Hamilton Beach Toaster - Classic Chrome Extra Wide Slot Toaster - Model 24559 Review

About the Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome Extra-Wide-Slot Toaster

I bought this toaster about a year and a half ago. It is a chrome toaster that has four slots for toast bread and bagels. It has a myriad of features that I totally feel aren't necessary. There are two control panels, a cancel button (In my day, we just popped the thing up.), a browning control dial, and a bunch of buttons for reheating, defrosting, and telling the toaster you are toasting a bagel. It seems like overkill to me. The slots are extra wide and fit anything. The defrost function, which I rarely use, warms the bread then toasts it. I guess it is for frozen bread and bagels. Get this! The bagel setting toasts just the cut side and only warms the outside. That's pretty impressive but is it ALL that necessary? There are even markings to tell you how to insert bagels (!!). There is an auto shut off and crumb trays. It is 12-1/2 by 11 by 8-1/4 inches.

That is a lot of stuff for a toaster if you ask me. I just put bread in and it pops up. This is a good toaster, don't get me wrong, but it has so many functions and features that it is somewhat daunting. And the toast FLIES out when it pops up. I have to be right there to catch it. If I'm not, it could land anywhere. It does do bagels well, I have to admit, and the idea of just toasting the cut side is pretty cool. Not necessary really but cool. The chrome accumulates fingerprints like crazy though and it's nearly impossible to keep it clean.

In all, though, this toaster works well and does what it is supposed to do. It has a few features I think are unnecessary but, at under $40.00, it's good for the more discerning people of the world. I just want a piece of toast.

My Viewpoint

The Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome Extra-Wide-Slot Toaster is good for families who go through a lot of toast and bagels. Everyone can have their toast/bagels just the way they like them. The scary panel of buttons isn't really that scary. It's easy to understand what they all are. Usually we just ignore them and toast the bread or bagels. The only thing that bugs me is that the toast pops up, up, and away. I have to stand there and catch it. Otherwise, this is a good toaster with a load of features some will love and others will think are overkill. 4 stars. It has been working fine for quite a while.