I had no idea that toast could be done any better that it has been done for decades! But this thing has accomplished just that. Now my toast is crispy on the outside and still soft in the center. I have toast every day now just so I can use this appliance. I think this is engineered and made in England so if anyone should know everything there is to know about toast I'd assume it is these guys. It's pretty pricey for what it is but it is very well made and lacks the electronics and other little convenience features that will burn out cause you to have to toss your China made appliance in the trash. If this isn't the last toaster I ever need I guess I will do without toast.If the ridiculously bad reviews scare you, like they did me, check out the PDF linked instructions here on Amazons product page. You can read for yourself how easy this is to use and how wrong most of the bad reviewers were on first their use and then the various flaming reviews posted.I purchased this toaster to replace a 40 plus years-old Mary Proctor toaster (very nice in its heyday). I was actually just looking for toasters that had an optional heating rack, since that option seems really good for defrosting buns and heating this really awful cheap pastry that my Dad loves. This toaster, kept coming up in my searches, but the horrid reviews foolishly keep me from delving further. I bought it and this is what I experienced.This toaster has two simple knobs; the upper dial for the number and/or type of bread to be toasted and a lower dial for the time setting. Between the two knobs is an indicator light (an LED) showing if the heating elements are on or off. That's it. That is all it takes to use this toaster, but you need to SET BOTH EVERY time you use it.If your interested in more details, these are the "quirks" I noted:First, set how many toasts you are making; I have never had to do this before. For a two slicer it is 2, 1, or 0-like thingy for a bagel or English muffin. Of course, four slot toasters have up to 4 toast selections and a choice between 1 or 2 bagels). From reading the critical posts, I think this step is most often not known or missed by people. (If you set it for more or less toast, you get real uneven heating and toast.)Second, the first slot to use/load is on the LEFT, so you need to load from there; again I never had to do this before either, it was always from the right. (Please, please do not argue why; just go with it.)Then to "start" with a cold toaster, it might help to preheat, this really only takes a moment; but you have three options here:1)Start it with empty slots and run the toaster for a one minute, or2)Add one minute, of toasting time, to your first toast run, or3)You can actually choose to follow the manufacturer's instructions and set the timing dial to just past the 2 (minute), where they printed a black dot for you; set it there and for most breads and you will have a perfect first toast and a toaster that is now warmed up for subsequent loads. (They have actually tried to dummy-proof this toaster, the numbers are gone and my knob is labeled light, medium and dark; see they do listen.)For subsequent toasting just chose the setting you desire, (as with any toaster, different breads take different times and fresher bread will take a bit longer etc.; I have one Portuguese sweat bread that toasts very, very quickly). Once the first set of toast is made, this 2 slot-unit, can toast 55 per hour. Now that's a lot of toast.More "quirks" if you will:The bagel setting(s) is a little different, the two center elements do the toasting, so face the cut slices that way; but also the outer elements also gently heat the underside of the bagel. (I also have the rack and you can place humongous bagels (cut side down) and they will toast perfectly.)The toast does not pop-up. There is a simple mechanical lever and knob that is the fundamental design and it is both brilliant and WONDERFUL. There are two benefits for me. One, it is easy-peasy to check my toast without disrupting the toasting cycle. Two, it keeps the toast (or sandwich) warm until I am ready to retrieve it. There is no major shifting or squishing of bread, I can easily grasp very small raisin toast without the bamboo tongs (I always needed tongs for all my other toasters).Defrost setting: There used to be a snowflake on the dial to indicate it was to defrost, but I guess it was too complicated for some. Now you just put it on the 1 minute timer. After that, WAIT 20 seconds, then use or toast. This is very handy. Reviving bread this way is much, much better than microwaving.The timer: Similar to old wind up alarm clocks (my mother has one that is probably 50 years old and still wakes her every morning), is mechanical. It ticks while it is on. So there are two indicators you are toasting; one, the pleasant ticking and two, the LED light.The crumb tray: It seems really simple and it is. But there are NO MORE CRUMBS under the toaster, ever. I love that.The accessories:Bread Cage: If you have a lot of "small" items to toast, you might want to consider the bread cage. This is excellent for normal-sized toasted sandwiches, like cheese and such, or small bagels, or whatever crumpets or tea cakes are? They recommend letting the toasted sandwich sit for an additional minute for more thorough heating throughout; it really helps the cheese melt.The Warming