Serviceable but not great
We've had no unexpected trouble with this toaster after several months of operation. It makes toast reliably, as you might expect a toaster to do. The levers pull up above the resting position, allowing one to more easily extract whatever small and/or crumbling bits that may be left in the toaster, largely eliminating the need to use implements to do the job (bamboo, of course).
I'm also not in love with the toaster. I expected a bit higher build quality, and the plastic handles for the lift levers don't have the satisfactory feel that I would expect from a KitchenAid appliance. And, nearly from the start, the sides don't rest at the same height (which is a problem if one or more family members are obsessive - trust me on this).
I also miss common-sense design details. For example, back-eject crumb trays are common, but my previous toaster (a now-discontinued Krupps model) managed to get this right. I'm not sure why more toasters in this class don't have...
Stylish but. . .
This toaster looks great on my counter, but it doesn't make toast very well. It takes so long to pop up that I sometimes forget I put anything in it. The slow toasting method uses less heat, so the toast cools off before the butter can melt. It also dries the bread out more than toasting it. Processed bread with sugar in it toasts faster-- basic science-- so the surface burns, while the interior remains soft, or stale-ish. I expected better quality from a Kitchenaid brand, and I actually regret owning this appliance. How hard should it be to make good toast?
Less than impressed
This toaster produced very (VERY) brown toast on the lowest setting. I had to manually pop it up in order to get a light toasting. I tried a little experiment and set it to highest level - my toast was literally black and started smoking. It was a good thing I manually stopped it or I would have had a fire in my kitchen. I don't recommend this toaster!
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