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Original poster

Psssst.... DUALIT toaster owners....this way ....please!

55 replies

Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 12:14

If you have a Dualit toaster would you recommend it/ ever buy another one. Which one do you have? I am about to ask for one for my birthday as our old toaster finally packed up this morning.
Which one?
www.johnlewis.com/230546652/Product.aspx
www.johnlewis.com/230440134/Product.aspx
www.johnlewis.com/230223127/Product.aspx

TIA

OP posts:
brimfull · 23/02/2009 12:46

have had a 2 slotter for 4 yrs ,it's ok,sometimes only slices one side for some weird reason
but overall it's just a toaster at the end of the day
I bought it purely for the ponciness factor
I have kettle and it is fine as well.no problems with it

Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 12:55

Hmm, I know what you mean ggirl, the "ponce" factor has got the better of me but they look so nice...but if all you say is true (and MNers never lie) and the toast is good too then DH has to yield doesn't he?

OP posts:
Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 13:11

Don't know whether to persuade for one like your SS or the satndard Vario....

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 23/02/2009 13:21

dunno about guarantees, but they all come with a standard one year guarantee anyway, at least, I think that's what my little leaflet said that came with it.

you can buy the sandwich cages and stuff separately if you get a regular vario so you can do toasties in it

Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 13:24

Aha! I have just spoken to a very helpful lady at Dualit to clarify all the different specs for a total thickie, thought I'd post in case there are others like me
The newgen dualit toasters have bagel facility so you can choose to just heat one one side of a bagel in each slot, (but that is the only difference apparently.)

The difference between the vario and combi is the abiltiy to select 1,2,or 4 slices...and you get 2 cages with the 4 slice version. (Does that sound right SS?)

The vario can still do 2 or 4 at once though so I'm thinking...vario...
Now for the DH charm offensive

OP posts:
Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 13:28

Thanks TIY, the saving seems so big I hope DH will be ordering one from them later!
The only thing with John Lewis was the free 5 year guarantee but I guess it's hardly free if I'm paying £65 more for the toaster ?! (Can't believe I'm even considering paying more than £30 for a toaster at all though tbh )

OP posts:
hifi · 23/02/2009 13:45

i have the first one and would have got rid if it hadnt cost so much.
i always find im digging bread out, which means sometimes i have to turn it upside down. cant even put mini pittas in.

MilaMae · 23/02/2009 13:45

We have the stainless steel 3 slot one on the 1st link,had it for 6 years not a whimper. Just as well really as now the dc have bled us dry financially think dp would have a fit if I suggested replacing it-did I really spend that much 6 years ago?

Have any of you made toasties in yours? I have the cage thing but have been too chicken.Does it actually work,what do you do and how messy is the process-there must be dripping melted cheese somewhere?

TheThoughtPolice · 23/02/2009 13:48

I have a 4 slice stainless steel vario. It's great.

I don't like the long thin ones. To me, you may as well just buy a cheaper brand. I like the chunky utilitarian looks of the vario.

DH thinks £175 is barking for a toaster and I may well agree if it dies after 5yrs, BUT that said we have a relatively high spec kitchen so putting a £5 Tesco Value jobby would spoil the look .

My ex's parents had one and they'd had it for 15yrs and it was still going strong and still looked as good as new.

TheThoughtPolice · 23/02/2009 13:49

I didn't get a cage with my vario

Habbibu · 23/02/2009 13:53

I've got one - think it's a 3 slice vario, and am very impressed - can select 1, 2 or 3 slices, makes great toast and toasties (using the cage, which will also do 2 mini-pittas at a time). Think price per slice it works out very well, and looks fab.

flippineck · 23/02/2009 13:57

But the long thin one isn't like any other cheapo toaster - it's still got the lovely Dualit chunkiness about it. We'd both always wanted one of the 'classics' but hadn't been able to justify it in terms of space or cost, so the longer one is a good compromise. And it has the bagel function! I didn't need to do a selling job to DH either, he is firmly in the 'buy cheap, buy twice' camp.

