Bosch Styline TAT8613GB 2 Slot Stainless Steel Toaster with variable controls - Black

TL:DRLook hard at other options.I love Bosch. I have bought many Bosch appliances over the years. My kitchen is made up from other high end German brands. Mainly, Miele and Siemens but have bought all brands for other properties - so I have a bit of extensive experience in appliances. Before you ask, I only like to buy things once and am happy to pay a lot more for one item that lasts and is great at the job, instead of the cheapest thing that does the job adequately, but might fail and cost you in the medium term.I recommend Bosch occasionally to friends and family if they want dishwashers for example.So why did I buy this toaster? Answer: I have the kettle of the same set and that is amazing. So a matching toaster sounds like a great idea.Does it toast well - yes, not bad. Does it look good - it looks great, and matches my kettle perfectly.So why do I wish I had another toaster?This product seems to have been created from a wishlist of features to make the best toaster and the came across a design team who then had the job of working with a technical team to put it together and then had to make compromises. Here in lies the issue.Here are some of the features:Controllable temperaturePop up frame/holder to warm croissants or other large items that can balance between/on top of parallel bars.Gloss white exterior (mine currently used and smudgy).Down sides: The parallel bars is confusing to pop up and down and at times, may become a hazard/as it obviously gets hot and protrudes.Soemtimes it is up while you have toast in the toaster and fishing out the toast while the bars are up feels like the childrens game of "Operation" where even with tongs you can set off the "buzzer" but intstead of the buzzer, you risk being burnt.My main gripe is the on and off switch. I think in the bid to have flashy lights and be a bit digital with the heat control, they had to add a switch. I compared to my kettle which also has a switch but feels seamless and also has similar temperature controls.The ON switch for the kettle heats up the water.The ON switch for the toaster by comparison, turns the device on and it is right next to the temperature control numbered buttons. When you press the numbers, either one light flashes on "1" and then flashes together with "3" and there are some steps between before only "3" lights up on it's own. I guess this is because of incremental and graduated rise in temperature which is my assumption - I'm sure they tell you in the instructions. Again, this is not a deal-breaker IMO - since for many households you pick a temp after nuking a few slices, and then never touch the settings again. Well since you can't see the exact position of the spectrum you have to guess that it was set to "1" plus 3 presses of the "3" button.My main issue is the on/off feature.I now have to turn on the machine first (One step) and then press the toaster slider down to activate heating" (TWO steps), hope that my setting is the same as before and then toast delivered. Why is this an issue? The lights on the toaster remain on and several family members feel that the toaster should not be on between toasting AND unfamiliar with needing to turn on a toaster twice, and then being confused, turn the toaster off at the mains.I now return, pop my bread in the toaster, push the slider down and... nothing. I then see no lights, and press the on/off switch - nothing. I then look at the mains and then switch on the mains, turn the toaster on and then press the toaster slider down while I also check the heat settings are correct or not - which at best is still guess work and often involves me giving the first slice of toast to my toddler who will take any carbs I give him.Now the first five times this happened, I smiled and patiently put went through the motions of turning the toaster on 3 times (mains -On switch - slider).I now reminisce about the days when I used to go to my toaster with the dial visibly set to between 2 & 3 at a 30 degree angle(I'm guessing the angle but if I saw it, I would know it was in the correct position for me). I would then simply pop the bread into the toaster and press the slider down. Minutes later, toast.Happier memories from a simpler time.If you are still reading this, you either are really keen to buy this toaster and want to make sure it's a one time purchase - I for one am waiting for the time when it's due for the inevitable expensive replacement. Oh and at the time of writing this, I have see that it's 20% less than I paid, so am grinding my molars while I plan to go keto.I had a packed timetable today, had a break and fancied some toasted tea cakes. Now you know why this is a long review by someone who has more should have more important things to do.

I am new to this manufacturer and i have to say I am very impressed and have bought several of their appliances for my new home. They look great and perform well. It's worth paying the little extra it takes.

Good make ,Good quality,reasonable value.

It’s a nice-looking toaster which does a good job and is easy to use. I mainly use it for toast, but it has a rack which pulls out above the toasting slots where you can toast more delicate items. It has a ‘keep warm’ function, too and a place for storing (shortening or lengthening) the electric cord, underneath. It remembers your last setting - so if you often toast frozen bread, for example, you can set it to remember how you like your toast.One unusual feature is that it has an on-off button which you have to remember to press. It’s a safety precaution, I would think.I’ve not cleaned it yet, as it’s fairly new, so I can’t comment on ease of cleaning. From the instructions, it looks fine. It’s quite expensive for a toaster but Bosch is a good brand and it’ll last for years and years - that’s why I bought one I really liked - I’m going to be using it for a long time.

Thick bread slices would fit. Bread comes out nicely toasted.

As a toaster does its job and looks nice.What I don't like:- The stainless steel parts look more like plastic honestly.- It has a power on-off button, something very outdated, and it doesn't power off automatically. It is a silly detail but definitely something that should've designed in a better way.

It’s ok but not special!

Well-made and easy to use. Copes with quite thick bread, and teacakes are no problem. Much more energy-efficient than the gas-cooker grill and very much faster: results not really as even, though far better in this respect than many traditional toasters. Turning the bread through 90 degrees at half time improves evenness greatly and is no real trouble since the toaster is so quick in operation anyway. Because the surface of the bread toasts quite quickly, the interior remains pleasantly soft. Adjustable timing is handy for coping with different types of bread and the warming rack is a useful feature, especially for defrosting small items. Glad I bought it.