I first encountered a Dualit toaster while staying at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong. The hotel provided an enormous buffet, part of which included a big basket of breads that could be toasted. The hotel's 4-slice Dualit was in constant use. I was impressed both by its uncomplicated design and its ability to make toast in about a minute (much to the dismay of several hotel guests, who left a slice inside too long and came back to find it was black!)

First, the looks. The Dualit is sleek. Although they come in colors, the traditional model is shiny stainless steel. The controls are simple - a toggle switch (which controls whether the heating elements turn on for 2 slots or all 4 slots) and a timer. It is somewhat retro looking and very solid. Although I am not a big fan of keeping appliances on the counter, I make an exception for the Dualit. Note: If you have limited counterspace, the Dualit may not be for you. It definitely takes up more space than your average toaster.

Now, the function. The Dualit is extremely simple compared to your average plastic, bank-freebie model. There is no spring loaded "pop-up" feature like on most modern toasters. Instead, you put the toast in the slots and move a small lever on the front of the machine, which lowers the toast into the toaster. When the toast is done (or if you want to sneak a peak), you push the lever back in the other direction and raise the toast back up.

The only knob is a timer, which is based on minutes (rather than the light/medium/dark settings that most toasters have). After you lower the toast, you set the timer and wait for the bell. If you want the toast to stay warm, you can leave it in.

My only criticism is that it takes a little experience to find how much time it takes to get the doneness you like. I find that it takes a little while for the toaster to hit peak heat - it usually takes longer to toast the first batch than the second batch. Once it heats up it toasts very fast.

One last warning - this baby is expensive. If you have ever read my reviews, you know that it is my philosophy that is is better to invest up front in a quality item that will last 20 years than it is to buy a low end product that has to be replaced (and stuck in the landfill) every couple of years. Target.

CONCLUSION

Highly recommended, for the person willing to make the investment. Great performance and style. What more can you ask for!

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

A review after 3 1/2 years of use...  Jan 27, 2008
By Shopaholic
I bought this product (the 4 slice, shiny chrome model) back in June 2004. I had "discovered" Dualit toasters a couple of months prior, and had been coveting one, as my 2 year old Wally World toaster was starting to kick the bucket. Since my family and I had now went through 3 toasters in only 12 years, I started thinking it might make sense to buy a higher quality product.

When I first started researching them on the internet, I truly was mind-boggled by the price. However, by the next morning, when I had to toast my son's frozen waffles 4 times in a row in our only 2 year old Wally World toaster, I started reconsidering. So, I returned to Amazon and placed it on my Wish List, with the plans of checking the price from time to time. Much to my suprise, a couple of months later, it went on a drastic sale...less than 50% of what it sells for today. I have no clue as to why...perhaps the box packaging design was changed, or something else? I really don't know, but as far as the toaster, it was brand new, and looks exactly like the ones being sold today.

A few days later, my Dualit arrived, and I anxiously took it out of the box. I was a little suprised at the large size of it, but it quickly grew on me as I like the retro look of it. It also had a nice hefty weight to it, that spoke of quality.

After plugging it in, I immediately tried it out on a couple of slices of white bread...and burned my toast to a charred black mess. The next time around, with a bit of experimentation with a lower number on the timer, I had toast success. Over the last 3 1/2 years, I have consistenly gotten evenly toasted bread, bagels, waffles, etc. When using a cold toaster, I get the best results by pre-heating it for just a minute...I put it on one number higher than I really want, and it pre-heats while I am getting my bread or bagel out of the bag. I love the lever that lets me check my toast any time I want, without actually stopping the toasting. Another reason I like this lever is because I usually buy Thomas's Mini Bagels. In a normal toaster, you'd have to dig these small bagels out with wooden tongs. In the Dualit, I simply give the lever a swift swat, and they pop right out. I also really like the fact that toast stays in until I manually pop it up. If I'm cooking eggs, bacon, etc and I'm not ready for the toast yet, it stays warm for a few minutes.

So...why did I give this great product only 4 stars instead of 5? First of all, I really do think it is overpriced. Remember as I said before, I paid slightly less than 50% of what Amazon is selling it for currently. So, I personally think I got the deal of the century, and it's worth every dollar that I paid for it. Secondly, it's a bit of a pain to remember to toggle the switch from 2 to 4 slices. I understand why this feature is there (energy saving), but it's still annoying. After 3 1/2 years we are well used to the switch now, and no longer forget about it. But for the first year or so, we ruined quite a few batches of toast. The third reason is the timer dial. Sometimes I decide to pop up my toast early, and there is still a good bit of time left on the dial. If I try to turn the dial the opposite way to turn the toaster off, it is VERY hard to turn...so difficult that I stopped doing it after a couple of tries, fearing that I would break something inside the timer gears. Perhaps that is just the way the timer dial is designed, but it would be nice if Dualit had addressed it in the instruction guide. The fourth reason, is that the slots are not wide enough to hold a jumbo bagel without smashing it a bit. I personally prefer the Thomas Mini Bagels, which will get practically lost in any toaster, but my husband and son prefer the jumbo bagels. Even though this product is made in England, and perhaps English people don't eat bagels, it would still behoove Dualit to redesign the product with wider slots...all the better for toasting sandwiches, wide bread, etc. Plus the jumbo bagel lovers of the world would be happy. :)

That's pretty much it for my review...long, but hopefully helpful to someone out there. I've already told my son that when his dad and I die, I plan on willing him the Dualit toaster along with my Kitchen Aid mixer (bought refurbished from Amazon for a pittance). He rolls his eyes at me now, but maybe his future wife will appreciate the gesture. :)

This isn't really related to my review, but does anyone know how to SAFELY clean the shiny chrome on the toaster? I'm not the best housekeeper, and don't wipe mine off after every use. As such, I've developed a few light brown stains around the top slots. I've tried using soap and water, and also Windex, but neither worked. I'm afraid of marring the beautiful finish and haven't tried anything else. Any suggestions? If so, please add a comment to this review. Thanks!

13 of 13 found the following review helpful:

SIMPLY THE BEST TOASTERS!!!  Nov 08, 2003

After years as a Dualit owner, I still get a certain pleasure from using its sensible, rugged controls, raising and lowering the toast myself, hearing the friendly ticking of its timer...
It's only a toaster I know, but there's just something about it that gives you a sense of satisfaction. And it makes any kitchen look cool, just siting there. I also know it's expensive, but I've known people buy several new, lesser toasters in the time I've had my Dualit, so who's saving? If something does go wrong, I can get new bits so I won't have to throw it away, ever perhaps.

By the way, it makes good toast too. The best thing is that the toast doesn't pop up, and toast is much crisper if you leave it down (keeping warm) inside the toaster for a minute or two. You can't usually do this with regular toasters.

If you are resistant of the price, think again, it's well worth the investment!

See all 69 customer reviews on Amazon.com