I have an ever-evolving want record of home products I wish to attempt, and for a very long time that record included the Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster. See, the Bella toaster has not solely graced my TikTok feed a number of instances in movies about condominium residing however discovered reputation with Amazon buyers, having been bought greater than 20,000 instances in the previous month, in response to the retailer. I even have coworkers who own and love it.
So as quickly as I discovered that there existed a delightfully skinny toaster that wouldn’t eat up an enormous chunk of the counter area in my tiny New York City kitchen, I was intrigued. The downside was, I didn’t really want a new toaster — till a couple of month in the past. When considered one of my roommates moved out, taking our previous toaster together with her, I figured I may lastly attempt the $25 kitchen appliance to see if it lived as much as the hype.
I’ve been utilizing the toaster nearly daily for a couple of month, making toast with jam for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch utilizing my favourite lengthy sourdough slices. Despite proudly owning the toaster for a comparatively brief time, I can’t think about ever parting with it.
Measuring nearly 15 inches lengthy and three.6 inches huge, this Bella toaster stands out from different fashions due to its slim silhouette, which sacrifices neither counter nor toasting area. Because its singular slot is so lengthy, you may toast two common slices of bread directly or one lengthy slice.
The manner I found this toaster isn’t all that thrilling. Because of my job, I’m at all times receiving emails about the newest residence product launches, so I received one when the Bella toaster launched roughly two years in the past. In many instances, the new merchandise in query aren’t all that thrilling, however as a result of my kitchen has little or no counter area I felt as if it had been made for simply me when I first noticed it.
Though I was tempted to attempt it, I held off as a result of my roommate already had a toaster. Most lately, we had been utilizing this Amazon Basics model (which, to be trustworthy, was so horrible that at any time when I toasted my bread for any longer than a minute it got here out burnt). When my roommate introduced she was shifting out and taking her defective toaster together with her, I was secretly thrilled and instantly requested a pattern of the Bella.
As I talked about, the essential draw of this toaster is its lengthy, slim design. Whereas my previous toaster measured 11 inches lengthy and 6.5 inches throughout, this one is almost 3 inches narrower. In my kitchen, we’ve at all times stored the toaster up towards the wall, and I respect that the Bella mannequin doesn’t jut out that removed from stated wall. It sits discreetly out of the manner, to not point out there’s loads of area behind it (the place we are able to retailer snacks) in addition to between its aspect and the wall (the place we are able to place a few of our cutting boards).
Most importantly, my new toaster nonetheless presents the similar quantity of toasting area as my previous one. Although the Bella has a singular slot, it may well nonetheless accommodate two slices of bread due to its size. Alternatively, it may well take one giant slice as much as 11 inches lengthy. In different phrases, my meal prep time hasn’t elevated, as I can nonetheless toast the similar variety of slices directly.
Although you can get away with toasting sure thick slices of bread like brioche in the Bella toaster, I wouldn’t advocate it in case you’re in search of one thing that additionally takes bagels and English muffins. You’d need to jam them into the slot, and there’s a reasonably good probability they wouldn’t pop again up. In this fashion, the Bella isn’t the most versatile possibility on the market, nevertheless it’s a secure selection for individuals after a no-frills toaster that additionally saves helpful counter area.
I also needs to point out that I get pleasure from this toaster’s look. I love that it’s not cumbersome and it doesn’t have a bunch of knobs or buttons that make its design look busy. Plus, it is available in 5 cute colours. (I received it in Oatmilk and love the way it blends in with the remainder of my impartial kitchen.)
I completely get it if you’d like a toaster with lots of cool options — NCS Underscored’s best-tested model has high-tech components corresponding to a countdown bar and a Lift and Look lever that take a median toasting expertise to the subsequent stage — however when I’m making toast, I merely need one thing that will get the job executed shortly and successfully. For that cause, I respect that the Bella two-slice toaster has simply the fundamentals, specifically six shade settings you may modify by turning the dial, a “cancel” button and a crumb tray that slides out for simple cleansing. I discover that toasting my bread for 2 minutes achieves completely crispy, golden outcomes, and if I toast it for longer it doesn’t burn. It’s so easy!
Even in case you don’t have a small kitchen like me, the Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster is an excellent countertop equipment that works precisely the manner you’d hope. Free of the bells and whistles you may discover on a fancier toaster, it effectively browns your bread so you may transfer onto your subsequent job and luxuriate in a tasty breakfast. But as somebody with a small kitchen workspace, I respect how carefully my new toaster sits towards the wall in addition to what number of different gadgets, from spice jars to baking components, I’m capable of match on the counter round it. This is an under-$25 steal I assume most individuals would profit from.
NCS Underscored has a group of expert writers and editors who’ve a few years of expertise testing, researching and reviewing products, and we guarantee every article is rigorously edited and merchandise are correctly vetted. We discuss to prime consultants when relevant to make sure we’re testing every product precisely, recommending solely the greatest merchandise and contemplating the professionals and cons of every merchandise.
For this evaluation, NCS Underscored affiliate residence and items editor Nikol Slatinska examined the Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster in her kitchen to find out if it was a great worth.