Dualit 4 Slice Stainless Steel Toaster 40352

The Dualit is a sturdy beast with a retro look. It weighs in at around 4.25 kg and has minimal controls, all with a reassuringly solid feel. The red backlit slot selector switch lights up to tell you when the toaster is in use and can be set for two or four slices. This is important, as the toaster uses a patented ProHeat element that is optimised to quickly produce evenly cooked toast. However, the element's lifespan may be shortened if a slot is regularly heated while empty. A black rotary time switch means that you need to determine how long you want to toast each and every time you use the Dualit, rather than relying on a default setting as seen with other toasters.

One of the advantages of the Dualit toaster is that the bread doesn't pop up when the timer is finished. Instead, you need to press down the central black ejector knob to remove your toast. This ensures that your toast stays warm for longer if you are not there to remove it straightaway. Another component of note is a useful slide-out crumb tray. Results are impressive, with beautifully even toasting in all slots and up to 130 slices per hour (four medium slices from cold takes around two minutes). However, the most compelling reason for putting a Dualit toaster in your kitchen is its perfect blend of durability and style. --Heather Wilson

And yes, it is, every penny.

Its simple timer mechanism means YOU decide how you want your toast, bagels, crumpets, rolls, toasted sandwiches etc etc.

Works perfectly with frozen bread, for thicker slices you can even heat them up a bit, then leave them in the warm toaster for a while for the centre to defrost, then heat again to finish them off to perfection.

It's the only toaster we found that can cope with odd shaped slices of bread made in our bread machine without jamming up and burning them.

The build quality is robust and this is the only domestic appliance we own that we could actually repair ourselves. You can order spare parts so this toaster really might last for ever!

And it's made in the UK.....


It REALLY, TRULY makes superior toast!   January 14, 2005
26 out of 28 found this review helpful

Having had approx 7 toasters in the last 16 years, we decided to take the plunge and invest in a Dualit.

It arrived yesterday (full marks to Amazon as estimated delivery date was 17-19 Jan) and I can honestly say that the toast it produces is vastly different to that which you get from a normal, standard type of toaster.

For starters it's far crisper so when you bite it there's a definite crunch. It also tastes different (don't know why)and toasts much more evenly and much faster. It's very easy to keep an eye on how brown the toast is getting and the fact that it doeasn't pop up means that you can leave the kitchen and come back to hot toast instead of cold rubber.

Most people would probably faint at the idea of spending such a lot of money on a toaster but considering that it is repairable it could theoretically last forever so will pay for itself eventually. In the meantime you have the most delicious toast ever.

I have no problem with recommending this toaster to anyone who is seriously interested.


Perfect toast   August 6, 2005
25 out of 27 found this review helpful

After having bought several toasters of various values and having them last about 18 months (producing one sided toast)I decided to treat us to a dualit. So far I have not been disappointed. It does produce evenly browned toast that is crisp and crunchy.

It does look the business in the kitchen.

I think on reflection I would have spent a little extra and bought the more expensive one that you can vary the amount of bread you toast as in 1,2,3,or 4 slices. With this one the instructions recommend that you don't do just one slice to leave the other slot burning with no bread in. You can do 2 or 4 slices though.

One more thing - don't tell other non converts how much you paid for it. They look at you like you are mad for paying that much but they don't know how good it is!!


Toast just like grannies   December 17, 2004
24 out of 26 found this review helpful

Remember when you were young and your granny used to toast your bread under the gas grill on top of her oven. Remember the butter melting gently into the bread. Remember biting through the crunchy top layer into the soft underlying warm bread!!!! Remember thinking that you would never taste toast like that from grannies Cowan and Parkinson Super Oven with 42 flame "stand up" and Grill facility ever again!!!

Well, the Dualit produces toast just like granny.

Probably the most important toaster ever created. Excellently made with no frills, not even an annoying pop up. A wonderful manual timer that gets progressively faster at the end and the joyous "CLICK" to let you know "it's ready" (Oh joyous CLICK).

There is one draw back though. I keep getting reminded that I spent 140 on a toaster every time the wife wants something!!! But she's worth every penny!

Long live the Dualit. Long live Toast.

Shaun (East Yorkshire)


King Of Toasters   April 11, 2003
renesisx
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

This Dualit is definitely the King Of Toasters. Believe me when I say that you've not really tasted toast till you've tried it from a Dualit - I was suprised how much better toast was from this toaster than from all the previous big-name toaster-makers I'd always had. There are two features on this toaster that make it slightly different to use than "normal" toasters:

1) You have to set the countdown time every time you use it. This is not a disadvantage as I always remember where I like it for the type of thing I'm toasting (bread, crumpets etc), and I can always put it back on for a few seconds more if it's not quite done.

2) It has a lever to pop the toast up. As the Amazon review says though, this means the toast stays warmer if you don't get to it straight away, and it also means you can check the progress of your toasting while it's working by gently raising up the contents half-way through toasting!

If your kitchen is full of ultra-modern appliances they you might not like the retro look and feel of this Dualit, although it's definitely retro-cool in my opinion.

The toast from this Dualit is like the difference between some "value" instant coffee and a gorgeous filter cup - a world away. Hard to imagine that toast could taste so different!