3 Squares Wide Slot 2-Slice Cool-Touch Toaster with Silicone Cover, Black

There's alot to love about this toaster; it can do so much & it's smarter than the average toaster. But it's big (tall & wide), so if you've got it on top of the microwave and under the overhead cabinets, you'll probably have to bring it down to the counter to make toast. It's cool-touch, so no matter how hot it gets, it won't burn your hands. But if it's immediately underneath your cabinets, be warned that it gets hot enough to scorch them, and possibly more. The rubber feet set into the bottom are heat sensitive, as is the glue that is apparently being used to affix them into place. The high heat of this toaster loosens the glue and the feet come loose, falling out after the 2nd or 3rd usage. That's a problem.It gets so hot, anything but the weakest setting will burn your toast. I use the weakest setting (#1) to toast frozen bread slices (they taste fresher, and don't get scorched). But if you turn the heat up, you're asking for trouble, & perhaps a kitchen fire. It can even toast giant round rolls, which are quite a bit bigger than bagels. (But don't set it high, or you'll cremate your bread).The first time I used it, my finger touched the metal rim near the slot, and current went through me. I'm not sure that this is a defect in the toaster, b/c workmen have been putzing around with the electrical connections to the apt. fuse box (three floors wiring are connected in each set of fusebox conduits). It's caused the digital panel not to work on my a/c for many years (and though they just fixed it, when they went to work afterwards on floors 10 and 9, they messed up my connections again; so my a/c panel still doesn't work ... again.) I've put in another work order, and hope these problems clear up, when the electrician shows up (whenever that is ....) Maybe this is the electrical problem ... maybe.I pressed a reset button on the wall outlet plugs near my toaster, and mean to test it out again by touching the metal rim while it's engaged -- but I haven't worked up the nerve yet. Nevertheless, I love the different function buttons, and silicone top flap, and have some suggestions.(1) Make the plug a 3-pronged power plug, to avoid shocks and mishaps like death-by-electrocution.(2) Lower the heat on settings #2 - #6, so that it doesn't blacken & scorch bread, put in for a normal course of toasting.(3) Make the feet silicone feet, and affix them into place w/a glue like 5-Second Fix, which bonds the polymers, so that the extreme heat this toaster generates doesn't melt the glue, melt the feet, and then the feet pop out, and the toaster sits on the metal cover of the microwave, which is a shock hazard that has now broadened to include touching the door of the microwave (say, when reheating your coffee).(4) Include a brochure about product usage, where to send the product if it needs repairs, etc. This should always be done (& it isn't.)

My first review was not good - see below.I am not impressed with my new toaster. Naturally I tossed the box and by the second time I'd used it, one side of the toaster wires died. I figure it was my mistake to toss the box and accompanying paperwork, so I will toss it out and go get a toaster from Costco....if it burns itself out, I just have to take the unit in to get reimbursed so that I can get a new one. It would have been an okay toaster if the one side unit wasn't burned out.Updated: Friday, March 13, 2015Kyle Erickson, [email protected], contacted me a day after I submitted the review of only 2 stars for this toaster. He generously offered to replace my toaster with a new one! I just now received the replacement toaster - new in the box - fired it up and it works great! All sides of the toast are equally browned, just the way it should be. I was so impressed with this company's customer service - my only regret was not having contacted them prior to my review. But all is well - I am very happy to have a toaster that looks as nice as this one and it is doing a great job of making a perfect piece of toast!Thank you so much, Kyle. I never expected anyone to contact me and offer to replace the defective until. I am impressed.

I have had this toaster for about a year. It's ok. It makes toast. It has all the features I need in a toaster, it's easy to use, easy to clean, and the silicone cover is handy. I have never had problems fitting bread or bagels into the slots. The metal parts do get hot, but I expect that since it's a toaster.And now for the cons -I haven't done a ton of research on this but it seems a bit larger than some other two-slice toasters. I wish it was a bit more compact.I have never encountered a toaster that toasts bread perfectly evenly, and this one is no exception. It wasn't too bad when I first got it, but it's gotten worse over time. It now toasts the top edges to nearly burnt before the bottom half is even golden brown. I usually try to keep an eye on it, stop it, and flip whatever I'm toasting over before the top edge is burnt to try to get some semblance of even toasting.The other issues is that all of the writing is wearing off the front of the toaster - the 3 Squares logo and the DEFROST, REHEAT, BAGEL, and CANCEL labels next to the buttons. We never touch those labels or the logo, so I have no idea why they wore away, but I've had to take a fine point sharpie and relabel them so we know which button does what. The sharpie also wears off, so I have to redo that periodically, too. So now my formerly cool-looking toaster now is a mess of smeared labels and rubbed off handwritten sharpie. We currently keep the toaster in the cabinet when we aren't using it, so I'm fine with it looking this way for now. If I wanted to store it on the counter or a shelf in clear view, it would need to be replaced.

PROS:It toasts. There are 1-6 levels of toastiness. The manual says normal bread will be around 1-2. I must be eating some super bread because it's usually at least 4 for me. It seems even enough though I've never used a cadillac of toastersThe lever comes up high. When the toast is done, the lever does lift high enough to safely grab the toast. I've seen other toasters that have inferior lifting mechanisms.It comfortably fits bagels and larger pieces of bread.CONS:It's quite chunky. There seems to be a lot of wasted space in the design. Trust me, you'll buy it and think, "wow this thing is big for being a two slice toaster." This was the main reason was the one star degradation.You have to press the cancel button to stop it. I prefer just being able to lift up the handle when it's done. I guess there must be some sort of safety concern with that method.SUMMARY:If you're looking for a cheap toaster, this fits the bill. It's nothing fancy and I wasn't overly wowed by it, however, I'm not sure how I would ever be wowed by a toaster.