The 4 Best 2-Slice Toasters - Summer 2024 Reviews

The best 2-slice toaster we've tested is the Breville the 'A Bit More' 2 Slice. If you're only interested in a good toasting performance, go ahead and skip this model and consider one of the cheaper options below. However, if you want a more premium look and extra features, it outperforms other options in the same price range. Its slots are long and wide, so it's suitable for various bread types, from regular sandwich bread to thickly sliced sourdough or a chunky bagel. The 'Lift and Look' feature lets you lift the slots to check on the progress of your toast without having to cancel the cycle. The LED lights on the side of the toaster act as a cycle countdown indicator so you can tell when your toast is about to be ready.

You can use the seven presets to make anything from lightly toasted to charred sandwich bread. The highest setting is enough to brown items that take longer to toast, like denser rye bread, in one cycle. It also toasts consistently, so you don't have to adjust the dial to a lower setting after the first batch. It also does a fantastic job of evenly toasting the surface of the bread. Both slots perform the same way, but you might notice that the inner face gets toasted more than the outer face.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, straightforward toaster, the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster T24569B is the best budget 2-slice toaster we've tested. This toaster doesn't have cycle countdown indicators or extra features like Breville the 'A Bit More' 2 Slice's 'Lift and Look' but offers a fantastic toasting performance. You can get golden brown toast from white sandwich bread with a preset, and the highest setting is enough to toast denser bread or thicker slices in one cycle. Both slots perform the same way, and this model toasts the surface of the bread evenly. It toasts consistently batch after batch.

Its plastic body gives it a less premium feel than the Breville, but it also means it's much lighter, which is nice if you plan to store your toaster in a cupboard or on a shelf when you're not using it. Although it doesn't have many extra features, you get settings for bagels and for thawing/toasting frozen items like waffles. Its slots are wide enough for thickly sliced bread, like the Breville's, but they're a little shorter.

If you usually toast smaller items, you want your toaster's slots to lift high enough that you don't burn yourself while retrieving the toast. If you need more room to safely grab smaller slices of bread, English muffins, or frozen waffles, check out the Oster 2-Slice Toaster with Quick-Check Lever. The price of this simple toaster falls between the Breville the 'A Bit More' 2 Slice and the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster T24569B, and its slots are a little over half an inch shallower when raised than the Black+Decker's, making it easier to grab smaller items. Like the Breville, its 'Quick-Check' feature lets you lift the slots to check on your toast without interrupting the cycle.

The downside is that it doesn't have the same fantastic toasting range as the previous picks. Even the highest setting doesn't char white sandwich bread, so you'll have to run another toasting cycle to properly brown denser or thicker breads that take longer to toast. The manufacturer says the 'bagel' setting extends the toasting time rather than turning down the elements on one side to avoid over-browning the bottom. That said, it toasts bread evenly, with each slot performing similarly batch after batch.

If you're interested in a toaster with a modern twist, the best option we've tested is the Sur La Table Touchscreen 2-Slice Toaster. This toaster has been in and out of stock lately at online retailers but is usually available via the manufacturer's website. Touchscreen toasters don't necessarily outperform regular models, and you'll pay a premium to do away with dials and buttons. However, this model isn't extremely expensive, so it's a good option if you prefer its sleek look and want to try out the latest toaster technology. Its screen lets you select from various modes, including options for bagels, pastries, English muffins, and waffles. You can then choose the shade setting separately. It displays a digital timer during the toasting cycle so you know when your toast will be ready. There's also a mode that only heats the slot on the right when you're making one piece of toast.

However, unlike our top picks, even its maximum setting isn't enough to brown denser multi-grain bread or thicker slices of sourdough in one go, so you may have to run more than one cycle. Unlike most toasters with physical dials, the screen design doesn't let you select half settings, so you can't set it to between settings 3 and 4, for example. It also toasts the outer face of the bread more than the inner face. The slots are shallow when you lift them, similar to the Oster 2-Slice Toaster with Quick-Check Lever, but they aren't as deep when they're pushed down, and if your bread is bigger than white sandwich bread, it can stick out the top of the toaster.