Customer Reviews

KitchenAid 2-Quart Gourmet Essentials Brushed Stainless Steel Teakettle

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Note: I was not able to change the rating from my first review which was based on a defective toaster. The new rating should be 5 stars. We've discovered the best bagel toaster ever!

In my first review I said I'd be back when KitchenAide sent a replacement toaster. Not only did the one I ordered from Amazon not toast, the stainless steel stained with fingerprints and smudges of all things. That was three weeks ago. The replacement came last week, and I'm quite satisfied with the new one. It does not retained smudges and fingerprints and, more important, it toasts just fine. I especially like the way it handles bagels -- crisp on the outside, toasted on the inside.

It still has a minor "problem" with English muffins which I don't understand, and buyers note that you have to use the "bagel setting: to toast English muffins. Still, they need a higher setting, perhaps because they're thinner than bagels and regularly sliced bread.

Why not 5 stars? Because it takes so long to toast anything, or seemingly so. Up to two minutes for some breads, not that I don't have two minutes to spare in my lifetime, but timing eggs and other breakfast items so that the toast is ready at the same time will take some getting used to.

How soon we forget: I can't remember how long it took to toast in a toaster over, so this may be unfair to KitchenAide. In fact, I'll go 4.5 stars because on top of the design (classic rather than full of gadgets - I half expected another timer and clock to be in the kitchen), it has really good stainless steel AND the sides remain cool even while toasting. Yep, 4.5 stars. What would it take for 5 stars? I miss the old "Ping!" when toast popped up on our last toaster. That was 35 years ago, so maybe that was my imagination.

One last and very important note: We did not return this toaster to Amazon. We wanted a toaster, so we called KitchAide, and KitchenAide deserves a 5 in customer relations. They sent a new toaster and a prepaid UPS return label. There were no questions, no third degree. Just good old-fashioned customer relations, and I do mean OLD-fashioned. (P.S. I rate very few companies for that kind of customer relations: the "new" Dell; Amazon; and now KitckenAide.)

I have tried them all, good brands, brand x, expensive, cheap. For nearly 30 years, I have been unhappy with every toaster I have tried until this one. What could one reasonable expect from a toaster? That it browns evenly on both sides of the toast without flipping mid-cycle? That bagels fit? That it stays cool? Well, this one delivers the most basic of my requirements. It is large and solid, but I would build a room for it, if necessary. You can't go wrong with this one.

Apparently, toasting a slice of bread evenly IS rocket science. After trying too many toasters, we purchased this Kitchen Aid model and our search is over. It does exactly what it was meant to do, toast bread evenly and handles bagels easily.

This is the best toaster ever!! I purchased it because of the dependability of kitchenAid and am thrilled. I toast on 1 or 2 for nice light toast crunchy on the outside soft on the inside. The bagel setting is so nice and works great. I bought this product in gloss cinnamon to match my kitchen but it's the same machine. Well worth the money. Perfect toast every time. hint: operate machine without bread 3-4 times when new to get rid of the "new smell" that you get with ovens and toasters.

After spending a week reading reviews and looking at toasters. I decided on the KithcenAid KMTT400SS. The reasons for my decision;

1 Top brand name. (We own a Kithchen Aid Table Mixer and Dishwasher)
2 Very good reviews.
3 Quality you can see and feel. Fit, finish and materials are top notch.
4 Extreamly even toasting results.
5 Relatively quick toasting.
6 Very wide slots.
7 Bagel and warming functions.
8 Body of toaster remains cool to touch.

I'm am very happy with our choice. If you're looking for quality you won't go wrong. You can buy a cheaper toaster, but in my opinion not not a better one.

I am upgrading from a 2-slice toaster to a 4-slice toaster. I wanted one with a bagel setting and separate controls for each pair of slots. I read a lot of reviews and was appalled to see how many toasters fail to accomplish even their basic mission. The KitchenAid KMTT400SS does just that. It produces even browning, although I use 7 out of 9 on the rotary dials to produce the best results. The bagel setting does a beautiful job, browning the open face and warming the backside. This toaster also has a warming setting (but no warming rack). But I found that it left breads too dry.

