A Toast to the Champagne of all Toasters!!

Author's Rating:

Pros: nearly everything

Cons: a bit expensive

Author's Review
Well, I declare that Cuisinart has done it again!! We are the proud new owners of a very high tech toaster, which surpasses all of our toasting needs. After moving into our new home, my sister in law and her husband presented us with a little housewarming gift. We could not have asked for anything better. In my opinion, the Cuisinart Custom Control Total Touch 4-slice Electronic toaster is the top of the line in small appliances.

The sleek ultra modern design compliments most kitchen décor. The model that we were given, the CPT-65, is a beautiful machine in midnight black. It also comes in white. I am certain that we will have no need for future toaster purchases because of the durability of the design, the ease of use and the many assorted fine-tuning features.

The most prominent feature is the extra wide and super long toasting slots. Each of the two slots measures 10 inches long and is one and a half inches wide!! The benefit of this feature is obvious. Full sized bagels, homemade breads and pastries can comfortably fit without fear of tearing or jamming. This toaster easily holds four regular size bread slices. If you are into croissants, you can also lightly toast these by slicing them lengthwise and inserting them into the slots.

This Cuisinart Custom Control Total Touch toaster is very, very smart. It offers seven settings for browning!! The toaster actually memorizes these settings!! You can further customize this toaster by opting to combine the custom lighter or darker settings for the perfect slice of toast!! In my family, my husband prefers very light toast, while I love darker toast. My daughter loves her bagels medium toasted and my son prefers any setting. This smart toaster pleases every member of the family! By pressing the “lighter” button, the LED bar lights up one notch lighter each time it is pressed. For darker toast, pressing the “darker” button will make the toast darker. The lightest setting is indicated by one red light on the LED bar through level seven, indicating the darkest setting, and seven red lights. This leaves little room for error here.

The memory on the Cuisinart Custom Control Total Touch toaster is long lasting, like mine used to be! When the toaster is first plugged in, the browning is set for four slices of toast at medium browning (level 4 setting). This is stored in the memory until it is custom set by the first user. Then, the new setting is memorized until it is changed again!! In cases where you are the sole user, this toaster will ALWAYS make your toast exactly the way you like it, every time!!

This toaster has several custom settings. For 2 slices, the back slot is turned off making over toasting virtually impossible. For bagels, muffins and thick bread slices use the custom bagel button. If you are toasting frozen foods, like waffles, pancakes, or frozen bagels, by pressing the defrost button the toaster will add extra time for defrosting then toasting to perfection. For simple reheating without browning, you guessed it; this toaster has a button for that, too!!

By combining several custom controls, you can fine-tune this toaster. For example, to toast one bagel, you would use the 2-slice button combined with the bagel button for a perfectly toasted bagel. If the bagel is frozen, use the defrost button, bagel button and 2-slice button!! It’s that simple!

Unlike most toasters, this brilliant toaster stays cool to the touch as it toasts. This is an excellent feature for homes with young inquisitive children who love to touch things. Cleaning is also a breeze with this one. The front panel touches pad wipes clean with a damp cloth. The crumb tray slides out from the bottom of the toaster-making cleanup fast and simple.

We are truly delighted with this toaster. If it was not a gift, we might not have had the opportunity to experience the wonders of this fine machine because it is rather expensive for most budgets. The price ranges from $99.99 to $129.99. It definitely makes a wonderful wedding gift, house warming gift or anniversary gift. With the holidays around the corner, it might be a grand idea for that special family in your life.