There’s nothing like a golden-brown, crispy toast in the morning. Or do you prefer yours darker or lighter? Crunchy all over or only on the sides and soft in the center?
Just thinking about it makes you crave it.
Do you know what’s better than that? To have your preferred toast whenever you want without any effort. This is where toasters come in.
Now, you might know all the great benefits of owning a toaster. You might have even heard that it’s a necessary kitchen appliance. However, you can’t afford one, or you don’t want to spend for one.
Good news! There are now toasters in the markets today that are very affordable. And it is these toasters that we’re going to review for you here.
What to Look for in a Toaster – the 4 Things You Need to Look Into Before Buying
Before that, it’s first important to know what to look for in a toaster. If you buy the first toaster you find, it might not have the right size, features, etc… you need.
There are 4 things to look into. These are type, size, settings, and cost.
Let’s take a closer look at each.
Type
There are 2 types of toasters. The pop-up toaster and the toaster oven.
If you picture a toaster in your head, you’re probably thinking of the more traditional pop-up toaster. The toaster that has 2 or 4 slots, a lever to push down the bread, and the automatic pop-up when it’s finished.
The toaster oven, on the other hand, works and looks more like a standard oven, a countertop standard oven. With this, you’ll be able to toast a lot more bread in one go, depending on the size, of course.
Not only that, you’ll also be able to do a lot more on a toaster oven. You can even bake a cake and rotisserie a whole chicken!
Since toaster ovens are bigger and have more functions, it’ll cost a lot more. Because we’re focusing on affordable toasters, this is the only time we’ll mention toaster ovens here.
If you’re willing to spend extra for the extra space, function, features, then go ahead. But if you want to keep it simple, just toast bread, and spend as little as possible, pop-up toasters are the best for you.
Size
Another thing to look into is the size. How do you know what size you need? There are 3 questions you must answer.
How many slices do you want toasted at once? What types of bread are you planning to toast? How much counter space is available?
Unfortunately, with pop-up toasters, you won’t be able to toast as many slices as you want. These appliances are only limited to 2 or 4 slots.
If you’re going to be toasting for yourself, then a 2-slice toaster is good enough. But if you’re toasting for your family, a 4-slice toaster will be a better size to quicken the process.
The next question depends on what kinds of bread you’re planning on toasting. If you only plan on toasting regular sliced bread, then you don’t need to worry about the slot size. This is because the standard of all toaster slot sizes fit regular sliced bread.
For thicker bread, like bagels and English muffins, look for a toaster with a wider slot so you can fit it inside.
Finally, you need to determine how much counter space you have. You don’t want to buy a new toaster and find that you can’t place it anywhere.
Take time to look into each toaster’s size. The good news is that toasters are generally small and compact. So even with limited kitchen space, you’ll still be able to place it somewhere.
Settings
Each toaster comes with its own settings. This is why it’s important to know what settings you want before buying a toaster.
One basic setting that you’ll find in almost all toasters is the toast shade setting. This allows you to choose from light, medium, or dark toast.
Other toasters even add more than 3 shades. This widens your options to go for darkish light to golden-brown to whatever kind of toast.
There’s also what’s called the special settings. Special settings include the bagel, defrost, and reheat options.
The bagel option browns one side more than the other. The defrost option is perfect if you like to freeze your toast or even waffles. The reheat option is for, well, heating or reheating your toast, of course.
These are the most common special settings. There’s a whole lot more you can look into before choosing a toaster.
Cost
Lastly, there’s the cost to consider. How much are you willing to spend on a toaster?
The thing about toasters is that it can range from low to high prices. If you’re not willing to spend much on it, you can’t expect to have it all. What we mean is that it’ll be simple. It’ll do the job, but it’ll be simple.
The higher you go in price, the more settings, quality, and features you’ll get.
If you want an appliance that does more than toast bread, toaster ovens are the answer. Bear in mind, it’s going to cost you quite a lot for a good-quality one.
So these were the 4 things to consider when buying a toaster. It’ll be great when you can pick a type, size, settings, and cost that matches your needs and preferences.
