Breville Smart Toast BTA825

Toast nirvana – My previous toaster last less than 2 years due to my over vigorous efforts to clean out ALL the crumbs. I lasted two days without a toaster and then the combination of working from home and the desire to have toast, because I couldn't, dragged me out of the safety of home to my local Retravision to get a new one. I did my due diligence but found… Read more

nearly every toaster had varying reviews. Including checking out the latest Choice review. I settled on the Breville as it seemed to have more positive than negative responses. I have had the toaster for about a week or so, and have used it for toasting crumpets, flat bread, normal bread and hot cross buns. It has performed really well across everything so far. The fruit bread option is great and the crumpets turned out perfect. I can't comment on longevity so far, but it does come with a two year warranty. It looks very nice on my counter and the brushed steel is easy to wipe down. Based on the angst I had in picking a toaster I thought I would add my review and hope it helps other toast tragics in their search for the perfect toaster - even browning is everything people!

Surprisingly good – Needed a replacement for our old toaster after a kitchen reno. Requirements were that it needed to be “silver” or “chromed”. Only required two slice option as there are only two of us and toaster was required to fit into newly created appliance cupboard along with kettle and coffee maker. Tried the Breville which seemed to fit the bill and was… Read more

on special at the time. Upon first use, was surprised to discover that rather than have a lever to insert the toast, there was a motorised drive. Place the bread in the slots and push the button. Your bread then descends into the toaster while a red LED bar flashes on the end of the toaster and indicates how long there is to go (the LED's gradually extinguish as toasting progresses). A handy feature was the “A Bit More” button. Pushing this dropped the toast back in for a further 30 seconds. Also useful was the “Lift and Look” button allowing the toast to briefly pop up and be inspected on its progress. It then pops back down and the toasting cycle continues uninterrupted. Less useful was the “Crumpet/Fruit Bread” button which is supposed to apply more heat to one side. I only ended up burning the item but maybe it was just “operator error”?

Toast cooked evenly both sides and was consistent in colour time after time. Found the “2” setting ideal for my light toasting needs while my wife preferred the darker toasting of the “just under 4” setting. Maximum setting is “5”.

I don't know what the longtime reliability will be like for a motorised drive toaster but it works consistently well at the moment. Breville supplies a 2 year replacement warranty which is reassuring.

If I had to buy it again, I probably would go with the 4 slice version. It doesn't cost much more and it turns out, it would have fitted the appliance cupboard.

Better but not great – Purchased one of these 4 years ago and was good for a few years but stopped working. Decided to try something another manufacturer and went with a Dualit 2 slice. Huge disappointment with the Dualit, poor toasting and very few features that actually worked that well. Priced at around $120, I thought that I would be getting a reasonable product but… Read more

I was sadly disappointed and would not recommend that Dualit model to anyone. The Dualit is probably the worst toaster I've ever possessed. Decided to buy another Breville BTA825 and it has reminded me of how much better this toaster is than all others I have used. Though the toasting is not as uniform on both sides, it still performs in a reasonable manner. Has some useful features such as "a bit more" and lift and look which are both automated features. Overall this is still the best toaster I've ever used and though previous similar unit only lasted a few years, it still represents as good a toaster as I have used.

My old toaster after 15 years was dying a slow death so time to update. I was deciding between the Smeg Retro 50s and the Breville Smart 2 slice toaster. In the finish, I decided on the Breville Smart Toaster as the reviews gave them a better… Read more

performance, we are building a new home and already have the Breville kettle in Sea Salt so decided to go with Breville. I used it this morning for the first time. Amazing! A touch button to start the process, no knobs to slam down and when the preset time is done, it automatically rises without doing anything, no burnt toast anymore. If it is a little under done, there is a toast a bit more option, which is a great idea. I am so happy with this purchase and can highly recommend it!

My old Russell Hobbs 4 slice toaster worked well for 10 years. I now needed a new one. I bought an Alessi 2 slice toaster and then a Russell Hobbs the same as before. Both either toasted unevenly or not at all on one side. I thought how hard is it to make a toaster that WORKS!!! So I tried again. This time the Breville Smart toaster two slice. It… Read more

worked like a dream from the beginning. Perfect. The Alessi looked beautiful but didn’t toast properly. The Russell Hobbs burnt on the edges and half of the elements didn’t work. The Brevilee a dream toaster!!!!

Worth the extra cost for this toaster – I previously purchased the 4 slice version of the Smart Toaster in 2013 and it only just died on me this year, 11 years later. As I loved that toaster and it treated me so well over the many years, I wanted to get a 2 slice toaster to replace it and I was initially looking at another brand's 2 slice toaster because it was cheaper. I bought the… Read more

cheaper 2 slice toaster and used it for a week. I immediately sent it back for a refund. What a dud that was. I then bit the bullet and spent a bit more for the 2 slice Breville Smart Toast. I mainly toast bread, both fresh and frozen. The frozen function works perfectly. I use the "a bit more" function quite often too as I prefer my toast a bit darker than my partner likes hers. So instead of changing the main timer, I leave it on about 3 where she likes it and I just add "a bit more". I often have muffins and crumpets and the "crumpet" feature is a massive draw card for me in choosing this toaster. Although the other cheaper toaster had the crumpet feature too, it was rubbish and just didn't work like the Breville does. The "crumpet" feature gives my muffins and crumpets that cooked crispy side and a nice warm fluffy soft side. Lovely! But one of the best features is the soft rising and lowering. Whether the cooking is at the end of it's timed cycle or you choose to raise it by the "lift and look" function, it raises nice and steadily without that instant popping up and occasional loss of toast out the top. The toaster is built well. Solid. Cool to the touch outer body when in operation. And it functions very well. If I get another 11 years out of this toaster, I'll be very happy. I'll come back in 11 years to update this review if it dies then.

