Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

Sick of enduring burnt toast because your housemate always nudges up the browning setting when you’re not looking? Or maybe you like to alternate between crunchy wholemeal and lightly toasted waffles for breakfast? This smart, modern toaster from Tefal will instantly make mornings easier as it allows you to save two favourite settings for the perfect toast at the touch of a button.

There are seven browning levels, cancel, defrost and reheat settings and a great lift function to remove toast without burning fingers. A matching kettle and coffee machine are also available. We also loved the digital screen that counted down precious seconds until the toast was ready, ideal when you’re running late to work or want to make a coffee at exactly the right moment. The toaster takes up hardly any room on the worktop too and the black glossy exterior stays looking sleek, without attracting fingerprints.

The two slots are nice and wide for different bread, though they’re not overly deep so this may not suit lovers of tall farmhouse loaves. Anyone else will be delighted at this toaster’s crunchy, golden-brown slices.

Best: With lift and look function

Rating: 9/10

If getting the perfect slice for breakfast determines how well your day will go, this solidly built model from Rangemaster is the dream. It has an all-too-rare lift and look function, so you can take a peek at your toast without cancelling the cycle then inevitably burning it afterwards when it needs a little extra time. We felt this made a huge difference to getting a spot-on slice and wish more toasters had the same feature.

There are also six variable browning settings and one just for bagels, ideal if you prefer them cooked on one side only. It also handled tall bread well and cooked frozen bread all the way through without just burning the outside.

Also available in grey and cream, the matt black version we tested stayed looking pristine even after several uses and dreaded fingerprints posed no problem. There’s a matching kettle too although we feel the range would suit a more traditional kitchen rather than a modern one.

Best: For bagels

Rating: 9/10

We were completely smitten by the retro 50’s feel of this super-stylish toaster which comes in a range of colours including polished stainless steel, pastel blue and rose gold. It looks great out on show but also cooks a mean slice of toast, with six browning levels and wide self-centring slots to ensure an even colour. The lever helps raise toast away from the heat so you can take it out easily afterwards too.

Toast cooked in no time yet the defrost setting still didn’t leave our frozen bread pale and pasty. We particularly liked the bagel function, which browns one side but keeps the other deliciously chewy. It’s the priciest toaster we tested but well worth the investment if you’re a real bagel buff.

Best: To brighten up your mornings

Rating: 8/10

It’s hard not to smile at the sight of this cheery spotted toaster first thing in the morning. The sunny colours and cute curved design are a joy out in the kitchen and there’s a matching kettle, plates and mugs if you really want to brighten the place up.

This toaster is also perfect if you love chunky doorstep slices or thick crumpets as the slots were some of the widest we found. It toasts super-quickly so we could have breakfast on the table in no time and there are six browning settings so you can turn up the heat as preferred. We would have loved a lift and look function, but otherwise we’re dotty (sorry) for this simple but jolly toaster.

Best: With high-lift function

Rating: 7/10

This go-with-anything toaster is a great choice if you’re not quite sure how your kitchen might look in future and you want something to suit every style. The chic grey ombre design with chrome highlights looks far more expensive than it is and would work in any kitchen.

The toaster has a good compact footprint too, making it great if space is tight and there are six variable browning settings. We found we needed it turned up fairly high to get the perfect golden brown but the toast had a great crunch and was soft and fluffy inside. We were also impressed the lever could be raised to help remove toast – a feature usually reserved for more expensive toasters. Our only gripe was the chrome on each end does mark fairly easily although it looks good as new after a quick buff.

Best: Classic looking toaster

Rating: 7/10

No need to worry about your toaster appearing dated in a year or two if you choose this timeless model from Judge. The glossy black and chrome exterior would look good on any worktop and it cleans very easily when marked too.

The slots aren’t quite as wide as on some other toasters so if you’re taken with teacakes or crazy for crumpets, this might not be the one for you. However, if you’re looking for a well-priced machine for toasting normal-sized bread, this is a solid bet. The reheat function worked particularly well, heating up cold slices without browning them which is a godsend for anyone with children who always need something just as you’re about to eat. There are also six browning settings, built-in cord storage and a high lift feature to help remove toast more easily.

Best: For warming buns

Rating: 8/10

Though almost every toaster we tested had the same basic features, this one had something none of the others offered. It comes with an integrated bun warmer rack to easily heat rolls, burger buns or croissants for breakfast and we found ourselves wondering how we’d ever lived without one before.

If you’re after bog-standard toast, you won’t be disappointed either. This robust black and stainless-steel model has seven browning settings and excellent warm and defrost functions, plus it centres the bread so you’re guaranteed an even, golden brown colour every time. It’s fast too, which is handy if you’re always racing around in the morning or making toast for more than one person. Our one complaint is crumbs caught very easily in the rim around the toasting slots so we found it difficult to keep this as clean as we would like.

Best: For frozen bread

Rating: 8/10

If you always forget to take bread from the freezer for breakfast, this Cuisinart toaster will be a kitchen saviour. We were gobsmacked just how good frozen bread tasted when toasted in this machine and found no difference from fresh slices, with a perfect, even colour and wonderful crunch.

It’s a great choice for bagel lovers as well, with a dedicated setting that leaves one side deliciously crunchy and the other perfectly chewy. Slightly taller slices fitted in easily and our toast was ready much quicker than we expected, in around two and a half minutes. There’s a lift function for easy removal too but this doesn’t raise toast quite as high as on some other models.

However, the toaster looks lovely out on the worktop and is available in gorgeous frosted pearl, light pistachio or vintage rose colours, with a jug or traditional kettle to match. We did find we had to clean it more often than most as it showed fingerprints quite easily though.

Best: Matching range

Rating: 7/10

Give your kitchen an easy new look in one go with this lovely-looking range from Tower that comes in four colours including pink and grey. We loved the deep midnight blue with rose gold accents and were wowed by the sheer range of extra products available to match including a mug tree, bread bin, hand mixer and even an espresso machine. All are well-priced so you can makeover your kitchen without breaking the bank.

The toaster itself has everything you need including defrost, reheat and cancel functions, six browning settings and a removable crumb tray. It doesn’t mark easily and the removable crumb tray is very easy to clean too. It’s a little slower to toast than some other models we tested but you’ll be so busy admiring your re-styled kitchen, you probably won’t care.