When Oprah loves a product, we are usually not far behind her. But there is one product she has in her kitchen that, upon reviewing, didn't quite live up to the hype – and we won't be picking it up on Prime Day.
When we saw the Revolution InstaGLO toaster on Oprah's Favorite Things last year, we had to get a sample to test. You can read the full review here, and while isn’t so bad that it didn't make it onto our list of best toasters, there are some other options that we think perform better for the money. Our in-house reviewers urge you to consider those instead.
Here, we explain why you might want to avoid the Revolution InstaGLO toaster, and what you want to be picking up in its place.
Why we gave the Revolution InstaGLO toaster three stars
For such a high price (even on prime day) our reviewer Camryn Rabideau wasn't quite convinced by the uneven cooking of the high-tech touch-screen toaster.
Although offering a series of preprogrammed food settings, and doubling up as a panini press if you buy the added extras, the results are a little on the disappointing side – even when manually programming your desired toasting levels. Camryn was disappointed to find burnt bottoms and undercooked tops of whatever she put into the shallow toasting slots.
Its bulkier size also means it is not the best appliance for small kitchens, or if you are trying to save space. Overall, the jazzy touchscreen model looks sleek and is worthy of setting up a smart home, but it was a little too showy and not as consistent as we would have liked.
What to buy instead
When picking up some new kitchen gadgets this prime day, there are three toasters that our reviewers have deemed Amazon prime day deals worth buying – and all of them go back to the basics:
Was $69, now $54.65 at Amazon
The Cuisinart CPT-180MR is our pick for the best toaster you can buy. Inexpensive, it takes it back to basics, toasting evenly and across 6 settings, reheat and defrost, and a bagel function.
Was $79.99, now $74.99 at Amazon
Sure, not a huge discount, but still far cheaper than the Revolution. Another of our best toasters, this option doesnt have a defrost function, but has wide slots for toasting all sorts of goodies.
There isn't even a deal on this toaster, but it's still cheaper than the Revolution InstaGLO. If you are working in a smaller space, this compact option is another top-rated option we love with simple controls and a good toast.
'When it comes to toasters, going back to the basics is the safer, cheaper option at the moment,' says our Head of eCommerce, Alex David. 'Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of gadgets I love for smart homes, but when it comes to something as basic as toasting bread perhaps it is better to stick with what we know – as we have seen with our favorite toasters so far.'
FAQs
How do I choose a toaster?
When choosing a toaster for your home, consider how often you will use the appliance, and how many people you have in your household to help decide whether you need a two-slot toaster or a larger four-slot. From there, it is a good idea to read some reviews of best-rated toasters to work out which offers the toasting levels you desire, or which toasters offer additional features such as toasting paninis and the like for some added functionality.
Do you really need a four-slice toaster?
Whether or not you need a four-slice toaster largely depends on the size of your household. A four-slice toaster is ideal for families of four or more, but if you live alone or in a couple (or have a small kitchen where you need to preserve counter space) a two-slice toaster is more than enough to get along with.
Don't think that all smart kitchen gadgets are like this, however. One of our favorite air fryers, the Cosori Dual Blaze, works with an Alexa or from a smartphone, but it delivers on performance too.
