KitchenAid KTT340 2-Slice Toaster

Scary, all the reviews seem to be from 2004-5. Maybe that means they are still working? :-)

This is a great toaster, period. Usually, every 5 years or so, as the mechanism or elements died on my drugstore or department store same-old (usually Proctor-Silex) toaster, I'd just replace it, and it was "good enough".

This time I had the advantage of reading so many toaster reviews online I'm nearly toasted! This brand rings true over years as reliable, and I can say that despite my getting the plain-vanilla white, it is easy to look at, as well as smartly designed. Rather than repeating the many mostly-consistent reviews, here are my observations after a week or 2 using this item for some hi-quality breads (e.g., slab of multi-grain loaf and an "everything bagel" from H&H Bagels in Manhattan).

This toaster is awesome! Why? The bagel-roast/toast option does the job nicely, and individual taste can be accommodated with the dial setting. Despite the occasional comments about "not really toasting" or "burning" (both positive and negative), I find that about a 2 o'clock setting (rather than the default center position) works well for me on almost everything, from thin pita to commercial slices to chunks of roll and thick bagels. The nice thing is that is that one can also improvise with the "bagel" mode, for example with a slice from the outside of a seeded roll. Mmmm, that came out (with the sliced part inward, like a bagel) like it was right out of the oven, fresh-baked, wonderful with cheese or appetizer, or as a piece of warm roll.

The toast/bread items *never* pop up over the top (though it works better for non-small breads, since it lifts to a neutral level, and in my case the toaster is on a shelf above eye level). That need not be a concern. The other small gripe I read was that "it should have a cancel button" to manually pop up while toasting, if it is starting to burn or whatever. I found it pops up quite easily with little effort or muscle strength necessary, and again - without launching the toast.

I've not had much use with the "warm" mode, though I've no doubt I'll find some good time and place for it. For now I'm excited about the "upgrade" (worth a few dollars more, for sure) to having two-tone-bagel-toasting mode - and also the easy-to-use crumb tray too, another nice design feature. On the 2-slice version which I have - I'd recommend the longer, 4-slice for people who slice from very long/wide loaves, but simply don't have the shelf space myself) the crumb tray pulls out, easily and completely, from the *back*, not the side as I've read (probably in the 4-slice version the "back" is the narrow "side" too).

What else? That's about it... I've no quibbles at all, am quite pleased and enjoying not only it's form and function, but the different things it can do easily and well. It truly is (and I'm not paid by them or Amazon!) a valuable "Kitchen Aid", and from what I gather in the reviews, fairly unique in this, plus available in a bunch of colors too. Definitely recommend it!