Overpriced – Worked well for the first few months. Crumbs don't fall into crumb tray, crumbs build up in toaster and cannot be removed. Will not toast frozen raisin loaf, one side untoasted, the other side burnt. Turns frozen bread into hard biscuit. Fresh bread cannot be properly toasted, has to be tasted twice! $20 toaster was better value. Do not buy this product. More 'Made in China' rubbish. Show details

RUBBISH – Fails to do what it is supposed to do ,toast evenly. It toasts the top but not the bottom of the bread and not the reverse side. I changed it for a Sunbeam maestro much better and $60.00 cheaper. I urge people to take items back if they don't do what they are advertised to do. Show details

The Perfect Toast Ever!!! – Love this toaster, it toasts both sides of any type of bread perfectly and evenly, has no trouble with frozen bread. The bread lift is electronic so the bread doesn't spring out, super quiet and allows for a wide range of different bread thicknesses. Love the stainless steel look. I'm very happy with my purchase, good value for money. Show details

Throw an expensive toaster it looks a good but doesn't perform – Always had issues with this toasting evenly on crumpets both sides in the two different slots and they both come out different each time. And now it has just shorted out my unit and it wouldn't even be 3 years old Show details

Had two toasters fail on me...never again – I had two of these fail on me, the first while under warranty, the second-after. This is an inferior product. The elements slowly failed until it didn't work. And it just had blinking lights.. Show details

Never worked right and only a few months old and doesn’t work at all – We toast regular bread slices. We tried all settings. Bread sometimes got stuck. Didn’t toast evenly. Now doesn’t work at all. This is the most money I ever spent on a toaster and the worst toaster I have ever owned. Show details

very intermittent toaster !! – Have had mine about 2 years - one side drops out regularly - best keep them very keen - no crumbs inside or they jam up - toast ok - but I would not buy another one Show details

beware non repair – i have posted on this site about this product but have come up with this disappointing finding. a breville service repair centre have informed me that the smart toast BTA825 is non repairable and there are no replaceable parts available for this model. mine has a faulty toast/cancel button that has gradually bottomed out or worn out to the point… Read more

of complete failure. it now looks certain that i have a pile of junk sitting on the bench top in my kitchen. very sad for a 159 dollar purchase after a couple of years use.

i would say not a smart toast........harvey norman should place a sticker on these toasters......non repairable!!

No good. Looks great but too many issues – Purchased it 18 months ago. It started by flashing and not being able to pop up on its own without switching the power in and off. This happened a number of times. Now only one side toasts and the other goes up and down but doesnt heat/toast at all. Rubbish. Considering how expensive this toaster was $140. I expect more Show details

Worst toaster ever bought – Purchased first Smart Toast just after Christmas. After several months, stopped toasting. Was replaced and now after a similar time frame, one side doesn't heat up at all and the other, just barely. Our Kmart toaster bought years ago now dragged out of cupboard and works so much quicker. Show details

Not quite perfect – Fairly big for a 2 standard slice toaster. Sceptical at first regarding the motorised toast lift ...it still works after 3 years ! Controls are simple and straight forward. Bread slots could be slightly longer to accomodate European style rye breads, without having to purchase the larger model that has a very long footprint, internal edges could… Read more

of been rolled, so buckled toast doesn’t jam on lift , fairly even toasting coverage, first toast requires longer toasting time to subsequent toasting

A+ for cool factor but not practical – Pretty cool and doesn't throw your toast up halfway to space but there are problems with it. Some items get stuck on the way up and it's very difficult to clear. Far too expensive. Show details

Works for me – I mainly toast sourdough bread which doesn’t really brown like most toast. The features it offers are really useful. You can check the toasting progress, it alerts you when the toasting has finished, it has the lift and look feature and a bit more button. Due to its size it takes up a lot of space on the bench but it allows me to toast the large… Read more

round sourdough slices that have to be hand cut. The length way profile fits on my bench. The reliability may be a problem for some people, my toaster last just over 2 years but it’s gets used 2-4 times every day which means it’s done over 2,200 toasting cycles. After 2 years most toasters are getting old and start to look well used and not toast like like they used to. A new toaster looks great and works better.

