Welcome back, everybody! Today I’m diving into yet another toaster review, but this one’s a bit different. It’s not just any toaster—it’s the Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster, a toaster so skinny it’s practically on a diet. With a price tag of just $19.98, I had to see how this slim appliance stacks up against the competition. It even went head-to-head with my $200 Breville toaster in a surprising showdown. Let’s get into it!
Where to Purchase
You can pick up the Bella Slim Toaster on Amazon for about $20.
First Impressions and Features
Out of the box, the Bella Slim Toaster lives up to its name. At less than 4 inches wide, it’s easily the slimmest toaster I’ve ever tested. Despite its small footprint, it’s designed to toast two slices of bread – even thicker items like bagels – and boasts six browning levels, a cancel button, and a removable crumb tray. The minimalist design is sleek and modern, making it a nice addition to any kitchen counter.
One oddity: while the Amazon listing claims the toaster can handle bagels, the manual says it’s not for “round bread or pastries with frosting.” That leaves Pop-Tarts out (sorry, fans). But with bagels explicitly mentioned online, I decided to test them anyway.
Initial Testing: Toasting Bread
Before jumping into full-scale testing, I ran the toaster empty to burn off any factory residue. Then I tested a single slice of white bread at level three to establish a baseline. The result? Fairly even browning, though the edges were slightly darker. Next, I tried two slices on the same setting, and the difference was noticeable—the two slices were more evenly toasted and less burnt around the edges than the single slice. I attribute this difference to the toaster being warmed up for that second test.
With these results in mind, I decided to toast 18 slices: one slice and two slices at each of the six browning levels. For the sake of brevity, here’s the summary:
- Levels 1-4: Consistently good results, with level four being my personal sweet spot for evenly browned toast.
- Level 5: Things got smoky. Browning was darker but still manageable.
- Level 6: It was chaos in there. Smoke filled the room, and the bread emerged as charred as a campfire log. A good test for my smoke alarms, but not something I’d recommend.
Bagels and English Muffins
Despite the conflicting instructions, I tried a bagel on level three. It fit perfectly, and the results were decent—crisp and lightly toasted. Next up: an English muffin. Again, no issues fitting it into the slim slot, and it toasted nicely. The lever lift feature helped retrieve these smaller items without hassle. So, bagels and muffins are definitely doable with the Bella.
The Showdown: Bella vs. Breville
Now for the main event: a $20 toaster versus a $200 one. I set both to level three and toasted two slices of bread in each. The Breville toaster (reviewed here), with its fancy automatic lowering feature and countdown timer, looked like the clear winner… until the toast popped up.
To my surprise, the Bella produced more evenly toasted bread. The Breville’s toast was uneven when looking at two slices side by side, giving the Bella a shocking win in this one-round contest. Sure, the Breville has more bells and whistles, but when it comes to straight-up toasting, the Bella held its own here.
Final Thoughts
For just $20, the Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster is a great value. It’s compact, stylish, and toasts bread, bagels, and muffins surprisingly well. While it lacks the high-end features of pricier models, it’s hard to beat for basic toasting needs. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly toaster that saves counter space and delivers decent results, the Bella is worth considering.
Have you tried the Bella Slim Toaster? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Video Review
Check out the full video review below.