The 7 Best 4-Slice Toasters of 2021

Best Overall: Cuisinart CPT-180P1 4-Slice Classic Metal Toaster

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Cuisinart makes some of the most popular two- and four-slice toasters on the market today. This four-slice toaster is advertised as two toasters in one, since it has dual control panels. If you like your bread more well-done than your significant other does, this allows you to customize different toast settings at the same time.

The toaster slots measure extra-wide at 1 1/2 inches apiece, which can fit thicker bagels and pastries. There are six browning settings on an easy to operate dial, plus buttons for reheating, defrosting (think frozen waffles and toaster pastries), and bagels. An extra-lift lever is standard on most toasters today, including this model, and helps you remove your toasted items without having to touch the hot toaster.

It's housed in brushed stainless steel, so it looks modern with some hints of retro design for fun. It's available in other several color options, including black stainless steel, metallic red, and stainless with white accents. A cord wrap helps keep counters looking tidy and a slide-out crumb tray helps keep the toaster clean.

Many reviewers say this toaster is easy to use and consistently produces evenly browned slices of both thin and thick-cut bread without drying them out too much.

Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Keep Warm 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster

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If you want the ability to toast up to four slices of bread at a time, but have limited counter space, you'll want to check out this budget-friendly two-slot model from Hamilton Beach. The slots are designed with extra length and width to fit four slices of bread, bagel halves, or English muffins side by side.

You won't get the dual control panels pricier toasters offer, but the seven-setting dial gives you plenty of browning control. What really makes this model shine is the "keep warm" setting. If you get distracted cooking something or forget to grab your bread right when it's hot and ready, choosing that feature allows you to reheat your toast for an extra three minutes without it burning or drying out.

It also has a lever lift to help you pop toast from the slots, an under-base cord wrap, and a three-beep notification to signal the end of each toasting cycle. Some reviewers don't like that the beeping can't be turned off, but if you often forget about your toast, you might appreciate the extra reminder.

Best Design: Smeg 50's Retro Style Aesthetic 4-Slice Toaster

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Smeg, an Italian company, has been making inroads in the American market and gaining a following thanks to the retro look of its appliances and unique color options that will make a statement in any kitchen. The exterior of this toaster is powder-coated steel with polished chrome accents.

In addition to the toaster's retro design, reviewers gave this toaster high marks for its slots: it has two that are both long and wide, so you can toast four slices of regular toast, two extra long slices, or two split bagels. When you’re toasting bagels or English muffins, the bagel setting will let you toast on one side only. This also has reheat and defrost settings. Anti-slip feet keep this steady on the counter, and the removable crumb tray makes it easy to clean. One caveat from a few reviewers: they've experienced the toast pop all the way out of the toaster when it's done toasting.

Best for Bagels: Cuisinart CPT-T40 4-Slice Touchscreen Toaster

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Touchscreen controls on the front of the toaster and six shade settings give precise control of toasting, no matter if you’re using sandwich bread or English muffins. Features include bagel, defrost, single-slice toasting, a +30 second option when the toast needs just a little more time, and a cancel button that stops the toasting right away.

Two levers each control a pair of toast slots, and each pair can operate separately, so it’s easy to toast bagels lightly while toasting bread to a dark shade at the same time. This toaster’s display rests in standby mode when it’s not being used and wakes up at the touch of an icon, ready to help with breakfast tasks. The crumb tray is removable for easy cleaning.

The usefulness of this toaster's different features, as well as how well it toasts bagels, earned it praise from reviewers. One customer does warn, however, that whenever she toasts thin bread slices, they tend not to brown as evenly.

Best Space-Saving: Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

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This Cuisinart toaster is well-reviewed by owners for its compact size and ability to evenly brown slices of toast and bagels without overcooking or leaving too much surface area un-browned. It's got a smaller footprint and price tag compared to our top pick, but it's constructed of plastic which may not be everyone's top choice.

There are controls for seven heat settings, plus reheat, defrost, and bagel settings with a slot width of 1 1/2 inches–plenty of room to fit larger bagels without cramping them. It's got a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning and the lever has a lift feature to help you remove smaller items, like small rounds of French bread and English muffins, from the slots while protecting your fingers. This toaster is backed by a three-year warranty which is one of the most generous on this list.

Best Long Slot: LOFTER 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster MD180013

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With this toaster, you can toast four regular slices of bread, or take advantage of the long slots to toast two extra-long slices of artisan bread without needing to cut them. This has seven different toast darkness settings for perfect toast every time, and a digital display shows the remaining toasting time so you’ll know how soon you’ll need the butter.

Buttons for bagels, defrost, and cancel, along with a reheat setting on the toasting dial, offer plenty of options for the perfect result every time. This has a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning, and a cord wrap under the toaster keeps it neatly in storage.