Over researching stuff before buying - I just want a toaster. But I am stuck in the reviews!

[cakeorwine]

Upgrading a toaster. You would have thought that would be simple.

Who knew there were so many toasters out there!
So many functions - some of which I hadn't even considered.

And then the reviews - seriously. In the old days, I would have just got one. Possibly looked at the Which magazine to see what they think - but it's just a toaster.

Now I am worried about if it will toast evenly. Will all the toast get done. Will it be wide enough?

And that's just come from reading the reviews.

And then it's a Google search to get the best price

Does anyone else over research on what should be reasonably straightforward purchases?

*I still haven't made a decision yet

If you’ve found a good shop, point my to it. I don’t think such a thing exists anymore.

All the research is always my responsibility. OH doesn’t care at all and the burden is all on me. I have become chronically indecisive as a result. I always think I’ve gone for the wrong thing.

I’m the opposite and do almost no research for this kind of thing (but see also holidays, cars etc!), I just cba. I don’t actually own a toaster though 😂

I do too. Problem is along with the 80 something percent of good reviews, there are always a few bad ones and I fixate on those. I spent weeks researching our toaster, and it is actually pretty rubbish despite its cost, so all my research didn’t really help! Isn’t really that big a deal though. Toasts bread unevenly but, meh, we do ok with that!

This is why I subscribe to Which magazine. I naively went to buy a new microwave and nearly passed out at the options available. In the last few years I've hardly bought anything without consulting Which. We just redid out kitchen so used their recommendations for all the appliances, kettle, vacuum, camera, iron, toaster. I even jumped on the website in Superdrug the other day to check out sunscreen.

I see the monthly subscription as a price well worth paying to get all that time and head space back.

BTW the 4 current toaster best buys are Dualit Lite, Next 4 slice, Dualit Domus and Russell Hobbs Inspire (a bargain at only £30!) We got a cheap kettle that they recommended and it's still going strong 6 years later, despite me dropping it and snapping th handle.

Honestly ignore reviews and buy something cheap that looks nice.

Yup. My previous kettle was a £9.99 plastic thing from maybe Sainsbury that lasted about eight years. So why have I been stressing over obscure Japanese imports costing a month’s grocery budget?

Although having said all of that I'd probably get the Breville Warburtons one as the thing I hate most is having to turn the bread round half way through time make sure the top gets toasted.

OP- I completely understand the researching thing, and even something as 'simple' as a toaster isn't at all! Yes, you can get a bog standard 2 toast thing for £20, but a few years ago I wanted to upgrade and not just make do. I was sick of having to put the piece of bread in twice, into my bog standard toaster, just to get a piece toasted. I wanted something that would take longer slices of bread, and also muffins/slight thicker slices. Not as easy as you'd think to find a machine that does this!
In the end I bought a sage brand one. I can't find the model anymore though, but this link is similar. Yes, the price is ridiculous, but I've had it 4yrs now, no issues and fits everything I want and cooks it perfectly from fruit toast, bagels, crumpets, large sourdough etc.
https://www.sageappliances.com/uk/en/products/toasters/bta730.html?sku=BTA730UK

Buy me once website!
I got a LIFE CHANGING knife.
Buy a Dualit toaster.

Yes, this! All the time, for most things. The problem is it’s not usually ‘over’ research - years back you bought something and it worked, usually lasted, and was often repairable. Now, things are often just not fit for purpose to begin with, let alone built to last. Our old toaster, and every friends I’d ever encountered just used to work. The only difference was a nuance in how much you twiddled the knob per different model re how toasty it got. I don’t remember it not being even or not working properly. It was a toaster, it toasted. Now, tons of reviews prove otherwise. I gave up & use a grill pan 😅(which is also blooming uneven 🤣) I’m not ancient - but will sound it when I say this … things just aren’t made like they used to be. Plus everything is so much more expensive now. Throw-away items at non thow-away prices. That’s before you even consider the environmental impact of having to throw away. Hence the research.

Each company usually has an absolute ton of different options. Perhaps they could consider only a few options that actually work?!?

Yes, thoroughly had enough of it.
(Soapbox dismounted 😅)

Very true.

All toasters are a bit shit, I've never used one....even a dualit that hasn't pissed me off.

I have this dualit. Bought in 2008 and still going. I?  https://www.johnlewis.com/dualit-newgen-2-slice-toaster/polished/p2843289?tmad=c&tmcampid=7&sshare=jlappioss_Y29tLmFwcGxlLlVJS2l0LmFjdGl2aXR5LkNvcHlUb1Bhc3RlYm9hcmQ=

@Beamur do not mention Buy Me Once! (Excellent though they are.) All too often the arrival of one of their emails sends me down a 12 hour long rabbit hole from which I emerge having learnt far far too much about cast iron skillets or Japanese knives or speakers / crockery / bed linen I Do Not Need.

There’s just too much to know nowadays …

For appliances I will only consider things with 5 year warranty and highest energy consumption rating, that narrows down loads of options…

Ha ha.
I bought the Victorinox tomato knife and it's the best thing ever. Makes cutting up an orange a joy and a delight 😂

I got a kitchen aid toaster & kettle from Facebook marketplace for £50. The toaster is easily the best thing ever! It has a bagel mode where it only toasts the inside of the bagel, it bings nicely when it's done and then lifts the toast up slowly, if you don't take the toast out within a set amount of time it keeps it warm.

I'm very easily pleased 🤣 the kettle is very nice but I don't really understand why it has gradients between 40-100c and that will also ding when it's done :)

😂This made me lol. Not sure if it was supposed to be, but comedy gold. Thank you.

Different temperatures for different teas/coffees. If you’re going to be all proper about it some ‘need’ lower temperatures to not burn the leaves, or something like that. Can’t tell at all that I’ve previously been down a kettle research rabbit hole can you 😆

I had a thread once about toasters. The main learning was that only bog standard Tesco or other supermarket brand toasters will fit the standard UK sliced loaf. Most branded toasters are designed for European bread loaves which are smaller.

We did a microwave faff search a few weeks back - bought a Panasonic from JL £300
And when we unpacked it ! It was not even - feet were all on. Or re you but it wasn't level and was so badly built it went back same day -on way home popped into Sainsburys and bought one for £65 - works a treat

@ElleL well that makes sense! Now I'm going to google the kettle I already own 😳

😆 Ours has different settings. We use boiling, boiling, or, boiling. Unless we’re descaling, then lower for some reason 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just popping on to say don't buy a Smeg, I was insistent on it for the aesthetics and have been pretending I still love it for 2years to save face with DH but it is soooo shite. Everything is either incinerated or not toasted at all, no middle ground & I've tried at least 10 different loaves and no way can I fit 4 slices in at once. Drives me crazy but it is very pretty 😂

You'd have thought buying a toaster would be easy.

But I have been surprised by the sheer quantity out there - they only have 1 real job to do and it seems some do that better than others.

Oh I love a bit of research me. Research is my superpower.

I’m the kind of person that takes 3 weeks to decide on a kettle.