Best toasters to buy in 2024
Make sure your toast is exactly how you like it with these top-rated toasters from Sunbeam, Breville and more.
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Whether you’re a uni student living in a share house or a family of five, the humble toaster is the kitchen appliance you’ll find in every Aussie home.
You can’t make toast without it and where would we be without that no-fuss breakfast option that doubles as a national culinary icon when served with lots of butter and a thin smear of Vegemite?
That's why we have created a guide to help you find the best toaster for your kitchen.
Our top-rated pick is the Sunbeam Kyoto City Collection 4-Slice Toaster, which our Food Expert, Kim Coverdale approves of. It's stylish and practical, and shoppers say it's the "best toaster we have ever had".
We've also got our eye on the versatile Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven that can steam, toast, grill, bake, reheat and more - it has been dubbed a "space saver extraordinaire" by shoppers and and it ensures "even toasting on different breads".
OUR TOP PICKS
BEST FOUR-SLICE TOASTERS
Sunbeam Kyoto City Collection 4 Slice Toaster, $199 at Myer
Sunbeam Kyoto City Collection 4 Slice Toaster
What You Need To Know
When it comes to brands, Sunbeam is our Food Expert's top pick. "Sunbeam is a reliable brand for tasters and are very well priced with different options and different budgets," she said.
This four-slice toaster from the brand’s Kyoto City Collection is one of the brand’s more popular models, boasting a high lift lever for crumpets and muffins and a QuickCheck function that lets you see how well the toast is browning without having to cancel the task. And as a nice design detail, this Sunbeam toaster glows from below as a nod to the famous floating lanterns in Kyoto.
Plus, it's earned multiple rave reviews as it's stylish and practical, and ensures you get evenly toasted bread every time.
"Best toaster we have ever owned! Toast seems to be cooked perfectly every time. Love that you don’t have to fire up the whole toaster to just cook two pieces of toast," one wrote.
"So happy with this toaster. Absolutely well worth the money. Whatever bread selected it makes perfect toast every time," another wrote.
"... Want elegance in your kitchen? Then look no further... we’ve used crumpets, muffins, thick sliced bread, even banana bread (loved that it takes banana bread and makes it all toastie on the outside) the user guide also provides great hints on what level different products should be set at i.e thicker products like crumpets will take longer and require a higher setting. Hubby and I both love the removable crumb tray and reheat feature as sometimes life gets in the way and you forget about your toast and when you get back to it you need to use the reheat button," another wrote.
Sunbeam Alinea 4-Slice Toaster, $139 at Myer
Sunbeam Alinea 4-Slice Toaster
What You Need To Know
Another option worth considering is the Sunbeam Alinea 4-Slice Toaster. It features dual controls - so you can operate both [airs separately, nine browning settings for the perfect golden brown sandwich bread or toast and a QuickCheck function so you can take a peek at the browning progress.
"Toasts evenly and quickly. I love having the option of two or four slices. Looks good, too," raved a customer on the Myer website.
BEST TWO-SLICE TOASTERS
Russell Hobbs Attentiv 2 Slice Toaster, $108.95 (down from $149.95) at Amazon Australia
Russell Hobbs Attentiv 2 Slice Toaster
What You Need To Know Know
Unlike most other toasters, the Russell Hobbs Attentiv 2 Slice Toaster uses Colour Sense technology to automatically adjust the toasting time to the type of bread and stops the cycle once it detects the right shade. It also has long and wide slots to accommodate a variety of brekky items. For total convenience, the benchtop appliance can also remember your last used settings. Otherwise, you can input what you want using the simple touch screen controls.
"This toaster is brilliant! As a mother of four kids, we use our toaster daily. My kids won't eat day old bread so it goes straight into the freezer. The old toaster would either burn the bread or leave it frozen in the middle. This toaster solves all that," an impressed shopper reviewed.
"Being able to watch the bread cook with the Colour Sense technology was a game changer. No longer have to wait for it to pop up and hope for the best. We even tried brioche bread and it came out so fluffy on the inside and perfectly toasted outside... 10/10 from me!!"
