There’s nothing quite like having a couple of slices of toast to get you ready and raring to go in the morning. The smell of the melted butter, the sound of the toaster popping… It’s enough to think you’re secretly in a dream.
Toasters are essentially the greatest kitchen appliance known to man - just ask anyone! Of course, as with any kind of device, toasters have their own issues. The main problem with them is that many of them can take up a significant amount of space.
What are you supposed to do in this situation when you don’t have the space for a large toaster?
The solution is simple. Get a compact, small toaster!
There are plenty of them out there, and while you may not have the capacity to cook a lot of toast in a compact toaster, you will usually have the same amount of functionality so you can get the same degree of deliciousness.
So, without further ado, here’s our guide to the best small and compact toasters.
Are you ready for some fantastic toast without having a stainless steel toaster or long slot toaster for your bread slice that will take up half of your kitchen counter space along with a small toaster oven or air fryer toaster oven?
The very first toaster on our list is the fantastic Cuisinart 2 Slice Compact Plastic Toaster. This brand is incredibly well known for creating high quality kitchen appliances, and this one is no different.
It’s durable and something that you can rely on to give you delicious toasty goodness every day, without fail.
Are you a big fan of having thick bread? No problem - with the Cuisinart toaster, you’ll have thick slots to put your toast in.
This means there won’t be any need to squash your bread down flat before you cook it. It doesn’t have a great deal of bells and whistles, but it’s still a fantastic choice for any toast enthusiast.
Thankfully, the toaster is also incredibly easy to use. It doesn’t look out of place in any kitchen either thanks to it’s simple design.
A lot of customers have also praised how well the manufacturer handles any complaints, though they are rare.
One of the biggest issues with this toaster is that it can sometimes toast unevenly. This is a common problem with compact toasters, but it just means that you may need to have a little more patience during the cooking process.
Pros
Easy to use
Thick bread slots
Sleek, unassuming design
Cons
It can sometimes cook toast a little bit unevenly.
If you’re looking for a versatile and fun toaster, you are going to love the Lofter Stainless Steel 2 Piece Toaster.
With this handy device, it’s possible to toast things from bread to pastries with ease. It doesn’t take up much space either!
What’s particularly cool about this toaster is that it comes with a function that will let you cook bread directly from frozen. There’s no need to wait around for hours for it to thaw.
You can even use the warming rack in the event that you aren’t quite ready to eat your toast yet. This function will allow your toast to stay nice and warm while you’re getting on with other things, such as getting ready for work.
Your days of having to hastily eat cold toast are long gone with this device!
If this wasn’t enough, you will be happy to know that the device also cools very quickly. This is an incredibly important feature, since it means that the toaster doesn’t overheat very easily.
This is important for the sake of your safety. Again, another issue is that the toasting is a little uneven.
This toaster from the AmazonBasics range is a fantastic, affordable choice for people that want to save a little money but still have tasty toast every single day.
It has a sleek design that looks modern, and fits in well with any kitchen. It has all of the functions that you could possibly need in order to make delectable toast.
You don’t need to worry about getting burned when you use this toaster either. This is because it has an extra lift handle, meaning you won’t need to reach down to get your toast.
The toaster also comes with extra wide slots that are perfect for toasting things such as thick bagels or large slices of bread.
As a whole, this is a reliable toaster that will serve you well in your kitchen endeavors. It is worth noting, however, that it does emit a slightly chemical smell when it’s in use. This is very harmless, but it can be a little unpleasant for some users.
This toaster is more than just a toaster. That’s right, it’s a toaster oven!
This device takes up very little space and will allow you to grill a whole bunch of different things. You can toast bread, bake pizzas and you can even make things such as hash browns.
It cooks things very quickly too thanks to the double infrared heating that it comes with. Thanks to this, you don’t have to wait around for ages for your toast to cook. You can even use the toaster oven to reheat, defrost and bake different foods.
If all of this wasn’t enough, the toaster also provides you with incredibly precise temperature control. This way, you can get whatever degree of toastiness suits you best!
You will need to watch out when you’re using this device though, since it has a metal frame. This metal is incredibly thin and as such gets heated up quickly.
