Didn't want to rush to judgement, but after a few months owning this toaster, the verdict is in. The shade levels are whack. Level 1 is usually blackened toast and while I can't imagine using it, 5 is probably a setting for toast cremation. We have many other KitchenAid items, but this one doesn't seem to meet brand standards except maybe for the exterior look.

Just bought this and tried it twice. It's going right back to the store. It is not designed to hold and toast a Pop Tart. The Pop Tart is too skinny to fit in the holder which won't close and therefore won't turn on to start the toasting process. It's wide enough supposedly to toast bagels, which I haven't tried. Worked fine on bread, but honestly how hard is that? Bottom line....if your household wants to toast more than bread and bagels, like Pop Tarts, this is definitely NOT the toaster for you.

So it may seem silly to write about a Kitchenaid 4-Slice a Toaster but given how long my old one lasted, I wouldn't buy any other brand! My first Kitchenaid 4-Slice Toaster was a thing of beauty. Made perfect toast, 4 slices at once, wide slots, a beautiful stainless steel finish, and a light up display. 10 years ago it was a marvelous little toaster and never failed me once. Now I'm faced with buying a new one. Not from it failing, from my granddaughter leaving the plastic bread bag on top of the toaster while she was making toast! Burned and melted plastic will definitely ruin any toaster. Without that mishap, my Kitchenaid toaster would still be going strong. So I'm off to the store to purchase another Kitchenaid 4-Slice Toaster!!!

I just received my toaster and plugged it in. Starts smoking and smells like burning plastic (everything had already been removed from the toaster). My husband said it was just because of new coils. Ok, well then I put 2 frozen waffles on 3, burnt. Put 2 new ones in on 1, perfect. Then decided to test a piece of bread since it wasn't frozen. Put one in on 1 and came out burnt. I am not pleased that I spent all this money on a toaster that I cannot make toast in.

The first time I used the toaster, I tested all four slots at once. One slice came out burned on one side and perfect on the other side. One slice came out less than the medium I chose. The other two slices came out way darker than the medium setting. I also found that the darkness selector would change too easily with movement of the toaster, ie, moving it to the storage location. Overall, it works way better the Cuisinart one I replaced.

I'm been very happy with this toaster for several years. This morning when I went to unplug it, I found the ground plug stayed in the socket and there was no ground wire attachment in the plug. It appears to be purely cosmetic. Very disappointed in this unsafe situation.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My 2-slice toaster gave out, so I found and purchased the KitchenAid 4-slice toaster. It has proven to be an indispensable addition to my kitchen. One of the standout benefits is the ability to toast four English muffins at once. This feature is particularly valuable during busy mornings or when preparing breakfast meals for multiple people. In the past, I had to painstakingly toast each sliced muffin individually, which was not only time-consuming but also slightly frustrating. The high-lift option is a feature that has improved my toasting experience. In regular toasters, retrieving smaller items like English muffins often required me to use a fork or other utensils to dig them out. Now I can just lift the handle, and the muffins are easier to remove. Very satisfied with our new 4-slice toaster.

I can't figure out how long we've had the first one of this model, but it has been at least 10 years - probably more. It has had HEAVY usage with toast loving kids and parents. We have an empty nest and it is time to replace the old one. The heating elements were slowly failing until my husband's setting crept up from a 1 to a 2! (He likes warm, limp bread.) I still was able to get decent medium-toasted bread, but brownness could only be obtained at the tip top of the bread. We love the loud beep when the toast pops up. Our family had gotten used to calling out "TOAST'S UP!!" with the toaster before this brand, and it became a running joke to still do that even with the new notification. Yes, it is loud, but we have a big house near a busy road. You can't miss that your bread is done and let it get cold unless you are REALLY immersed in something. I did my research and discovered that this was still being manufactured (which speaks to its popularity, doesn't it?) and was a decent price point for a quality product. There are always people who end up with a defective lemon product, but that was across the board of different brands of toasters. I chose to stick with what I knew had worked for many hardworking years! Now, it is time to test drive the new beast and go make some lunch!

Great toaster! Cooks evenly and love the dual setting knobs

One side did not work, so I had to return the toaster.