Breville the Smart Toast 2-Slice Toaster, $179 (down from $229) at The Good Guys
Breville the Smart Toast 2-Slice Toaster
What You Need To Know
Need just a few more seconds’ worth of browning to get the perfect toast? Then you’re going to eat up Breville’s A Bit More function on toasters like the Smart Toast 2 Slice.
This two-slice toaster gives you the extra toast time you need for perfectly golden brown toast, and there’s also a manual variable browning control feature with an LED light to show the progress, plus wide slots to fit thick bagels, pastries and artisanal bread. Other convenient tailored settings include Fruit Bread, Lift & Look, Crumpet and Frozen.
“This stainless steel toaster toasts to perfection! Easy to use toaster and an attractive addition to any kitchen. Excellent,” praised a shopper.
BEST BUDGET TOASTER
Kambrook 2 Slice Cool Touch Toaster, $39 (down from $44.95) at Amazon Australia
Kambrook 2 Slice Cool Touch Toaster
What You Need To Know
Don’t want to fork out more than $50 on a toaster? This affordable and compact Kambrook option comes with self-centering slots, variable browning control, a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning, non-slip feet and a cool-to-touch exterior for safety. Talk about getting bang for buck.
Shoppers are calling this Kambrook toaster “good value for money”, with many praising it as “simple and easy to use”.
"No fuss toaster. No fancy buttons or levers. I had bought very expensive ones before with so many bells and whistles. And in the end, they all stop working or constantly burn your toast... This one does what it's supposed to which is toast bread - even frozen bread," one wrote.
BEST WIDE SLOT TOASTER
Breville the Toast Select Luxe 2 Slice Toaster, $249 at Myer
Breville the Toast Select Luxe 2 Slice Toaster
What You Need To Know
Satisfy those hunger cravings with a toaster that can fit thicker slices, whether it’s a bagel, pastry, or your favourite artisan bread that becomes irresistible once you spread some butter.
Not only does this Breville toaster have deep and extra wide slots, it also comes with six bread settings (white, brown, grain fruit, rye and crumpet) to make things even easier.
"This toaster not only looks good, but toasts bread exactly the way you want it. It’s easy to use, and I love the ‘countdown’ timing light that alerts you to when the toast is going to be ready. This is the best toaster I’ve ever owned," praised a reviewer, rating it five stars.
BEST TOASTER FOR CRUMPETS
Russell Hobbs Brooklyn 4 Slice Toaster, $87 (down from $109.95) at Amazon Australia
Russell Hobbs Brooklyn Toaster
What You Need To Know
When it comes to toasting bread, everyone in the household has a specific level of toasted they prefer. So, if you've got a household of picky eaters - this Russell Hobbs toaster has independent browning controls for each slot, allowing you to use different settings regardless of whether you’re toasting two or four slices. The appliance also has extra wide slots to fit thickly sliced bread, plus a high lift lever to help you easily take out crumpets and other types of smaller items.
"Very good toaster, good value for money and looks great too. Effectively 2 toasters in 1, one with my settings the other for my wife... Happy breakfast time!" one five-star reviewer wrote.
BEST TOASTER OVEN
Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Over CSO 300NXA, $299 (down from $449) at Myer
Cuisinart Combo Steam and Convection Oven CSO 300NXA
What You Need To Know
Toaster ovens have become the new norm when it comes to cooking and convenience. This benchtop oven in particular, boasts multi-functionality - it can toast, steam, reheat, bake, grill and proof bread dough. Not to mention, it has a self-clean button and comes with a crumb tray, wire rack, baking pan, broiling rack and a drip tray.
Five-star reviews say this machine is a "game changer" and claim they no longer have to worry about getting evenly toasted bread.
"This combo steamer and oven is a total game changer! It's easy to use, clean, time saving (no preheating required) And, a space saver extraordinaire. I have now ditched all those other gadgets because of it! Very happy!" one wrote.
"Very even toasting on different breads. Great for heating frozen food and leftovers too. Steam functions work wonderfully for dim-sims and dumplings but take a bit longer than a regular steamer. Also great for puddings and desserts. Fairly easy to clean, especially with the steam clean function. 1 star off mostly because of the weaker convection strength compared to a pod-shaped air fryer, but you might see that as a benefit. Very pleased," another wrote.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A TOASTER
We asked news.com.au checkout Food Expert Kim Coverdale for her advice on what features to look for when buying a toaster.
