A few years ago, I was lucky enough to test more than a dozen toasters in the Food & Wine Test Kitchen. I had been using a $20 version for years that burned one side of my bread, left the other flabby and pale, and smoked when plugged in for too long. Clearly, I was due for an upgrade, but I had no idea where to start until the testing began.  

As it turns out, a toaster can have some pretty cool features. Some had extra-wide slots for bagels, others had four slots instead of two, and one even played a jaunty jingle when the bread was properly browned. Most of them were substantially better than the janky model I was used to, but my favorite by far was Breville’s 2-Slice Die-Cast Smart Toaster. I loved it so much, I acquired one for myself not long after and have been eating perfectly toasted bread ever since. 

Breville Die-Cast Smart Toaster

I’ve been wanting to write about this toaster for a few months now, but every time I checked Amazon, it was either completely sold out or close enough to sold out that it didn’t make sense to feature it. Its popularity isn’t surprising: With a sleek design that doesn’t show fingerprints and four convenient functions ranging from “lift and look” to “a bit more,” I would have been more shocked if it was perpetually in stock. 

I use the “frozen” feature most often since I often freeze my sourdough to keep it from going stale, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly and evenly this Breville toaster, well, toasts my frozen bread. In fact, I’ve talked about it so much over the years that my parents eventually requested one for their anniversary. My sister and I were more than happy to oblige since their model was over a decade old with narrow slots that couldn’t even fit a halved bagel. It’s only been a few months, but they already adore theirs as much as I adore mine. 

And we aren’t alone. More than 3,900 Amazon shoppers agree, citing its gorgeous exterior and consistent heating mechanism as the main reasons why they recommend Breville’s Die-Cast Smart Toaster. One customer even went so far as to call it the “best” model on the market. They added that their first toaster of this make lasted them 10 years and that they’ve had plenty of house guests who have “gone home and ordered one too.”    

Now that Breville’s 2-slice toaster is finally back in stock at Amazon, I recommend ordering it sooner rather than later. It’s not often that I can say this about a product, but it’s definitely worth the price. 

Shop More Breville Appliances at Amazon

Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro 

Breville 2-Slice Smart Waffle Maker Pro 

Breville Milk Café Frother

Breville Commercial Juice Fountain XL Pro

At the time of publishing, the price was $150.