You will need to be cautious when using it since you could get burned.
Pros
Versatile - you can even use it to cook your pizza!
Precise cooking
Fast cooking
Cons
The frame can heat up very quickly - be careful when touching it!
You are sure to love the iSiLER 2 Slice Toaster! This toaster is super simple to use and it has an attractive design that will look great in any kitchen.
The toaster first of all comes with a couple of great energy saving functions, and this is great since it means that you’ll spend less money per month on your electricity bills because your toaster isn’t eating up as much energy.
This is a great way to have more toast, but with fewer long term costs! This is just one great thing though - you will also get a lot of functionality.
This toaster comes with defrost, reheat and cancel functionality that you can take advantage of.
This is also one of the easiest toasters to clean too. Since nobody really likes going out of their way to clean toasters, this is a great thing.
You can also get it in a striking yellow color too, which is great for a country or vibrant kitchen!
The power cord is even long, which is super convenient. It is a little annoying that the lever isn’t the best though.
Pros
Easy to clean
Comes in vibrant colors
Energy saving design
Cons
The lever isn’t very good
Best Small And Compact Toasters Buying Guide
What are the Benefits of Compact Toasters?
So, you may be wondering what exactly is the point in investing in a small and compact toaster. Good question, and we’re happy to elaborate! There are a few different benefits to consider.
For instance, with a compact toaster, the biggest benefit is that the device won’t take up a lot of space on your counters. This is ideal if you’re popping some toast in a confined space such as in a caravan or while you’re out camping.
With one of these toasters, you’ll get a reliable performance and you’ll get that delicious carbohydrate goodness in no time at all.
You can usually use them to cook all sorts of different bread based snacks, such as bagel halves, pancakes, English muffins and of course, bread!
Many compact toasters also come with other features, such as settings for defrosting and reheating, and shade settings so that you can argue with your family members about how nearly white toast is, in fact, a good idea.
Some of them even come with crumb trays that can slide out so you can keep it nice and clean.
In short, it’s something that you need to make your life much easier and more enjoyable. Who has the time for toasting their bread on a grill, after all?
How Can I Get the Best Compact Toaster?
One does not simply buy the first toaster that they see. No, you need to put some serious consideration into the kinds of toasters that you are going to look for.
How else will you get the flavor that you want? It doesn’t mean that you need to buy a poor quality toaster just because you want something small.
There are a couple of things that you should consider when buying the best compact toasters for you.
Shades
The very first thing to think about is the degree of toast levels that the toaster has.
For instance, the toaster should allow you to choose the shade that you like, and this should come in the form of a dial that’s numbered from 1 to 5, for instance.
1 would be the lightest shade, with 5 being the darkest shade. It shouldn’t be constantly on one setting. This could be an issue if you have a few members of your household that all like different toast shades.
Control Buttons
You should also have some of the key control functions on your toaster that will allow you to influence how your toast turns out.
For instance, you should have a cancel button on the toaster at the bare minimum, since you don’t want to put the toast in for a second round and it ends up being totally black because it’s been in there too long.
You should also have reheating and defrosting settings on there.
Slot Thickness
We don’t all want to eat bread that’s super thin. Some of us like bread that’s the size of door stops for our toast.
In this case, you will want to make sure that your toaster can accommodate your toast thickness of choice.
Look for a toaster with some extra thick slots if you prefer to have thicker bread for your toast, or if you like to toast things like bagels or English muffins.
Crumb Tray and Easy Cleaning
Cleaning a Toaster can be hard work! For that reason, you should look for one that comes with features that make it a little bit easier to clean. This includes things like a crumb tray.
With this, you can just pull the tray out and dump the crumbs into the bin with ease. You should also check whether the toaster is easy to clean in general. For instance, check other customer reviews to see how easy it is to clean.
On that same subject, it’s a good idea to check for positive reviews before you buy. Ultimately, you want something that’s going to work well, after all!
Compact Toasters: 5 Of The Best Small Toasters For Your Kitchen
These options are sure to be a hit. So, gather your family and friends and enjoy. Let us know your thoughts!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
