I got an inexpensive Toastmaster at Target. It does a super job. I also have a 4-slot Dualit. Toastmaster holds its own beautifully. It's the retro one.

Went through the same process. Saw reports from lots of folks that love Dualits. Finally went an looked at Dualits. I can't understand what all the ruckus is about.

Finally I took a look at Consumer Reports (although I don't necessarily always agree with them - especially on high end appliances). They rated a Cuisinart near the top. Down rated the Dualit for uneveness (if I remember right) - just the thing the Dualit owners rave about. ???

We finally bought the Cuisinart 4 holer for about $100 from Amazon. It looks OK (retro, cast end panels, etc) but, as far as toast goes, its kinda a yawner - just like every other toaster I've seen.

I'd check out Target if I had to do it again.

Thanks guys. I ended up ordering the Cuisinart. I like the two toasters side by side feature, rather than the two long slots. That way you can toast things at different settings.

We had an old white Oster 4-slice toaster. I guess it made good toast, although one thing I didn't like was that you couldn't set it low enough to make bread lightly toasted (even the number one on the dial was medium toast) - can't even imagine what high numbers look like. So I couldn't just put the toaster on and attend to something else bc. I'd have to remember to turn the toaster off before the toast got too toasted.

Now we've renovated our kitchen and the white looks awful in there. So I'd like to get a black and/or stainless 4-slide toaster. But I don't want the retro look. Or the side-by-side Cuisinart.

Any other recommendations?

And I could use an education about what constitutes good toasting - other than even toasting?

I bought a waring commericial refurbished at the Chef's Warehouse sale this year. The first one did not work properly. It barely heated up, so it took forever and the toast was very dry and crunchy, though barely toasted. The company switched it out for another and it is fast. The toast is much better, though not completely even. The last toaster we toasted way more on one side and I had to flip the peices half-way through the cycle to get it how I wanted it. What a pain. I was happy to see that one go!

Someone I know purchased an inexpensive GE branded one at Walmart but have no idea who makes it, don't think GE. They seem to think it toasts all 4 slices fine. After frustration unending in finding a toaster I was happy with (and DH nixed a Dualit), I decided on my friend's recommendation to go get the same GE only in a two-slice model. I have been happy with it. I had heard that with 4-slice models, the toasting can be more uneven the more slices in the machine, but have no experience with them. Am hoping this one lasts awhile.

The inexpensive Proctor Silex two and four slice toasters are probably the best toasters you're going to find these days. It's a design they've been making for over 40 years, simple, straighforward, a pop up toaster that works.
Take a look carefully at a Kitchenaid PRO toasters selling for over $200 and other than it having heavy metal end caps, the actual toaster part between them is just a cheap made in China toaster like all the rest, Much the same can be said for all the other pricey names like Cuisinart,DeLonghi etc.. None of them are any higher quality, just fancier controls and fancier looks, many don't even toast that well to begin with. I collect vintage toasters LOL plus I have some new ones, Cuisinart, Krups, KA and there is nothing spectacular about them, all of the old vintage ones from the 40's and 50's are still toasting away, the two star performers, the Proctor Silexs and the vintage Sunbeams.

Well, my waring pro toaster is not working on one side. What a piece of carp! I love the way it looks, and its easy to clean, but I am ready for a new toaster. My kitchen looks like yuck, so I am not terribly concerned about looks. I just want a good toaster, cheap. I will check out the proctor silex, and the toastmaster at Target. I can probably sell the Waring, not-working properly and all, for more than a proctor silex will cost me.

My Cuisinart toaster only toast one side of the bread. The other side is not toasted at all. You can look down into the toaster when it is "on" and see that only one side of the heating elements are red.

Either I am doing something wrong or this thing is junk.

Maybe Walmart still has this half decent one. Look for the two or four slice white or black made in Mexico ones with the GE logo and a Walmart part number on the underside label.

We've had pretty good luck with the KA toaster (see link). We bouhgt a blender at the same time, so we saved $25 on the whole order... so the toaster was $68 (and free shipping)

Works really well. And for $68, it works REALLY well.

-G

Here is a link that might be useful: KA Toaster

I am going to junk my Cuisinart that I posted about earlier!

Gorilla, I used the link you provided to read the reviews on my toaster and it seems that I am not the only one with the one sided toasting problem. Wish I had read these reviews before I got this toaster.

I may try the Kitchen aid--the reviews were much better. Silly to be so anal about a toaster, but I have 4 kids that like toast.

Here is a link that might be useful: reviews on my toaster