Being a carbohydrate addict, I needed a toaster to satisfy my cravings for bagels, English muffins, and toast. I got this toaster because it looked nice, was inexpensive, and the box said that this appliance could fit bagels. I have had the Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster for years, since back in the days of college.

The Toaster

This is your basic toaster, with two slots where your food pops up. The one I have is white painted metal on the sides, with plastic ends to it. There’s the handle you depress to start toasting, and a sliding button to select the darkness of the toast.

On the bottom is the crumb tray, which has a little spot to grip it to pull it open. The cord on this is fairly short, so you have to be generally close to the outlet to use the Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster.

My (Bad) Experiences

From the beginning, the toaster seemed cheap. The crumb trap on the bottom would get caught and was almost impossible to pry it open without hurting your fingers. Unfortunately we had the same toaster at the place I worked one summer, and in an “incident” with the toaster, I went to brush off the opened crumb try with my bare fingers, and ended up with quite a nasty cut on my finger from the edge of the tray. Those sharp edges delivered a nasty wound!

Even at my summer job, the brand new toaster there was a wreck in just a short few weeks time. And, with ten people wanting things toasted for breakfast, the toaster took an eternity. It was a rarity that something would be toasted with just one round of pushing the toast lever. Food got stuck in the toaster regularly, causing people to have to unplug the appliance so they could grab a fork or knife to go digging for their toast. With everyone’s patience tested, it was the consensus that no one liked this appliance.

The slots do not really fit bagels well, in my opinion. You have to make sure the bagel is cut perfectly even and perfectly in half, otherwise it gets stuck. If you buy frozen pre-cut bagels and pull the halves apart, leaving that little bready chunk sticking up in the middle, it will not fit (or requires some convincing). If you stuff the bagel in the toaster with any imperfections, that section will get burnt from being so near to the heating elements. Also, if you buy a nice "puffy" bagel from a bagel store, forget it. It won't fit. Anything that you have to struggle to get into the bagel slot will, without a doubt, get burnt. There’s nothing like bagels which got bubbled on top and rock hard on the bottom.

If you look closely on the toaster, in between the two slots, you can read “one slice”, which is very lightly impressed on the surface of the metal, and points towards one of the slots. It is not very noticeable, and I doubt there is much of a difference as to what side a single slice goes in, because there is no way for the toaster to sense how many slices you are putting into the slots. Both sides always heat up, regardless of the number of slices.

I monitor the toaster, because sometimes the bagel gets stuck coming up, or it gets thrown way out and ends up on the floor. I’m never really sure which of the two it will be.

As I mentioned before, the two ends are plastic, and the sides are metal- so the sides get extremely hot. A few times at my summer job, someone would accidentally leave the end of a plastic bag too close to the toaster, and it would melt. Granted, you shouldn’t leave flammable or “meltable” items near hot appliances, but this thing becomes unbearably hot. By the end of the summer, there were bits and pieces of text all over the toaster from things that had melted onto it.

Something is definitely wrong with the Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster thermostat. If I toast half a bagel and then go to toast the other a few minutes later, the timing is totally different and varies between the two. I found that you have to keep pressing the toast lever down because the thermostat in the toaster is too hot. It makes a buzzing noise and the lever won't stay down, sometimes doing this multiple times. I try to fan the toaster slots to cool the toaster down, hoping to trick the toaster thermostat. Owning this toaster means that you’ll become a clownish expert in fanning this appliance, because if you fan the toaster, the lever will stay down longer and toast your bread longer.

Every bagel I toast, it's like a gamble. Whatever you are toasting comes out quite differently. The first bagel I toast is without a doubt going to be different than the following slices. I thought the little lever where you choose how dark you want your toast was supposed to have meaning. I always have the toaster on the darkest setting, and I rarely get a dark bagel. And if I do, it's the first one I toast.

Another downside to this toaster is the length of the cord. I don’t know if it has something to do with UL regulations, or if all toasters are like this, but the cord is incredibly short. If you don’t have an outlet accessible with a countertop or other surface right near it, you have to rig something. During the summer at my workplace, we had the toaster on a chair up next to a wall (and not in the kitchen) because of this.

The crumb tray is virtually pointless on this toaster. Two sides of the crumb tray have sides to them, while the others do not. Not only that, but the side you pull the crumb tray out with has a big concave part in it that serves as a finger hold. So if you pick up the toaster, the crumbs fall right off the tray anyway. The Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster is usually the culprit of a trail of crumbs.

Are there any good things about this toaster?

I have learned how to use this toaster in order to make it work. I can usually toast something decently the first time, and then for the second round, I usually fan the toaster a bit to keep the thermostat from sending the lever up. It is possible to get some decently toasted items out of this toaster. But overall, I would say that this is the perfect example of getting cheap quality with a cheap price.

Probably the best thing about the Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster is that it was so cheap. I can’t feel very ripped off, and when I settle down in my own place, I can simply chuck this thing (or give it away with quite a few warnings to the recipient!)

I suppose this toaster is durable. There really isn’t much to this appliance, just metal and plastic. It hasn’t broken, meaning there are no parts that have broken while I have had it. (This doesn’t mean it works great, though!). This toaster has stuck in there for years, which is ironic, since I need an excuse to get a new one!

The appearance is a plus, which is partly why I bought the toaster. It looks like a nice toaster- just don’t let appearances fool you!

Price & Where to Find

I believe I bought the Proctor Silex 2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster at a Wal-mart, and for around $10. It was a college purchase, and I’ve actually seen quite a few of these in my college days. This is still listed on the Proctor Silex website, and if I remember correctly, I see this toaster in stores, so it’s still available (even after all these years!).

Website

Proctor Silex: http://www.proctorsilex.com
2 Slice Bagel Smart Toaster 22225: http://www.proctorsilex.com/products/toasters_2slice/22225.html

Overall

I should probably have gotten a different toaster, because this one burns the bagels that don't fit properly, and makes toasting things a chore. I recommend that if you have this toaster, never leave it unattended. And if you do not have this toaster, spend a few extra dollars and get one that is not a hazard… one that works!

I would have to say that this toaster was cheap price wise, and the product value matched the price. I suppose it has done the trick, but I have experienced high levels of frustration with this appliance, and would much prefer a different toaster, even if it means throwing in a few more dollars. I almost wish it hadn’t lasted as long as it has!

1 star, for total, all-around disappointment. Keep your eye on this appliance (and your toast), and don’t end up having crumb-tray incidents like myself!


Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 10.99