The Top 5 Affordable Toasters – a Detailed Review of Each Product
As promised, we’re going to review the top 5 affordable toasters. This way, it’ll be a lot easier to find the one that suits your needs and preferences… and budget.
1. Best Appearance: AmazonBasics 2-Slice Toaster
Since you’re probably going to keep your toaster on the counter, you don’t want it to cost a sore eye. If you’re sensitive to this, then AmazonBasics 2-Slice Toaster has the best appearance.
The black coating and silver outlines, sleek look, and compact design are all part of its beauty.
Its compact design means it won’t take up much counter space. You can even store it in the corner and only bring it out when you need it.
Its sleek surface gives off a very aesthetic look to any kitchen countertop. To add to that, its black and silver color makes it look like one of the more expensive toasters.
The best part is that the black coating is not only for the looks. It also makes sure the outside doesn’t get heated when toasting. This makes it easier to remove the toast or switch the settings.
For the settings, you can choose among 6 shade options. With this, you’ll be able to get the perfect shade you prefer in your toast.
And, switching among the different shades is not a problem at all. It has an easy-turn dial with a small bump to show what number you’re at. The lesser the number, the lighter the shade of the toast.
Its special settings are bagel and frozen. There’s also a cancel button that can end your toasting session at any time.
Each button has an indicator light that turns on when you select it. You’ll always be able to tell which setting is being used in one glance.
What else does it have? An extra-lift lever. Say goodbye to burnt fingers when retrieving your toast, even the small bits that fall off. The extra-lift lever raises it all the way up.
Finally, it comes with a removable crumb tray. Cleaning has never been easier. There’s no more trying to stick something inside to grab onto the crumbs. There’s no more turning your toaster upside-down to remove the crumbs.
A word of caution. If you get this toaster, make sure to break it in first. Turn it on to the highest level and let it burn up all the chemicals and protective coverings before using it.
Once you do that, the offensive smell will go away.
AmazonBasics 2-Slice Toaster
| Product Size | Slot Size | Settings | Price |
| 10.7 x 6.42 x 7.56 inches | 5¼ inches long
1¼ inches wide |
6 toast shades, bagel, frozen | Check price on Amazon |
2. Best Price: Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster
If you want to spend as little as possible on a toaster, then check out Hamilton Beach’s 2-Slice Toaster. It’s one of the most affordable toasters you’ll find today.
The nice thing about it is that, though it’s very cheap, it does its job and comes with helpful features.
It even beats AmazonBasics 6 toast shade with 7 toast shade options. You can enjoy a darker and crispier toast with this toaster.
Another thing worth mentioning is that it’s very lightweight. You can easily bring it around with you, to your office, a friend’s house, or anywhere else. Not only that, you can move it around in your kitchen without any trouble.
What else? It has extra-wide slots, allowing you to toast bagels, English muffins, or any thick bread. Your bread options are more diverse with this great feature.
It also has an auto-shutoff. The moment the bread is done toasting, the toaster will shut off. This is to avoid the dangers of forgetting to turn it off. Or, worries that you didn’t turn it off when you leave the house.
It’s great if your toaster has a long cord, so you can use it anywhere on your counter. But the long cords can get annoying when not in use, right?
Right. This is why the Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster has a cord storage at the side. When you’re not using it, you can fold the cord away and keep it out of the way and out of sight.
As for its appearance, if you like a bit of color in your appliances, it looks great. Its cranberry red outlines give off a unique and cute toaster look.
It might not be the most reliable or fancy toaster, but it’s great for the price you’re paying. And if you’re not into toaster bells and whistles, it’s perfect.
Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster Chart
| Product Size | Slot Size | Settings | Price |
| 11.2 x 6.3 x 7.1
inches |
5¾ inches long
1¾ inches wide |
7 toast shades | Check price on Amazon |
3. Best Innovation: Nostalgia HDT600COKE Hotdog and Bun Toaster
If you want a fun toaster that involves the kids, get this hot dog and bun toaster. They are sure to love it!
To be sure, its bright red color and Coca-Cola design will catch any child’s, or adult’s, attention. But that’s not the best part. This toaster has bun and hotdog slots! Anyone can make their own hotdog sandwich in a few simple steps.
