Elite Gourmet ECT-1027 Cool Touch Toaster, 7 Toast

Cute little toaster!
This is a nice little toaster. The timer is accurate, it toasts my bread perfectly, and I’ve had no issues with it so far. It’s a little flimsy feeling, and it’s made out of plastic on the exterior. I like the color and so far it’s been great for me.

Less than 9 months later…..a recap
5.090 people can’t be wrong. The great reviews caught my eye first, then the positive reviews about its light weight, the fact the toast pops up high enough, easy to clean, simple to use, toasts evenly. I was worried the cord might be too short, but even that is perfect! I happily returned the ridiculous one on sale that I had bought two days prior at a local store which was huge, heavy, hard to figure out (believe it or not), beeped three times before popping up not high enough, got way way too hot, and toasted unevenly. Needless to say, I love this little sweet & simple Elite Gormet which cost me $3 less. EDIT: RECAP after having this toaster less than a year: I have no idea how it got so many stars because it does not toast evenly, the wires that toast the bread catch crumbs and start smoking, but worst of all, the lever doesn’t stay down unless I press it about a dozen times. I am used to having a single toaster for years! Am looking for a new one (which I can ill afford, and it will not be this brand!!)

The toaster I received did not work well
I really wanted to deal with the issues I’ve had with this toaster since I received it two weeks ago, but after a number of them, I’ve realized I can’t. It sparking today when starting to toast, was the last straw.When I took it out of the box, the push down knob was off the Slider. It was extremely difficult to get that back on. At that time, I noticed that the sliding mechanism was no where near level, with the front sliding all the way to the bottom and the back still halfway up. More on this later.I did read that I should do a few toast cycles with nothing in there to burn off any residual smells. I did 2 of these, noticed smells on the first cycle but not the second. Then I tried to toast some bread. I had to be extremely gentle and intentional about the angle and pressure I used to push the Slider down. The front will go all the way to the bottom yet leaving the back end half way up, it won’t lock so won’t turn on. I figured out how to manipulate it to be more even and get the back end to lock, but this takes way more effort than should be required on a toaster.I like my toast pretty dark, so I placed it on the 4 setting. It came out black on one side of each piece, and a little darker than what I would consider a 4 out of 7 on the other side. I can only imagine that “toasting” on the 5-7 settings would give you the results of Sharon Weiss’s ruined pumpkin pie from Marie Callender.My spouse could not get the toaster to evenly slide and lock. I had to attempt several times to assist. The knob fell off again. Today, when my spouse pushed the lever down, the toaster sparked. I am not in the mood to have marital arguments over a toaster that has been nothing but issues in the two weeks we’ve had it, so we are done with this toaster.Sadly, I wasted $15 after I scoffed at $50 toasters. I probably still won’t buy one of those either, but I would have been pretty close to that purchase price had I not wasted the money on this one, considering I’m going to have to get another one that is a few dollars more now anyway.Buyer beware.

Toasts Evenly and Consistently, UL Listed, Cost Effective
This is a basic toaster that does exactly what it’s advertised to do. It toasts breads, muffins and bagels of multiple types and sizes evenly and consistently. The various advertised features all work well: settings for different degrees of browning and crispness; a “Cancel” button; a “pop up” option, and true 1.5″ wide slots. It’s very easy to clean, and cord management is on the underside. The toaster is also UL Listed, an important safety criteria for appliances and tech.I give ratings based solely on how well a product delivers on what the seller advertises. This is not a $40, $70 or $100 toaster, and I don’t believe it should be compared to such items. Yes, it is small and lightweight, as indicated in the listing and as I expected. Nonetheless, it works quite well and, as mentioned, offers this the cord management and true extra-wide slots that several much more expensive toasters lack. And, the cost is extremely affordable. Thanks to the manufacturer and seller for a functional, safe and effective product.