Graef 4-Slice Toaster review: “one of the more practical premium toasters”

RRP at time of testing: £129 | Check price at Amazon, B&Q, Harts of Stur or Graef directly

Our verdict

There are two types of people in this world: those happy with a supermarket loaf and those who’ve started making their own sourdough because “it’s cheaper”, only to discover they now own six types of flour and spend weekends feeding a starter like it’s a third child.

I’m somewhere in the middle. Since acquiring one of the best bread makers, I’ve become mildly obsessed with homemade white loaves during the week. The problem is that most toasters seem to think bread stopped evolving sometime around the sliced white era of the 1990s. Thick-cut homemade bread? Artisan sourdough? A chunky seeded bloomer? Good luck squeezing it in.

We’ve tested plenty of models for our guide to the best toasters, and slot size is one of the biggest real-life frustrations. So the Graef 4-Slice Toaster immediately caught my attention because instead of four traditional slots, it has two extra-long ones. Which sounds like a small thing until you realise how much less irritating breakfast becomes when your bread actually fits.

True to Graef’s brand, the box is equally as modern and minimal as the toaster

At £129, though, this isn’t an impulse purchase. This is firmly “premium toaster” territory, alongside the likes of Dualit and Smeg. So does it earn its place on the kitchen counter, or is it mostly expensive toast theatre?

The Graef 4-Slice Toaster feels like it’s been designed by somebody who eats ‘proper’ bread. The long slots are useful, particularly if you regularly buy artisan loaves or make your own at home.

It’s stylish, solid and makes consistently good toast, although the sharp modern design and £129 price tag mean it won’t suit everyone. But if you’re tired of forcing your homemade slices into tiny slots every morning, there’s a lot to like here.

How I’ve tested the Graef Toaster

I tested the white version of Graef toaster (there’s also black and stainless steel options) in our family kitchen over several weeks using a mix of homemade white bread, supermarket sliced loaves and thicker artisan-style bread. Not forgetting the occasional bagel, crumpet and hot cross bun during the Easter holidays.

I used all four slice positions, tested different browning settings and regularly used both the defrost and reheat functions during busy weekday mornings. (Life hack: always have a frozen loaf in the freezer for emergencies). 

As a household with two rapidly-growing children, the toaster has been used during the usual breakfast chaos rather than under pristine showroom conditions, which feels like the only fair way to test a toaster really. It’s also spent plenty of time dealing with the random combinations children request before school: one crumpet, one frozen waffle and two slices of toast all being negotiated before 8am.

Graef 4-Slice Toaster: what’s in the box? 

Inside the box you’ll find the toaster itself, an instruction manual, removable crumb tray and a bun warmer.

The bun warmer initially felt like one of those accessories you assume you’ll never use, but it ended up being rather handy for warming croissants at the weekend without turning the oven on just for two pastries. It also keeps toast warm when you’re trying to batch make breakfast so the kids can help themselves. 

Thankfully, setup is refreshingly simple: plug it in, choose your setting and you’re off. For bigger kitchen shortcuts, we’ve also tested the best air fryers and best microwaves. 

The toaster comes nicely packaged and protected

First impressions of the Graef Toaster

This is undeniably a very good-looking toaster. The white finish suits our grey and neutral kitchen nicely, and I liked that there’s a matching kettle available if you enjoy a coordinated countertop. (If matching appliances are your thing, it’s also worth looking at our guide to the best kettle and toaster sets). 

That said, it’s definitely modern. Sleek, angular and quite sharp-looking. In our converted dairy parlour home, which looks more country than contemporary on the outside, it does stand out slightly. Whether that’s a positive or negative depends entirely on your taste.

Personally, I like the design and don’t think it feels too stark, especially as our kitchen isn’t exactly full cottagecore. It feels expensive without veering into flashy territory.

Most importantly, though, it feels solid. The lever has a weighty feel to it too - so much so I have questioned several times if I’ve pushed it down fully. It sounds ridiculous mentioning that in a toaster review, but cheaper models often have that hollow plastic clunk.

