Dualit 3 Slice Combi Toaster Polished Stainless Steel 31213
Dualit 3 Slice Combi
Dualit’s Combi toaster is the ideal solution for those that want the flexibility and convenience of making both toast and toasted sandwiches. The Combi 2+1 comes complete with one sandwich cage, as well as the energy-saving feature of being able to control all three slots individually.
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Hand built in the UKEach toaster is hand-assembled from start to finish. Who made your toaster? Find the assembler’s name on the base plate. | Repair and replaceFully repairable or replaceable parts for a toaster that will last a lifetime. | ProHeat elementsProHeat elements have a protective armour plated layer covering the filament making them virtually unbreakable |
One sandwich cage
Selector control for choosing one, two or all three slots
Award-winning ProHeat elements, guaranteed for two years
Handmade in the UK
Mechanical timer
Manually operated eject lever to keep items warm until needed
High lift mechanism to remove small items easily
Extra-wide 28mm slots and adjustable inner wire guard to grip toast
Replaceable parts (you don’t throw a Dualit toaster away, we repair it for you!)
Removable crumb tray
| Weight: | 4.53 kg |
| Dimensions: | 38.2 x 25.8 x 25.2 cm; 4.53 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Dualit |
| Model: | 31213 |
| Colour: | Stainless Steel |
| Colour: | Stainless Steel |
It’s a very good toaster and if I got it from there own website there would have been a long lead time and more money.
But the amount of dust on the box indercated it has been on the shelf for a longtime.
Handles most bread sizes, not advertised but if you set it to one slice and use the middle slot it can work on bagels (one side at a time).
Only down side for me is that you need to take out the sandwich cage when using it as the bread lifter works on all 3 slots at the same time but this is a personal preference as it is used to much to keep putting it in the cupboard.
Sturdy, reliable my last Dualit lasted more than twenty years!
Handy having the ability to select 1,2,or 3 slices without having to heat up unused slots.
Perfection! You get what you pay for, Dualit is simply the Best, I have always wanted a Dualit Toaster and Kettle and now I have them and I am very happy, no more crap from cheap rubbish that promises the earth and gives nothing! Dualit all the way and it’s BRITISH not foreign rubbish !!!
Very quick delivery. Well built. Expensive but paying for quality
Have wanted one for a long time .Have used one on lots of occasions with excellent results time after time .what makes it better you can buy all parts and replace them easy .
How hard is it to make toast?
The answer seems to be quite hard unless you buy a Dualit toaste
I had to wait for my previous toaster to die of old age and eventually it did so I was able to indulge a long-standing ambition to have one of these. It even comes complete with the sandwich toasting basket, a fact which is hidden in the small print. This makes it very good value ( given that it’s an expensive toaster to begin with).
I’ve given four stars not five because it really needs thick slices to give an even browning; if you like medium sliced bread I don’t think it would give such good results
No dislikes, bit pricy but we were buying a new toaster every 12 months, we’ve had to put abut 4 elements in but they are easy to do your self, just take a photo of the wiring before you start took me about 15 minutes, we bought this back in 1990 and I’ve just had it in the garage today and polished it up with my dremel and it’s come up brilliant better than I expected my daughter came in and thought we had bought another one and was she was going to get the old one, so she was a bit disappointed
very pleased with the toaster so far. We have the 3 slice which works well for our family of 3 adults. Looks stylish and I like the fact you can keep the toast warm as its not a pop up toaster.
Had a 2 slice Duralit for 25 years
This is the replacement 3 slice model and I’m expecting the same service out of it
They are expensive but they look great and last and las
Toasts beautifully crisp outside and soft inside, looks good. Would suggest taking time to read the instructions. The sandwich toaster cage idea works well but makes a mess in the toaster. Toaster slots could do with being a little deeper hence 4 sta
Does everything it should do – but very well. Happy with dials and controls – super easy – could be slightly wider slot if any grumble
Looks superb, toasts well.
Really impressed with sandwich toaster.
Simple to use, easy to level and very solid.
Love the simple lift mechanism of Dualit toasters. …..just a lever that pivots so you can lift up the bread to see how it’s doing! Love the clicking sound of the timer as well, because most toasters are silent and sometimes you forget you have put the toast on,…….not with this beauty though, because it quietly clicks away in the background reminding you to pay attention.
Ours came with a sandwich cage which is absolutely brilliant…….so simple but makes the perfect toasted sandwich. ( Just remember to clean out the crumb tray after use!)
Chrome is a tricky material to keep shiny but we have found a wipe over with a damp cloth followed by a very liberal rub with olive oil brings back the lustre.
Love Dualit x
Amazing love it had it 6 weeks will probably go on for 60 years 🙂
Having had many toasters over the years, mostly disappointing, we decided to bite the bullet and buy this. Brilliant decision. It’s sturdy. It cooks toast rapidly and gives a lovely crunch over the whole slice. All the parts are user-replaceable, and so I don’t envisage ever buying another machine. Wish we had done it years ago.