It doesn’t stop there. It also comes with a hotdog cage and mini tongs. This is to make it safer during removal, especially for the kids.
You can fit regular or extra-plump hotdogs inside the cage. it’s not even only for hotdogs! You can toast pre-cooked chicken dogs, turkey dogs, veggie dogs, sausages, and bratwurst.
To fit the buns inside its slots, you’ll have to slice it in half. You can toast a total of 2 buns and 2 hotdogs in one go.
When it’s done, use the mini tongs to pull out the buns and the hotdog cage. That’s it. As simple as that.
Now, when you cook hotdog, you know that it leaves a lot of residue. You might be a bit hesitant about the cleaning process.
But we can assure you that it’s easy to clean. Since the hotdog cage is removable, there’s no problem washing that. It also has a drip tray at the bottom which you can slide out when done using it.
It’s an innovation because you won’t find any other fun and kid-loving toaster like this one. You get to relish the great moments with your kids over this hotdog sandwich toaster.
Of course, this isn’t the right toaster for you if you want to toast regular sliced bread or other types of bread.
Nostalgia HDT600COKE Hotdog and Bun Toaster Chart
| Product Size | Slot Size | Settings | Price |
| 10.25 x 5.25 x 7.75
inches |
5 inches long
1 inch wide |
5 toast shades, hotdog slot | Check price on Amazon |
4. Best Capacity: Yabano 4-Slice Toaster
If you’re planning on toasting a lot of bread, it’s very inefficient to do it 2 at a time. With a 4-slice toaster, you can toast more in one go.
It should be noted that this toaster costs more than the other toasters here. Still, it’s one of the cheapest, high-quality 4-slice toasters out there.
Instead of one set of buttons, dial, and lever controlling all 4 slots, this is more like two toasters mashed together. There are 2 high-lift levers, 2 dials, 2 defrost buttons, 2 bagel buttons, and 2 cancel buttons on each side.
So for one set of 2, you can choose a darker or lighter shade. While the other set of 2 can be on the bagel or defrost button. What we’re trying to say is that you can use different settings for each section.
Since it’s made from stainless steel, it has a great quality that surpasses any plastic toasters. This also makes it more durable and reliable.
And, with its rubber feet base, it won’t move around whenever you press on the buttons. With that same feature, you don’t need to worry about your countertops scratching.
What we love about this toaster is that it comes with a warming rack. This accessory allows you to heat irregular shape bread that can’t fit inside the toaster slots.
Once you place the rack over the slot, the toaster heat will rise up, heating any other bread you place on the rack. This is perfect for croissants and pain au chocolat.
Yabano 4-Slice Toaster Chart
| Product Size | Slot Size | Settings | Price |
| 12.5 x 12 x 7
inches |
3½ inches long
1½ inches wide |
7 toast shades, defrost, bagel | Check price on Amazon |
5. Best Heating System: Evening 2-Slice Toaster
If you’re always in a hurry for breakfast, you’ll want a toaster that can heat up quickly. Well, Evening’s 2-Slice Toaster is the cheapest that comes with a quick heating system.
With its superior heating elements, you can get 2 crispy toasts in just 3 minutes. Talk about quick!
If it heats too quickly, though, you might have some worries that it’ll burn the toast. That won’t happen because there are holes at the bottom. These holes level the heat to give it the perfect temperature for your preferred doneness of toast.
The holes are also used for cooling the toaster after use. You don’t need to wait long before you can store it away.
With this toaster, you can trust that it can withstand daily use. Its stainless steel material assures that, as well as provides durability and reliability.
All in all, a simple toaster that helps you with breakfast during your morning rush.
Evening 2-Slice Toaster Chart
| Product Size | Slot Size | Settings | Price |
| 10.23 x 4.53 x 6.5
inches |
5½ inches long
1½ inches wide |
7 toast shades, defrost, bagel | Check price on Amazon |
Conclusion
So there you have it. These were the top 5 affordable toasters that you can find in the markets today.
Don’t forget that, before choosing one, you have to look into the type, size, settings, and cost. This is so you’ll have a toaster that matches all your needs and preferences.