That's a spendy little toaster. It is unquestionably adorable, but is it a good toaster? I've had nothing but crap toasters for the past 40 years. I throw them out after a couple of years and then try something else. If I spent that much on a toaster, I would demand perfection.

Well, maybe I need to get the red one LOL. I really do need a toaster (we yell at ours every single morning) and I think you've talked me into it. I do have a purple Keurig but I don't think they'll clash - they're across the room from each other :) (And yes, kitchen my walls are azure.)

You need that red one, Woodie! Actually there is the candy apple red and just plain red. They're similar but the candy apple looks to have a more high gloss finish. They're both pretty and would look dynamite with your purple and blue!

i tend to be a blue person, so I almost always say blue -- but I also love candy apple red. Tough choice -- but if I found a cobalt it would be even tougher. KA has so many colors for mixers, but candy apple red, cbalt and the metallics are always y favorites. Glad you made a decision. Id still be waffling -- syrup or none.

That's one fancy looking toaster. I'm glad you made up your mind because I wouldn't have been any help. I love them both. I seem to stick with black and/or chrome for small appliances so I'd be happy to be your MIL and get that pretty toaster.

Amazon has it in the color of the year too....pink

I think the azure looks not so nice with the Cornishware - it clashes. And since the Cornish blue is the only other color in your kitchen, I would either get the red if you'll have the items near each other or get the azure toaster and position it far away from the Cornishware.

Tough call, love the blue, but I'd probably go for matching to other appliances.

Wanted to comment that I love your kitchen...beautiful!!

I love the red and because it matches the other small appliances would go with red. But....that blue is pretty too and if it is anywhere near the blues in your Cornish ware, go for it, but if it clashes at all, no.

I'm glad you chose the blue-I like the fact the red blender stands out on it's own. I think it would be too "matchy-matchy" and, if the toaster is red too, it would look like you tried too hard.

Isn't it funny, how we try so hard in decorating to make it look like we aren't trying so hard! LOL! That's how it is for me anyway!

I have the silver dualit toaster and I love it! But, wish it were white-I got my silver one ridiculously cheap at Home Goods.

I think that blue is beautiful, and will look fab in your kitchen.

I second having a toaster oven. We use ours almost every single day, love it. Really great in the summer when you don't want to heat up the big oven.

Your kitchen is very pretty. Is your granite Bianco Antico? That's what we have in our kitchen, with white cabinets and red accents. I like seeing the blue, so I know I can change the accents and it will still look nice.

Thanks so much! Our granite is River White. Gray, white, and maroon flecks. I think the azure will be just fine with the Cornishware. I do have several shades of blue going on in the space (as well as other colors) and I like the way they look together. :-)

Cornishware even has slightly different shades of blue depending on when it was made. It's been around since the 1930s and some shades are more mellow than others. No matter what though, they are very difficult shades to match exactly so I don't even try.

Funny, one of my facebook friends also in Tx posted a photo at the end of a crazy baking day....her Cornish wear sitting right on the counter too and I think the same pieces-just a different counter

auntjen, I like your countertop what granite is it?

I love the blue toaster but I'm another blue-favorer. Either would be pretty!

I'm glad you chose the azure - although the red is very pretty too - and I think it'll look fab with your Cornish ware and other pieces! We have the same toaster in cream, but with the benefit of hindsight - a wonderful thing, hehe - I think the blue would have looked nicer in our kitchen too. We chose cream to match our Smeg f/f, kitchenaid coffee machine (and the Rangemaster stove that we sold to the buyers of our last house), but it's true that all the creams are slightly different so a completely unexpected shade such as azure would have been a better choice ;-)

Auntjen, you suddenly made me want to get one or the others of those (probably the red -- I like the ladybug analogy -- ) but then again I remembered I so seldom make toast that my toaster oven would feel neglected...)

It's cute, but what about the toast part?

Love the color! Would match our Big Chill fridge in blue. Does it toast well, though?

Wish I would have seen this sooner!

I just saw this on a show yesterdayWolf 2 slice toaster.

That is a sweet toaster. I'm the recipient of an inherited toaster (chrome, from my childhood home, probably purchased with S&H Green Stamps!) and I have never wanted to replace it for sentimental reasons, but hmmm, those Dualits are adorably cute and chubby. For your kitchen I do like the blue best. It would no doubt take me a few weeks to figure out which color would go best in mine ;-)

I'm glad my mom gave me her toaster, and I am sure your MIL will enjoy your old one, too.

OK - now I'm ready to purge all stainless! You kitchen looks so nice. We've been through so many toasters - expensive ones, cheap ones.... none seem to work very well and are very hard to clean inside. I can never get all of the crumbs out. Currently, we have a Russell Hobbs and I noticed it is only toasting the top half of the bread. Please let us know if the new toaster works as well as your 20 year old one.

It sounds like you love the red one. Go with that!

I hope you get the blue :-)

So, no one wants to comment on the actual output of these darling little things, the actual toast itself? Sorry to harp on this, but I've spent a little and a lot on toasters and rarely have they delivered well-toasted bread. Like my Cuisinart toaster which must be aborted mid-cycle and the bread flipped, because it must think it's a bagel-only toaster.

My vote is for the Blue slso. But what I'm really wanting to know if how did you make it through the tornadoes in Dallas on Saturday. We are 60 miles east of Dallas and had tornado sirens going off all afternoon. I'm too far out of town to hear them but my phone keep me informed. We've lost power twice since last night and it's trying to go off again. There are three ways to get to town from here, two of them are underwater.

