Russell Hobbs 24381 Inspire High Gloss Plastic Four Slice

Let me qualify my headline by saying that my husband and i are both blind and rely heavily on item descriptions when making purchasing decisions. In the case of this description, it’s what isn’t said, or perhaps what we assumed. We asumed when we bought this toaster that the two sides would literally be independent from one another in all aspects. Having had 4-slice toasters in the past, this was certainly the case. However, what we discovered with this toaster is that if you only want two slices of toast, you have to ensure you put them in the left-hand pair of slots (assuming the controls are facing you, as if you put them in the righthand pair of slots, the mechanism will not latch. Secondly, again, probably us assuming, there is only one set of controls, and these control both pairs of slots simultaneously. Thus, if you are making toast for two people, and you like your toast at differing degrees of darkness, either the person who likes their toast the lightest will need to remove their toast before toasting is complete, or the person who wants darker toast will have to push theirs down again. Thirdly, this wouldn’t be an ideal toaster for someone who had poor sight and a poor sense of touch as the marking on the wheel which points at the browning level, would really struggle to feel it. Fourthly and finally, Warburton’s toasty bread is too tall for this toaster. This is pretty standard but it’s ironic as the bread is made for toasting.

That being said, it is a lovely toaster and feels very sleak. The lift function means that even if you are toasting waffles (a staple breakfast diet for the teenagers in our house), you can get them out without burning yourself. Russell Hobbs are also a good make so I have no doubt the toaster will last us a good while.