The Best 4-Slice Toasters in 2022

Best Overall: Cuisinart CPT-640 4-Slice Custom Select Toaster

4.8

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Dimensions (LxWxH): 11 x 11 x 7.6 inches | Weight: 5.5 pounds | Wattage: 1800 W

If you’re looking for a 4-slice toaster that always has your back, look no further than the Cuisinart 4-Slice Custom Select Toaster. This stainless-steel beauty will look great on your counter and performs admirably for any toast needs.

Cuisinart designed this with seven browning settings. There’s a “single toast” setting and a dial to specify what you’re toasting: bread, waffles, bagels, pastries, or English muffins. With 1.5-inch wide slots, it can handle whatever you’re hoping to toast. There’s a high-rise carriage for no-burn toast retrieval, and the crumb tray slides out for easy cleaning. In other words, an ideal toaster.

Our Editor in Chief, Emma Christensen, was pleased with how even and consistent the browning was after she established the best setting for her toast. And it was quick, too: She recorded an average of 1 minute and 45 seconds of toasting time.

But what did she like best (and what surprised her most)? The defrost setting. "I was really surprised by how quickly the defrost setting worked. I thought it would take minutes, but the toasting time was almost the same as for a fresh slice of bread," Emma raves. The only thing she would change is the strength of the pop-up spring inside the toaster. "I wish it would lift the bread a little higher. I usually had to use both the Lift feature and also toaster tongs to extract the toast from the toaster slots," she notes.

"I'm impressed by its sleek, eye-pleasing design and by its ability to quickly toast multiple slices of bread to perfection. It's intuitive to use and customize to each family member's personal preferences, and it cleans up easily." — Emma Christensen, Editor in Chief

Best Budget: Oster TSSTTR6330-NP 4-Slice Long-Slot Toaster

4.3

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Dimensions (LxWxH): 15.2 x 7.3 x 7.4 inches | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Wattage: 1500 W

If you’d like an alternative to the Black+Decker, try the Oster 4-Slice Long-Slot Toaster. For one thing, it has a longer design, meant to accommodate two slices per slot (i.e., it has two slots, but they’re each very long). It's a toaster style Milagro Cruz, our recipe editor, is a fan of because of its sleekness and versatility.

"With its two slots, you're able to fit four pieces of bread in the toaster," she says. Or, you can toast two pieces of baguette or another favorite artisanal bread if you choose. Plus, Milagros likes its relatively small footprint. "It's longer and more compact than a typical four-slot toaster, which can work in your favor if you have limited counter space," she adds.

This doesn't mean Oster has skimped on other features though. It has internal guides to automatically adjust to the thickness of your bread slice and comes with seven shade settings. Milagros tested both a regular piece of white bread at level 4 of the regular toast setting, as well as a frozen waffle at level 4 of the "toast and defrost" setting. She was surprised by how quick the toasting seemed, with both settings clocking a toasting time of fewer than 2 minutes. However, she does note that the toaster browns unevenly. "The piece of bread facing the inside of the toaster gets more browned than the sides that are on the outside. I would almost recommend flipping the toast halfway through so that you can get even toasting," she says.

Finally, Milagros also appreciates the Warm setting for that piece of waffle she occasionally forgets having put in the toaster. The crumb tray is safe to stick in the dishwasher, and the sides stay cool during toasting, protecting everyone's hands.

"I think it's a good toaster, but you do have to be aware of your setting preferences. It might take you a little time to figure out what settings you like and how browned each setting makes your toast." — Milagros Cruz, Recipe Editor

Best Splurge: Breville BTA840XL Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster

5

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Dimensions (LxWxH): 11.9 x 10.9 x 7.7 inches | Weight: 13 pounds | Wattage: 1800 W

We’re solidly in the 21st century now, so why should your toaster be stuck in the 1950s? For a next-level machine that incorporates technology to bring you excellent toasted bread, we recommend the Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster.

This toaster features an internal smart chip that regulates the heating cycle, ensuring that your toast is perfect every time. It also features a patented Lift and Look feature so you can check on your toast without canceling the toasting cycle. There are bagel and defrost settings, as well as the signature Breville “A Bit More” feature, where you can add another few seconds of toasting.

Phil Gorman, the founder of CaliBagels in San Diego, considers this Breville to be the best choice. "Mechanical toaster technology has been around for 100 years," he says. "While some models try to dress up their outdated technology with sleek designs, Breville significantly raises the bar. The wide slots and motorized lift prevent frustrations like a narrow opening and jammed release spring that sends your bagel flying across the counter." He also appreciates the smart toasting settings and the thoughtfully designed powder cord.

The defrost setting, called Frozen, was a highlight for Taysha Murtaugh, our commerce editorial director. Her frozen slice of bread came out golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside (just how she likes it!), which took a little over 3 minutes. "I actually tore the slice apart and ate it without any jam—you would never know it had been frozen," she adds.

The slots are extra-wide at 1.2 inches, and there are five browning settings. It looks great on your counter—Taysha loves its sleek look—and has a removable crumb tray.

"My toaster pastry and sourdough were both evenly browned. ... I loved that I could load my toaster pastry vertically and the toaster lowered it enough to toast the entire rectangle." — Taysha Murtaugh, Commerce Editorial Director

Related: The Best Toasters

Best Wide-Slot: Hamilton Beach 24810 Keep Warm 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster

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Dimensions (LxWxH): 15.7 x 7.5 x 7.8 inches | Weight: 13 pounds | Wattage: 1800 W

The Hamilton Beach Keep Warm 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster is another one that is low on frills but solid on design. The slots are 1.5 inches wide and over 5 inches long, meaning there’s plenty of room for your favorite bread, bagels, and beyond.

This option offers several functions, including keep warm (which holds your toast at its temperature for three more minutes without over toasting), defrost and bagel, plus auto shut-off and cancel. There’s an extra lift, so you don’t burn your fingers when you pull out the toast. There’s a very loud beep when your toast is done, which may be obnoxious or great if you tend to get distracted in another room.

Best Design: Smeg Retro 4 Slot Toaster

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Dimensions (LxWxH): 13 x 11.75 x 7.5 inches | Weight: 8.4 pounds | Wattage: 1800 W

For those who think that a great kitchen appliance should also be beautiful, there’s Smeg. This Italian brand collaborates with architects and designers for a mid-century retro look without sacrificing utility. Their appliances as delightful to post to your Instagram feed as they are to use.

The 4-slot Smeg toaster, which comes in a range of neutral and vivid colors, makes great toast. One unique feature it offers is independent controls for each set of two slots, meaning you can make four slices of toast with two different brownness settings. It offers six levels of browning, reheat, brown, defrost, and bagel settings, even browning, and removable crumb trays. It’s pricier than our other picks, but it’s a beautiful and effective toaster.  

Related: The Best Toaster Ovens