Review on Nostalgia HDT600RETRORED Pop-Up 2 Hot Dog and Bun Toaster: Perfect for Chicken, Turkey, Veggie Links, Sausages, and Brats! Retro Red Design, Pack of 1 by Roberta Henderson

When I saw this product I had to have it. As far as I know, this is the most amazing thing after hot water. Received the next day after ordering. After reading all the negative reviews I could find, here is the approach to using the product. 1) Smokes during the first few uses - I turned the knob to 5 and put it through a cauterization cycle which had nothing. The instructions state that you should not work without at least 1 hot dog and a bun. But in my opinion if it doesn't last 1 cycle it must be returned as POS. The burn worked well and smoked like a bingo player at first and then quit. Upon subsequent use, there was no smoke and the smell/taste did not affect the food. 2) Buns Burning at the Edges - yes, the buns burned at the edges and they were heavier from the top of the toaster down. But after a small buildup of carbon inside, the bun stops burning and I cook at #5. The buns should be normal size. I've also noticed that most of the 3 brand buns I've tried are baked/cut with one end tapered and I popped them into the toaster with the tapered end up. 3) The hot dog expands in the holder and is difficult to reach - Yes, this happens with greasy hot dogs. Also, overcooking causes hot dogs to crack, as I found when developing the best cooking plan. Skinny people like Oscar Mayer, Nathans or Hebrew National don't have a problem. I've tried 6 different brands, all beef brands including Ball Park and Bar S plus some generic brands. BallPark was the worst case, but I got rid of them without much carnage. Overall, they all did excellent cooking at level 5. I prefer my hot dogs hot or cold, but not in between. 4) Cheap plastic - it was only $20. However, the plastic body makes it feel cool. The key point is that it works very well and is easy to clean. In summary, I think my organs are releasing all the hot dogs I've eaten in the last few weeks. Everyone who sees a toaster experiences a moment of that big inner child smile and should try it. It works as advertised. It's inexpensive and the color matches my coffee maker.