BALMUDA The Toaster | Steam Oven Toaster | 5 Cooking Modes: Sandwich Bread, Artisan Bread, Pizza & Pastry, Oven | Precise Heat Control | Steam Technology | Baking Pan | US Version | Black

If you are reading this review you may be torn about paying such a premium for a toaster. And it’s a toaster. It’s not an all-in-one appliance. So here are my thoughts on why you should buy it if, like me, you really enjoy a perfect slice of artisan bread toast or are used to croissants that are crispy and flaky and not the mushy thing sold at grocery stores.For years, our family has known that running wet hands down a baguette before placing it in the oven, or a quick spritz of water on artisan bread or croissants produces a crunchy crust and moist interior. The trick also works with stale bread. Enter the Balmuda. Its simple trick of introducing water into the toasting process produces perfect, crunchy toast, evenly browned. Flaky crisp pastries. Crispy left-over pizza. Perfect English muffins and nice open face tuna melts.I have had the Balmuda for a month now and put it through its paces. It shines. Part of its magic is that the heating elements go on and off which seems to retain a moist interior while making a perfect crust. Note that, on purpose, the top will be perfectly browned and the bottom not so much; this ensures that your toast does not turn into Melba toast. Tip: Also but an 8” small silicone baking mat for the baking tray for those cheesy sandwiches and trim it down to size.I was concerned about the number of 1 star reviews based on reliability. I even called their tech support and received some advice on avoiding damage to the door and the cover for the water intake (i.e., so long as you don’t mishandle the device you should be fine). The upshot is that if you buy from Amazon, for $30 you can get 3 year protection. I did that because this is a pricey commodity.It’s self-indulgent to be sure, but you’ll never go back. If it’s just too pricey, use our family’s spritz technique with a small spray bottle and you may come close.

Excellent simple toaster oven. Makes perfect toast (ideal for artisan breads), heats small items. Small footprint, attractive in the kitchen. Does exactly what I want it to do!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Just received it and made my first piece of toast, and wow, I’m glad I got this thing. If you’re looking for the Lamborghini of toasters, this is it.The steam feature is actually pretty cool - I think it makes a difference in making the bread a bit more gooey on the inside. Then it browns the outside perfectly, and wow.I often toast either homemade or artisan sourdoughs, and I already know it’ll be better to have something that easily accommodates toast of any thickness.The price is freakin high, but if you’re ok paying a premium to have the best toaster out there, then this is it.The unit seems very well made. Im excited to show this to my family and friends!Status update after one week: I’ve made toast roughly 10 times and am totally loving this thing. It’s so awesome. Really glad I splurged on a nice one.Status after 6 months: This thing is freakin incredible. I just ate three pieces of toast and said to myself, yet again, that this thing is WAY better than any other normal toaster. My wife and I are really glad we got this over a normal slot toaster, and the whole steam thing is actually true - the toast is consistently moist and soft on the inside, with a toasty and crunchy layer on the outside. It's seriously the perfect toast. I love this thing and would highly recommend it to anyone with enough spare cash to afford it. Yes, it's expensive. But I'm very glad I got it.Update after a year: I continue to absolutely love this thing. SO GLAD that I made the investment.Update after 3.5 years: It finally died on me. It was toasting and then died half way through, and now it won’t turn on. I spoke with customer support and it’s out of warranty and they offer no repairs, so I’m taking it apart to see if I can fix it. Even if I can’t, I’m still gonna buy a new one; they’re just that good.

I read a lot about this toaster before buying it and since owning it my housemate has been conducting toaster oven tests where he compares it to other, less expensive options that sometimes even have more features. I wanted a toaster oven that would largely replace both a microwave and a toaster. I was not looking for an oven replacement, just something that would reheat food quickly and allow me to toast bread. Things we have put in it: Pizza, sliced bread, pastries, frozen tater tots, tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches, pupusas, salmon, mashed potatoes, frozen waffles, leftover french fries, leftover Chinese food, and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.Is it worth over $300? Ehh... I think this depends on what your income is like. I'm not returning it and it's currently winning the toaster oven wars, but unless you're looking for exactly the same thing as me then it probably isn't worth it. We're still fooling around with the settings to figure out what's best for what.Pros:It really doesn't need much time to reheat stuff, in this way it's comparable to a microwave.It can get things crispy if that's your reheat goal. I was REALLY impressed by how well it did reheating salmon and french fries.It's pretty and petite.It is consistently winning the toaster wars, even if just marginally. The textures of food coming out of it are just better.Cons:It's small. Maybe two slices of pizza max?It's pretty pricey for what it is. If we had never tried it we'd probably be perfectly happy with another toaster oven.You have to remember to put the water in on some settings. Some people might forget this and I'm not sure what the ramifications would be.It's not the purchase that I couldn't live without and it's not my smartest purchase ever, but the aesthetic and quirky settings got me attached to it. If money isn't tight and you don't have a large family give it a shot.