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Needs are fairly simple.
1. Small. Less than 15" across. I have a very small galley kitchen. Under cabinet mounting is not an option.
2. Not looking to spend a ton. $150-$200 seems excessive but I'm finding many in that price range.
I don't really eat toast and I have never owned a toaster. Since my lap band surgery 2 1/2 years ago, soft/fresh bread is not an option but well toasted bread works fairly well so I've had more of that lately. There are also many foods that don't heat up all that well in a microwave, so I thought a toaster oven might solve a few challenges for me.
Any advice?
DM
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I had my original Black & Decker toaster over from college for over 20 years. It finally died last year so I went shopping. I bought a $60 Oster from Costco that was considerably bigger. It was also a convection oven, had 2 racks and other useless bells and whistles. It was really too big and too much for just toasting or reheating stuff, so I returned it (gotta love Costco's return policy).
I found another small B&D toaster over at Sears for like $18. It can do 4 slices. It's fine and much better for what I need. However all new toaster ovens seem to have too many dials now. This one has 3 and I have to make sure they are all set right when I toast or else I wind up "baking" my bread at 300°F instead of "toasting" it. I can also see the timer dial wearing out within a few years since I have to turn it past a point to get it to start toasting and then turn it back to set the time. But for $18 I can't be too picky.
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I recently replaced my decades old Black & Decker with one of their newer models and I would not reccomend the new ones. The old ones has the traditional push down lever to toast that worked great. The new ones use either 2 or 3 knobs depending on the model. It is overly complicated having to adjust two knobs - one for function/temp and another for time. Also the timer seems to vary even when set to exactly the same spot and toasting is uneven. Mine is probably going back to Kohls or to Goodwill.
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B&D has become garbage..
I bought a Kenmore toaster-Convection oven last year that is working great, got good reviews and is $60 shipped. It's 15 inches wide.
http://www.sears.com/kenmore-6-slice-con...nd=product&PRODUCT_TITLE_BRAND=kenmore%2d6%2dslice%2dconvection%2dtoaster%2doven%2dwhite¤tProductTitle=kenmore%2d6%2dslice%2dconvection%2dtoaster%2doven%2dwhite&prdNo=2&isSEOCanonURL=true&catgroupId=00804806000P&catalogId=12605&blockType=G2&storeId=10153&partNumber=00804806000P&blockNo=2&i_cntr=1360171162947
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Sadly most of them have gotten too big and complicated. I'd suggest going to the store and looking around. And recognize that you'll be replacing it every four years or so.
( Mrs. cbelt3 despises stainless steel decor in her Country style home. Good luck finding something that isn't...)
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The Breville looks nice, gets great reviews, and I'm sure it's a nice toaster. However, I'm always worried about unnecessary digital controls. It just seems like something else that is prone to break. $150 is too much to just throw away but too servicing it would be impractical. I'd want to see at least a 3-year warranty.
lafinfil, my thoughts exactly! I think we had the same original B&D, it died at the same time, and we replace it with the exact same 3-knobber! Does your buzz when you start toasting? I don't have unpredictable toasting but I'm usually nearby to watch it. I'm keeping mine but am not expecting it to go more than 5 years.
