Review on Effortless Toasting: Oster 2-Slice Touchscreen Toaster with Easy Touch Technology and Digital Countdown Timer, Stainless Steel by Pamela Mcgee

This is a good compact toaster with two toasters, decorated with shiny chrome and shiny black plastic. It has some really nice control features that our other toaster lacked - touchscreen controls, auto shut off, progress bar, frozen bread mode, reheat mode and bagel mode. You can also lift the bread to see how far along it is without stopping the toasting process. There is a place at the bottom to wind the cord, but there are no instructions or tips on the best way to wind the cord, so it took some experimentation to figure it out. Bread toasting works very well. It toasts bread evenly and the default toast level of "4" (out of 6) produces perfectly toasted toast. It works with thin foods like bread slices and toasted pastries, as well as thicker foods like waffles and bagels that take longer. The Freeze and Bagel modes can be used individually or in combination for things like frozen waffles, while the Reheat mode is really handy for reheating food without over-toasting it. Our other toaster had a "one slice" button, but this one doesn't seem to need it. As much as I'm happy with the way it nudges, it does have a few flaws that caused it to lose a star. The first toasters gave off a faint smell of melted plastic. We used it a few times but according to the instructions it was to be expected and it went away after a few uses. The glossy black finish looks great, but it picks up fingerprints and kitchen grime like nobody cares. We have to wipe it down all the time to keep it clean, while our previous toaster's matte finish was matte and stayed practically clean without doing anything. The toaster does not sit as well on the table as it should. because it is very light and not all rubber feet reach far enough to reach the table top. The touchscreen is a nice feature, but the controls and settings are entirely visual, with no indication on the smooth plastic surface where the controls are located, and there's no audible feedback when using the controls. The touch controls are fairly dimly lit, and there's no other indication of where the buttons are on the smooth plastic surface. Our kitchen is well lit and I often have to bend down to see the controls well enough to find them. I don't think this toaster is suitable for people with significant visual impairments. In general, I am very satisfied with the toaster, and inconveniences are not a serious problem for me. Your mileage may vary.