KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: a clever appliance with customisable levels of toastiness

Raise your hand if you knew that the numbers displayed on the best toasters explained the number of minutes that your bread would toast for? If your hand is firmly down, you’re not alone. I always thought the numbers explained the level of toastiness that my bread would be toasted to, but alas, I was sadly mistaken.

But I’m happy to say that the clever people at KitchenAid recognised everyone’s struggle with toaster numbers and decided to get rid of it altogether. Instead, its new KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT – which was announced alongside a new Variable Temperature Kettle earlier this year – has cute bread cartoons which show you how toasted your bread will be, depending on your selection.

I put the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT to the test to see if its toasty levels actually lived up to their promise. Keep reading to find out the results from my KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review.

• Buy the KitchenAid 2-Slice Artisan Toaster at KitchenAid

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Unboxing and set-up

The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT arrived in a cardboard box with minimal packaging. Inside the box was the toaster body and the removable crumb tray – simple and sweet, although how many more parts of a toaster do you really need?!

In true KitchenAid style, the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT comes in many different bold colours. To fit in with the rest of my kitchen appliances and to match my KitchenAid Variable Temperature Kettle 1.7L, I tested out the stainless steel colourway. As it says in the title and description of the product, this toaster has two slots so it's small and compact.

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Design and features

The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT might look small but it sure is mighty. The all-metal body has a fun curvy style that’s synonymous with KitchenAid products, and has a variety of clever features to make the perfect toast every time. The two slots at the top of the toaster can fit a surprising amount in, thanks to its extra-wide design.

On the front of the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT are many buttons, levers and sliders which control the toaster. On the left side of the toaster is the main lever that turns the toaster on and off. It also has an extra high lift so you can push it up further after your toast has popped so you can reach it better and are less likely to burn your fingers.

The right side of the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT displays seven toast shade settings. To choose your desired level of toastiness, you simply slide up the lever to choose – closer to the plain-looking toast cartoon means your bread will be barely toasted and higher up by the shaded-looking toast cartoon will give you a nice burnt char.

Underneath the toasty scale are five buttons for defrosting, reheating and keeping warm, which the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT can do for up to three minutes. At the bottom of the toaster is a crumb tray which can be removed by pulling it out from the back so you can keep the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT nice and tidy.

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Performance

As the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT has only two slots, it’s a surprisingly small toaster. Its compact and sleek size, coupled with its simple design, means it’ll fit nicely into any sized kitchen and the toaster, including its levers and buttons, feels incredibly high quality. It comes in many different colours, and the stainless steel model doesn’t mark easily so you won’t see any smudge marks or fingerprints on the outside as you move it around.

My favourite part of the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT has to be the toastiness settings. As someone who had no idea what the numbers on my old toaster meant, I like that I have more control over how my toast comes out. The toast that comes out is true to the cartoon toast sketches so I feel like I can trust that the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT isn’t going to burn my bread like my other toaster constantly did.

I think the fact that the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT only has two slots will put people off, especially bigger families. But I found that the extra-wide slots fit more than one slice of bread at a time, so they’re not too small at all. The slots can also comfortably fit multiple bread types, including chunky crumpets and weirdly-shaped sourdough.

The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT is a vast improvement over my old toaster. The high-lift lever is much appreciated, as I constantly burnt my fingers trying to get my toast out of my old toaster, and now I don’t have any issues with this. My previous toaster would also leak crumbs everywhere so the cupboard it was kept in was always messy but the crumb tray of the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT stops this from happening… although it did dislodge itself a few times during testing.

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Price

The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT is £179 and available to buy at KitchenAid in multiple colours. Is this a bit expensive for a toaster? Yes, but the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT feels and looks high quality and is likely to last you for a while.

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Verdict

The KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT is a welcome addition to my kitchen and I can finally wave my old toaster goodbye. KitchenAid has kept things simple and straightforward with its cartoon toast settings, and has thought of everything, including its high lift lever and removable crumb tray. It might be too expensive and too small for some people, but the KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT does exactly what it promises to do and looks good while doing it.

KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster 5KMT2109BPT review: Alternatives to consider

If you like KitchenAid but want a bigger and bolder toaster, the KitchenAid Artisan Toaster is a good alternative to consider. While the design might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s premium, easy to use and makes good toast… what more could you want?!

For a similar toaster from a different brand, the Sage The Smart Toast is a 5-star toaster that has 1-touch auto settings, extra-wide slots and is available in two or four slot sizes.