How Many Watts Does A 2 Slices Toaster Use?

How many watts does a 2 slices toaster use? How do toasters know when to pop up? How hot does a toaster get? These are some of the questions we will address in this article.

The humble toaster – it may seem small but this can often be one of the most important items in your kitchen.

It’s no wonder then you may have some questions about it. Its important to know power consumption of toaster before buying it. That’s why we’ve distilled some of the most common questions we see about toasters below and tried to answer them.

2 Slices Toaster & Uses of Watt:

The power consumption of an electrical appliance is meaured in Watts.

An average 2 slices toaster will consume around 1200 watts when in use. 2 slice toasters will typically use between 800 to 1500 watts in use.

To give you an idea of how that compares, consider that microwaves can typically be rated between 600W and 1700W whilst a food blender may be between 300W to 400W. Checkout what is the best 2 slices toaster to buy.

Should I Unplug The Toaster?

Whilst there is no hard and fast rule, it’s probably always a good idea to turn it off and unplug when it is not in use.

A lot of electrical products will consume energy when they are left plugged in even if they are not in use. Sometimes termed idle energy, this describes the electricity used when appliances are sitting in standby mode or simply just plugged in even if turned off.

It’s also generally a good idea to make sure that you monitor the toaster when it is in use.

In addition it’s also a good idea to ensure you clean the bread crumbs regularly from your toaster to avoid a potential fire risk.

Do Toaster Numbers Mean Minutes?

This question has been known to throw many the wrong way. Though you might necessarily think that the numbers on your toaster dial automatically translate to minutes, that’s not always the case.

This really depends on the type of toaster you have. As Business Insider explains this is because some models are based on a mechanical timer whilst others based on a circuit which times based on heat.

How Hot Is A Toaster?

Hotter than you might think!

To get your bread to the crispy brown you like so much an average toaster gets to around 600 degrees C; hot enough to glow.

To put that into context a typical electric oven might go to around 280 – 300 degrees C.

2 slices toaster

How Do Toasters Know When To Pop Up?

A pop up toaster causes the bread to “pop up” when it stops. Typically when you pull the lever down on your toaster to get a cycle started a few things happen.

Firstly, the action allows electrical current to start flowing which heats up the heating element.

Secondly, the cage holding the toaster half way out of the toaster is lowered bringing the bread down and into position. This cage is then held into place by a latch once you let the lever go. The action of pulling down on the lever also compresses a spring which will be used at the end of the cycle to release the latch and pop the cage back up along with the bread.

At the same time the heat generated is warming up a release mechanism for the latch.

This mechanism is designed so that as it heats up, it changes shape eventually getting hot enough to release the latch. This is what makes the popping sound at the end of a cycle.

The release mechanism is designed so that it can take a lower or higher temperature to pop which allows the user to select how brown they want their toast. You can find further information here in this article.

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If all this talk of toasters has you thinking about getting a new one take a look at some of the best 2 slice toasters we’ve found.

What Goes Good On A Toasted Bagel? (7 Great ideas)

What goes good on a toasted bagel?
What Goes Good On A Toasted Bagel?

Quite possibly the only thing that beats a great toasted sliced bread sandwich is a toasted sliced bagel packed with the juiciest fillings you can rustle up from the kitchen. What goes good on a toasted bagel? Just about anything you want but we’re sharing our best toasted bagel fillings. We’ll discuss below all possible recipes and combinations that goes great with Bagel.

There are many reasons to like bagels. We especially like them for their versatility and help with breaking up the every day routine. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or as a snack, a good bagel combination can really hit the spot.

To elevate them even further we always prefer them toasted (take a look here for plenty of toasters with bagel settings). 

Bagels for dinner, lunch, breakfast or simply a snack – we have ideas to suit any time of day.

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What Goes Good On A Toasted Bagel?

1 – Bacon, Brie Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms and Scrambled Eggs

bagel filling

The great thing (and there are many) about this combo is the fact you can eat it open or as a sandwich. The combination of bacon, Brie and sautéed mushrooms would be good enough for any sandwich but allied to toasted bagel and mixed in with scrambled eggs makes this our top pick for the sheer awesomeness in flavours. For a nice twist we like to add Mahi hot sauce into the mix as we’ve found it’s one heck of a sauce but you can just as easily use ketchup, mayo or keep it plain and simple.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, bacon, brie cheese, sauteed mushrooms, scrambled eggs

2 – Tuna, Mayo and Sweetcorn

Tuna, mayonnaise, sweetcorn is a classic combination for a reason – it tastes delicious. But add a toasted bagel into the mix and suddenly a nice regular sandwich is upgraded to a great one. If you want to jazz things up even further feel free to throw some sliced avocado.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, tuna, mayonnaise, sweetcorn, tomatoes and a spread (e.g. butter) of your choice.