Variety of settings
“It’s not just about the settings for the different shades of brown, you can also purchase toasters that also include settings for different types of bread. Breville’s The Toast Select Luxe has 0-6 numbered settings along with the option to select white bread, brown bread, grain, rye, fruit and crumpet settings. Talk about taking the guesswork out of browning bread," she said.
“I find the most important settings to look for are; a small range of numbered browning options, a crumpet setting because both sides of the crumpet are completely different textures, a cancel button, because yes, we really have gotten that lazy that we need a button to press to stop the toaster, and the ‘add a little more’ setting (ideal for thicker slices of frozen sliced bread, dense varieties of bread such as banana bread, or frozen specialty bread that has ingredients through it, for example a chunky fruit loaf.”
How many toasting slots
“You can now purchase toasters that can cook up to six slices of bread, making them ideal for large families. When thinking of what number slice toaster you would need, also keep in mind what space you have for the toaster and what sized bread you generally toast. Long slot toasters are great for parking up against a wall when not in use, whereas regular sized slot toasters are perfect for corners of kitchens," Kim advised.
“A standard slice toaster can be very limiting, but that’s not a bad thing if all you toast is regular sandwich bread. A long slot toaster is better for larger slices of bread such as sourdough, focaccia, or ciabatta, (or for those who enjoy cooking trending sweet potato toast) where the slice is just that little bit too long for a plain old standard option. If this is you, have a look at toasters that also have a ‘thick slice’ option.”
Price
“It’s all about the wear and tear (and the look, of course). Cheap and cheerful toasters come in around $30 and are made with plastic. They do tend to discolour and can run a little temperamental with their browning consistency, however, they get the job done with simple toasting options and without all of the extras. Top of the range toasters can be around $350, however there are some on the market around $1000 for stylish, fashion designer ‘work-of-art’ toasters.”
Dual controls
“Do you live with someone who likes their toast on the pale side, but you lean more towards burnt? A dual independent control toaster can help solve this problem. Rather than having to watch the toaster until each slice is a particular doneness, separate control panels allow you to set your preferred browning settings for different bread slots, keeping everyone in the house happy.”
High lift lever
“Have a habit of burning your fingers every time you reach into the toaster to grab your toast? A high lift lever option is a wonderful addition to a toaster for when you’re trying to remove those smaller items such as muffins or crumpets that have a tendency of getting stuck among the wires, or just small pieces of bread that are a little too low to reach.”
Removable crumb tray
“All toasters come with a removable crumb tray, but my advice is to make sure that the toaster you are choosing has a secure tray that doesn’t jiggle too much when you move the toaster. The last thing you want is for every slight bump to the toaster, crumbs spill out onto the bench. Then again, maybe it’s just time to clean out your toaster – but whoever thinks to do that.”
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
To help you find the best toaster for your needs and budget, we asked news.com.au checkout Food Expert Kim Coverdale for her expert advice and recommendations on what to look for when buying a toaster. Kim has worked in food publishing for more than 25 years, including as Food Director on taste.com.au.
In addition, our shopping team read hundreds of customer reviews and looked at test results and ratings from product review sites to find the best toaster from premium to budget to help you find the toaster that will toast bread perfectly and to your liking.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SHOULD I GET A TWO-SLICE OR FOUR-SLICE TOASTER?
The primary considerations to keep in mind are the size of your household and available storage space. Though a four-slice toaster may feed all home occupants faster during the morning rush, it naturally takes up more counter space than the alternative; and after you take into account all the other appliances that live on your countertop, you’ll want to make sure the time saved using one is worth the loss of food preparation area.
HOW LONG SHOULD A TOASTER LAST?
Your toaster should last you between six and eight years, so if it’s been that long since you last bought one, consider upgrading to a newer model.
Kim Coverdale, news.com.au checkout Food Expert
Kim Coverdale has worked in food publishing for more than 25 years, including as Food Director on some of Australia’s leading food titles including taste.com.au. and Super Food Ideas. She trained in the respected Australian Women’s Weekly test kitchen and now creates, writes and edits recipes for food magazines and online. Her passion for baking means you can find her in the kitchen most days creating new sweet food trends with flavour twists.
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