!