How well does the Graef Toaster make toast? 

For our house, it makes toast just fine. The Graef handled standard sliced bread well, producing evenly browned toast without needing endless tweaking of the settings.

It did lose a point or two with homemade bread, though. While my weekly 2lb bread-maker loaves fitted comfortably into the long slots once sliced, we did occasionally end up with darker edges on thicker slices. I suspect this was because the inner edge of the toaster is closer to both heating elements. 

I found setting three worked best for our homemade bread, while supermarket sliced loaves needed slightly less time. There was a bit of trial and error during the first few uses, but once I’d worked out the sweet spot it was consistent. The only times it veered of course was when my DH would change the setting and not let me know…

A few homemade bread slices were burnt on one edge at times

Does the Graef Toaster toast evenly? 

One of the things I noticed fairly quickly was the consistency between the slots. You don't end up with two slices bordering on cremated while the others look faintly warmed. This comes down to the four individual heating elements - one per slice position - rather than the shared elements found in cheaper models. 

Combined with the bread slice centring, which keeps each slice in the optimal position throughout, browning was consistently even across the surface, including on thicker homemade slices. 

Are the slots big enough for bigger loaves? 

Yes, and honestly this is the toaster's biggest selling point for me. The two extra-long slots - each 260mm long and 30mm wide - are far more practical than four separate narrow ones. You can fit four smaller slices in at once, or use the full length for larger artisan-style bread and homemade loaves.

There's also an extra-lift mechanism, which raises the toast higher than the slot opening once done. It sounds like a small detail, but it makes a real difference with thicker slices that sit lower in the slot and would otherwise require fishing around with your fingers.

If you regularly buy sourdough or make your own bread, the combination of long slots and extra-lift makes a noticeable difference day to day. No awkward trimming, squeezing or rotating slices halfway through cooking.

Fit two larger slices or four standard bread slices into the toaster with ease

Is the Graef Toaster fast enough for busy mornings? 

It’s reasonably quick. Using all four slice positions at once didn’t seem to affect performance, which matters during the weekday breakfast rush when everybody suddenly wants toast at precisely the same moment. 

Though, for those moments, the included bun warmer helps as you can batch make toast and warm them up together before serving to the zoo animals kids. 

Can you toast frozen bread and bagels properly? 

The defrost setting is useful if, like me, you tend to realise too late that you forgot to add bread to the online food shop and have to dig through the freezer for emergency supplies.

The long slots are also helpful for bagels, fruit loaf and thicker bakery items that often struggle or get squished in smaller toasters.

How does the Graef Toaster look in my kitchen? 

This is probably one of the most design-led toasters I’ve tested. The white finish looks clean and modern, and it pairs particularly well with neutral kitchens. It also helps that the matching kettle creates a cohesive look if you prefer your appliances to twin.

That said, it is quite sharp and contemporary in appearance. If your kitchen leans heavily farmhouse or traditional, it may feel slightly out of place.

The toaster is as modern as its matching kettle

Is the Graef 4-Slice Toaster easy to clean? 

Thankfully yes. Since getting a bread maker, we seem to produce vastly more breadcrumbs, stale crusts and half-eaten toast than any normal household, so both our food caddy and electric composter are working overtime.  

The stainless steel crumb tray has a push-release function and removes cleanly without the sort of aggressive upside-down shaking routine some toasters demand. Stainless steel also feels more considered than the plastic trays you tend to find on cheaper models - easier to wipe and less likely to warp or discolour over time.

The exterior wipes down easily too, although lighter colours naturally show fingerprints and crumbs more quickly. The cable rewind underneath keeps the worktop looking tidier, which matters more than I'd like to admit in a kitchen where gadgets are steadily colonising every available surface.

Does the Graef Toaster stay cool to touch? 

The exterior remained comfortable to touch during normal use, which is reassuring in a busy family kitchen where my kids inevitably appear the second the toast pops up. 

