If you're looking for a new toaster, you'll find plenty of high-end options offering all kinds of features, like touchscreens and settings for gluten-free bread. Thrifty shoppers might wonder if it's worth investing in a more versatile toaster oven instead. However, while higher-end models often offer useful extra features, paying extra doesn't reliably get you a better, faster toasting performance. We've also found that slot toasters are still the way to go for efficient, even toasting, as most toaster ovens do it much more slowly. In other words, you won't miss out on much by getting a cheap, basic slot toaster.
We've tested 20 toasters, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best cheap options. If you're curious about what more money will buy, check out our recommendations for the best toasters. If you also want to heat hashbrowns or frozen pizzas and don't mind waiting a little longer for your toast, you might find what you're looking for on our list of the best small toaster ovens.
We've put our 20 toasters through the wringer to help you make a confident buying decision. But how do we do it? It starts with buying the products ourselves, just like you. We take it a step further with our lab, where we measure a variety of characteristics, like toasting evenness, so that a prospective toaster's performance doesn't come as a shock. You can even compare models and results, making it easy to find the right toaster for your needs.
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Best Cheap Toaster
The best cheap toaster we've tested is the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster T2569B. This simple model is one of the least expensive toasters we've tested and offers one of the best toasting performances. It has a fantastic toasting range: you can get anything from barely warmed to definitely charred bread with one of its five settings. This means you can make golden-brown toast with one of its four settings or use a higher setting to properly brown denser bread in a single cycle. It evenly toasts the entire surface of the bread on both sides and performs consistently batch after batch.
That said, while its toasting performance doesn't leave much to be desired, the downside of this inexpensive option is its lack of extra features. It has basic functions like 'Bagel,' 'Frozen,' and 'Stop Cycle,' which almost all toasters are equipped with, but there are no cycle countdown indicators to let you know when your toast will be ready. It's made of plastic, giving it a less premium look and feel than metal toasters.
Best Cheap Toaster For Small Items
If your preferred breakfast involves smaller items like English muffins or frozen waffles, the Oster 2-Slice Toaster with Quick-Check Lever may be a better option. This inexpensive toaster doesn't offer the same fantastic toasting range as the previous pick, so denser breads might require an extra cycle, even if you use the highest setting. On the plus side, its slots are shallower when raised, making it easier to grab smaller pieces. The 'Quick-Check Lever' feature lets you lift the slots and check your toast's progress without interrupting the toasting cycle.
It toasts the surface of the bread evenly on both sides and does a pretty good job of toasting consistently. However, it tends to produce slightly darker toast after a few batches, and it's not as consistent as the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster T2569B. Overall, though, it's a good, cheap option. As a bonus, its wavy plastic shell gives it a retro look, and this toaster comes in a few different colors.
Best Cheap 4-Slot Toaster
If there's a high demand for toast in your home, you might need the higher capacity of a 4-slice toaster. The Black+Decker 4-Slice Toaster TR400SSD is the best inexpensive toaster with four slots we've tested. This toaster offers a higher capacity for busy mornings, with two sets of slots that operate independently. It has a fantastic toasting range, so you can easily make golden-brown toast from sandwich bread and brown denser carbs like rye bread in a single cycle. It also toasts very evenly on both sides of the bread and produces similar results after multiple batches.
Like the other inexpensive toasters on this list, it lacks quality-of-life features like cycle countdown indicators. However, it does have the usual settings for frozen items and bagels and a cancel button. If you want something fancier, the Beautiful 4-Slice Toaster with Touch-Activated Display is slightly more expensive but has a more premium look you might prefer. It comes in pastel colors like 'Sage Green' or 'Cornflower Blue' and has cycle countdown indicators for each set of slots. However, its button controls don't let you fine-tune the shade setting like a dial, so you're stuck with the seven preset settings. While it can brown denser bread in a single cycle, if you're using basic sandwich bread, none of the settings yields golden-brown toast.
Notable Mentions
- Cuisinart Long Slot Toaster:
The Cuisinart Long Slot Toaster is an inexpensive option if your loaf of choice yields longer slices that won't fit in a regular slot. While it's not ideal for denser bread compared with options like the Black+Decker 2-Slice Toaster T2569B, it has good overall performance and includes a 'Reheat' function, which is a bit unusual. However, its slots don't pop all the way up on their own. You'll have to manually lift the lever to safely grab your toast, which can definitely be annoying.
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All Reviews
Here are our recommendations for what we think are the best inexpensive toasters for most people. We factor in price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our toaster reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. There's no perfect toaster; most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
