Excellent simple toaster oven. Makes perfect toast (ideal for artisan breads), heats small items. Small footprint, attractive in the kitchen. Does exactly what I want it to do!

Why are you selling US voltage against amazon marketplace rules?

Slightly bemused that on sale in UK but item supplied was US Version with US 12O Volts and US plug. Not entirely sure why EU version not supplied. Returned unused

Was not happy at first with the color as it's not white but after a few weeks it grew on me and now I absolutely love it. Sellers are responsive and very helpful. Toaster could be a tad bit bigger but over satisfied. Would purchase more for family.

If you are reading this review you may be torn about paying such a premium for a toaster. And it’s a toaster. It’s not an all-in-one appliance. So here are my thoughts on why you should buy it if, like me, you really enjoy a perfect slice of artisan bread toast or are used to croissants that are crispy and flaky and not the mushy thing sold at grocery stores.

For years, our family has known that running wet hands down a baguette before placing it in the oven, or a quick spritz of water on artisan bread or croissants produces a crunchy crust and moist interior. The trick also works with stale bread. Enter the Balmuda. Its simple trick of introducing water into the toasting process produces perfect, crunchy toast, evenly browned. Flaky crisp pastries. Crispy left-over pizza. Perfect English muffins and nice open face tuna melts.

I have had the Balmuda for a month now and put it through its paces. It shines. Part of its magic is that the heating elements go on and off which seems to retain a moist interior while making a perfect crust. Note that, on purpose, the top will be perfectly browned and the bottom not so much; this ensures that your toast does not turn into Melba toast. Tip: Also but an 8” small silicone baking mat for the baking tray for those cheesy sandwiches and trim it down to size.

I was concerned about the number of 1 star reviews based on reliability. I even called their tech support and received some advice on avoiding damage to the door and the cover for the water intake (i.e., so long as you don’t mishandle the device you should be fine). The upshot is that if you buy from Amazon, for $30 you can get 3 year protection. I did that because this is a pricey commodity.

It’s self-indulgent to be sure, but you’ll never go back. If it’s just too pricey, use our family’s spritz technique with a small spray bottle and you may come close.

First, I will say this is the best toaster oven I have ever used. Bread toasts evenly on top, mostly even underneath. The reason the bottom of the toast doesn't match the top is because the bottom of the toast rests on a rack, of course. The toast tastes great.

The toaster appears to be of good quality. It also looks nice. If you want or need a toaster oven and don't mind the high price, I think you will happy with your purchase. I do feel the steam feature for toasting bread does make a difference for the better.

I deducted a star because there's absolutely no love for frozen toaster waffles, either anywhere in the instructions, or on the unit itself. Toaster waffle sales in the USA amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Perhaps, toaster waffles are not popular in Japan, which might explain why there's no mention of them and why they do not include any instructions, such as whether to use the steam when toasting them or not, or recommended times, etc. This just means that people who want to regularly heat their frozen waffles will just have to do experimenting until they find what's best for them. Sure, that might mean there will be some that are wasted, but maybe not.

Let me share my frozen waffle experience with the Balmuda. First, I emailed the company and asked if they had a recommendation when it comes to these. They wrote back saying to toast them using the regular toast setting for 4 minutes, and use the 5cc of water so it'll steam. So, I did that. The waffles fell apart when I tried to eat them. The inside was too soft. So, then I tried the same setting and the steam for 5 minutes, then 6 minutes. Still not good for me.

Then, I tried the Pizza and other product settings. Still, not satisfactory. I finally gave up on the idea of steaming the waffles. I then switched to the traditional 400 degrees. I pre-heated the toaster oven for 5 minutes at 400 and then added two waffles. I cooked for 5 minutes (not cooked enough), then 6 minutes (not cooked enough), and then 7 minutes.

I was finally satisfied with: Preheat at 400 for 5 minutes, then heat the waffles for 7 minutes.

Assuming the Balmuda holds up for a long time, I am glad I bought it.

Reasonable footprint on the countertop. Clear instructions. Works exactly as is intended. If you love to bake this is an incredible asset in your kitchen. If you buy baked goods and don’t use them before they dry out…. This is a great product. Used it on croissants, bagels, rye and knots.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Just received it and made my first piece of toast, and wow, I’m glad I got this thing. If you’re looking for the Lamborghini of toasters, this is it.

The steam feature is actually pretty cool - I think it makes a difference in making the bread a bit more gooey on the inside. Then it browns the outside perfectly, and wow.

I often toast either homemade or artisan sourdoughs, and I already know it’ll be better to have something that easily accommodates toast of any thickness.

The price is freakin high, but if you’re ok paying a premium to have the best toaster out there, then this is it.

The unit seems very well made. Im excited to show this to my family and friends!

Status update after one week: I’ve made toast roughly 10 times and am totally loving this thing. It’s so awesome. Really glad I splurged on a nice one.

Status after 6 months: This thing is freakin incredible. I just ate three pieces of toast and said to myself, yet again, that this thing is WAY better than any other normal toaster. My wife and I are really glad we got this over a normal slot toaster, and the whole steam thing is actually true - the toast is consistently moist and soft on the inside, with a toasty and crunchy layer on the outside. It's seriously the perfect toast. I love this thing and would highly recommend it to anyone with enough spare cash to afford it. Yes, it's expensive. But I'm very glad I got it.

Update after a year: I continue to absolutely love this thing. SO GLAD that I made the investment.

Update after 3.5 years: It finally died on me. It was toasting and then died half way through, and now it won’t turn on. I spoke with customer support and it’s out of warranty and they offer no repairs, so I’m taking it apart to see if I can fix it. Even if I can’t, I’m still gonna buy a new one; they’re just that good.

El horno funciona bien pero a los 3 meses de uso la puerta dejo de cerrar por completo y se cae al menor movimiento. No espero que pase esto por el precio.