Rack: If you have a lot of "larger" items to heat/toast, you might get this add-on. This fits above the toaster. It has various uses, like to warm or defrost muffins, buns (hot dog, hamburger etc.). Some people actually use this for toasting big bagels. Others put a piece of foil/parchment paper and reheat pizza here; it does do a great job for it, no more soggy crusts. Still others use it to heat tortillas. Whatever you use it for, it is great; it is much faster and gives better results than using a toaster oven. When re-heating pastries with icing I put a piece of parchment paper (pre-cut and in the cupboard above the toaster) down on the rack to protect from drips. (I am very biased on this option, for this is the actual reason why I finally researched Dualit and bought it; few toasters seem have this option.)Clean-up is a breeze. The most mess comes from drips from reheating pastry and such with the warming rack. This too is easy-peasy. First let it cool then lightly wipe with a damp towel with a touch of a type non-abrasive cleaner (baking soda, Bon Ami or Barkeepers Friend); looks brand new again.Other features:Serviceability: All parts are easily purchased and replaceable. If you ever need to replace a heating element the user's manual shows you how to do it!It is just simple, wonderful and incredibly functional product. The bottom line is this machine, no matter the age, rocks.I bought this product (the 4 slice, shiny chrome model) back in June 2004. I had "discovered" Dualit toasters a couple of months prior, and had been coveting one, as my 2 year old Wally World toaster was starting to kick the bucket. Since my family and I had now went through 3 toasters in only 12 years, I started thinking it might make sense to buy a higher quality product.When I first started researching them on the internet, I truly was mind-boggled by the price. However, by the next morning, when I had to toast my son's frozen waffles 4 times in a row in our only 2 year old Wally World toaster, I started reconsidering. So, I returned to Amazon and placed it on my Wish List, with the plans of checking the price from time to time. Much to my suprise, a couple of months later, it went on a drastic sale...less than 50% of what it sells for today. I have no clue as to why...perhaps the box packaging design was changed, or something else? I really don't know, but as far as the toaster, it was brand new, and looks exactly like the ones being sold today.A few days later, my Dualit arrived, and I anxiously took it out of the box. I was a little suprised at the large size of it, but it quickly grew on me as I like the retro look of it. It also had a nice hefty weight to it, that spoke of quality.After plugging it in, I immediately tried it out on a couple of slices of white bread...and burned my toast to a charred black mess. The next time around, with a bit of experimentation with a lower number on the timer, I had toast success. Over the last 3 1/2 years, I have consistenly gotten evenly toasted bread, bagels, waffles, etc. When using a cold toaster, I get the best results by pre-heating it for just a minute...I put it on one number higher than I really want, and it pre-heats while I am getting my bread or bagel out of the bag. I love the lever that lets me check my toast any time I want, without actually stopping the toasting. Another reason I like this lever is because I usually buy Thomas's Mini Bagels. In a normal toaster, you'd have to dig these small bagels out with wooden tongs. In the Dualit, I simply give the lever a swift swat, and they pop right out. I also really like the fact that toast stays in until I manually pop it up. If I'm cooking eggs, bacon, etc and I'm not ready for the toast yet, it stays warm for a few minutes.So...why did I give this great product only 4 stars instead of 5? First of all, I really do think it is overpriced. Remember as I said before, I paid slightly less than 50% of what Amazon is selling it for currently. So, I personally think I got the deal of the century, and it's worth every dollar that I paid for it. Secondly, it's a bit of a pain to remember to toggle the switch from 2 to 4 slices. I understand why this feature is there (energy saving), but it's still annoying. After 3 1/2 years we are well used to the switch now, and no longer forget about it. But for the first year or so, we ruined quite a few batches of toast. The third reason is the timer dial. Sometimes I decide to pop up my toast early, and there is still a good bit of time left on the dial. If I try to turn the dial the opposite way to turn the toaster off, it is VERY hard to turn...so difficult that I stopped doing it after a couple of tries, fearing that I would break something inside the timer gears. Perhaps that is just the way the timer dial is designed, but it would be nice if Dualit had addressed it in the instruction guide. The fourth reason, is that the slots are not wide enough to hold a jumbo bagel without smashing it a bit. I personally prefer the Thomas Mini Bagels, which will get practically lost in any toaster, but my husband and son prefer the jumbo bagels. Even though this product is made in England, and perhaps English people don't eat bagels, it would still behoove Dualit to redesign the product with wider slots...all the better for toasting sandwiches, wide bread, etc. Plus the jumbo bagel lovers of the