DualitClassic 4 Slice NewGen Toaster - Stainless Steel - Hand Built in the UK - Replaceable ProHeat elements - Defrost Bread - Mechanical Timer - Polished Classic Toaster

My Oster toaster bit the dust, only working some of the time and sometimes on one side sometimes on another. I was going to replace it with an identical one, but it's no longer made, but some of the reviewers had their more recent models lasting 6 months. And well I've had it with the throwaway economy. So I held my nose and bought this toaster after watching the you tube videos on how to replace the elements and the switch and watching way too many videos of people making toast with all the various toasters. I had considered a toaster oven but I don't have counter space with the 4" clearance all around you need to not light the cabinets, and wall on fire. Next I checked the price of replacement parts, as they had better be less than a new toaster, and currently they are. Replacement of the various bits looks well within my skills so no problem there.On the toast, that is why we buy these things. Yes it makes toast. Yes it will defrost the bread first. Yes there are no thermo-couple devices in it to determine whether your toast is done to perfection. You have to experiment a bit, starting of course with the basic recommended setting. As the toaster does heat up when making multiple slices, ie more than a single batch, you'll probably want to reduce the time a tad.Is the toast perfectly brown along all the face, no, it's slightly more done at the top, well heat rises. Did the toast get defrosted, yep, no issues there. Did a bagel work, yep, same for an "english muffin", on the "bagel" setting which is where the center heats up more than the outer edges. When it's done, the timer does a "click" and that's it, no bell, so you have to be paying attention. It does not automatically lift out, you have to push the level down, not an issue for me as my wrists still work fine.I did buy a sandwich press so that I can put smaller pieces of toast in it without them being caught by the lifter bar and the interior wires. First time I tried it, they didn't get stuck but I had to use tongs to get them out. Didn't burn them, and they were pretty evenly toasted as they were all at the same level.Is this thing worth the price? I have no idea, but if the current level of Oster toasters last only a year, and the reports are that this one should last at least two to three before elements are replaced (maybe longer some folks seem to get a lot of use out of theirs) the price is a break even. And I can feel good about not adding to the trash heap in the desert.Does it look cool? yeah. Does it take up more space than my old Oster? Just a bit. Is it hard to operate? no. Is it plastic? or have a plastic outer case? no.There is one mechanical lever for lifting your toast out, one dial to set it for the number of slices (left to right, when facing the toaster), or bagel. And one mechanical timer switch with a snow flake on it for defrost, a couple of random numbers, (2, 3) and a dot which the manual says is the correct place to start when making toast. Can you add just "a tad more time" yes, but if you asked for too much you can either just let it run out on it's own or push the timer to the off position.if my opinion changes on this thing, I'll update this review. But so far it's the best choice for me.

I was thinking about it this morning and this toaster is very similar to a 1967 VW bug I had. Its mechanically simple, well built, beautiful in design but all of its charms have some downfalls, oddly enough these downfalls and complexities are in fact what makes me love both this taster and old VW's.Everyone needs routines in their life. Each day I wake up early turn on the coffee machine and go out and get my paper. I then start making toast so I can sit down and enjoy my paper, coffee and toast. Its a small thing but it gives my day a good start and I feel prepared and relaxed. With this toaster you can't just put the bread in, push the button and forget about it, it needs to be warmed up for a few moments and the bread needs to be turned if you want it perfectly toasted. To some people I'm sure this would be an annoyance, but to me it simply adds to my routine. Here is where the VW comparison comes in, VW's need to be warmed up because they're air cooled and carbureted so they run a bit rough when you first start them, they also never seem to be able to get the mist from the humidity in the air off of your windshield so you have to take a small rag and do it yourself. If you're thinking that sounds like a horrible chore to have to do everyday then this toaster may not be for you. Its an odd thing with finicky cars, appliances or whatever, after a while you fall in love with them. Whether its from the constant interaction you have to have with them to make them work or what I don't know but they become part of your routine and it actually enriches your life and makes you feel in a small way that you achieved perfection. I have a semi automatic espresso machine and everyday I feel like I achieve perfection when my coffee comes out just right. So this toaster is the same way, it is able to achieve perfection in toasting but it needs to be helped along the way. I wouldn't buy it if in the morning you hit the snooze bar so many times that you're hurried and always running late, that would make this toaster a horrible choice. The other thing I like about the toaster is where its made, not in China. I like to buy products that pay good wages to their workers and products that are made with quality. If you know nothing about this toaster I will tell you everything is manual, there is no circuit boards inside. The timer ticks when you turn it, everything can be replaced if it brakes. If you choose this can easily be the last toaster you ever buy and I suppose after your gone your grandkids wouldn't have to buy one either, its that robust. So think about it before you buy, are you looking for a quick easy pushbutton toaster or something that you have to interact with and finesse. I suppose in a way its like a woman, most men think they would love to have a woman that was always eager to please and didn't care if you were out late watching sports or a woman that maybe would watch sports with you but in reality that wouldn't be as amazing or beautiful as a delicate, feminine complicated woman that has her own complexities. My point is things that are automatic are rarely beautiful.