If you’re wondering if this gives Hamilton Beach an advantage, consider that nine settings doesn’t necessarily mean nine distinct, usable settings. That classic appeal only gets you so far, though, and gets undercut by ugly, black plastic trim and cheap red LEDs. It isn’t “classic” in the 1950s sense, as some might hope (KitchenAid does a much better job of capturing that period’s design aesthetic). However, the Easy Reach didn’t score as well on the ease of its interface. Although consisting of only two simple knobs, the oven’s operation isn’t overly intuitive or as simple to use as it appears.
A standard model has two slots to toast two slices of bread at once. Higher-end models have four slots, including an “Extra Long” slot for larger slices of bread. Thanks to the extra-wide slots on this toaster, you’ll be able to toast everything from bread to thick bagels. There are seven different shade selectors, so you can get your toast as brown as you like it. Additional features include an automatic shut-off and a cancel button. Capacious size can toast 6 slices of bread, a 12-inch pizza, or a whole chicken.
The small-but-mighty toaster is responsible for all of these creations. You might not give much thought to this little appliance, but there’s a lot going on after you hit the “toast” button. Along with our in-house experts, our team analyzes thousands of product reviews from the most trusted websites.
In addition to cooking functions, you should consider size and capacity to make sure it’s large enough to cook what you want to cook but also fits on your countertop. Also look for handy features like toaster slots or a roll-top door. Roll-top door lifts up for easy access and removal of hot food. I regularly use a toaster to make breakfast foods, including bagels, frozen waffles, and toaster pastries, so I was able to put the Hamilton Beach Toaster through its paces. I usually turned it down to setting 3 for Pop-Tarts, though, as I don’t like them to be too browned—just warmed through. Toasters all use similar internal heating mechanisms, but different models have different features and options.
Some of the pizza dough was still gooey and the tots weren’t very crispy, resulting in additional cook times that exceeded those recommended. Hamilton Beach has received 15 reports of toasters that did not pop-up as intended, including three reports of minor damage to kitchen cabinets. Whether you go high-tech hamilton beach toaster with a modern toaster or low-key with a classic design, you’ll want to think about a few things before you choose your new appliance. Toasters brown your bread by turning electricity into heat. Electricity flows from your wall’s outlet through your toaster’s power cord to the inside of the unit.
The Keep Warm option is the most unique, and it holds your food inside the toaster for 3 extra minutes after cooking (without over-browning it). I personally didn’t find much use for this setting, as I’m typically in the kitchen while my food is toasting, but it might be handy if you tend to get ready as you cook breakfast. I tested all seven of its browning options on standard white bread, and settings 6 and 7 performed nearly the same, leaving the bread crisp and brown but not charred or burnt.