The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster with manual lift lever is a simple metal toaster. Its slots are wide enough to fit thickly sliced bread, and using the 'lift lever,' lift high enough for you to grab smaller items without burning yourself. The controls include a bagel setting, but it doesn't have a dedicated mode for frozen items like waffles, nor does it include a way to know how long until your toast is ready.
Our Verdict
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster is a decent choice for everyday use. This toaster has wide slots, with room for thick slices of Texas toast or sourdough, and it offers one-sided toasting, making it a great choice for bagels. However, its toasting performance is mediocre. It doesn't toast very quickly or evenly, so your toast winds up a little dry and patchy by the time the cycle ends. This model is also very light on features. There's no cycle countdown indicator, or even a setting for frozen items. It's decent at containing crumbs, though, so you won't have to clean up after it too often.
Offers one-sided toasting.
Wide slots provide space for thick slices.
Toasts unevenly.
Toasts somewhat slowly.
Leaves baked goods a little dry.
Requires semi-frequent cleaning of countertops after use.
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster is a mediocre option for toast. This model browns bread somewhat unevenly and leaves one side a lot darker than the other. It also toasts fairly slowly, so by the time your toast pops back up, it's a bit dry.
Toasts unevenly.
Toasts somewhat slowly.
Leaves baked goods a little dry.
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster is a great choice for bagels, thanks to its one-sided toasting setting. You can press the 'Bagel' button to turn down one set of burners, so your bagel browns on the inside, while staying soft on the outside. Having said that, this model doesn't offer the best toasting performance. It toasts fairly slowly and unevenly, so your bagel comes out somewhat dry and inconsistently browned.
Offers one-sided toasting.
Toasts unevenly.
Toasts somewhat slowly.
Leaves baked goods a little dry.
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster is decent at managing crumbs. It leaves a few crumbs behind after toasting, but not so many that you need to clean your counters every time you make a bagel.
Requires semi-frequent cleaning of countertops after use.
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster has a compact design. It doesn't take up too much counter space, and it fits easily in a cupboard when you're done toasting.
Compact design.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jul 13, 2026:
We've updated the text in this review to reflect the changes in Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Jul 13, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.2, which adds three new test boxes: Size, One-Sided Toasting, and Moisture Retention. We also updated the Usage and Performance Usages at the top of the review to reflect the new tests and provide clearer buying guidance for users. You can read more in the Changelog.
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Updated May 11, 2026:
We added a note about the BELLA 2-Slice Slim in the Toasting Speed box for users who want a faster toaster.
- Updated Apr 24, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.1, which includes several new tests, including Capacity, Features, Crumb Management, and Toasting Speed. You can read more in the Changelog.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster with manual lift lever comes in 'Contour Silver,' 'Brushed Stainless Steel,' 'Empire Red,' and 'Onyx Black.' We tested the 'Contour Silver' version. See the label for our unit. There's also a 4-slice version with the same design, but our results are only valid for the 2-slice version.
If you encounter another variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Toaster Comparisons
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster with manual lift lever is a mid-range toaster with a metal body. Like the Breville Die-Cast Smart Toaster, it has wide slots with room for thickly sliced bread and offers one-sided toasting for bagels and buns. However, it doesn't deliver very good toasting performance. It toasts more slowly and less evenly than some cheaper models. For example, the Black+Decker 2-Slice T2569B leaves bread more evenly browned on both sides and softer in the middle. It's also light on features. While it has a button for bagels, it lacks one for frozen items, unlike the Smeg 2-Slice TSF01. If you're looking for a metal toaster with more features and faster, more even toasting, consider the Breville the 'A Bit More' 2 Slice, which offers significantly better performance for a little more money.
If you're looking for a recommendation, check out the best 2-slice toasters, the best 4-slice toasters, and the best toasters.
Test Results
This toaster offers an alright toasting speed, but if you're looking for something faster, you might like the bella 2-Slice Slim.
