The Dualit Design Series 4 Slice is a high-end stainless-steel toaster. This four-slot toaster is part of Dualit's 'Design' product line, which also includes a 2-slice toaster and a kettle. These products have removable panels that can be swapped for panels in a different color, which Dualit sells separately, so you can change your toaster's look when you redesign your kitchen or want a change. Aside from Bagel and Defrost settings and a dial for shade selection, it has a 'Peek & Pop' feature that lets you lift the slots to check on your toast without interrupting the cycle.
Our Verdict
The Dualit Design Series 4 Slice has a good toasting performance. Its toasting range is outstanding, so it can make golden-brown toast from sandwich bread or denser breads like rye in a single cycle. It also toasts fairly evenly, although you may notice a difference in performance between each set of slots. As it heats up, it produces darker toast, so you'll need to adjust the shade setting for consistent results when you're making multiple batches.
Outstanding toasting range.
Toasts fairly evenly.
Slots can fit thicker and taller slices.
Tends to toast corners and edges less.
Toasts inconsistently over multiple batches.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Dualit Design Series 4 Slice, also called the Dualit Architect Series 4 Slice depending on where you purchase it, is available with a Black or Stainless Steel body. Both models come with stainless steel side panels, but you can buy panels from Dualit in various other colors if you want a different look. Here's our model's label.
If you encounter another variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Toaster Comparisons
The Dualit Design Series 4 Slice is a high-end toaster with four slots. The body is made of stainless steel and plastic, and like other models in the 'Design' (or 'Architect') lineup, the side panels are removable so you can change its look. However, unlike Dualit's Classic or Classic New Gen models, like the Dualit 2 Slice NewGen Classic, you can't buy replacement parts from the manufacturer, and it's not as easily repairable by you if a part fails. That said, unlike Classic models, it's equipped with 'Perfect Toast Technology,' a feature that adjusts the toasting time depending on the toaster's temperature. This helps it produce more consistent results and makes it a little less likely you'll burn your toast by accident, but you still need to adjust the shade setting if you want the same results batch after batch. It doesn't have cycle countdown indicators, but the 'Peep & Pop' feature lets you check on your toast without cancelling the cycle.
It toasts fairly evenly, but many 4-slot toasters do a better job, like the Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster or the much cheaper Black+Decker 4-Slice Toaster TR4900SSD. However, it has a fantastic toasting range and slots that are quite deep and wide, making it a good option for toasting slices of homemade bread or thicker bagels. You can also purchase a 'Sandwich Cage' meant for making grilled sandwiches, which Dualit also recommends for toasting small items like English muffins.
If you want to know what toasters we recommend, check out our picks for the best 4-slot and 2-slot toasters.
The Black+Decker 4-Slice Toaster TR4900SSD offers a better toasting performance than the Dualit Design Series 4 Slice. The Black+Decker toasts much more evenly, while the Dualit tends to toast the corners less. The Black+Decker is also much more consistent over multiple batches, so you can make a lot of toast without worrying about adjusting the shade setting. That said, both offer a fantastic toasting range, and the Dualit is a higher-end toaster with slots that can accommodate thicker, taller slices more easily. Its 'Peep & Pop' feature lets you check on your toast without cancelling the cycle.
The Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster has a better toasting performance than the Dualit Design Series 4-Slice. The Breville does a better job of evenly toasting the entire surface of the bread, and includes cycle countdown indicators so you know when your toast will be ready. That said, both offer a fantastic toasting range, and the Dualit's slots are a bit deeper, which is useful for tall slices. You can also customize the Dualit by swapping the side panels for ones in a different color, which are sold separately by the brand.
The Smeg 4-Slice Toaster and Dualit Design Series 4-Slice have different strengths. The Smeg is a long slot toaster that can fit longer or taller slices. It toasts much more evenly and consistently over multiple batches. However, the Dualit's 4-Slot design is more suitable if more than one person would like to use the toaster at the same time. It has a better toasting range, so you won't need multiple cycles to make golden-brown toast from denser breads like rye or multigrain.
The Dualit 2 Slice NewGen Classic has a better toasting performance than the Dualit Design Series 4 Slice. Both offer a fantastic toasting range, but the NewGen toasts much more evenly. Its timer lets you know around when your toast will be ready. Of course, the Design Series 4 has more capacity, but its slots are also longer and deeper. It's also more consistent over multiple batches, although with either model, you'll need to adjust the shade setting for consistent results if you're making a lot of toast.
Test Results
