Hamilton Beach - SmartToast 4-Slice Wide-Slot Toaster - Black
Model: 24444
SKU: 7098562
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Our Proctor Silex basic toaster died recently after several years of good service. I'd bought that because many reviewers found that it toasted evenly and consistently, unlike many more expensive and complicated models. In my quest for a replacement, I tried several products of various brands. I found, like many reviewers, that most were deficient one way or another: cords too short; revolting stink from factory residue when heating; uneven toasting; too-small slots; metal sides that became painfully hot; and some just plain broken right out of the box. Most new toasters seem to have rather short cords (perhaps a safety regulation), but this one is at least tolerable. Good features: Cool-to-touch plastic body, bagel button, defrost button. Also, wires inside are covered with a shield to make them shock resistance -- useful in homes with kids. Best thing: It actually works as promised. Toast may be uneven, especially on thinner slices, or when toasting only one slice. But that seems common on current toasters, especially with bagel feature. At least in this case, the product manual admits that that can happen, which I appreciated. The solution, simple enough, is to toast on a lighter setting, remove and rotate slice, and toast some more. I can't comment on durability, since we've had it about one month. But Hamilton Beach is made by same co. that makes Proctor Silex (also Sunbeam I think) so I am hopeful it may last as long as our old toaster. We have a black and chrome, deco style Sunbeam coffee maker, and this toaster matches it well. I do wish that the 'Cancel' button had a light to show when the toaster is on, like on our old toaster, but that's a minor complaint. It's sad that there are so many poorly made appliances on the market today, but I am very pleased with this product.
Posted by marketsq
Got rid of my old toaster because it started to only toast on one side of the bread. Bought this toaster because of price and reviews. Was very disappointed as it also only toasted one side of the bread. It was very obvious that there was a difference in the amount of heat on one side versus the other. Returned it for credit.
Posted by Chelsea164
This is a great toaster it takes only a min to toast bread great item
Posted by Roje5
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Customers commend the SmartToast 4-Slice Wide-Slot Toaster for its wide slots, but some have noted inconsistencies in toasting quality. Several users reported uneven browning on their bread, with one side toasting more than the other. This suggests that while the toaster offers convenience, improvements could be made to ensure consistent toasting across both sides of the bread.