Linelle, AuntJen wrote in her original post that she has loved and used hers for 20 years, so that's probably a good endorsement. I've found many reviews online. It is made in the UK and they seem to know how to make good toast :-). Toaster review

Monicakm, I've been worried about all of the Texas folks too.

rgrs, yes, I read that. But 20 years is a long time. With many products, they don't make 'em like they used to. I'd like to hear from people who currently would plunk down $250 on a cute toaster.

Well, my azure toaster arrived today but I'll have to wait until this evening to open the box and take a look. I'm so eager to see it! My folks have a chrome Dualit that's probably more than 20 years old, and my dad swears it's a piece of "English-made crap." I've always really liked mine though, and have never even thought about whether or not it produces good toast - so it must, otherwise I think I'd find something to complain about. DH claims that it sometimes "munches up" the corners of his Pop Tarts when he goes to remove them from the toaster, but you just have to be a little careful about how you take things out. The new generation Dualit includes a defrost feature which I think will be nice. I can't even count the number of times I've wanted to make a sandwich and the bread was frozen.

We're in the mid-cities and didn't have tornado activity, but got pelted with lots and lots of rain. I was just sickened to hear of the nearby devastation and loss of life. What a shock, and how very sad.

I really like mine! I admit, I like the looks the best, but they do deliver great looking toast. I think the toaster itself is just suppose to last a long time, and with the plus of a good looking toaster...it's a winner for me! I've only had mine about 6 months.

We're in England - so used to English-made crap, lol! - and as I said upthread we have the Dualit model that AuntJen has just purchased (but in cream). When we bought ours about four years ago, we also purchased the sandwich cages as we were finding with our old toaster (struggling to recall the make, but possibly breville) that the toasted item - particularly scotch pancakes (drop scones) were getting stuck inside. With the sandwich cages this is not an issue......perfect toast every time and no issues with retrieving said item :-)

$250?? Seriously people, how perfect do you need your toast to be?

Mayflowers, I know. I'm also concerned that the toast doesn't pop up. I kinda need the reminder, "hey, remember? you wanted toast!"

I would happily settle for a plain looking toaster that made decent toast, i.e., both sides of the bread in a predictable fashion.

I would rather pay $250 for a great toaster that would last me for decades than buy several that don't work well and/or for very long. Anyway -- can't wait to see your new toaster AuntJen.

I would be happy with anything that just last my lifetime :)

I guess the older I get the less I am interested in long warranties !

No offense intended, raphaella! I am of English descent, and my father worked in Reading for many years - his "English crap" comment is surely a throwback to memories he retains of a certain inefficient production line that he supervised. ;-) I may purchase the sandwich cage as well, so I'm very glad you mentioned being happy with yours.

mayflowers - there's something to be said for paying for something that's still being hand-assembled in the UK and especially for the styling. Yes, I want my toaster to be cute as a bug and am willing to pay more for something that I'll get a small thrill from seeing on my countertop day in and day out. :-)

I wonder what they cost 20 years ago.

We bought the Breville toaster oven to get through our kitchen remodel and as a second oven. We don't use a microwave. The Breville is supposed to make perfectly browned toast, but it doesn't. I suffer horribly eating that imperfect toast.

I bought my first Dualit about 20 years ago with "Galleria Gold" - coins equivalent to gift cards given to me by my previous boss at Christmas. As I recall, the chrome 2-slot was right around $200 at that time. I remember because I agonized over whether or not I wanted to spend "all" my "Gold" on a toaster!

So.... can't wait for pics of the new arrival :-)

Do you think the kitties will all gather around it and wonder what's up? LOL

LOL! I need to clear the counter before taking a photo, but I love love love it, and will share that it even had adorable packing material! Dualit toaster tissue paper! Honestly!

Well, that tissue paper makes all the difference. :)

Ok, here she is! The color is slightly more to the green side than expected, and very hard to capture accurately with my phone. But I like the fact that it doesn't look like I've really tried to match anything in the kitchen, but just welcomed a cute little azure bug to take up residence on the counter and make us some freakin' toast. :-D

It's very cute. And can I just say that I appreciate a counter that isn't afraid to allow kitchen gear to grace it.

That is the cutest toaster ever! The color is fantastic, Jen! Bet it makes you smile everytime you catch sight if it.

Love, love, love!

No offence taken, Jen :-) We know Reading relatively well and are from Hampshire originally, so not a million miles away.

Your new toaster looks fab on the counter.......so pleased to hear you're happy with your decision. I'd wholeheartedly recommend the sandwich cage, btw!

Here's a couple of pics of ours (in last kitchen and current - work in progress - one)..........

Love it, Jen! The little toaster tea pot is adorable too. Very unique!

Raphael, love your kitchen! I'm working on staining and sealing my wood countertops "as we speak", similar color to yours. Love wood countertops, and love your "Bread" box. I keep my cooking utensils in an old "Sugar" tin next to the stove.

glad to see another wood counters lover!

Thank you so much for the kind words!

Raphaella - I adore both kitchens! We have very similar vintage green bread boxes too. Love your little cream-colored Dualit. It's a classic for sure! The English "chunky" kitchen cabinets (for lack of a better term - not sure how to describe them) make me swoon. As do those wonderful deep windows that are almost always fitted with the most gorgeous roller shades. ::sigh:: The utter charm of it all! I want to live there. ;-)