Modern toasters include more bells and whistles than the simple bread toaster of the past. In addition to 2-slice and 4-slice toaster designs, you also have options like a touch screen toaster or a smart toaster. And, of course, you may want a toaster oven for your kitchen because there are many advancements in toaster ovens that allow you to cook and bake all kinds of things right on your countertop.

Still, even cooks who have toaster ovens often have a classic toaster in the kitchen as well. It is compact and excellent at giving your bread just the crispness you want.

When you are choosing the best toaster for you, think about the size slots you want. You’ll need to make sure you choose something a little wider if you want to fit bagel halves in the toaster easily. You also want to consider features you’ll use. Having a toaster with a slide-out crumb tray can help you keep your appliance cleaner. And a programmable toaster can achieve just the darkness you want.

When purchasing any small appliance for your kitchen, you want to make sure that you will have the space to store it before you make your purchase. A waffle maker, an electric griddle or a juicer may be just what you want to help you make a better breakfast every morning, but you’ll resent how much space the appliance takes up on the counter if you don’t have room to make dinner later.

Using kitchen storage can help you make the most of the space you have, even if you are choosing essentials for small-space living. Make the most of your cabinets and drawers with dividers and other tools to help you fit more and find things more easily. You can also use that storage space to keep your toaster when it’s not in use and free up counter space.

The other consideration that really matters when choosing a place for the toaster in your kitchen is electrical usage. If you will be running multiple small appliances at the same time—such as a microwave, coffee maker and toaster, you want them to be on different circuits so you don’t trip a breaker.