As well as a decent variable control to give you your chosen perfect shade of brown, you should also look for defrost and keep warm functions.

While a new toaster isn't the most costly appliance you need to invest in for your home, the best on the market aren't exactly cheap. That's why we've put all of the toasters in this guide to the test - so that you know whether they are worth your cash before you part with it. What we really like about this toaster though are the chunky and undeniably easy to use controls. A big old toasting level dial and bulky buttons for the likes of Reheat and Defrost functions make it a treat for those bleary-eyed breakfast duties. How to buy the best toaster During testing we were sold by the touch screen panel that you use for controls, and we loved the long, wide slots on offer too. How we test toasters Dualit is aware of its environmental responsibilities and we have implemented Procedures to prevent pollution, minimise waste, reduce our emissions and manage risks and hazards. We are working to reduce the energy consumption of our products and we actively encourage recycling both of our own waste and that of our customers with the aim of reducing the amount going into landfill.For couples and families, a four-slot or four-slice model is a better option – ensuring preparing toast for your brood at breakfast-time or simply serving up eggs on toast for two is an altogether speedier affair. If you’re fixated on a particular look, don’t despair, many brands produce two- and four-slot toaster models that look the same. Why do I need a toaster?

If you have provided us with a mobile telephone number, DPD couriers will send a text message on the day of delivery advising of an approximate time slot for the delivery. The new bagel function will toast bagels and teacakes to perfection. Simply turn the upper dial to the bagel setting which selects just one side of the element to heat up, therefore toasting the inside of your bagel and warming the other side. If there’s just one or two of you and you’re not a fan of fancy loaves then we’d say a simple two-slot model with just a couple of functions will probably suffice. Two slot models are also better if you’re a bit tight on space as it’s a product that usually has a permanent, easy-to-access home on your worktop. If the item was delivered by Royal Mail or if you collected the item yourself then you will be required to return it at your expense via the same method.

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The only other control is the selection switch, which lets you choose from one to four slices, or one or two bagels (where only one side is toasted). It’s a brilliant design, as other toasters struggle to toast a single slice, with unwanted heat penetrating through from the other slot and spoiling the balance. There’s no cancel button, you simply twist the timer down to zero to turn off the toaster, and no reheat button, just set the timer to 30 seconds if required. New is the ability to use each slot independently or as a combination, therefore saving energy. For example, on the 4 slice model you can choose to toast either 1, 2, 3 or 4 slices and 1 or 2 bagels. No other toaster on the market today offers this choice and by selecting one slot instead of all four slots power consumption is reduced by 60%. The Newgen also offers the option of toasting bagels on one side only, if that is your preference. I have no idea why you would want to do that but if you do, the option is there. The rotary timer also includes an option for defrosting frozen bread before toasting. Really, this is just 'toasting' the bread for a short period of time, to defrost it, after which you toast it again to actually toast it. As the title suggests, this toaster also has a feature that lets you add an extra 30 seconds to the toasting process. So if, for instance, the toast pops up and it’s still underdone, simply push the lever down again and tap the ‘A Bit More’ button and chances are it’ll pop up perfectly toasted and not burnt. Unlike its stablemate, the Sage Smart Toaster we review above, this model has its main controls on the front of the unit so it’s ultimately designed to go against the wall which willtake up precious workspace. However, because the controls are so easy to see and use, you could feasibly place it side on between other appliances so it doesn’t take up quite so much space.

Lots of companies talk about quality; for Dualit it is a fundamental part of the business. Our Quality Policy exists to provide employees and suppliers with a framework that ensures they deliver our promises to customers, whether product or service related. Its success is a consequence of several key factors - a continuous process of monitoring and improvement, senior management 'champions', supplier relationships that work as true partnerships, and employees who often 'go the extra mile' for the benefit of their customers. The genius of the toasting lever does not end there. If you want to keep your toast warm, you can have the elements off, but the lever down. This means that the residual heat from the toasting is used to keep your toast toasty. Or, at least, above room temperature.We also think the De'Longhi Ballerina Toaster is reasonably priced for how luxe it feels to use. Its design was noticeably sturdy during testing and the toast comes out with far fewer lines on the bread. When Max Gort-Barten designed, engineered and built the first Dualit toaster in 1945, he wanted to create a product that would make the best toast in the world. Today, toasters remain at the heart of the brand, and retain enormous appeal among domestic users and chefs.

It also has a defrost button so there aren’t any ‘Oh no, I forgot to take the bread out of the freezer’ moments, while the one side toasting function is good for bagels and the reheat perfect for those of us that sometimes get distracted and leave the toast to cool. It browned faster and more evenly than most other models on test, producing perfectly browned bread in a little over a minute and a half. Most others took more than two minutes and while 30 seconds might not seem much, if you’re rushing to get the kids to school, that could make all the difference.Instead of having an electronic timer, the Dualit has a mechanical one, you simply twist it around to the time required and the heating elements come on for that amount of time. A single, manual lever moves all four slices of toast up and down. So to toast you pop in the bread, twist the timer, pull up the lever to lower the bread, wait till the timer pings and then raise the toast to get it out. Dualit makes arguably the most iconic toasters in the world, it has been through a few revisions over the years but the basic design and functionality is still prized in professional kitchens around the world. If you’re unfamiliar with the design, then it’s worth pointing out that the Dualit doesn’t work in the same way as any other toaster we’ve tested, in that it doesn’t pop up. The NewGen produces toast rapidly, with supremely uniform toasting. The defrost and bagel settings work extremely well. There are also neat touches like the slot selector, which means only the slots you are actually using heat up –particularly handy on the 4-slice. Of course, none of the above would mean much if the Newgen didn't create impeccable toast. Given that a toaster costing perhaps as little as one tenth the price of the 4-slice model can happily produce perfectly adequate toast, the Newgen really needs to deliver on this score. The Newgen was created for commercial use and as such, every element of it, including the actual elements, can be replaced or repaired. Every toaster comes with a one-year warranty and two years on the heating elements. After that, should any part wear out, Dualit will fix it, for a cost. If you look online, you'll find practically all the parts available – most of them are quite cheap – as well as tutorials on how to fit them yourself.