****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I originally bought this toaster as a temporary solution until the one i wanted to buy was back in stock. But after using this toaster I no longer see the need in buying a more expensive one because this one does everything I need it to.At this price point you will NOT find a better toaster. It's simple, yet looks attractive on my counter. The shape and design makes it easy to clean. I have toasted bagels, and other types of bread in it and so far it works great.I notice in alot of reviews, not only for this toaster but many others as well, that people complain about the toasters not toasting "perfectly even". I never realized how many OCD people there were in the world until I read those reviews. LOL. The reality is no toaster will ever make a piece of toast exactly the same shade top to bottom, front to back. It's simply unrealistic due to science. Toast is toast. As long as it's toasted, and not burnt... who cares what it looks like?It is important to remember that different types of breads, and different brands of breads use different ingredients. Therefore my toasting experience may not be the same as yours. You have to experiment with your new toaster to find the settings that work for you based on the kind of bread you are toasting. Different ingredients in different breads cause them to toast within different time frames. My preferred setting on this toaster is 3. I started at 5, then 4, and kept going lower until I found a setting that didn't burn the brand of bread I buy. You will have to do the same. But once you find the heat level setting that works for your brand and type of bread, it's smooth sailing moving forward.I would also like to address the "chemical smell", "burning plastic smell" reviews. YES THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL THE FIRST TIME I USED THE TOASTER. It's normal when you are running electricity through heated metal coils for the first time. Again... this is science. It is to be expected. IT WILL GO AWAY AFTER A COUPLE USES. I turned on the toaster for 3 back to back cycles without bread, then 3 back to back cycles with bread that I threw away. After that... NO SMELL. Make sure you have the windows open when you do this.This is currently the #1 top rated toaster on amazon. I think it deserves that spot in the rankings. Buy it.