3 – Cream Cheese and Smoked Salmon

Cream cheese and bagels go so well they almost need no introduction but if you’ve never tried it, this may be a good starting point. The addition of smoked salmon takes this combination to another level.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, soft cream cheese, smoked salmon, ground black pepper

4 – Goats cheese and Smoked Salmon

This is a slight twist to the awesome recipe presented above. In addition to the stuff included in the last recipe here you mix in some goats cheese to your cream cheese to give it an extra layer of depth.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, soft cream cheese, goats cheese, smoked salmon, ground black pepper, tomatoes

5 – Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Cheese

This is a great option for vegetarians or if you’re simply not in the food for any meat or fish. The avocados and tomatoes give it a smooth tasty quality whilst the cheddar cheese brings a welcome kick to the texture. Add black olives for an even bolder taste.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, avocado, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black olives, black pepper

6 – Bacon and Cream Cheese

It had to be done. The simplicity of this combination is only surpassed by the sheer pleasure you derive from the taste. We personally like this even better with a glass of fresh juice (it may be the sweet and salty combination that makes taste so good). This makes a great breakfast bagel.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, bacon, soft cream cheese

7 – Ham and Cheese

It’s difficult to talk about the best toasted bagel fillings without including this classic combination – simply because it’s so good. You can make the ham as colourful as you like (we like ours smoky) and feel free to experiment with your cheese selection. You couldn’t go wrong with a nice mature cheddar cheese.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce

8 – Simply Toasted

One of the best things about bagels is the fact you can enjoy them in so many different ways. Sometimes all you need is a sliced toasted bagel, your favourite butter and a cup of coffee.

Ingredients

Toasted bagel of your choice, butter/spread of your choice



What Goes Good On A Toasted Bagel?: Tell Us Your Thoughts.

What Is The Best 2 Slice Toaster To Buy?

There are not many better things in life than 2 perfectly cooked slices of toast. No matter what style you need to fit into your kitchen there’s probably a brand and model out there for you. But what is the best 2 slice toaster to buy?

We’ve worked to compile our list of the contenders for the best 2 slice toaster to help you decide on which machine would be best for you.

What Is The Best 2 Slice Toaster To Buy?

Let’s take a look at what is the best 2 slice toaster to buy.

1 – Dualit Classic 2 Slot Toaster

As well as getting an excellent toaster with the Dualit Classic 2 Slot toaster you are also adding a beautifully hand-crafted piece of design to enhance your kitchen.

Each Dualit Classic is hand made in the UK (you can find the name of the engineer at the bottom) and it really shows in the quality and sophistication of the finish.

This model combines excellent functionality and high-end design to give you perfectly crisp toast on the outside but fluffiness on the inside with every use.

Dualit have over 60 years of experience in making high quality toasters and it definitely shows with the Classic. Your toast will come out evenly cooked especially once you’ve figured out how long you like yours done. To toast your bread you turn the mechanical dial to the time you want and wait for it to rotate.

Unlike many other toasters on the market, this model has a manual lever which allows you to lift the toast and check its progress without interrupting the process.

Quite usefully the toaster also has bagel setting in a addition to reheat and defrost functions.

To save you on energy, you can opt to only have one slot on.

We like the copper finish on this model but it also comes in silver, black, white, red and cream.

Adding to the unique characteristics of this toaster is the fact it is specifically designed for easy self-maintenance. The screws are located in easy to reach areas meaning DIY repair is relatively straightforward. Quite helpfully Dualit also sell spare parts on their website should you need them. The idea being that your machine should last a several years without you needing to replace it entirely.

At £126 (on Amazon at the time of writing) it is certainly not the cheapest option on the market however, if you’re budget can stretch that far then you’ll be getting a highly durable machine that should last you many years.

Key Features

  • Manual lever allow you to check progress without interrupting cycle
  • Bagel setting
  • Defrost setting meaning you can toast from frozen
  • Reheat function allowing you to warm up toast if needed
  • Dimensions: 26 x 25.5 x 25 cm

2 – Morphy Richards Dimensions 2 Slice Toaster

We love this Morphy Richard Dimensions 2 slice toaster as it combines an excellent product that looks expensive at a great affordable price.

The controls are nice and easy with a 1 -7 setting meaning you can easily get your toast to the perfect level of brown for your needs.

The defrost function makes a great addition to this model meaning you can make your toast straight from frozen. This is particularly useful as it means you can afford to freeze your bread when you buy it – handy if your bread tends to go off before you finish it.

This model is also equipped with a reheat function, great if you ever need to warm up your bread quickly if you didn’t get a chance to eat it whilst it was hot.