Only problem is getting the timing just right …few seconds too many and it’s burnt on one side.
Looks good and toasts bread ….just check the time!
It’s just a Dualit 3 slice toaster British made
Easy to use, but confused the kids with the timer settings, burned toast for the first couple of days
Ordered the warming rack as well just fantastic for the Sunday morning croissants.
Great looking toaster. Makes variety of thickness of toast + toasted sandwiches. Easy to use.
ice solid easy to use toaster, looks good as well.
It is a quality product reflected in the price tag!
I have not used the Toaster but they were delighted with it.
This Toaster is an excellent addition to any kitchen, looks great, it’s very efficient And easy to use. It’s fairly expensive but well worth it.. it’s our 2nd one, the first one lasted nearly ten years so excellent value for money.. would highly recommend
I had a Dualit toaster for years but when the element stopped working, I wasn’t in a position to repair it. So happy to have one again, this one will see me out!
Absolutely love this toaster my first Dualit lasted 20 years so fingers crossed this one will do the same. There can’t be a better toaster out there.
Bought to replace our old one, great value for money, dad loves it and it works brilliantly
However, the Dualit isn’t perfect. I’d have liked slightly deeper bread slots – about a 10-20mm would be an advantage for the deepest slices. I’d have also liked slightly wider bread slots for self-hewn thick ‘doorstep’ slices. The timing knob has come off once or twice and while it went back on again ok, I’d rather it had never come off in the first place.
The toaster is well packed and comes with an interesting leaflet
So 4 stars rather than 5 but really it’s 4 and a half.
I wasn’t disappointed when this arrived. It was everything I thought it was and more. Its a very solid toaster. Well made and put together. We love it and only wished I had bought it earlier. It arrived well packaged and in allotted time.
Impressed with next day delivery from this seller. Would recommend this toaster, looks good on the counter top.
Mainly for those of you who can be bothered to read this as your unsure about spending so much on a toaster.
However, as previous reviews have said it takes some thought as to whether you spend this much. After all you can get a toaster for less than a fiver from a well known high street catalogue shop, and it will pop your toast up when its done.
So I bought my toaster 20 years ago from John Lewis. it was a lot of money.
One of my slots is wider and it came with the basket to make toasties in.
I have never had any spare parts for it.
I polish it every year or two with brasso, once I stripped it down to polish it.
It looks as good as when I bought it.
It has an adjustable foot to level it out on uneven surfaces.
So why would you buy this instead of a 4.99 toaster?
My theory is buy stuff to last so pay a bit more.I am an engineer so have a little knowledge and experience of why the cheap toaster wouldn’t last.
Over the years I have seen plastic toasters, after they have been used for a while.
Now cheap toasters are ok, they work, but the difference is, toasting bread can build up a lot of heat, your cheap plastic toaster is ok for once or twice use then left until cold or next morning when used again and they will do ok, but when you need to repeatedly use them, they will melt, Every plastic toaster I have seen eventually the sides start to melt. You may think that you are fine with a plastic toaster for your normal use, but when its Christmas, for example and all the family is staying maybe, or some other out of the ordinary occasion when your toaster is used repeatedly thats when it starts to break down and begins to look overheated, it will start to melt.
The Dualit toaster for me is where it excels in this case. My toaster may only be used the odd morning, I used to have toast every day but not so much now, but at xmas we could have 15 people in the house, the toaster could be on for half an hour or more each day at least. Cheap plastic toasters would not stand up to that use, they are not designed too, infact I suspect in the instructions it would tell you to leave it for 10 mins after each use.
The Dualit can make toast continuously, seriously.
It may not be the highest priority for your consideration, but one day you may need that facility.
Other than that, it is partly that ability which makes this toaster last for years. You may need to buy your cheap toaster every year or two, you will only need to buy one Dualit, so get the right size.
The 3 slot has been perfect for me, I do use it to make the odd toasty and again this is where the use is longer, especially if 4 people want a toasty or 2.
The other thing about cheap pop up toasters and people complain that dualit dont pop up. IF you use your auto pop up toaster repeatedly, it will not make consistent toast the more you use it. The toast will get lighter and lighter, why? most pop ups use a bi-metallic strip to pop the toast up, which is a heat thing, but the next time you use your toast its already hotter than the first time so the bi-metallic strip will operate quicker, its already warm, etc. Some toaster uses electronic timers, but then bread moisture level and thickness determine how brown it is. The idea of the Dualit is, you check your toast and just pull it out as normal when its done for you. You get used to how much to twist the timer, if you need a bit more just twist the timer back a bit before it switches off.
