MUELLER HOME Retro Toaster 2 Slice, 7 Browning Levels, 3 Functions (Reheat, Defrost, Cancel), Stainless Steel Features, Removable Crumb Tray, Under Base Cord Storage, Turquoise

This toaster looks like a 50’s Buick and does its job in excellent fashion. We purchased this to replace a Breville 4-slice toaster that, admittedly, had numerous premium features and lasted 16 years, but also cost over three times as much then as this Müeller Retro does today. Ultimately, the Breville’s motor driven lower-and-lift mechanism failed so I’m happy to see that this Müeller uses a traditional “manual” lowering mechanism with a spring driven lift when the toast is done. The lift spring is a bit strong for small slices of bread, as they nearly jump out of the toaster, but it is perfect for heavier items like bagels. If a small slice doesn’t quite come up to the top when done, you can lift the paddle to raise it about another half inch, a desirable feature that even the Breville does not offer. I was very pleased to see that the length and width of the slots is identical to the Breville at 5.5” long and 1.5” wide, so it fits almost everything I want to toast. Additionally, this Müeller Retro has a “proper” bagel feature that only toasts one side when selected. It also offers an effective “Defrost” function that adds just the right amount of extra time to the toasting so that a frozen slice comes out toasted to the same degree as it would if it was room temperature at any given setting. We have found that rotating the dial to just over “3 ½” is perfect for typical bread slices and produces a very uniformly tanned surface on both sides. If the bread is frozen, just push the defrost button and the toast still comes out the same as it would unfrozen, it just takes a little longer. Logically, after use, the top 1/3 of the toaster body is quite warm / hot but it cools off quickly. Just be careful if you want to slide it back under the cabinets on the counter that you grab it on the lower part of the body or wait a few minutes. It does have two removable crumb trays, but they are accessed from the back of the toaster, so they are slightly less convenient than if they were front mounted, and I wish the cord was a bit longer, as it is only 30” (76cm) long, and it comes out of the far-right side of the base. This means that if your counter outlet is to the left of the toaster, because of the toaster’s 12” (30cm) width you only effectively have 18” (46cm) of cord left. This might prompt you to use an extension cord to run the toaster. If you do, be absolutely sure that the extension cord is as short as possible and rated for the 1650 Watts (15 Amps at 110 Volts) that this toaster draws when all four slots are being used. Do I miss some of the “fancy” features of the 4-times (today) as expensive Breville? Frankly, not as much as I thought I might. What counts in the end is how uniform and consistent the toast is made, and this Müeller excels in that measure at a very reasonable cost.

I wasted my time by buying more “high end” (a.k.a more expensive) branded toasters that were made of very flubby plastic, almost having to worry about causing indents when I picked them up, and didn’t seem like they would hold up well over time. I’m specifically talking about the Laura Ashley ones- the ones that have floral prints on them. Off topic, but if you read a review saying those are such great quality, those people either have no idea what they’re talking about or they’re just straight up lying, because that was the most overpriced, cheap feeling (and looking) toaster I bought. I love this toaster. It toasts well, exactly as it should (which apparently is too much to ask for these days). This toaster is not flubby at all when you pick it up. I don’t know what it’s made of but it’s completely solid- you can flick it and hear no empty space behind it, and the outside won’t move. It looks expensive, and considering *no one* seems to make toasters as durable as even 4 years ago, I’m telling you right now that this might be one of the last toasters you can get that actually worth your money and will hold up well over time. I’m surprised that it’s the price it is (although, I’m definitely not complaining). I like the retro style, it looks good on my countertop. It makes sitting in my kitchen a joy, because it’s aesthetically pleasing. I hope they never stop selling it, because if anything should happen to this toaster, I’m coming right back here to get another one. If you’re looking to pair it with an electric kettle, I suggest the Nueva and Five 1.7L Electric Kettle. Not only is it pretty and matches well with this toaster, but also has no plastic on the inside where the water boils (only stainless Steel). So if you’re one of those people who care to avoid ingesting micro plastics, this is awesome too for the price. I just thought I’d include this here considering I wasted so much time trying to figure out the best combination myself. I’ll upload pictures too. Hope this helps :)

I’m in love with the old school look but a new school quality. The color is exactly what was pictured and as soon as I got it out I put a slice of bread in it on 2 it toasted one side perfectly the other side was a little bit darker but I’m not picky it wasn’t burnt so I’m not mad at it

I hate one star reviews because they are usually exaggerated, or unfair. I rarely write a one star review, because most products have some redeeming qualities. This toaster deserves this one-star review because the advertised images are not true, and it's simply a bad toaster. The toaster itself is extremely light, and the colored skin is plastic, so beware of scratches, it is not paint and will likely scuff very quickly in some homes. The top is metal, so at least the hottest part should be safe. The bread slots are very misleading. The slots in the metal plate on the top are twice as wide as the widest bread you can put into this toaster. The picture of bread filling out the slot is untrue, and impossible on this toaster, The toaster has an internal wire cage that restricts the size of the bread, and is not moveable. Mass-produced thin cut bread should fit, but not the bread we get from our local bakery and even the thinnest bagels will not fit. This brings me to the unforgiveable part, it toasts unevenly. Bread near the top of the toaster will burn while bread at the bottom of the toaster will not cook. I have two expectations of a toaster, toast bread evenly and accept the bread I want to toast. This fails both. I also don't believe the pretty skin will remain un-scuffed for long. Keep looking for a better option. I added an image of the internal cage that restricts the bread size. I'm returning the toaster, it does not meet my needs. It is pretty and the settings are simple. This does not offset it's inability to perform its primary function.

I have not had it for an extended period of time yet and do not have perspective on lasting power. If a significant issue occurs I will update. I wish I knew this would be an international standard toaster and not an American standard. Ie; the slots are VERY skinny. A standard slice of bread usually still needs a scooch down into the chamber after depressing the lever. A bagel or thick Texas toast has to be crammed down into the slot and will char a little(a flavor I don’t mind,) so since the color and design are so cute I am okay with the trade-off.

This is a beautiful toaster and it toasted beautifully the first time. After that, it's very spotty and one side is darker than the other by a lot.

Customer service contacted me and refunded with no questions asked. So Five Star great customer service. This particular toaster did not work for me, but my best friend loves it. Her keto bread fits perfectly in it without getting lost in the heating elements like her extra-wide toaster does to her thin bread. Update once again. I gave it to my friend and it stopped working after about 4 times of using. It looks nice. Looks are deceiving. It’s fairly expensive for what you get. Made of mostly plastic. It only works well if you have super thin sliced bread. No Texas toast. No bagels. No homemade bread that you tend to slice like a normal piece of bread fits. So basically useless. It seems cheaply made. Will probably break in a month.

This toaster was like $37 but for Cyber Monday, like $17. I like this lever better than compare to a turning knob or regular push downs. Ethically pleasing and did anyone notice the settings ? Wider range as compared to those with a 5 level, this one has 7 levels. The color as you can see is a lot lighter than compare to the photo. The only small con I have is when lifting, the crumbs came out a bit, but that might be the seeds from the bread I used in it last night. I’m very happy with this product. Very sturdy, love the color and vintage style. I love their user manual guaranteed which shows they stand behind their product and for me, it’s best for a lot of women who do use the kitchen to get reliable products. I will be checking out their Pro-series 5-blade ultimate chopper for the future. I like how they included their “best sellers” pamphlets. I also would be interested in their Dutch oven pots too