This is by design: the aluminium and stainless steel housing is thermally insulated and compliant with the current thermal insulation act, so the outer casing stays noticeably cooler than cheaper plastic-bodied toasters. It's the kind of engineering detail you don't notice until you've burned your hand on a budget model - and then you appreciate it every morning.

It also feels stable on the worktop, with no wobbling or sliding around during use.

What settings and features does the toaster have?

Alongside standard browning controls, the Graef includes defrost and reheat settings, which are useful rather than filler buttons you forget exist.

The controls are straightforward and intuitive, so there’s very little learning curve. After several weeks of daily use, everything still feels smooth and sturdy, with none of the wobbliness cheaper toasters often develop surprisingly quickly.

The crumb tray is stainless steel, which you just push to open so it’s secure

Is there a matching kettle to the Graef Toaster?

Yes, and it’s nice to see a matching set that doesn’t feel overly flashy or gimmicky. The coordinating kettle helps create a clean, cohesive look if you prefer your kitchen appliances to match. You can read my full review of the Graef kettle here.

Does the Graef Toaster feel worth £129?

This really depends on what frustrates you about your current toaster. If your current model mainly handles a quick bit of Warburtons in the morning and you rarely think about it otherwise, £129 will probably feel excessive. There are cheaper models featured in our best toasters guide that will handle that just fine, including options from Morphy Richards.

But if you regularly buy artisan bread, make homemade loaves or simply want something that feels more premium and thoughtfully designed, the Graef starts to make more sense. The build quality feels solid, the long slots are genuinely practical and it looks far more expensive than many cheaper alternatives.

My only ongoing gripe is that it’s wider than I expected, so it does claim a decent chunk of worktop space.

The design is flawless, modern and very on-brand for Graef

Who should buy this toaster? And who should avoid it? 

Buy it if:

• You regularly buy sourdough, artisan bread or make homemade loaves

• You’re tired of rotating slices halfway through toasting because they don’t fit properly

• You want a toaster that feels genuinely premium and sturdy rather than plasticky

• A matching kettle and cohesive kitchen aesthetic matter to you

• You’ve got a busy household and regularly need to toast four slices at once

• You prefer modern, minimalist kitchen styling

Avoid it if:

• You mostly toast standard supermarket sliced bread and aren’t especially fussed about aesthetics

• You’re working with limited worktop space, because it’s wider than many standard four-slot models

• You prefer softer, more traditional or farmhouse-style kitchen appliances

• You want dedicated bagel settings or more specialist controls

• You’re shopping on a tighter budget, as there are cheaper toasters that handle everyday toast perfectly well

For me, the long slots are what justify the price. Once you’ve used a toaster that properly fits homemade bread, it’s surprisingly hard to go back to cramming slices into standard slots and hoping for the best.

Compare four-slice toasters: Morphy Richards vs Graef vs Dualit

Final verdict: is this the toaster for you?

If your idea of toast begins and ends with a standard sliced loaf, the Graef may feel unnecessarily expensive.

The toaster is lovely and while it’s sharper than other gadgets in our kitchen, I do love it

But if you’re somebody who regularly buys sourdough, makes homemade bread or simply wants a toaster that’s modern and feels premium, this is a thoughtful design.

The long slots are the standout feature and make everyday use easier. Add in the sleek styling, sturdy build quality and reliable performance over weeks of testing, and this feels like one of the more practical premium toasters currently available.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts (aka Beccy) is our resident lifestyle expert with a practical focus on sleep, wellness and everyday comfort. She’s equally at home tackling frank, NSFW‑adjacent topics as she is road‑testing kitchen appliances, mattresses and vacuums that work for real parents. As a mum of two, she writes with the time‑poor, sleep‑deprived in mind - honest product reviews, realistic routines and products that make parents’ lives easier.

When she’s not at her desk, she’s probably product‑testing with her two helpers, corralling a PTA or walking her two dogs up and down country lanes.

About Mumsnet reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of hands-on testing. We never accept payment for coverage, and our verdicts are independent and honest. We may earn a small commission through affiliate links, which helps fund our work - but it never influences our opinions.

All prices are correct at the time of writing.

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