Slot Width First: The Best Toaster for Bagels and English Muffins

Bagels and English muffins are the two breads an ordinary toaster handles worst. A bagel half is thick, so it can jam in a narrow slot or come out pale on the cut side and hard on the crust. An English muffin half is short, so it sits low in the slot and you end up fishing for it with your fingers. A toaster that does both well needs a slot wide enough for a bagel, a lift that raises small pieces clear, and a bagel setting that browns the cut face while only warming the back.

This guide is the bagel-and-muffin branch of our main guide to the best toaster. We picked seven toasters that are not in that guide, from Zwilling, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Elite Gourmet, BLACK+DECKER and Oster, and for each one we give the slot width and describe the bagel setting exactly as the maker states them. Where a maker gives no figure or no description, we say “Not stated” rather than guess.

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Quick verdict: which bagel toaster to buy

The table compares the five we would point most people toward. All seven toasters are reviewed in full after it.

Five bagel toasters side by side

Slot width and bagel setting for our five standout picks, in each maker’s or listing’s own terms.

Product images from Amazon. Slot widths and bagel settings are quoted from each maker or listing; few makers publish a slot width, so check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best toaster for bagels and English muffins

These seven toasters cover four-slot and two-slot bodies, one long-slot model and two budget options. Each review gives the slot width and bagel setting in the maker’s words, how the toaster lifts short pieces like English muffins, and one honest reason to skip it.

How to choose a toaster for bagels and English muffins

Most toasters will brown a slice of sandwich bread. These are the things that decide whether one handles bagels and muffins well.

1. Slot width

A split bagel half is thick, and a slot that is too narrow either jams it or presses the elements close enough to char the crust. Few makers publish a width. Of our picks, Zwilling’s listing gives 1.5 inches and Elite Gourmet gives 1.5 inches wide by 5.1 inches deep; the others say “extra-wide” without a figure. Self-centering guides (Zwilling, BLACK+DECKER, Oster) help by holding each piece in the middle.

2. A bagel setting that is described

A proper bagel setting browns the cut face and only warms the crust. KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Elite Gourmet and BLACK+DECKER all describe something along those lines; Zwilling, Hamilton Beach and Oster name a bagel setting without explaining it. When you use one, check your manual for which way the cut side should face.

3. A lift for short pieces

English muffins are short and sit low. A high-lift or extra-lift lever (Zwilling, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, BLACK+DECKER) or Hamilton Beach’s Toast Boost raises them high enough to grab.

4. A way to add time

Muffins and bagels vary in thickness and moisture, so being able to check and add a little more helps. KitchenAid’s Little Longer function and Cuisinart’s +30 Seconds button are there for that, and Cuisinart’s Quickview lever lets you check without stopping the cycle.

5. Two slots or four

Two bagels take four slots. If more than two people eat bagels at once, a four-slot or long-slot toaster saves a second round.

How we chose these seven toasters

We looked for toasters sold on Amazon US by identifiable makers that state a bagel setting, and favored those that also state a slot width or describe how their bagel setting works. We checked each toaster’s stock with Amazon’s product data before writing, and all seven were in stock. We left out every toaster in our main toaster guide, including the KitchenAid 2-slice manual-lift model it names as best for bagels, so this page adds alternatives. Specifications come from the makers’ own pages where we could reach them (Hamilton Beach, Zwilling) and from the brands’ Amazon listings otherwise; our notes record which. We dropped models that were down to their last units, models whose bagel setting we could not confirm, and toasters from sellers with no identifiable maker. We checked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list for every brand: we found no recall of any toaster named here. The recalls we did find covered other products or older models, including KitchenAid’s 2005 ProLine toaster recall and Zwilling’s 2026 recall of Enfinigy electric kettles (not toasters). We have not used these toasters ourselves; where we describe how one works, it is the maker’s or the listing’s description.

Bagels and muffins at a Mexican breakfast table

A toaster that handles thick, round breads earns its place beyond bagels. A split English muffin is a quick base for huevos rancheros-style eggs with salsa, and the same bagel setting crisps the cut side of a split bolillo or telera for molletes while keeping the crust soft, if your slots are wide enough. Our guide to Mexican brunch has more on what a Mexican breakfast table holds, and day-old bread keeps better in a good bread box. For warming leftover tortillas and other breads, see how to reheat Mexican leftovers.

Bagel toaster questions, answered

What does the bagel setting on a toaster do?

On most toasters it toasts the cut side of a bagel more than the crust. KitchenAid says its setting toasts the cut side while gently warming the outer surfaces. Check your toaster’s manual for which way the cut side should face.

How wide should toaster slots be for bagels?

Zwilling and Elite Gourmet both list 1.5-inch slots and say they fit bagels. Most makers only say “extra-wide,” so if a figure matters to you, choose a toaster that publishes one.

Can you toast English muffins in any toaster?

Yes, but in a toaster without a high lift they sit low and are awkward to reach. A high-lift lever or a feature like Hamilton Beach’s Toast Boost raises them clear. KitchenAid’s bagel setting is described as working for English muffins as well.

Should you use the bagel setting for English muffins?

KitchenAid says its bagel function is for both. On toasters whose makers do not say, try it: a split muffin has the same soft cut face and firmer back as a bagel half.

Is a four-slice toaster better for bagels?

Only if you toast more than one bagel at a time. One bagel fills a two-slot toaster, so a family that eats bagels together saves time with four slots or two long ones.

Our final pick for bagels and English muffins

Buy the Zwilling Enfinigy 4-Slice Toaster if you want stated 1.5-inch slots, an extra-lift and the longest warranty here. Choose the KitchenAid 4-Slice Pro Line for a bagel setting described as made for both bagels and muffins, the Cuisinart Core Collection for a compact two-slot toaster with a true bagel setting, or the Hamilton Beach Extra-Wide 2-Slice if reaching short muffins is your main complaint. The BLACK+DECKER four-slot and Oster two-slot cover the basics on a budget.

For toasters chosen for sandwich bread, long artisan slices and pastries, see our main guide to the best toaster. And if you would rather someone else made breakfast or lunch, see the menu or call to order.