[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Hamilton Beach Brushed Stainless Steel Two-Slice Pop-up Toaster
Model 22910
From the box:
2 Extra - Wide Slots
Easy Cleanup with slide-out crumb tray
High-lift toast boost
Adjustable browning control
Cancel / auto shutoff
Bottom hidden cord wrap
Initial impression:
No bagel switch. The slots are wide enough for bagel halves but, both sides are going to toast.
The "Read before use" leaflet, has a bullet point in the first column:
"Do not use with rice cakes, fried foods, frozen prepared foods, or nonbread items."
While number 5, in the second column under the, "How to toast," heading says:
"Frozen foods may require an additional toasting cycle."
Additionally, in column two under the "Parts and features," heading, item 5 refers to item 5 depicted in the drawing as:
5. Slide-Out Crumb Tray
Two points on this.
A. Number 5 points to the long side to the left as one faces the end with the bread lifter, and the shade selector. The crumb tray actually slides out the opposite short end.
B. Further down the second column, under the, "Cleaning" heading, number 2 says:
"2. Place the toaster on its side." "Open the crumb tray and wipe off with clean cloth; then close." Again, the crumb tray slides out the short end opposite of the controls end.
My Review:
After a few weeks using only it for toasting, I find I appreciate it more than I thought I would. It toasts regular white sandwich bread and Texas toast slices fairly uniformly time after time. It doesn't matter one slice or two at a time. Or, whether single slices are done in either slot. The top of the slice will be more done than the rest of the slice. Heat rises. I did find the outer sides of each slice were a darker shade than the sides to the inside elements. I would have expected it to be the other way around.
Since, it characteristically browns the outer sides more than the inner sides, we toasted bagel halves with the cut sides facing the outer elements. This toaster does not have a bagel switch, which my four-slice toaster used to deactivate the heating elements on the non cut sides. My preconceived expectation was that I wouldn't care for bagels from this unit. I was pleasantly surprised to find I prefer them from this two-slice toaster. I expected the bagel half outsides to be toasted crunchy, but they weren't. Although a little firmer, they were still pliable and provide a wonderful warm chewy texture. I found using plain bagels from this toaster for sandwiches provided for a warm chewy bite throughout to the end. Where as, from my four-slice toaster the bagel halves would not be warmed all the way through. We also did cinnamon swirl and maple french toast bagel halves with the same excellent results as the plain bagels.
All the bagel halves, so far, have done well at the same setting as for regular white or Texas toast bread slices. Split English muffins require a much higher heat setting. Even then, the cut side, although crisply toasted, doesn't brown much prior to the other side getting too done. The high-lift toast boost, comes in handy for split English muffins. Again, it provides for very uniform results, even if only toasting a single half in either slot. I did notice a propensity for the right slot to launch a muffin half out of the toaster to the right when toasting a single half. Not noticed from the left slot, so we do single English muffin halves there.
Unfortunately, the wide slices I've tried, of commercially available rye, pumpernickel rye, and swirled rye bread have been too long to go in horizontally. I could only insert them long side vertically, which only provided toasting for approximately three quarters of each slice. Flipping the slices over and toasting them again tends to dry them out.
As for toaster pastry (national brand non frozen frosted pop-up tarts), set to the lowest setting they are warmed through without being so hot as to burn your or a child's mouth. The thin tarts are very well centered in the slots.
I'm assuming the "Read before use" leaflet's "Do not use with ... frozen prepared foods, ...," refers to frozen pizzas, TV dinners/sides, etc. And, not to frozen prepared items intended for heating in a vertical toaster.
Frozen toaster pastry items in example, a national brand combination bacon, sausage, scrambled egg, and cheese variety, takes three cycles set just below number two. Flipping over in the same slot between cycles. Two cycles leave them warm around the edges, but only thawed yet cool in the middle. Three times provides a crisp exterior without burning, and hot filling ingerdients.
National branded frozen toaster pastries of the fruit, cream cheese or, cinnamon flavored filling came out nicely with only two cycles set at number two and flipping over back into the same slot prior to the second cycle.
Frozen waffles, round ones to both thinner and thicker square ones, came out nicely with two toasting cycles. For the thinner waffles, just below the number two setting for both cycles, and switching slots between cycles. Ensuring the outside right waffle was positioned as the inside left waffle for the second cycle, and vice versa for the left waffle to the right slot. This same positioning worked well for the thicker square waffles but at a slightly lower heat setting. I found it easier on my hand just to switch slots rather than flip them over in the same slot. Less handling time.
I noted slices get consistently centered thickness wise, regardless of how thick or thin they are. I assume this contributes greatly to the uniform toasting this toaster provides.
I like it, it just works. I would like to know if there is a four-slice version that performs as well? Or, even better, if there is an elongated dual-slice toaster that handles thick and thin slices as well as wider slices of "artisan" type or commercially available wide rye breads?
