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 or include a way to know how long until your toast is ready.
Our Verdict
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster with manual lift lever is decent. Unlike many toasters, it can char white sandwich bread in one toasting cycle, so it can brown items like multi-grain bread, which takes a little longer, without pushing them down again. There's a bagel setting that turns down the heat on the outer elements so the bottom of your bagel doesn't get burned. However, even when you're not using that setting, it toasts the inner face of the bread a lot more than the outer face. You must also adjust the dial to get the same result batch after batch.
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Fantastic toasting range.
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Bagel setting.
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Browns one side more than the other.
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No cycle countdown indicator.
- 7.2 Toasting
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster with manual lift lever comes in 'Contour Silver' or 'Brushed Stainless Steel'. We tested the 'Contour Silver' version. You can see the label for the unit we tested here. 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 forums, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Toasters
This toaster is a good option if you toast a lot of denser breads, like rye or multi-grain, that take longer to toast since you're less likely to have to push them down for more toasting compared to models like the Oster 2-Slice Toaster with Quick-Check Lever. Its slots are slightly wider than the Hamilton Beach 2 Slice Toaster with Extra-Wide Slots', although both models can easily accommodate thickly sliced bread. However, unlike those toasters, it cooks one side of the bread more than the other.
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
The photo above shows the results for one slot, but you can see a full montage showing all the bread toasted here.
The photo above shows the results for one slot, but you can see a full montage showing all the bread toasted here.
