Kenwood Turin TTM550

very good toaster – This replaced a new Russell Hobbs "Vintage" toaster which died after a couple of months use. the Kenwood is a little slower to toast, but toasts very evenly. It is quite compact and an elegant toaster in my opinion. I can see why people might have trouble with the lever to lower the toast. It moves easily for most of its travel but the last couple of cm it becomes much more stiff to press down. If you try to "whack" it down in one go you can find it tips up a bit, I find it works better if you press it down gently till you feel it becomes firm at the bottom of its travel, then press a little bit harder to make it latch. I think it has something to do with the function that you can lift the lever up again during toasting to check on the colour of your toast, without disturbing the time. But it could have been better engineered to have a smoother feel and be less likely to tip up. When the warranty is over I will probably open it up and see if I can adjust anything to make it smoother, as I am a bit handy with appliances.

having said that, you get the hang of it and I really like the toaster.

I particularly like the single slice button, so it only heats one side of the toaster if you only want one slice. we have off grid solar power so I like to save every watt.

But all that is useless if it makes bad toast. Fortunately it makes really nice, evenly browned toast.

It toasts well – No fancy nobs, just a stop button and an eco button for when you want to toast only 1 slice. Yes, it's a bit out of balance so you have to hold on to the other side when pushing down the lever to lower the toast, but you get used to that after 1 go. It toasts well, especially from frozen bread. Absolutely no compaints.

The look doesn't match up with quality - stay away! – Lasted 19 month only and although it didn't cost a fortune was not the cheapest either. Agree with the other review that you need two hands to press down the lever otherwise it flips up. Would expect more of my money and from Kenwood. Now I went back to old school Dualit that needed a new heating element - and very sure it'll last another 15 years.

Worth Every Cent! In fact it's a steal – First off - I have rated this toaster with 5 stars. I hope this is indicated, I can't get all the stars to turn orange. Number 1 reason: It is designed in such a way that it doesn't leak crumbs. Given the reviews I have read of very expensive toasters, I think that in itself deserves a round of applause! It is certainly a first for me. Number 2 reason: I read reviews of many toasters that whined about the the lack of consistency. It should be said that the gears and leavers required to make perfect toast don't arrive in the box. Sometimes you have to factor in the moisture levels of, for example, a fresh dense dark rye v's a stale white airy sourdough whilst also considering the heat that something made of steel (as well as the element) might retain when making subsequent pieces of toast. That said, this toaster provides a helping hand; You can press a button and lift the leaver to view the toast without disrupting the cycle!!! How good is that? Another round of applause please!

Number 3 reason: It hasn't got a gratuitous wide. It's the cat walk model, important for people who don't want their bench top eaten up. But the height is good as it stops moisture from reaching and tarnishing the nature(?)strip.

The other reviewer said that it tips. Don't worry, it has a substantial weight but the lack of width - well...I think this reviewer was precipitous. 2 or 3 goes and you'll get how much pressure to exert on the lever. It has never tipped for my left handed son. It never tips when standing astride the toaster. If you only have one hand, I would still recommend this toaster.

The other reviewer also said that the toast doesn't cook in the middle. I can't reply. Not my experience. Maybe it is the fault of the bread.

I have only had this toaster for 2 weeks but I have enough faith in it to review it now - plus is still selling for $53 at Peters of Kensington and I shouldn't want anyone to miss out on a really great toaster at a bargain price. (31.7.16)

Don't waste your money – I replaced a crappy Breville toaster with this Kenwood (expecting the same quality as my Kenwood mixer) only to find I'd replaced mediocre with equally mediocre if not worse - but I paid twice as much for it. It doesn't cook evenly, only on the edges and in addition, it is poorly designed as the lever action to put the toast down is too far from the unit so when you press it down it lifts the opposite feet off the countertop & requires the other hand to hold it steady otherwise it flips up.

So in summary not only is it unstable/unsafe, it doesn't cook toast evenly which is the sole job of a toaster!

How hard is it to make a decent toaster? It's not rocket science.