Sick of unevenly toasted bread in the morning? Have no idea what the numbers on your toaster actually mean? Breville has a potential answer, as long as you’ve got the money for it.
Breville has come out with a new set of toasters dubbed the Eye Q that, instead of toasting by time, uses sensors to detect bread colour, so you can get the level of toastiness you want. The four-slice model costs a hefty $629, while the two-slice model fetches a still-pricey $469.
A lot of that money goes towards Breville’s ‘Eye Q Optic Sensor’ technology, which is the toaster’s main attraction. Breville says it tracks bread colour 10 times a second, ending the toasting once it reaches your preferred shade of brown.
The toaster lets you choose from seven different toasting levels — I’d likely choose a well-done option, while I know folks who would only want a lightly-crisped slice of bread. There’s also a traditional time-based mode too, better suited to toasting other food, like waffles and English muffins.
Breville also advertises a mode dedicated to thicker sourdough bread. Working with the uneven shape of sourdough slices, the toaster uses its sensors to brown the bread as evenly as it can.
But, at this price, you have to really like your toast to consider the Breville Eye Q toasters. For people who just want some twice-cooked bread, a $10 toaster from any department store will do the job. However, the perfectionists and toast aficionados among us, having perfectly-browned toast might be worth the investment.
Out now in Australia, the Breville Eye Q range is available via Breville’s online store and major appliance retailers. At launch, the two-slice model costs $399 at some retailers, making the premium toaster a bit more affordable.
