The T-Fal Avante Deluxe 2-Slice Toaster is a beautifully designed, functional appliance that is capable of toasting two slices of bread, bagels, waffles or frozen pastry quickly and efficiently.

This unit has a slanted front panel, giving it a triangular shape. The curved front provides easy access to the two large toasting slots so there's no bending over to insert or check the progress of items.

The dimensions of this model are 7 inches (wide) by 11 inches (deep) by 9 inches (tall). The two toasting slots are 1-1/2 inches wide by 5 inches long to accommodate hearty bread or bagel slices.

The plastic cool touch housing is white or black on the sides, with a silver front. The black and silver contrast is quite striking, and the matte finish hides fingerprints for a clean appearance.

There are two toasting levers, which is confusing at first glance. Each lever is labeled, however, to indicate its use. The larger lever on the left side is the carriage lever, which lowers the food into the machine for toasting. The smaller lever on the right is actually a toast-lift lever, which lets you raise the food above the top of the toasting slots for easy retrieval. We specially liked the fact that the toast-lift lever locks into position, so you can use both hands to retrieve the toast.

A toast control dial is located on the front of the machine. There are settings from 1 (light) to 7 (dark). The high-speed electronic toasting mechanism toasts bread quickly -- up to 40 percent faster than some other models. We were able to toast two thin slices of bread in about one and a half minutes on setting 3. We were particularly impressed with the cool-touch housing, even the front panel, which stayed considerably cooler than expected.

Two additional buttons on the front let you gently reheat previously toasted foods or toast just the cut side of a bagel while warming the outside. There is also a stop button to halt toasting at any time. As a safety feature, the unit automatically shuts off if food becomes jammed in the slots.

The Avante Deluxe Toaster is not only elegantly styled but also efficient, yielding perfectly toasted bread, bagels, muffins and more in just minutes. It is also easy to care for -- just wipe clean with a damp cloth and empty crumbs. An easy slide-out crumb tray is located at the rear.


Pros: Angled front panel provides easy access to toast slots, cool-touch housing
Cons: None

Warranty
1 year, limited