However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes. This toaster is all about low-and-slow cooking, but once you find the setting that’s best for you, it makes a beautiful piece of toast. Look for a model that takes up only as much space as a standard piece of computer paper, and one that has under base cord storage to keep things tidy when it’s not in use.
A hurdle with any stainless steel appliance is fingerprints, and this one is no exception. This toaster looks sleek, but it does pick up fingerprints easily and quickly. The outside of the toaster can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth, and if necessary a non-abrasive cleaner. The instruction manual hamilton beach toaster suggests cleaning out the crumb tray, located at the rear of the toaster, once a week, assuming everyday use. It’s easy to slide out the crumb tray, dump the crumbs, wipe the tray clean, and replace it in the toaster. Toasters are a kitchen counter standby that make every meal a little tastier.
To see if this appliance is a worthwhile purchase, I put it to the test over the course of several weeks. The defrost setting on the Keep Warm simply adds extra time to the cycle. Subsequently, it did not fare as well in our defrosting tests as other models that use the two-stage technique. When toasting frozen bread, it was able to keep most of the slice even but often left patches adjacent to the top and bottom crusts conspicuously white. It churned out acceptable frozen waffles, but it repeatedly burned edges.
You have to press down the Keep Warm’s lever before selecting a toasting mode. We found this a bit counterintuitive, but quickly became accustomed to it. This website is for informational purposes only and does not sell or make recommendations on where to buy any of the listed products. The price for this product is set by the individual retailers and varies among them.
A high-lift toast boost makes it easier for the user to reach small slices of bread. Users can choose between seven shade choices for their toast. It also includes a cancel/automatic shutoff button that turns off the toaster at the end of a cycle, even if the bread becomes jammed in its slot. The toaster offers hamilton beach counter oven nine shade settings to achieve a toast color from light to dark, with extra features to accommodate bagels by adding extra time to the toasting cycle. There’s also a defrost function which first defrosts, then toasts frozen items, and a reheat function which reheats food without browning or toasting.
The other notable feature of this toaster is its power cord, which is located in a strange place. If you look at the underside of the appliance, you’ll see that the cord actually starts at the front of the toaster. Because I wanted the cord to stick out the back of the appliance, I had to run it down the entire length of the unit, which left me with around 20 inches of cord to reach the plug. It’s a strange design choice if you ask me, and it forces you to keep the toaster fairly close to an outlet.