Welcome back, everybody! Today, I’m diving into a review of a smart toaster that looks interesting. You may remember my last smart toaster review which cost over $300 and impressed me until it suddenly stopped working. I vowed to steer clear of smart toasters after that, but with this model priced at just around $100 and packed with features, I thought I’d give it another shot. So, let’s unbox it and see how it performs in today’s video.
Where to Purchase
I picked this toaster up from Amazon for around $100.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The toaster came well-packaged and looked surprisingly sleek with a modern design. Right away, I noticed the control panel with 60+ toast programs, options for different bread types, and a countdown timer, all of which sounded promising. The model boasts eight bread-type settings (from white bread to bagels), seven browning levels, plus defrost, add-time, and reheat functions. I was particularly interested in the auto-lowering and -lifting feature, which is quite convenient if it works as advertised.
Testing Browning Levels: Level 1 to Level 7
Level 1 – Barely Toasted:
I started with level 1 on white bread to see the lightest browning option. The result was as expected—a soft, barely toasted slice that felt a bit anticlimactic but fairly even. As usual, level 1 didn’t deliver much in terms of browning.
Level 2 to Level 4 – A Gradual Change:
Bumping up to level 2 and level 3, I noticed some slight differences in browning, although the toast was still pretty light. By level 4, I finally got a nice, light golden brown with more even coverage on both sides. This is a setting that I think would please those who prefer a gentler toast without much crunch.
Levels 5 to 7 – Darker and Crispier:
Moving to level 5 and beyond, things started heating up. I noticed that as I went higher, the increments between each level showed a discernible difference in browning. Level 5 was nicely toasted, while level 6 started to show a deeper, more robust color. Surprisingly, level 7 didn’t turn the bread into charcoal as some toasters do—this was a pleasant surprise, showing that it has a fairly balanced calibration. However, there was a bit of unevenness, especially around the edges. While it wasn’t perfectly even, I found it acceptable unless you’re really picky about uniform browning.
Specialty Settings: Waffles, Bagels, and Consistency Tests
Frozen Waffles Test:
The toaster has a specific setting for waffles, so I tossed in two frozen ones to test. Using the “Waffle” and “Defrost” options together, I set the browning level at 4. In about 2.5 minutes, they came out warm and evenly toasted. The waffles were nicely done, cooked through with no cold spots—a definite win.
Bagels:
Next, I tried a plain bagel. Using the dedicated bagel setting, the toaster toasted it in about the same time as the waffles. The results were good: the inside was nicely browned, and the outside was warm, though bagels are always a bit tricky for even toasting.
Consistency Test:
One interesting feature is the toaster’s ability to adjust the toasting time when the unit is warm. I tested this by doing a couple of rounds back-to-back on the same setting (level 4). The toaster automatically reduced the time for the second batch, recognizing that it was already heated. The results were pretty consistent between the batches, though I did see some minor unevenness on one side.
The Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Time Display and Countdown: I appreciate that this toaster displays the entire toasting time before you hit start, which is something my previous smart toaster didn’t offer.
- Consistency Across Browning Levels: While not perfectly even, the browning across levels 1-7 was well-spaced, providing gradual and expected increments.
- Adjustable Toasting for Warm States: The time reduction when the toaster is already warm was a smart feature that I think helped keep the consistency between batches.
Cons:
- Display Sensitivity: The screen turns off after 30 seconds, which is a bit too short for me. Sometimes it takes several swipes to turn it back on, which can be frustrating.
- Fingerprints on Stainless Steel: The stainless steel design, while sleek, tends to collect fingerprints easily—a minor but noticeable annoyance.
- Uneven Toasting at Times: Though it wasn’t a major deal-breaker for me, the toast did come out uneven on occasion, especially on higher levels and single-slice batches.
Conclusion: Worth It or Not?
Overall, I think this smart toaster does a solid job for its price point. It offers a lot of features, some of which I genuinely appreciated, like the countdown timer and the multiple settings for bread types and browning levels. The unevenness may be an issue for some, but I found the results satisfactory and on par with most toasters in its range.
As with my last smart toaster experience, my only lingering concern is durability. I’ll be using this alongside my Breville toaster for the next year, so stay tuned for an update on how it holds up over time. If you’ve tried this toaster or a similar model, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Video Review
Below is my video review of this toaster.