Cuisinart Classic 2-Slice Toaster

The Cuisinart is a mere quarter of the price of the Breville — but recipe developer Rebecca Firkser says that though “it’s nothing fancy, it does exactly what you need it to do, and does it well.” The slots are about 1.5 inches across, the same thickness she usually slices bread. Still, the appliance doesn’t take up her whole counter. James Beard Award–nominated journalist and Strategist contributor Hannah Selinger (who has the four-slice version) uses hers every single day to make bagels and waffles for her sons.

The range of darkness on this toaster is something I took note of, too: Firkser prefers her bread “charred (but not burnt)”, and Selinger says her children like things on the blonder end of the spectrum — and the Cuisinart achieves both perfectly.