world would be happy. :)That's pretty much it for my review...long, but hopefully helpful to someone out there. I've already told my son that when his dad and I die, I plan on willing him the Dualit toaster along with my Kitchen Aid mixer (bought refurbished from Amazon for a pittance). He rolls his eyes at me now, but maybe his future wife will appreciate the gesture. :)This isn't really related to my review, but does anyone know how to SAFELY clean the shiny chrome on the toaster? I'm not the best housekeeper, and don't wipe mine off after every use. As such, I've developed a few light brown stains around the top slots. I've tried using soap and water, and also Windex, but neither worked. I'm afraid of marring the beautiful finish and haven't tried anything else. Any suggestions? If so, please add a comment to this review. Thanks!This toaster looks good, makes wonderful toast, and lasts and lasts. In a world of throw-away choicesthis is the one to purchase and keep year after year.Hand made in England. I like this yoadter a lot. I don't know the technicals and dont know exactly how to explain this but It makes good toast that isn't too dry or over done. My last was a fancy breville upright toaster that lasted only 2 years. This seems simpler, better quality, and much better looking.Make toast in a work of art! Seriously love these toasters and have bought a few over the years.They are serviceable and you can easily pick up the parts online - very eco-friendly ?Treat yourself, you won't regret it.My husband and I love our new Dualit! While this toaster is a splurge, we can’t say enough good things about it. Besides its retro good looks, we like the wide toaster spaces. We also purchased two of the sandwich cages which add to our Dualit’s usefulness.It's just a toaster, it's a simple device that hasn't changed in any meaningful way in a very long time. That being said, the philosophy of this toaster represents something that we've lost in recent times: Creating simple, serviceable products that are built to last rather than cheaply made products that are meant to look good and cost little and then be disposed.I cannot speak for the "performance" of the toaster, like I said, it's a toaster but these points are why I support this product.1) It is "hand assembled" in a first world country by regular people who I can only assume are paid living wages. It is kind of funny but when you turn the toaster upside down it will actually have marked on the bottom the name of who put it together, mine was built by Harry. Thanks Harry, it works.2) It is easily serviceable. All parts are available and replaceable. All parts are easily disassembled.3) It is made of seemingly lasting materials... that is, the body is all metal and no plastics to crack and fade.Last toaster you'll ever need to buy? Remains to be seen, but I agree with the premise.This toaster was broken out of the box,my guess is the box took a hit at some point,likely on the raise/lower lever,as the mechanism was totally inoperable when removed from the(triple!)box..however i bought this toaster in part because it would be repairable...now,i had assumed that would be in the future..but nevertheless,a few screws to remove the bottom plate and the issue was obvious,a bent copper shaft that was easily straightened and everything was fine...i am glad i was able to buy this at a significant discount through amazon,as full price is clearly more than this is worth.as much as i want to support a first world mfg still making things in the old way,this is not the super nice luxury item one might expect at this price,its just a toaster,its simple and made well enough,it does look fantastic..but its just a somewhat quirky toaster.It's a great toaster, with one design flaw - one of the feet is "adjustable", seemingly based on the (unlikely) assumption that, in 2019, many purchasers have uneven countertops.Try as I might, twisting it back and forth, tightening and loosening the screw, prodding and poking it, first with fingers, then with a variety of tools, both grippy and spiky, I couldn't coax that poor little foot to extend beyond its default stunted position, so the toaster constantly wobbled on my perfectly flat countertop.I contacted Dualit, hoping that they might just send me a 5-cent normal-height foot. Even from the UK it wouldn't have cost them more than a pound or so in a little jiffy bag.Nope.Instead they told me I could either ship the otherwise flawless and perfectly functional toaster back to Amazon, or I could order a new foot for almost $20(!) from their local supplier.5-star toaster, except for that weird little foot, and minus-a-hundred stars for the indifferent customer service.This rating is for the shipper who sent this machine poorly packed that the crumb tray was caught inside the machine and the 'ejector knob/lever' was non-functional. The machine was the correct model but looked only new-ish as there were blemishes on the inside. of the toasting platform. I have the exact same model and have loved it for years. It's been faultless and is why I was so ready to spend the same [absurd] amount for yet another one. I'll reorder and if the shipper sorts this properly I'll update my review.Even toasting owned it for a year and the has not changed, solid build can be repaired so it does not end up in the landfill and best of all NOT MADE IN CHINA.