Most bread slices fit ok, the ones that stick slightly proud, just turn them on their side and they fit long ways instead of standing up.
There’s my theory on toasters after years of experience, simplicity is always best, I remember the old swan pop up toasters, even they packed up and it was usually the pop up mech that failed, due to heat.
So there you go, I am thinking of getting either a 4 or 6 slot Dualit next time to use in conjuction with this.
I have just bought the warming rack for bagels etc, and I love it, I used to crack plates warming such pastries in the little oven, now i use my Dualit even more.
When it arrived I was pleased to see the build quality matched the earlier versions I’ve seen in different households.
How does it toast?
Well I’m not British and therefore my toasting manner may differ from the intended use, I use it to toast everything from Ciabatta to Rye bread mostly uneven hand cut pieces, this is no challenge for the toaster as long as you are aware of the limited width of the slots.
Toasting bread in this device gives you quite an unique ability to create a golden crust still keeping the middle soft and moist, I simply love it.
If anything needs to be critiqued I would argue for the quality of the selector and timer knob, they don’t feel as good as the rest of the machine – but still consistent and easy to use.
Cheers!
A wonderful retro feel to a classic toaster. My only minor gripe would be that the slots are just a bit too narrow for home made doorstep slices – but OK if cut in half.
The toasted sandwich maker is also too small for hand sliced wedges but probably perfect for shop-bought ready-slice cardboard!
I still love it.
I’ve had a Dualit toaster for the past 24 years, only ever replaced one of the elements.
If you’re looking for a toaster that will last for as long as you want it to, then get you pennies together and buy one.
I’ve had one of these for 17 years and only needed to replace 2 elements in that time – it even survived a move to Poland. When finally a handle broke off the toasting cage (a month ago) I decided to buy a new toaster and donate my old one to a family member who always wanted one, but cannot get one in Poland. A new cage is only 12.50 to replace but we thought we’d do a good deed and also replace with a newer (silver painted) model. Nothing much has changed, but the newer version has updated elements, is hotter, takes a shorter time to toast, has a better timer and the openings are wider which is very sensible. Now I can toast my favourite Ciabatta rolls in one go rather than having to use the toasting cage for one half at a time.
I can’t recommend this toaster enough – it is simply wonderful engineering built to last for ages. After our older model was cleaned it looked brand new and I began to wonder why we’d bought a new one!!!!!
Worth every penny – you won’t be disappointed – get one now and find out how good toast can be!
One recommendation is – it may not be worthwhile buying an all stainless steel version as it is, like all stainless steel, a pain to keep clean and shiny. Get the silver painted one – just as good and no heavy cleaning required – unless you want a trophy kitchen with accessories that are for show only 🙂
I’ve had this particular model of Dualit toaster for about 13years, it’s still going strong, an absolutely fabulous appliance. Used every single day in the the last 13 years or so. Worth every penny of the hundred pounds it cost me. Would highly recommend this item.
This is an iconic design but best of all it makes the best toast ever, best of both worlds – Design and Functio
I bought this to help sell a life style when my house was on the market. It worked and the house sold in 24 hours. It also produces very good toast and toasties although its often worth setting the adjacent slot to on to help ensure an even colour even though it says not to. Now it sits proudly in my new house oozing sophistication and great toast.
I am just about to give my toaster to my daughter as she has recently moved into her own flat. She is despondent with her toaster and has asked if she can have my Dualit as it makes good toast and bagels in a flash. I have had my toaster now for 15 years! Apart from one slice now being slightly pale on one side at the top this toaster has stood the test of time.
Provided you are less than four in number this is the ideal toaster after you have provided yourself with a sandwich cage. Somebody wants two slices of toast while somebody else wants a toasted sandwich will be the rule rather than the exception and this toaster is perfect for that regular occurrence.
Reliability is the keyword with Dualit toasters (not Lite) and this is borne out by the ammount of catering establishments that use them to make hundreds of slices of toast per week.
The only way of accidentally damaging these toasters is caused by idiots who repeatedly turn the timer the wrong way otherwise you have a toaster for twentyfive years.
Another massive plus for Dualit is that it is the only brand that can’t be wrecked by bread from Lidl (Rowan Hill Bakery) which has pieces constantly falling off and jamming pop-up toasters.
Fantastic product, arrived on time (even through it is a 3rd party seller) all was first class
Now over 11 years on from when I made my original purchase, this Dualit toaster continues to provide service, used almost every day and making excellent toast, with no further faults since my 2011 update.
UPDATE November 2011
2 years and 3 months after I bought my toaster, It has had its first repair, to replace one of the toasting elements. It is disappointing that the element failed so soon after Dualit’s 2 year warranty on the elements expired. On the plus side, the replacement element was less than the price of the cheapest toaster, arrived within a week of me placing the order for it, and took no more than half-an-hour to fit. The instructions provided by Dualit with the element were sufficient and clear. Some of the nuts and bolts were difficult to get at, but still a relatively easy task for someone with some electrical competence. Definitely more complex than wiring a 13 amp plug, but not greatly so.
