Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, and for me a few rounds of toast and a spot of rousing music on the radio is the perfect way to start off the day. UK kitchen appliance manufacturer Breville has taken those two kitchen favorites and merged them into one device – the Radio Toaster. Its smooth lines, matt black/silver finish and silver circular speaker give it a 1950s retro feel, but the AM/FM radio's display is digital rather than analog, and it also includes some modern toasting innovations to help users get the best bread-browning results.
The controls for the operation of the radio sit underneath the speaker, on either side of an illuminated digital display, and include dials and buttons for volume, scan, programming and graphic equalizer presets. The system can store up to ten station presets, and an included antenna helps get the best reception. Users can even feed in music from an external MP3 player via an auxiliary input jack.
The width of the twin toasting slots at the top of the Breville VTT296 2 Slice Radio Toaster can be altered to accommodate different sized slices of bread, and there's a variable browning control for dark/light adjustment. An extra high lift helps users reduce the risk of burning fingers on the body of the toaster. A defrost button automatically lengthens the toasting time for frozen slices and a reheat mode puts some warmth back into cooled toast without fear of it burning further.
The Radio Toaster is shown as available now on Amazon UK, and is up for pre-order on Firebox.com. Both price it at GBP49.99 (US$80).
