Re: Can you recommend me a new toaster?
£42.
verdict
Very quick, tasty toast
If your family is split between how well-browned they like their toast in the morning, this Next 4 Slice Toaster 459-400 could be just what you need, as each pair of slots has its own set of controls. But do all four slices pop up at the same time, and are both sides browned evenly? Read our expert review to find out whether this toaster will be the perfect addition to your kitchen.
Very even toasting, excellent browning coverage, very quick, easy to use
Tall slices or homemade breads don't fit well, shiny areas need buffing to keep clean
You won't have to wait long for your breakfast as this toaster is really quick, and, more importantly, it makes excellent toast. It sailed through our toasting tests with flying colours and is a Best Buy.
What is it?
This is a retro-styled toaster from Next, with coloured sides and shiny metal trim. The four slots are divided into two pairs, each of which has its own carriage lever, control dial with a choice of six browning levels, and illuminated stop, reheat and defrost buttons. It comes in a choice of putty (459-400) or cream (438-634) colourways and Next also sells matching kettles.
What's it great at?
We found that setting the dials between three and three and a half gave our toast the attractive golden-brown colour that we were after, and all four slices were evenly browned over most of the surface.
Not only does this toaster make great toast but it's quick, too, with our toast ready for buttering in just over two minutes. Both sides pop up within a couple of seconds of each other so there won't be any squabbles over who's kept waiting. If you fancy seconds, successive rounds are toasted just as evenly as the first and later batches pop up in less than two minutes, so you could have time for seconds and still get to work on time.
The crumb trays slide out smoothly so they're easy to empty and slot back into place, but their bases have small holes at one end which allows one or two crumbs to fall through onto your worktop.
Is there anything I should watch out for?
Like many others this toaster's slots are a great size for standard sliced loaves, but they're not long enough to fit large or unusually shaped bread inside. Taller 'toastie' slices have an inch or so sticking out at the top and won't fit in horizontally - so you'll end up with an untoasted strip of bread at the top of your otherwise perfect toast.
Is there anything else I should know?
The carriage levers and dials protrude well so they're easy to handle, but reflections on the shiny background mean that the black text labels aren't as easy to read as they could be. The shiny metallic finish will need extra buffing to remove greasy fingerprints to keep it pristine, but overall this toaster isn't too difficult to clean.
Should I buy it?
Yes. This Best Buy toaster makes fabulous toast, and it's quick and easy to use.