How to Choose Four-Slice Toasters
As if life weren't already complicated enough, the task of settling on the perfect four-slice toaster has become something of a challenge---especially if all you want to do is serve toast efficiently to the crowd at your breakfast table. That stated, competition and marketing tend to send appliance manufacturers into overdrive and toasters are no exception. Your job is to figure out exactly what your family needs--in terms of style, design and price---in addition to the perfect slice of toast. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Choose by price tag and you'll quickly discover that there's a four-slice toaster for every pocketbook. Head for your local discounter to score four-slot toasters averaging $30. Opt for a European import with a prestigious manufacturer listed on the box and fork over big bucks; about $460 for a Dualit four-slice model. Find a variety of toaster prices using links below to select the one that best fits your family's budget.
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Choose by color. Worried you won't be able to match up a four-slice toaster with your kitchen's decor? Forget about it. Cuisinart makes a tan model. Delonghi fabricates a lush, brushed-aluminum cabinet and Dualit advertises one of the few pink toasters on the market. Add Kalorik's sophisticated stainless steel model to the mix plus Avante's deluxe four-slice toaster that pairs chrome with white. Red, white, silver and black models are featured in most manufacturers' lines.
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Choose by brand. Had a great experience with one brand over another? Stick with it or try something new if you're not currently satisfied. Replace your two-slice Black & Decker with a four-slot model or upgrade to the half-loaf category by parting with your two-slice Hamilton Beach in favor of a six-slice model that will handle breakfast for a crowd with one pop. Go for an exotic brand with an equally exotic price tag by investigating Viking professional grade four-slice toasters that feature hydraulic engaging gears and lifting action levers in addition to proprietary cabinet colors that can be found only on Viking products.
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Choose by bells and whistles. Buy a four-slot toaster than does everything but make the bed in the morning, such as the Delonghi, outfitted with a warming rack, the Toastess Silhouette stainless steel model with a digital countdown clock, a Back to Basics Egg and Muffin Toaster by KitchenAid that handles bread, English muffins, bagels or croissants while it steam-poaches eggs and warms pre-cooked meat or opt for the powerful 1,200-watt, stainless-steel toaster from T-Fal that allows you to adjust the width of the slot so the fattest bagel fits.
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Choose by quality and reliability. Visit your local library to track down the "Consumer Reports" issue that evaluates toasters or choose from free Internet sites that take into consideration such criteria as customer satisfaction, consumer complaints, recalls, defects and other information you'll want to know--particularly if you're prepared to purchase an expensive toaster.
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