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Smeg

Smeg 50's Retro Style 2-Slice Toaster: the downsides first

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#4 of 8
$$$2-sliceScore 3.4/5
13%
of Amazon ratings are 1–2 stars
(checked 2026-10-10)3,883 ratings pooled across color variants.

A design favorite that Serious Eats and Good Housekeeping say also toasts well, with a wide shade range. At over $200 it still gets Amazon reports of one-sided toasting, levers that won't stay down and failures within a year, and Wirecutter had two near-burnt batches.

Top complaints

  • One-sided or burnt toast

    Amazon's summary says some owners find it only toasts one side, or that one half of the toast gets almost burnt, and some report it caught fire. Wirecutter had two practically burned batches in back-to-back testing.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say), Wirecutter
  • Lever problems; low lift

    Amazon's summary says the lever won't stay down for some owners. Wirecutter says the lever doesn't lift food out of the slot, so you risk burnt fingers.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say), Wirecutter
  • Expensive; some break within a year

    Serious Eats calls it the most expensive of its winners at $229, and bigger and heavier than the rest. Amazon owners are split on value, and some report it breaking within 9 months.

    Source: Serious Eats, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)

What owners love

  • Good toast across foods

    Serious Eats says it handled bread, bagels and frozen waffles with ease and did best among its 2-slot winners on longer sourdough. Good Housekeeping found clear variation across shade settings.

    Source: Serious Eats, Good Housekeeping
  • Adjusts for repeat batches

    In Good Housekeeping's 10-slice consistency test it shortened the final cycle by 30 seconds to keep the color the same.

    Source: Good Housekeeping
  • Looks and colors

    Its retro design comes in dozens of colors (Good Housekeeping); Amazon owners love its appearance and colors.

    Source: Good Housekeeping, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
Good for
  • Retro looks in many colors
  • Frozen bagels and waffles
  • A wide range of shades

Scores (tap for why)

  • Even toasting3.5
    Why 3.5?Even results at Serious Eats and Good Housekeeping and mostly even at Wirecutter, but Amazon owners report one-sided or half-burnt toast.
    Source: Serious Eats, Wirecutter, Amazon.com product page
  • Batch-to-batch consistency3.0
    Why 3.0?It shortened cycle time to keep 10 slices matched in Good Housekeeping's test, but two of Wirecutter's back-to-back batches came out practically burned.
    Source: Good Housekeeping, Wirecutter
  • Settings & features3.5
    Why 3.5?6 levels with half-stops, bagel, defrost and reheat (Good Housekeeping, Serious Eats), but no high lift (Wirecutter).
    Source: Good Housekeeping, Serious Eats, Wirecutter
  • Easy cleaning4.0
    Why 4.0?Serious Eats found the glossy exterior much easier to clean than stainless steel models.
    Source: Serious Eats
  • Durability3.0
    Why 3.0?Metal controls feel high-end (Serious Eats), but Amazon durability is mixed, with failures within 9 months and lever problems.
    Source: Serious Eats, Amazon.com product page

What experts say

  • Serious Eats: Best fancy toaster: handled everything with ease and is easy to wipe clean, but it is big, heavy and the priciest pick.
  • Good Housekeeping: Best design: a wide shade range and good consistency; the slots can't fit a long slice.
  • Wirecutter (NYT): Not a pick: mostly even, but two batches were practically burned, and the lever doesn't lift food out of the slot.
Check price on AmazonWe don't list prices — they change daily. Paid link.

If that catch is a deal-breaker

Highly ranked toasters whose biggest complaint is something else.

#1 in toastersBreville Bit More 2-Slice Toaster

Picked by both Wirecutter and Serious Eats for very even toast, plus handy Lift & Look and A Bit More buttons. It costs about twice the Cuisinart, has a 1-year warranty, and some owners say one side stops heating after a year or so.

Its catch: breaks or starts toasting one side#2 in toastersBreville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster

The best toaster Wirecutter has tested and Serious Eats' smart four-slice pick, with a motorized lift and every extra. It costs around $250, and both outlets worry it may not last; Amazon owners report some units failing within months.

Its catch: may fail early#3 in toastersCuisinart 4-Slice Custom Select Toaster

Serious Eats' favorite four-slice toaster for its many bread-type settings, longer slots and quick recovery between batches. Wirecutter's unit had a faulty lever, and Amazon owners often report early breakdowns and levers that won't stay down.

Its catch: lever won't stay down; early failures

Head-to-head

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