Usefully the Dimensions Black 2 also comes with a cancel button allowing you to interrupt a program part-way through; this is really useful when you want to get your bread to specific shade of brown.

To make your life as easy as possible, this toaster has a crumb collector at the bottom making clean up as stress free as can be.

As well as being easy to clean, the Dimensions 2 slice toaster comes with cord storage leaving the machine with a real clutter free look on your counter.

This excellent Morphy Richards appliance is available in black, white, grey and cream. It can also be partnered with a matching kettle.

Key Features
  • Defrost bread straight from the freezer with the defrost function
  • Reheat toast whenever you need to
  • Cancel button for interrupting cycles
  • Variable browning control to cook your bread just right
  • Dimensions: 25 x 22 x 18.5 cm

3 – Breville VTT529 Impressions 2-Slice

The Breville VTT529 Impressions 2 slice toaster delivers quite a punch for the price you pay.

The high gloss finish with chrome detailing gives this toaster a real high-end feel to it. To make things even better you can pair this up with a matching kettle to complete the look and upgrade in your kitchen.

The VTT529’s looks are easily matched by the functions it offers. With settings between 1 to 9, you will always be able to find the perfect browning level for your toast.

A cancel button which is always a must is included with this model giving you the opportunity to easily abort your cycle whenever you need to.

Another feature you would expect to find is its reheat button which is quite handy if you ever forget your toast and need to warm it up quickly.

What makes this toaster an extra edge over many at this price range is its Lift and Look lever allowing you to raise the slices to monitor progress without having to cancel the cycle.

In addition, its high lift facility means smaller slices of bread can be pushed out without having to risk burning your fingers.

It also comes equipped with a defrost button allowing you to take slices straight from the freezer and keep your bread for longer saving you money along the way.

To make cleaning a hassle-free affair, this toaster comes with a pull-out crumb tray.

Another nice bonus with this model is the variable width bread slots for both thick and thin slices.

Key Features
  • Lift and Look lever to check progress without cancelling
  • High lift facility for taking smaller bread out without burning your fingers
  • Easy pull-out crumb tray to make cleaning easy

4 – Dualit 26205 2-Slot Lite Toaster

Dualit toasters are nothing short of iconic in the world of toasters. It is not just the superior nature of their designs but also the durability of their machines which is so admired.

The Dualit 26205 is no exception. Its sleek chrome gloss finish gives it a sleek look. The classic look is combined with several modern features meaning you get a lot of value for what you pay.

The peep and pop function means you can easily check up on the progress of your toast without stopping the cycle.

One of the features that really sets this toaster apart is its patented browning technology. This will essentially ensure your toast is perfectly golden brown every time by calculating cooking time by checking the temperature of the toast and its surroundings. This removes the trial and error involved with a lot of toasters whilst you try find your perfect cycle.

As well as bread, this model also has a bagel setting. In addition due to its extra wide slots it can also toast thicker slices and great toasties in a Sandwich Cage (sold separately). This extra capability is a real bonus and means you potentially do not have to spend extra for a toastie maker.

The removable bread crumb tray makes it really easy to clean the machine whenever you need to.

A high lift lever means you can avoid burning your fingers when you want to take out smaller items like crumpets. Whilst the defrost function allows you to defrost items straight from the freezer which is great for keeping your bread fresher for longer.

Key Features
  • Peek and pop function means you can check up on your toast without stopping your cycle
  • Extra wide slots meaning you can toast thicker slices
  • Bagel setting for the perfect bagels
  • Dimensions:17(w) x 27(d) x 20(h) cm

What Features Should I Look Out For?

Keep Warm: A useful button to keep your toast at a warm temperature and ready for your butter when you are. This is usually a 30 second or one minute cycle to heat your cold bread.

Defrost: A great feature if you like to keep your bread fresh for longer by freezing it. This feature will defrost your bread and depending on the model get the process of toasting started.

Reheat: This is handy when you get distracted and come back to cold toast.

Cancel: A fairly standard setting that will allow you to cancel a cycle mid-way, quite helpful if you need to add just a little bit of brown after a first run.

Bagel: This will typically toast your bread on one-side, useful for bagels, English muffins, crumpets and the like.

High Lift: This can be particularly useful if you’re not toasting full length bread as it will bring the bread well above the rim of the toaster saving your from burning your fingers.

Crumb Tray: A crumb tray will catch the bits of bread that fall off during the process. They can prove to keep very useful when it comes to cleaning the toaster.

How Much Should I Pay?

Spending in the range of £25 – £60 should comfortably get you a functional as well as sleek looking toaster. Of course if you are able and willing to spend more there are lots of options on the market for high-end toasters that would your house look great.


What Is The Best 2 Slice Toaster To Buy?: Tell Us Your Thoughts.