Head-to-head · Best Toasters

Cuisinart Classic Metal Two-Slice Toaster vs Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster comes out ahead by a clear margin (3.7 vs 2.9). Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster is best for: households needing 4-slice capacity with multitasking features. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #7 in Best Toasters

Cuisinart Classic Metal Two-Slice Toaster

2.9

1 source$45.93as of Oct 11

The Cuisinart CPT-160 offers a clean, modern aesthetic that fits well in contemporary kitchens, with simple controls and multiple toasting functions including defrost and bagel modes. However, reviewers noted below-average bread toasting performance with inconsistencies and poor frozen food handling. While it provides reasonable functionality at a low price point, better-performing alternatives exist for those seeking superior toast quality. The toaster's basic design and features make it suitable for users prioritizing appearance and ease of use over peak performance.

Strengths

— Clean, modern aesthetic with stainless steel and black painted steel design
— Simple and familiar interface with intuitive controls and mode buttons that light up
— Easy-to-clean crumb tray that slides out from the back of the unit

Watch-outs

— Relatively poor bread toasting performance with inconsistencies and white areas near crust, per TechGearLab
— Flimsy lever and lack of weight in the unit affect usability

$45.93 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #4 in Best Toasters

Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

3.7

1 source$59.95as of Oct 11

The Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster offers versatile functionality with its seven-setting shade dial and dual independent controls that enable multitasking. The high lift lever helps with retrieving smaller items, while the removable crumb tray and cord wrap contribute to usability. However, some users experienced delays in fully toasting thicker bread types, particularly on darker settings. The toaster's compact design makes it suitable for small kitchens, though the 3-year warranty may not provide adequate long-term coverage for some consumers.

Strengths

— Seven-setting shade dial provides broad browning customization from light to dark
— Dual independent toasting controls allow multitasking by toasting two different items simultaneously
— High lift lever facilitates easy retrieval of smaller bread pieces or bagels

Watch-outs

— Toaster takes longer than expected to fully toast thicker items, especially on darker settings

$59.95 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Cuisinart Classic Metal Two-Slice Toaster

The Cuisinart Classic Metal Two-Slice Toaster has a stainless steel and black painted steel body where the Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster is plastic, and it costs more. It has six browning settings against the CPT-122's seven, and both offer bagel, defrost and reheat modes. TechGearLab found its bread toasting inconsistent, with white areas near the crust, and its lever is flimsy.

Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster

The Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster has four slots where the Cuisinart CPT-122 2-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster has two, with the same seven-setting shade dial and reheat, defrost and bagel controls. Its dual independent controls toast two different items at once. It costs far less than the Breville Die-Cast 4-Slice Smart Toaster, the other four-slice model here, and is plastic rather than die-cast aluminum.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Cuisinart Classic Metal Two-Slice Toaster	Cuisinart CPT-142 4-Slice Compact Plastic Toaster
Slots	1.5" - wide toasting slots	1 1/2" wide toasting slots
Material	Stainless steel and black painted steel	Plastic
Browning Settings	6-Setting browning dials	7-setting shade dial
Features	Defrost, bagel, reheat modes	Reheat, Defrost and Bagel controls
Dimensions	10.75"L x 7.13"W x 7.13"H	10.7"D x 10.8"W x 7.2"H
Slices	2	4
Functions	Toast, Bagel, Defrost, Reheat	Reheat, Defrost and Bagel controls
Settings	6-Setting browning dials	7-setting shade dial
Operation	Extra-lift carriage lever	High-lift carriage

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