Suzieque, I was about to ask the same question. I wished somebody would make the real old type of toasters again, which toasts on 1 side, you take it out when it has the right color, turn it over and do the second side. I had everything from $25.00 to $109.00 toasters and all have the same problem. Wonder if they have a toaster on the ISS which works? Maybe we should ask NASA.

That's the truth!! Do either of you have a toaster oven? You could try the toast feature.

I bought a relatively cheap toaster at Walmart that has lasted me many years now and never had a problem with it. It toasts exactly how it should for the settings. It's white 4 wide slice slots. The brand is chefmate I will get pictures. I would buy it again it's lasted better than any of my expensive brands.

I have a Cuisinart that I've had for years. I wouldn't have paid more than $60 for it that's for sure.

I think the answer to your question Susieque is mostly no. Almost all are cheap to buy, cheaply built, and are prone to premature death. I see little difference in quality from one brand to another - all are tinny, made in China, and have fragile controls and components. 8 months isn't reasonable for a useful life but they don't last all that long. In our house, we seem to be buying a new toaster every 5 years or so. We're happy with what we find (appearance-wise) in the $35-$60 range.

One difference I've found is how the bread "rack" is designed. Some are a piece of metal with (call them) short tabs that alternate to each side. With these, I find bread can get wedged and stuck between the tabs and the side of the slot. Instead, I prefer a rack that is a serpentine of a thin piece of round metal bar material. This seems to work much better.

After trying 4 or 5 different toasters in as many weeks. I purchased a DeLonghi that I like very much. The Goodwill store got the 4 or 5 toasters. I don't remember how long ago it was.

It seems there are 2 options: go to Target/Walmart and buy one for ~$20 and use it until it dies, or spend big bucks. Out of curiosity, I looked at America's Test Kitchen's recommendations and I saw a vast and a bit unusual (for ATK) cost chasm for their 2-slice toaster recommendations. Recommended toasters were over $200, and the "Best Buy" was a KitchenAid for $90 (and seems to be discontinued).

We've used a Calphalon 4-slice for many years with decent, dependable results. Now that we have a Breville toaster oven, we use that to toast.

I wish they would make good products period.

I had just bought a toaster and I did discover what I had to do was when it popped up, then take it out and put what was the top in first and then push the button and wait and then pop it up again.

Shouldn't have to do those things and waiting forever it seems too.

I loved my old toaster but unfortunately so did the rats and left their droppings inside it at the house and so it was really good one and I hated to get rid of it.

Got this new one and its not like my old one.

I want to be able to buy good quality products that not only last for us but really work well.

They make us spend and spend and spend on wasted products that don't do what we so want them to do.

Yes, planned obsolescence is frustrating.

My Krups Sensotoast is FANTASTIC! I paid $5 for it at a thrift store about 5 years ago. Of course I just checked and it's been discontinued....but .....

The newer style is da bomb!!!! Wowser!

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/krups-signature-series-kh732d50-2-slice-toaster?ID=1495123&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&CAWELAID=120156340000426590&catargetid=120156340000926725&cadevice=c&cm_mmc=Google_PLA_Home_Electrics_PLA--Electrics+-+Toasters+%2F+Toaster+Ovens+-+GS_Krups--46608608476_-_-_mkwid_jQV0Hkuy|dc_46608608476%7C-%7CjQV0Hkuy&gclid=CO-qmPTZ5ssCFRCOaQodbAUEBA

Spring is here - yard sale season.

Good yard sale managers have an extension cord available.

o j

We have a 12 year old KitchenAid that cost about $29. We use it 3 times per week and it's still making perfect toast and bagels.

According to Sweethome, Oster is a great buy for $29.00

DH bought one at Grant's variety store for about $12 I think in the early 1960s. About 10 years ago, I bought a combination microwave and toaster combination, so we handed it off to one of the kids. Now why can't they make good ones these days? I searched for a good one online a couple of years ago for a gift, and so many reviews in all price ranges commented that the toasters died an early death.

When a toaster toasts only one side of a slice, usually its because an element is burned out, or the connection to is has failed.

If the toaster is a electronically controlled thing-a-ma-bob, heaven help you. Electronics can fail in many strange ways. Heat is a problem.

Twenty five years ago, I bought a simple 2 slice toaster by Sunbeam. Its controlled by a bi-metal. It has done well and still performs today. When I bought it, we had 5 in the house and it got well used. Today, there is only the 2 of us and we do not toast much. Sadly, I can not vouch for the Sunbeam brand at present. Its not the same company it was years ago.

That toaster has survived a toss into the backyard. One day, I came in the house after work and found my 3 kids quietly sitting in the family room sheepishly watching TV. I did smell a burn odor and as I took off my jacket (to peel away the vestige of my office day), I looked out the back door and there on the lawn was my blackened Sunbeam toaster. I connected this with those somber kids siting in the other room on this nice sunny afternoon. I inquired. Yep, there had been near disaster. One of the kids put a pair of pop tarts in the toaster and returned to the other room to watch TV. No one checked on the toaster until smoke and smell rolled into the TV room. One of the smarter of the 3 ran to the kitchen to see flames coming out of the toaster reaching for the window curtains. She pulled the plug, grabbed a dish towel and ran water on it, used the towel to grab the toaster and tossed it into the backyard.

What happened? The pop tarts were a bit heavy for the return spring and one tart distorted and jammed. The toaster had reached the end of it heating cycle, tripped, but the jammed tart held the mechanism part way down and the heating element did not turn off. it had continued to heat and set fire to the pop tart.

That was a close call! It prompted a set of rules for using that toaster. One rule: It was never to be left alone when energized.

I cleaned the toaster, gave it some tests and still works today with the proviso that we are now aware of a potential hazard with that particular toaster.

Sheilajoyce - I just had to comment that I loved Grants.

For a basic toaster that is around 30.00 the Oster Jellybean toaster gets great reviews webwide.

Thanks, all - I appreciate your input! I'll look into your suggestions.

Not posting for advice but to share in your frustrations! My $50 toaster is more or less toasting one side too. It has lasted 1 year. The one before was $15 and I got 7 years out of it. I wish I remembered the name of it. They are both 4 slice toasters. BTW, I think toaster companies make dishwashers....

Yeah, I'll chime in. I had a toaster from Target ( it was cool looking- a Michael Graves design) for about 10 ish years and it was fine. Then it died recently, and I replaced it with I think it was Oster for about $25 or so. That died within a month so we returned it and now with Bella which was comparably priced . So far so good but yeah, I don't have much hope. I rarely use a toaster but dh uses it more than rarely and we didn't think it should be a major expenditure. It's just shameful how crappy products are these days and we get used to it.

I have a Hamilton Beach and it works just fine, I doubt I spent more then $20 for it and its at least 5 yrs old if not more.

My Krups toaster-oven-broiler is about 20 years old. I use it primarily to warm a couple of rolls at dinner time. (I set our dinner plates on top to warm.) The (4) heating rods heat more slowly than the thin wires in a pop-up toaster. It's slower to "Toast", but durable. I've never used the "Broil" function, and I don't use "Bake" for more than 20 minutes -- so the rods haven't had to stay very hot for very long.

I have a 5-year-old $12 toaster-oven from K-Mart at the condo. It works fine -- but is only in use three months a year.

I have a KitchenAid that I bought some years back and use it several times a week. I bought it at Meijer on clearance and paid $10 for it. I have no problems with it.

Sue

i have a Rowenta that i bought 16 years ago. i don't remember how much i paid for it, but it still works the same as it did when it was brand new.