2-Slice Slim Toaster

A two-slice toaster is wide because somebody decided, decades ago, that the two slices should sit next to each other. Bella asked what happens if they queue instead.

The Bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster runs a single slot 9.9 inches front to back rather than two slots across the front, which brings the whole cabinet down to 3.58 inches wide. The slot is 1.2 inches across and the body is 14.88 inches deep and 6.85 high, so on a counter it occupies roughly the footprint of a knife block: it takes up depth, which most kitchens have spare, instead of frontage, which they do not. Turning the slot lengthways also changes what fits in it. A baguette, a slice of Texas toast or a thickly cut bagel all go in end to end, none of which a square slot will accept.

The dial has six browning settings, grouped in pairs: 1 and 2 light, 3 and 4 medium, 5 and 6 dark, with a cancel button alongside to stop a cycle partway. A high-lift lever brings short pieces up far enough to take out with your fingers. Underneath, the crumb tray pulls straight out of the bottom and the cord winds onto clips.

It is part of Bella's Fits-anywhere range, which the company says saves up to 50 percent more space than the comparable Bella appliances that came before it. The styling follows the same logic as the footprint: rounded corners, a soft matte finish, a band of fluting around the base, and five colours, Oatmilk, Plum, Surf, Blossom and Seaglass.