The Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster is a textbook toaster. It has two slots to hold your bread, a push-down lever to start the appliance, and a dial to select a brownness level. The whole appliance is fairly compact, measuring roughly 11 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches. It’s compact enough to store in a cupboard if desired, but I simply opted to leave it on the counter for a few weeks during testing, as it doesn’t take up too much space.
The toasting cycle was long , so I felt sure it would come out burnt. Instead, I was surprised to see a perfectly golden-brown bagel with crisp edges. The slots are labeled as “extra wide,” and even though there’s not an exact measurement, they look to be a similar width to other models I tested. They also proved wide enough for all of the items I cooked. The length of the bread I used was a tight squeeze, however.
Using the Instacart app or website, shop for products from your store of choice near you. Once you place your order, Instacart will connect you with a personal shopper in your area to shop and deliver your order. Contactless delivery is available with our “Leave at my door” option. You can track your order’s progress and communicate with your shopper every step of the way using the Instacart app or website. If you’re a big fan of toasted sandwiches and bagels, you might want to drop some extra cash for a feature-rich mode.
Brushed stainless steel toaster automatically shuts off at the end of the toasting cycle even if toast gets jammed. Bagel function extends the toasting time so bagels turn out warm and delicious every time. The light on the bagel button illuminates when bagels are toasting using this function. Extra-wide 1 3/8-in slots will easily accommodate bagels, waffles, and artisan breads.
This isn’t a huge issue, but it is a little counterintuitive at first. The keep-warm function works well, but again can be tricky to figure out upon first use. This is a nice feature for people who are constantly engaged in another task when their toast is ready.
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. You no longer have hamilton beach toaster oven digital access to ratings and reviews. Full batchReflects color evenness among all slices in a batch. The Keep Warm’s defrost setting made decent waffles, but often burned some edges.