West Bend Toaster 2 Slice QuikServe Wide Slot

So original and make perfect toast!

Worked fine u untiltoday 9/13/24

Easily the best toaster I have had in 20+ years.

Cons.
2nd toasting is much darker than first toasting.
harder to push down
large slices don’t toast as even
only 2 slices
short power cord

Pros.
good temperature control (clickly)
Even toasting
99% of the time toast slides out bottom
Loud clunk lets you know when its done
Simple design.
relatively fast toasting
easy clean up
minimal counter space

My favorite toaster is no longer made and becoming a collectors item. This is faster and toast better. the bottom eject is obviously the best feature. Its harder to push down than most, fine for an adult but might be hard for younger kids. Has a loud clunk when it ends which I think is a plus. Large rye pieces tend to stick out the top if cooking 2 at time, this happens with many toasters. You can just toast 1 piece of a time.
Because the toaster is warmer the first batch will be lighter than following batches. Turning the toaster down 2-3 clicks is a must after the first batch if you want consistent toasting. I like the clicky temperature dial. Gives you more consistent results. i do wish there were better marking but honestly you can make your own if you need. I do wish the toaster could be mounted to the wall but it takes up less space than most 2 slice toasters.

I have only used it for about a month, but will update this if my impression changes or if it breaks.

I am a little confused by some of bad the reviews here. Yes, the toaster is tall but it is no wider than the standard 2 slice toaster when the tray is up. I just move it to from under the cabinets when toasting due to it’s height. It has never ejected bread forcefully enough to throw it off the tray. The bottom simply opens up and gravity slides the bread down. It toasts quickly and evenly on both sides. The “Glutton Free” option is the same as defrost in that it is at a lower heat for a longer time. I have been able to slice lengths of French bread longwise for sandwiches and toast them. If you like toasting your sandwich rolls and buns this is great for those as well. As for the lack of crumb catcher, for me that is a plus. I have always found them messy and hard to clean. Wiping the tray with a damp towel after each use is so much neater than a crumb tray could ever be. My only issue (why a 4 rather than a 5) is the tray is a rather flimsy plastic that sticks a little when opening and closing.

I never thought I would say this about a toaster, but WOW! This is so cool! Put the bread in the top, and it comes out perfectly toasted out the bottom! It’s got a wide and loooong slot on top that you can put 2 slices of bread or one slice of the loooong specialty bread, or english muffins, or bagels, or whatever you have (I even toasted 2 mini croissants in it on the bagel setting). No more sticking a fork into the toaster to get a slice of wayward bread out. It comes out the bottom! No more burnt fingers trying to get the toast out to butter it. Best invention yet!

Very fast, very efficient. I’ve only used it a few times so far, but I’m very happy with it. It wasn’t until after using it twice that I realized it wouldn’t be a good idea under the cabinet (as pictured), but very little heat had transferred to the underside of the cabinet. Personally I’ll probably pull it out when I use it from now on, just to be safe, but I think it would work just fine directly under your cabinets. Clearance isn’t a problem, either. There’s plenty of room from the top of the toaster to the bottom of the above cabinet. Still, if you choose to use it directly under a cabinet be careful. Like I said, there wasn’t a lot of heat transferred, but different finishes can produce different results, so keep an eye on it.

As for the toaster itself, it worked great at reheated some frozen waffles I had made earlier. They even came out with a little extra crispiness that my previous toaster couldn’t provide. They were evenly heated (5 – medium) without much change in color. I haven’t tried toast, but if this thing can handle a waffle with care then I think toast would be no problem at all.

Make sure you follow the instructions – it’s like one page of info so there’s no reason not to. Use it empty on high power before actually toasting anything. After this first round I noticed a tiny drop of pink machine lube on my counter. It must’ve shot out when the toasting ejector had activated. This stuff stinks and needs to be burned off. You don’t want it on your food.

Hope that helps. I was a little on the fence because of some negative reviews, but I haven’t seen anything yet to make me not love this toaster. It’s perfect. And the price is on point. If you’re like me and considering getting a high-end toaster ($100) – DON’T. At least not without giving this one a try first. I’m very happy with my purchase.