Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice Review

The Mueller UltraToast toaster is a good choice for families or gatherings where frozen foods are the snack of choice. It boasts four toasting slots, but an interface that is less intuitive.

Performance Comparison

Bread Toasting Quality

The most normal use of a toaster is for toasting sliced bread, as such, we weighted this test metric heavily, and the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice did not disappoint. Lower settings produced light golden patches with soft textures, while medium settings resulted in even golden brown tones on the bottom two-thirds of slices. Higher settings yielded darker brown hues with greater variation in color distribution.

Our testing underscored the importance of using a broad range of settings when evaluating every toaster. The Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice produced more desirable results with some settings and only average results with others, earning it a more average score than the top toasters.

Ease of Use

The Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice has some notable drawbacks concerning ease of use. The crumb tray is accessed from the side and requires a lot of space to be fully removed. Furthermore, buttons and the LCD screen are on the long side of the toaster, or what you might otherwise consider the 'side' of the toaster, so it needs to be positioned on the counter in a way to access the buttons, while also being able to access the lever on the face. Button use is also less than intuitive, and the shade setting only advances, so you'll have to cycle past settings four, five, six, and one to reduce browning from the third setting to the second setting. Overall, Mueller missed the mark and could have made better design and interface choices.

Bagel Toasting Quality

The Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice exhibited respectable performances in our bagel toasting tests. In our first bagel toasting trial on a setting of four, with a single bagel placed in the center of the slot, the UltraToast produced beautiful golden brown colors and evenly toasted slices. However, in the second trial with two bagels, one slot produced greater evenness, while the other slot produced slices that were very light in color.

You won't be disappointed by the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice as it can produce a bagel that is on par with most of the models we tested, just don't expect perfection.

Frozen Food

The Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice excelled at toasting frozen food items, producing delectable evenly warmed treats with near-perfect texture. When testing the toasting performance on three frozen food items we were treated to evenly toasted waffles with the slightest light spots on the edges, and frozen bread that varied by shade settings resulting in excessive darkness on the darker settings while producing the most desirable golden color on less aggressive settings. Strudel showed slightly uneven browning with corners nearing a state of overdone, but the filling was evenly heated throughout. Overall, our team was very pleased with the performance of this model on all frozen food items tested.

Should You Consider Buying the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice?

Although the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice offered good toast and bagel heating performance, and even exceptional performance in reheating frozen foods, its interface and less than practical design fell short of better-designed and easier-to-use models. However, if you frequently heat frozen foods for a larger number of people every morning, its four-slice capacity and strong frozen food heating performance may make it a good option.

What Other Toaster Should You Consider?

For those seeking superior ease of use within a modest budget, the Cuisinart CPT-122 is a better alternative to the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice. However, for individuals placing high importance on exceptional toasting capabilities, particularly with frozen foods, the Mueller UltraToast 4 Slice remains a top contender. If you require all-around performance, and price is not a prohibiting factor in your purchasing decisions, then the Smeg 2-Slice is an impressive option worth your consideration. Lastly, if a larger capacity toaster is important, as is the ease of use, then you will want to take a look at the Elite Gourmet ECT-3100, which offers four-slice capacity and greater ease of use.