And after one week having to use my old ‘normal’ toaster, it’s very nice to have the Dualit operational again. The ability to slightly raise the toast and have a peek at a corner to see how it’s doing, was something I greatly missed.
The original timer on my Dualit is still functioning fine with no problems, despite almost daily use.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I’ve had this toaster for almost a week and am very impressed so far. Although it’s clearly far too early for me to know whether it’ll last long enough for the very high price to be worthwhile, my initial experience has been good.
Having read the many varying reviews already for Dualit toasters, e.g. for Dualit 2 slice toaster and Dualit 4 slice toaster , and noted the numerous concerns, I felt the benefits outweighed the concerns. I’ve had three conventional (i.e. cheaper) toasters over the last 15 years. On the last two, the thing that broke was the electronic control. Although each one has lasted longer than it’s predecessor, the simplicity of the Dualit (no fancy electronics, just a switch and a clockwork timer) appealed.
Whether this toaster is for you will very much depend on what sort of toast you want. If you like slow cooked toast that’s crunchy all the way through, as produced by most toasters, then the Dualit is not for you. The Dualit toasts very quickly, so a thickish slice will be well toasted on the outside whilst the centre is not totally crunchy. For me, this gives a nice slice of toast that doesn’t shatter into tens of pieces. It also means that I can make thinner toast than I could with a conventional toaster. My last toaster couldn’t cope with thin slices and would consistently burn some patches whilst other parts of the slice were barely brown. Again the speed of the Dualit seems to help here, toasting the outside without burning all the way through.
The timer took a bit of trial-and-error to get the right setting for my bread (just like it does with a cheaper toaster with an electronic control), but now I am getting nice evenly done toast every time. As the instructions say, it needs a slightly higher setting if being used from cold, but that’s not much to remember.
I have used the sandwich attachment that comes with this toaster and again that worked quite well, giving an evenly toasted sandwich, following the manufacturer’s instructions of lightly buttering the outside of the sandwich. It does have to be quite a thin sandwich to fit in the slots.
Of the concerns raised by some of the other reviewers of Dualit toasters, my experience so far has been different:
1) “You can’t leave the toaster unattended and it’s a fire hazard.” The instructions do say you should not leave it unattended but, given how fast it is (2 minutes for the average slice, compared to 5 minutes with my old toaster), there’s really not enough time to walk away.
2) “A timer rather than a browning control gives inconsistent results.” So far, it’s been more consistent than my old toaster with electronic browning control. That toaster seemed incapable of handling any inconsistencies in the bread (I make my own) and would far too often interpret ‘browned’ as ‘burnt black in patches’. As I’ve said, you need a slightly longer setting for the first batch of toast made when the toaster is starting from cold, but in all other respects it toasts consistently. There is also the advantage with the Dualit that, because the timer is not connected to popping up the toast, you can raise the toast up to see how it is doing without resetting the timer if you are not sure of the setting.
3) “It toasts unevenly.” I’ve had no problems, even though I’m toasting homemade bread which is itself uneven in consistency.
4) “The slots aren’t big enough.” The slots do seem to have been designed to be an exact fit (in width and depth) for a factory produced sliced white loaf. Having said that, the slots are slightly deeper than on my old toaster.
The only criticism I have is of the crumb tray. It is rather flimsy in comparison with the rest of the toaster and leaks at the corners (which matters if you’re making a sandwich where the filling might drip).
We are not disappointed – it looks as you would expect and feels like it would last a hundred years! We chose this model because it has a reasonable compromise between size and number of slices toasted, because it has a dial number selector and because it includes a sandwich cage.
I have got to say, it makes the best toast EVER! However, there is a small art to it….. It is very important to read the instructions. I think the poorer reviews can be explained if you don’t do this. Put in 2 slices but select 1 element and the 2nd slice only toasts on 1 side – obvious. The first toast of the morning needs a slightly higher setting than the next because the cold metal will absorb some of the heat. Ignore this and the results are inconsistent. The occasional lift to check the progress is probably not needed but good fun. The premarked setting on the timer is about right for most bread. In terms of how thick the bread can be, I think the modern variable width toasters outdo it and you have to be a little careful when cutting your own bread not to make it too thick.
The sandwich cage works just fine.
Only time will tell if the timer and elements last but they are very cheap to replace so I dont think pose a great problem – the instructions include element changing.
Overall, this is a great piece of iconic kitchenware that looks great, will last for ages and, if you take a little care, makes the best toast of your life!
Don’t be fooled, this toaster only toasts bread etc, so if you want more for your money then get a Morphy Richards toaster, if you want style then buy this toaster and enjoy