Breville TT33 4-Slice Toaster

Bought this toaster because it was 4 slice,looked solid and well built. Expensive but has been a good purchase providing an evenly brown round of toast. Great for bagels and warming croissants - if small enough. I would buy this model again.

Looks good and cooks toast to perfection. I was slightly worried that it might take up too much room however it is chunky and robust without taking up too much space.
Speeds things up a breakfast time and stops any arguments about people wanting toast done differently.
A brilliant bargain from ebay.

After the demise of my dearly loved and problem-free late model Tefal Avanti I thought it would just be a simple case of replacing like with like.. Not so! My local Captain Cooks had a display model of the new 4 slice Avanti sporting a broken handle, not a good look and also perhaps a warning that it wouldn't stand the rigours of life in our house!! I'm the kind of person who likes to do their homework so an intensive internet trawl, even paying £1 for a month's subscription to Which Online (far better though are the actual customer views found all over the web, I like Ciao myself..)put me off several of the toasters I'd have picked on looks alone. I settled on the Breville TT33 Cafe series. I liked the idea the elements were replaceable, that it was a toaster built for heavy use like the other toaster I'd have fancied, the Dualit, which is just too over-priced and slow. I was a little worried about the brushed stainless finish and fingerprints, but the positive reviews fixed my mind and I started the hunt..I bought at auction here on eBay last week for £48,a saving of about £27 and the toaster has just been delivered about an hour ago, so this is obviously just an initial impression review!
My first thought was that it's rather 'positive' looking on the worktop, not in a bad way but just being more square and slightly deeper than the Tefal. I had a quick peruse of the manual and found that the centre elements have a seperate switch, the crumpet setting, which makes the centre elements hotter, to allow for a more toasted top but not a burnt bottom. I don't like crumpets but it may be useful for my weekend 'everything' bagels..
I couldn't wait to try it and slotted in a couple of slices of my favourite high top loaf and turned the knob to No4 as I like my toast slightly well done ~ I noticed the frozen bread setting on the actual knob as I turned it, that'll be useful as in winter I often use bread straight from the freezer to avoid waste. The handle engages easily and positively, the self centering grips held it..well, in the centre, no more toast done more on one side than the other, which will be a boon when my recently ordered breadmaker arrives and the doorsteps commence! It does feel built to last, the elements are better made than my previous Tefal, more wires & better secured. I'd read that some reviewers thought it a bit slow but I~ can't say it took longer than 'usual'. The wide slots really are wide, would easily take a sandwich toasting bag. The toast popped up beautifully done - the first thing I noticed was the top, which sometimes in the Tefal I've had to turn upside down and toast again to finish properly, was also toasted. That alone makes the expense worthwhile, but I also noticed that widthwise, it was also better. Six slices later and the toast is lovely, evenly done and it actually reminds me of 'Aga' toast - crispy on the outside but soft in the centre. Everything is done beautifully, the full length push/pull crumb drawer (none of the previous fiddly seperate drawers for each side, which by the time they were extracted the crumbs were everywhere anyway..)which re-engages neatly, the understated decals, the gentle pop up mechanism ~ all built to last. It would sit in an ultra modern kitchen as well as it sits in my 'country' one, it's slightly industrial look looking robust but inoffensive. It does what I expected it to do, but it does it so well...

I like the size and colour also the fact that it does 4 slices at one time. Also cooks crumpets from frozen. Very pleased with my toaster.

Sylvia James