Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Chrome

Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Chrome Review

I received a refurbished canary yellow Dualit as a house-warming gift.

Pros:
1. Fast heating - haven't had a problem with it taking ages to heat up. For first time toasting in the mornings, I just set the timer to go a minute extra and the toast comes out just fine.
2. Myriad of really pretty colors - these toasters really ARE pretty.
3. There's a little arrow on the the timer knob that I've found keeps toasts to a perfect level (between 2 - 3 minutes).
4. The little lever that helps the toast go up and down is pretty nifty and really works when you have things that are too big for the slots (see (5) and Cons (3) below).
5. Since there is no pop-up mechanism, the toast stays warm in the toaster until you use the nifty little lever to bring it up. As an avid fan of crisp Marmite soldiers, this is an awesome feature.

Cons:
1. Large countertop footprint. You can kill a buffalo with this.
2. Sometimes uneven toasting - I can't figure out if the top gets darker first or the other way around. It's a little aggravating but it doesn't happen all the time.
3. The much touted "wide-slots" isn't really that wide. A bagel can barely fit in there without any external help.

In conclusion, I would never actively pay 0 for a toaster like this, even if it's heavy and looks really, really good, and is a British institution. It toasts well (most times), is easy to use and seems durable. But I guess the same can be said of those toasters you get at Walgreens.

Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Chrome Feature

• Extra-wide, 28-mm slots accommodate a variety of bread products
• Award-winning ProHeat elements increase toasting efficiency and element longevity
• Ejector system keeps toast warm until the ejector lever is pushed up
• Removable crumb tray; adjustable rear foot
• Switch-system controls the degree of browning

Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Chrome Overview

The Dualit toaster is outstanding in the field, not just for its industrial retro good looks, but also for its performance. It has ProHeat elements and wide slots capable of handling very thick slices, yet the adjustable wire guards will accommodate themselves to thinner bread too. The timer knob allows you to select light, medium, or dark toast and at the end of the cycle the toast remains in the slots until you eject it with the knob - this keeps the toast warm, but because the unit shuts off at the end of the cycle your toast won't be burnt. Sturdy metal housing and heating elements made from the finest quality clear mica and 80/20 nickel chrome are good indicators that this is a toaster that will stand the test of time. In fact the Dualit toaster was designed for commercial use in English hotels and restaurants where the toaster may be in continual use for 8 hours, mandating that the heating elements be of heavy construction.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Apr 21, 2010 20:40:11