How to choose a toaster: types, characteristics, which model is best for home

There are many kitchen gadgets that help housewives to simplify the cooking process. A toaster is a modern, inexpensive appliance that can prepare crispy slices of bread for breakfast for the whole family in a few minutes. Home appliance manufacturers offer a wide range of models with varied designs and functions. Choosing a toaster is easy if you know a few simple rules.

Pros and cons of toasters

All devices have a simple design. Heating elements are installed inside the body, between which the bread is dried. Advantages of the device:

1. Fries bread quickly until crisp.
2. Compact, takes up little space and can be easily rearranged.
3. No butter is used to make toast.
4. Some models are equipped with additional functions: the ability to toast bread on one side, reheat cooled toasts, rolls and sandwiches.
5. The stores offer a wide selection of models with different designs and functions. Sales consultants will always tell you which toaster is best for a particular customer.

But the toaster also has several disadvantages. Like all electrical devices, it is fire hazardous, so you need to be careful when working with it. A low-quality product breaks down quickly.

Types and characteristics of the device

To choose a toaster for your home, you need to consider some of the characteristics of the device. The power affects the speed of preparation and the quality of roasting of the pieces of bread. Most toasters are 600 to 1500 watts. Everything takes a few minutes, the electricity consumption will be small.

An important parameter is the number of bread compartments. It is necessary to take into account how many people are in the family, then you will not have to wait long for breakfast. Models are produced with 1, 2, 4 compartments. If one compartment is provided, you can fry two slices at the same time. The units with two compartments have a partition, in which you can make 4 toasts.

The four-compartment units can be used to prepare breakfast for a large family. Such appliances are often used in restaurants and cafes. Depending on the parameters of control during cooking, toasters are of 3 types:

1. Mechanical. Simple and cheap models without a built-in timer. During the operation of the device, you must constantly be nearby, check the degree of roasting of the bread and turn it off yourself. Now such models of toasters are rare, they are fire hazardous, often overheat and quickly break down.
2. Automatic. The toaster monitors the cooking time and controls the degree of browning. It turns off on its own and pushes the finished slices up. Most models have a sound alert. These are the most convenient and popular devices, but they are quite expensive.
3. Semi-automatic. The appliance has a thermostat that controls cooking. When the time is right, it beeps to tell you to remove the toast.

Appliances differ in the type of heating element. Metal elements are simple and cheap and are used in most models. Their disadvantage is uneven heating. The bread in these toasters can burn. Modern expensive models are equipped with ceramic elements. These devices are reliable, the bread in them is heated evenly, dried from all sides.

The machines also differ in the way the bread is loaded. Vertical models not only toast bread, but also have a special grid on which you can heat baked goods. Horizontal loading devices are multifunctional. They are marketed under the name of a sandwich toaster. They allow you to fry bread, prepare hot sandwiches, pies and other pastries.

Toasters also differ in the material from which the body is made. Most often, there are plastic models. They are inexpensive, have an attractive design, are easy to clean, but have a significant drawback - fragile plastic overheats and can emit an unpleasant odor. Good models have a metal case (aluminum, steel). Such devices are durable, resistant to overheating, but more expensive.

The toaster cord should be long enough to help position the appliance in a safe place. It is not recommended to use extension cords, especially if the device has a high power.

Additional functions

The buyer decides which toaster to choose. It is important to consider the number of family members, the power of the device, the required functions, the build quality, and safety. When buying, it will also be useful to pay attention to additional functions and capabilities that can make the device more convenient to use:

1. Reheating buns and sandwiches thanks to a special grid installed on top.
2. Toasting a slice on one side.
3. Pre-defrosting function for bread.
4. Automatic lifting of finished pieces.
5. A timer capable of adjusting cooking time and degree of roasting.
6. Thermal protection function, eliminating the possibility of burns (such a model is necessary if there are children in the house).
7. Stop button to stop frying at any time.
8. An audible signal that signals the end of the frying process.
9. Dedicated cord storage compartment.

Design doesn't matter much if the device is made of cheap and fragile material. When choosing a toaster, it is advisable to give preference to proven manufacturers. And don't overpay for unnecessary options.