Tech Toaster – If you are after a toaster that has cool looking led lights and lowers the toast for you at a click of a button this is the one for you , has some great features like the bit more feature ( which toasts for 30 seconds extra if required ) and the main thing is that it makes great toast.  Show details

Lots of wizbangery but terrible at toasting – Yes, its got a little motor that drops and lifts the bread, a lot of nice buttons with cool features like crumpets and 'a little bit more'. And all of these look nice in the athletically designed unit. When it comes to the crunch however ... Ours is set to 4 when we start toasting a sour dough. At the end of the cycle the crust is a little burned… Read more

and the bread only just starting to brown. Looking at the elements when toasting its easy to see they are poorly space and glow unevenly. It was the same with a wholemeal - so hard to get a an even browning of the bread.

If you're after style, it's a good looking toaster. If you're after toast you'd be better off with a cigarette lighter.

I'm adding to this review as I've just gone to use the shinny toaster only to be defeated by its design. *Warning* if you plan to toast Lawson bread (from Goodman Fielder), forget it. The bread won't fit into this beautifully designed toaster! That's right, the mouth is too narrow to even accommodate commercially baked bread. Useless product!

One more edit: To their credit, Breville have provided me a reference number and return authorisation. I will swap this 2 slice product for the long-slot 4 slice one (and pay the difference in price). Let's see how that one goes.

Love this toaster – Prior to this toaster I had a cheaper brand that would spark and become faulty every few months and I would swap it for a new one. I have had this toaster for over a year and I love all the bells and whistles. This toaster has a calm demeanor. Instead of springing up and frightening you when the toast is cooked, it gently rises and makes a… Read more

lovely 'bing' sound to alert you that your toast is ready. I can be anywhere in the house and it's little, pleasant chime can be heard. I also love the minute setting. It is absolutely accurate every time, even when you are doing high volumes of slices two after the other, the results are still exactly the same precise amount of toasting. In previously owned toasters the elements would remain heated and the next two slices would be darker and usually burnt. This one gives a consistent result every time. I like and use the 'little bit more' button for muffins and crumpets. The buttons and case feel like they are metal. I would chose metal over plastic any day. I also bought the matching sesame coloured kettle, which is equally as good. Highly recommend.

needed replacing 3 months after purchase – Is there no-one making a decent toaster anymore??? After reading what felt like a million reviews I decided on this toaster. Which worked wonderfully well....for three months. I loved the four slice fit, great for a family, and how smooth the mechanism was. After 3 months it still went up and down but stopped actually toasting anything. Back… Read more

it got sent, and I have just received the replacement. I have absolutely no confidence whatsoever that this one will last any longer. I only hope that if it is going to die again it does so within the warranty period so I can get another replacement. And then....who knows? Shame on you Breville for making rubbishy products destined for landfill. I would happily pay more for a decent quality toaster that will last. Our previous one we had for 16 years. Seems incredible now.

This toaster has lost it's mind – This toaster was great for 12 months, but then it started behaving strangely. Several buttons would light up at once, and it developed a mind of its own. It would keep popping up for "a quick look" when we didn't want it to, or do "a bit more" unnecessarily so the toast burnt. We also had to press the "Toast" button several times to get it to do… Read more

anything and now it doesn't work at all, so we've just thrown it away and bought a cheap, basic and very 'unsmart' toaster, which doesn't have a mind to lose.

Nothing special – Pretty expensive for what it is I think. The “Fruit Bread” button is actually the crumpet button. So if you like your fruit bread only toasted on one side you’ll be happy. I like my bread fruit or otherwise to be toasted on both sides. Basically it’s just a pretty ordinary toaster.  Show details

Just received as replacement – The 2 slot should be a little longer to accommodate different length of bread slices, no just for your standard bread loaf, however, the toasting is very even and easy to control. Easy to program and keep clean. To early in the piece, to judge the reliability of this model.  Show details

Disappointed with Toaster Had it 12 months – 1st problem it toast gets caught in bars and it never comes out 2nd problem it bugs out all the time and wont complete ejection when toast gets caught and have to power off and back on again to get it to work again. It does toast ok, but i know it will fail sooner or later. I have been so disappointed with expensive toasters, last was sunbream that worked ok for a while then one side failed  Show details

It works – At first, I was very hesitant to buy a toaster that is 10 times more expensive than some cheap ones. However, I decided to buy something that works and it did. It is easy to use and toasts evenly. After using it for several months, I have no complaints so far.  Show details

Good Toaster Overall – I ordered the Breville Smart Toast toaster online and collected it at my local Good Guys store. It functions very well. I particularly like the "A Bit More" button. The "Lift & Look" button is handy too. It toasts the bread evenly, and bagels too. I haven't yet used it for crumpets or fruit toast. My only complaint (a minor one) is the look… Read more

and feel of the outside of the toaster. Breville says it has a "solid diecast metal body" - but it looks and feels like silver-painted plastic (when I tap on the sides with my fingernail), and there doesn't seem to be a matching kettle as the Breville kettles I've seen are all stainless steel.

Looks aside, it is a great toaster - it is much faster than my previous Cuisinart toaster, and I really like the functions mentioned above.

awesome toaster – love this toaster its got touch buttons its got a check button where it will bring the toast up for a few seconds for you to see how done the toast is it has led lights showing you how long till the toast is ready and then beeps to let you know its done very happy with it and its still going strong after two years  Show details