Now, the Dualit kettles...we are both seriously tempted! Any reasons why not?!

Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 14:01

Hmmm... oh decisions decisions..

Habbibu, I noticed on an old thread the Dualit lite that Flippeneck has (the long thin one) was a Which best buy? Is that still the case or don't they update it that often?
Maybe I should just ask you all what you don't like about them...?

OP posts:
Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 14:10

Noone??

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 23/02/2009 14:10

OK, bearing in mind ours is 10-12 years old (I can't remember exactly) so it has probably changed a lot...

ours has 2 'normal' slots with handle for flipping them up and 2 cage slots (with cages). For us this is ideal because:

  • as hifi said, the normal slots do tend to 'chew' less-than-perfectly sliced bread - so we use the cages for that, crumpets, muffins, mini pittas, toasties etc and having just one cage slot would be a PITA
  • There are 4 of us now so making a round of toast needs all 4 slots.

You can turn the slots on/off in pairs on ours (pair of cage slots, pair of 'normal' ones) so you can toast one side of something - like a bagel - by turning normal slots on and putting it in the cage slot next to the normal slots - I know that sounds nuts but when you think about where the elements are it makes sense.

flippineck - our Dualit kettle sprang a leak after a year and was v. noisy - but someone else on the thread said theirs was fine.

Habbibu · 23/02/2009 14:11

Ooh - no Dualits in current which BestBuys at all. They tested the two slice, and found it got too hot, which hasn't been a problem for us, and they didn't like the lack of a cancel button. It got 60% overall.

I like the minimal electrics - far less to go wrong, I think, and find it makes good, consistent toast.

chimchar · 23/02/2009 14:11

am a bit wary of jinxing my dualit, posting this!

we've got the two slice with one cage model...have had it going on 11 years. we use it probably at least twice a day, and its as good as new!

you MUST get one that makes toasties...lush lush lush!

really, i adore my toaster...will never change it!

stealthsquiggle · 23/02/2009 14:12

The 2 + 2 slot one (like ours) is not generally available in John Lewis et al, BTW - seems to be commercial/online suppliers only, for some reason.

Original poster
Purplemoon · 23/02/2009 14:14

Ah , hmmm ..ok.... were there any nice cream toasters in the Which Best Buys? Habbibu (see how I'm trying to help you justify that subscription
(I am loathe to step away from the Dualit though )

OP posts:
stealthsquiggle · 23/02/2009 14:16

I am a bit at Which - why do you need a cancel button when you can just take the toast out any time you want to?

Habbibu · 23/02/2009 14:17

Fake dualit from Magimix: Magimix - Le Toaster 11501 cream is the only one that comes close. Thing is, Which can't test over (say) 10 years, and that's where I think a good Dualit really shines. I'd avoid cheaper (not all metal) Dualits, and go for fewer slots if necessary.

TheThoughtPolice · 23/02/2009 14:20

IMO, all you are paying for on the cheaper Duliat toasters and also the kettles is the name. You are paying a premium to have Dualit. I'm sure that is the case with the Vario too, to a degree, but they feel very sturdy and well built whereas the cheaper ones look and feel more flimsy

Habbibu · 23/02/2009 14:21

That was my thinking too, stealth - you're not stopping and starting the elements all the time just to check your toast, which makes for less wear and tear, I reckon.

yeahinaminute · 23/02/2009 14:36

Our Dualit is the most expensive waste of worksurface we (DH) has ever bought .... No wonder they last so long . . .no fecker can toast anything but equally sized thinish pieces of bread ... God forbid you should add a Crumpet or Muffin to the equation ... you end up getting a dodgy 70's perm effect as you rootle around with a knife trying to get them out ... forgetting to disable the appliance from the electricity source in your haste and frustration ....

So I end up bunging most things under the grill such is my hatred of the feckin thing!

NO NEVER AGAIN will I be suckered in to a Dualit

Habbibu · 23/02/2009 14:38

Mine does crumpets and muffins and bread I slice (thickly) by hand no problem at all - never have any trouble getting them out.