Which? Don't Buy toasters

Toasters are simple appliances. But there are still lots of things to consider so you don't end up with burnt toast on a busy morning.

A Don't Buy toaster will leave you with disappointing toast, and could be slow and confusing to use – a complete waste of your money and time.

What makes a Don't Buy toaster?

We've tested hundreds of toasters, from budget to premium models, and found Best Buys for £10 as well as Don't Buys for more than £200. Our expert lab tests separate the toasters you should avoid from those we recommended.

• Don't Buy toasters make toast that is patchy or unevenly browned. They don't churn out the lovely golden slices you'd expect.
• Don't Buy toasters are slow. The quickest toasters can knock out toast in less than two minutes, while a bad toaster can take more than twice as long.
• Don't Buy toasters are likely to have have buttons and dials that aren't simple to understand and use. They may also have crumb trays that are tricky to open without spilling crumbs everywhere.
• Bad toasters won't let you toast different shapes and sizes of bread. The best toasters can handle a variety of bread types, whether they're thick, thin, large, small or awkwardly shaped. 

In our independent scientific tests we've seen all types of toasters but only a small proportion of toasters achieve the 'holy grail' of perfect golden toast.

Reading our reviews will help you to find a toaster that does what you need it to and won't let you down.

Join Which? to find which toasters we've named as Don't Buys.

How we test toasters

Which? has reviewed toasters from big brands such as Breville, Dualit, Morphy Richards and Russell Hobbs, as well as own-brand designs from the likes of Asda, Wilko and Argos, to uncover the best toasters – and the worst. 

• Our experts put every toaster through the same set of tests so you can easily compare how good they are at making toast and fitting different bread types – and whether they have any annoying niggles.
• We give every toaster a Which? test score so you can immediately see which are the best and worst.
• We review both two-slice and four-slice toasters, and cover everything from budget toasters to premium models, so you can find the best toaster for your budget.

Toasters with a Best Buy logo will give you satisfying toast quickly and are simple to use. 

Which? is independent – we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure that our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results.

We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves, so our advice helps you to make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.

Join Which? for instant access to our Best Buy and Don't Buy recommendations.