At the high end, beauty's only skin deep
Even toasters, the humblest of appliances, are being designed to look at home in a $50,000 kitchen. Design gurus may have
devoted less attention to toaster ovens, which tend to be boxy, though some have fairly sleek trim and details.
Toasters that have more flair than the usual metal-and-plastic square fall into three broad styles, described below. We have
pictured the priciest, most fashion-forward representative of each from our tests. None of these toasters was near the top
of the Ratings. Less-expensive, better-performing stylish toasters are noted in Quick Picks.
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Professional
The professional or industrial style has a heavy-duty look you'd expect in a restaurant kitchen. The KitchenAid Pro Line ($250)
combines stainless steel and die-cast aluminum and features the chunky controls typical of industrial design. It doesn't just
look heavy: The Pro Line weighs 11 pounds. Despite its muscular look, it makes you push the toast up when it's done.
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contemporary
The look of this $100 Russell Hobbs design (Hobbs is better known in the United Kingdom than in the U.S.) might complement
a sleek glass electric cooktop. The toaster takes up about a 6x15-inch slice of counter space. Its exposed metal top remains
quite hot well after toasting.
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Retro
The Dualit hints at art-deco design, but it sells at an up-to-date price ($220). Performance was middling. A potential annoyance:
Its timer is noisy.
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