Oster® 2-Slice Toaster, Grey

I shopped around pretty hard for this toaster because I was really reluctant to buy one. I'm the only person in our household of three who really doesn't eat bagels, toast, bread, etc....and on top of that I LOVED my Grandmother's toaster that was from the 1950's that I had been using both for sentimental reasons as well as because it was the old, shiny steel (shaped almost like this one) and even had a fabric cord. It was probably a heinous fire-hazard....but I loved it and it lasted until recently when we heard a "POP" and my beloved toaster was done.I didn't want anything modern-looking or bulky (especially since I don't use it and we have very limited counter space) and I'd have really preferred one of those stylized, retro models that are outrageously priced and have no real qualifications for the high price other than perhaps the awesome colors and design.When I came upon this Oster and realized I could have Purple and still get the fairly retro stylizing AND for a great price I was suspicious. How could it be pretty, retro, cost-efficient, and still perform well?But it really does perform. My boyfriend loves to stuff giant "everything" bagels into the toaster and he uses it most. He even suggested I get a "bagel" specific toaster (*shudder*) and I wanted to avoid one of those huge eyesores with every fiber of my being. He's really satisfied with the sizing of this for bagels and no more digging them out with knives!! The extra "spring" advertised when the toast/bagel pops up actually works really well and pushes up even the fattest Deli Bagels. No messes or fussing. The crumb tray is excellent because I'm VERY obsessive about finding crumbs on counters and this one leaves no trace (we put it away when we're done and I have to say....I wish it could be left out because it's so pretty). The heat distribution is really even and this actually tends to toast a bit darker than needed rather than lighter. This simply means you should set this lighter than how you want your toast/bagels to turn out. The built in buttons work great, but we don't use them often. My 13 year old son tends to use them more than anyone since he spaces out/forgets he's toasting something/forgets to check the darkness setting.This is fast, quiet, even-heated, and compact enough for any kitchen. The photos are actually terrible because this is a very high-luster purple and the toaster itself does NOT look like cheap plastic like this advertising photo makes it appear. It's shiny and attractive just like "other" models and the slots are wide and have quality and durable caging. If you were to need to get inside of the slots, you'd be able to do so easily and see what you're doing (unlike older styles or cheaper models). I still can't believe what a steal this was and considering I didn't want a toaster at all....I don't feel like I wasted money OR put something ugly in my kitchen. We're all fussy about different things in this family and this toaster suits the penny-pincher, the design-enthusiast, and the forgetful teen. I would buy this toaster again and again! We love it!

I'm loving this toaster! I wasn't sure at first, because the instruction booklet said you needed to run the toaster empty the first time, in order to burn off any residual dust from the factory. That made me nervous, but I did as instructed. There was a slight odor of burnt dust, which quickly went away. After that, I popped some bread in and had some of the best toast I've had in years!The dial is simple to set to the right "darkness" setting. The first time, I used a low setting, and when it popped up, I flipped the bread over and toasted it again. But I was used to my old toaster, which didn't heat evenly. This toaster does a beautiful job, so turning your bread halfway through isn't necessary! The very top of the bread doesn't get as dark as the lower half, but I don't mind that. (Just FYI, I use level 2-1/2 for warming Pop Tarts, and 3-1/2 or 4 for golden toast. Level 6 would probably burn my toast, but it goes all the way up to 8 or 9.)The exterior of the toaster is a dark gray and black, with silver accents. (I believe it also comes in a purple version.) It looks sleek and stylish, perfect for a kitchen that has stainless steel and black appliances. There are different settings, which you can use for bagels, or for defrosting stuff, or keeping something warm. The buttons are easy to push and there's no confusion about what setting it's on. There's a "cancel" button, so you can pop your toast up immediately, if you need to. I also really appreciate that the bottom of the toaster slides out, so you can clean the crumbs off. This reduces the chance of old crumbs catching fire, so it's a definite plus for me!Five stars and highly recommended for anyone who's in the market for a basic, easy-to-use toaster.

So far I like it for the most part. I did so much research trying to find a toaster. I find 3 or just barely past 3 is the best setting for toast to be golden. My only compliment is that the toast seems very dry once done if that makes sense. Overall I've had no issues otherwise. It toasts pretty quickly as well which nice considering my colicy baby gives me no time to do anything lol.

I bought a Cuisinart (false bagel setting--fried the outside & over-browned the rims of the bagel face,) a Kitchen Aid (true bagel setting, but turns out, not to my liking, & beeped loudly to announce toasted with no way to circumvent) and then this toaster to replace my Oster toaster for my morning 1/2 bagel. This has a bagel button, which does not shut off the outside heating elements, but you want a little warmth to heat that side of the bagel, I learned. The Kitchen Aid beeps loudly & has a true bagel setting--toasts interior sides only. But the outside was cold & it turns out, I don't like that. Also the kitchen aid was nearly twice the price at $64-ish with tax and this is about $43 with tax. This toaster has a much smaller footprint on my counter, & yet the slots are wide enough for bagels, & works like a dream. Also, with this model, use the frozen setting if it's frozen and you won't end up with crispy overdone rim of slice side of bagel, it heats more slowly.I love the way it looks & the surface is cleaner looking than my last brushed nickel Oster.Update: It's too small. While it accommodates the thickness of a bagel, it fails to toast the top 1/4. So I am toasting at half & rotating. Not great.