Worth it, worth it, worth it!

Okay, I'll confess: when my husband came home with the new toaster three years ago, I almost ended a 25 year marriage right then and there. A toaster that cost just under $100???? "It's just TOAST!" I cried.

I was so wrong. First of all, it makes great toast whether you prefer store-bought Wonder Bread, or thick slices of your own home-made recipe. Where it truly excels, however, is in toasting other bread-like items: bagels, english muffins, toaster biscuits, and the like. The "bagel" button perfectly toast the cut side of an English Muffin facing the center of the toaster, but only warms the outside. As a person who hated the over-cooked English Muffins produced by my former toaster, this is great! The cut side turn out nicely browned and crispy, but one doesn't leave black carbon-like bits on the plate.

The toaster is visually appealing. The large, red digital numbers make it easy to remember your favorite setting and also lets you know right off if your spouse has bumped up the setting to produce his morning charcoal, ahem, purposefully burnt-toast. No more ruining your own breakfast because of someone else's inconsiderate behavior!

Finally, cleaning out the crumb tray is a breeze. The little crumb drawer easily glides out, and is deep enough to contain the crumbs on the way to the garbage can. Nothing like the hinged "shelf" on the bottom of my last toaster that left more crumbs on the counter than in the garbage. Love it!

This is an appliance that has been used 10 times a week for the past 3 years without incident. Truly, this is a time when you get what you pay for.