Tefal TT7061002 2-Slice Toaster

I would like a toaster to make toast, please.

After the toaster oven I despised met an untimely death, I had a much better idea of what I wanted from this appliance. I wanted something to make toast quickly, and did not have any plans to roast a cornish game hen in a counter-dwelling oven. I wanted to purchase it with my $50 Linens 'n' Things gift certificate from my sister, hopefully with enough change to buy a new bottle opener or silicone whisk. Because everything else in my kitchen has a stainless steel finish, I limited my search to toasters that would match.

The Tefal Avanti ... because I only had one choice.

Apparently, the market for stainless steel toasters under $50 is small. Although others exist, the only one I found on the shelf the day I shopped was the Tefal Avanti. It came in two-slice and four-slice options. Fortunately for me, I liked it immediately. It wasn't missing any features I thought a toaster should have, and it didn't have any I didn't consider useful. I liked the option of having a reheat button if I forgot I made toast and it got cold, and I also liked the stop button in the middle of the browning dial in case I couldn't stand to wait. The angled front was unique and attractive, the brushed steel finish and black sides meant less time using a special cleaning product, and the compact two-slice option would save valuable real estate on my counter. Most importantly to me, the self-adjusting slots looked wide enough to accommodate thick slices of bread and huge bagels.

I'm jonesing for carbs, Tefal. Don't let me down.

My father is a baker, and when I am in need of comfort food, the ultimate taste is a slice of his sourdough or semolina loaf. When I say slice, I have in mind a monstrous serving of bread that would terrify any calorie, carb, or Points counter. My new toaster's first test was an inch and a half thick slice of a multi-grain loaf he baked specifically for toasting. The slots in the toaster adjusted to this width without any resistance at all, and snugly held the bread while it toasted. Level four on the dial delivered a crisp, hot slice that was equally brown in the middle and on the edges, and warm but still soft in the interior. To my delight, the toaster did this in about thirty seconds. One side was a bit browner than the other, and this seems to make or break toasters for some people. Not me! Bring me butter and honey, then give me a moment alone with my doughy bliss.

Bagels also fare well in the toaster, according to my husband, an apostate who buys baked goods at the grocery store. He claims there is a significant improvement when the bagel setting is used, heating the inside more thoroughly. As long as we are on the subject of the man of the house, he derives great satisfaction from pounding on the high-lift lever so that his toast ejects several inches into the air. I'm sure this is not what the manufacturer intended, but the toaster is tolerating it well and it makes our two-year-old daughter giggle. He also believes the front-loading slots are easier than top-loading. The angle also allows him to hover during the toasting process, staring anxiously into the slots at his darkening bread, with a thumb on the stop button lest he observes a level of toastiness slightly beyond what he desires.

For regular serving sizes of sandwich bread, the results are very fast but less consistent. I see a lot of crusts that are much crispier than the rest of the slice. They also get cool quickly if they aren't used right away, and I've learned that the reheat button just barely restores warmth.

I've had belongings that were easier to clean. The crumb tray is very small and shallow, and since it slides from the back of the toaster, isn't as easily accessed as it could be. I don't scrupulously polish the stainless steel front, but if I did want it to look perfect every day, this goal would require daily upkeep to fight fingerprints and other marks. Because the finish is brushed, it looks okay if it isn't spotless.

Thanks for the toaster, Lindsey! I got an amusing bottle opener with the change.

I'm pleased to have found a toaster that is not only efficient but also attractive for about $40. I'm not sure exactly what you get from toasters that cost over a hundred dollars, but I have a feeling I wouldn't care that much. I haven't noticed that my parents' Cuisinart is superior in any way. Because of its ease of use, simple features, and good design, the Tefal Avanti might have been my choice even if I'd had ten different $40 options.