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Galanz Retro 2-Slice Toaster Review 2022

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A toaster is one of those kitchen appliances you only have to buy once in a blue moon. My previous one? I purchased it for about $25 at least a decade ago and it consistently served up toasty bread and bagels until the end. Knowing how long toasters can last — and having way more options to choose from 10+ years later — I decided to be more thoughtful with my toaster purchase this time around. 

Like everyone else, I’ve drooled over the gorgeous retro-inspired kitchen appliances by brands like Smeg and Haden, but the soaring price tags made me press pause — $200 for a toaster is wild! I wistfully acquiesced and told myself I’d just have to buy a plain ol’ boring toaster again and live with it for another decade. 

Just before my purchase, as if by kitchen miracle, I came across Galanz while browsing Amazon two months ago. The brand specializes in that same retro style as Smeg and Haden but its appliances go for a fraction of the price. And to my glee, they made a gorgeous two-slice toaster under $50. Yes, you read that correctly.

The Galanz 2 Slice Retro Toaster is way less expensive compared to similar toasters I was looking at, and the price felt almost too good to be true. I half-expected the appliance to give me weird-looking toast or smell strange or have shoddy construction. Thankfully, none of that came true.

The toaster is available in a fire-engine red and a soft, ’50s-era teal, and I went with the latter. When I unboxed it, the toaster practically sparkled (okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a little), but it was so polished and featured everything I could ever want or need in an otherwise straightforward appliance.

Speaking of, there’s even a bagel button — who knew this was a thing? Not me with my previous decade-old toaster. I face the interior of the bagels toward the center of the toaster for a crunchy, crispy exterior and a soft and chewy interior. The other two buttons are for defrosting things like frozen waffles and pastries, and a cancel button so you can end the toasting sesh whenever you need.

Like all toasters, the Galanz toaster has a browning level knob so you can turn and adjust to your ideal toast level, as well as an easily removable crumb tray. And as someone who lives in the Phoenix desert where dust seems to make its way into every crevice of my home, I appreciate the dust cover that helps keep the toaster interior clean. There’s also handy cord storage underneath the appliance, which helps keep cords off the countertops for a cleaner look.

All those perks sound nice, but retro looks and fancy features don’t mean anything if a toaster can’t toast like a champ — I mean, it has one job. Well, I’m happy to report that this retro-looking toaster has done a fantastic job these last two months. My bagels and bread are evenly toasted every time, and the defrost button has come in handy on more than one occasion. Plus, it’s just so good to look at!

Bottom line: I’m in love with this gorgeous toaster. It’s clocked in so many compliments and I still cannot get over how much money I saved when I was this close to buying something pricier on aesthetics alone. Two months later, and I still get excited every morning when I drop in my toast as the eggs are sizzling away. 

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