The only other quibble I have, which prevents me from giving it 5 stars, is that its dimensions are larger than advertised. With the controls on the front side and the crumb trays on the back, it extends 0.5-1 inch deeper than its nominal dimensions, precluding me from storing it in the appliance garage with the bread maker. But it's attractive enough to sit out on the counter.

kitchenAid kmtt400ss- 4-slice metal toaster was bought as a gift and the recipient has called it "the best toaster he ever had." It works as advertised: drop in 2 frozen bialys and it toasted them to perfection. Well worth the money.

It works great, needs to be set at least at '6' to get the toast dark enough. it IS slow, but toasts evenly. And like somone else said, it's BIG. No complaints so far, and we got it in a timely manner too.

One thing we have noticed: the loaves of bread we like to buy are a bit on the wide side (like, as in longer slices) and you sort of have to stuff the bread in the slots. The slots are wide, like for bagels or thick slices of braad or waffles, but the longer bread just doesn't quite fit right. I wish the slots were an 3/4 of an inch longer.

Yes, this toaster actually toasts. I have been on a quest for a great toaster for several years, only to be thwarted by toasters that can't handle artisan breads or that just don't work. The closest I was able to come was the Hamilton Beach I reviewed several years ago, but even that was doomed to fail. It lasted about a year and then toasted only half the bread/bagel which necessitated turning the item upside down and toasting again on a lower temperature. I was finally frustrated enough to look for something else and had been watching the Dualit for almost a year. Then I discovered the Kitchenaid and read the reviews associated with it. I was sold!

Although I was still unsure about spending $99 on a toaster and kept putting the purchase off until I could find a better price, I finally took the plunge. Amazon put the toaster on sale for $85, there was a $10 rebate from Kitchenaid and I was able to take advantage of the Amazon credit card offer for an additional $30 off making my final price $45! That being said, this toaster is worth paying full price for, if you have no other options.

I make my own artisan breads and bagels; other toasters have not been able to handle these dense breads and have required multiple toastings to get even some browning. To my surprise, the Kitchenaid did it right the first time. I've only used this for 2 weeks, so will reserve my final judgment, but so far I'm thrilled with my purchase. Yes, this toaster does take awhile to toast - by my timing, 5 minutes on the highest setting to toast artisan whole grain bread the way I like it. However, since I always had to do two complete toastings on cheaper toasters, this really isn't any longer and is a lot less hassle. If you use store-bought breads, I'm sure you will find this much faster as they do not require much to be toasted.

Now for the downside - if you can call it that. This toaster could be called the SUV of toasters! It is HUGE - and that is an understatement. If you do not have significant counter space or have a crowded appliance garage, you may want to consider the 2-slice model. My one other suggestion to Kitchenaid is to put the crumb trays on the front. Because this unit is so large, removing the trays for cleaning is very cumbersome.

Kitchenaid's customer service is first rate! My first toaster was "stained" by the very large stickers that Kitchenaid places on the sides and front of the unit. I was unable to remove the bronze discoloration with white vinegar and elbow grease, and I hesitated to try anything else for fear of scratching the unit. I contacted Kitchenaid to see whether they might have any suggestions for removing the discoloration. Instead of offering a suggestion, they sent me a new toaster - and I didn't even have to ask them to do so! Needless to say, the attached stickers also stained the new stainless unit. I decided to experiment and discovered that good old Bon Ami will remove the stain without scratching the unit. Problem solved! Nevertheless, I would probably recommend against purchasing the stainless steel model and would opt for the black, if the other colors don't coordinate well with your kitchen decor.

This toaster is pretty much as-advertised. It's good quality and appears to be pretty heavy duty. It's finished nicely and it doesn't get hot on the outside, so you can feel okay about putting it close to wood cabinets, etc. It toasts evenly and consistently. The only criticisn I have is the length of the toasting slots. They can make them wide enough for bagels and such, but why can't they make them simply a half inch or so, longer (front to back)? If you use any kind of bread that isn't "standard" like basic, cheap white bread is, your bread will be a little too big for the slot. I generally get bread that appears to be more of a "homemade size" - not perfectly square slices. I usually have to put a slight bend in the bread and then have to hold it in that postion as I push it down into the toaster. Nevertheless, it still toasts my slightly oversize bread slices just fine. Yep, if some low-life stole my toaster, I wouldn't feel bad about replacing it with the exact same model. I recommend it, especially if you're looking for a 4-slice toaster.