If any brand can do anything and do it well, it's Breville. And that sentiment rings true to its latest invention, which, surprisingly, is a smart toaster that's perfect for toast connoisseurs.
Breville, synonymous with all things premium home and kitchen appliances, recently dropped the Eye Q Auto toaster, which ditches the traditional timer method and keeps an eye on your bread's color to deliver your ideal toast instead. Whether that's pale, slightly warm bread or a nice crispy golden hue, no matter what shade, the Eye Q can do it for you.
The perfect hue
The most obvious (and brilliant) feature of the Breville Eye Q is the Toast Shade Selector, which allows you to choose your preferred color, and it'll toast your bread to that level. All you have to do is select your preset using the plus (or minus) buttons, and voila, you've got toast. There's also no need to worry about defrosting your bread, too, as the sensors will take care of it for you. Plus, with automated one-touch lowering, if you're anything like me, you won't get a little frightened by the popping sound normal toasters make, as the Eye Q will slowly raise and lower your bread when you press the button.
I was a tad hesitant to give the toaster a go, especially since I prefer very slightly toasted, pale bread, and I've often been burnt by toasters in the past with too much toastage. My husband, on the other hand, prefers a definitive crunch in his first bite, opting for a more medium shade.
For our first attempt, we tried a few plain white bread slices and white low-carb bread, as we often opt for it. We both utilised the four slots of the machine, but it's worth noting that the sensors are exclusive to the two marked outer slots. This is because Breville's research shows most users toast the same kind of bread in both slots, so the sensor only needs to monitor one slice, and the toaster's tech will ensure even heating throughout. For my bread, I used the first setting, and my husband used the fourth on his side.
I was beyond thrilled with our initial tests, delivering consistent coloring across all pieces of toast. I was particularly delighted by the toasting of the low-carb bread, as I had anticipated that it would burn to a crisp due to its thinness. But thankfully, I was wrong.
My slices were perfectly white, with a touch of firm toasting, exactly how I like them. My husband's toasts were just as good on the first attempt; however, he found the fourth setting to be a bit too crispy, and after a few more attempts, the third setting seems to be his go-to over the following weeks.
Now, it’s worth noting that there is a Timer Mode setting on the Eye Q, just in case you prefer counting the minutes until your toast is done. This mode is also great for toaster waffles or Pop-Tarts, as these items don't necessarily change color while toasting.
Smart Sourdough
As for Sourdough mode, I was particularly intrigued by the premise of the Eye Q, as Breville claims it reduces the chance of burnt crusts on artisanal breads. Breville was kind enough to send me a sourdough loaf to toast, and it was heavenly. I was somewhat petrified to toast the loaf, though, as I was worried that the Eye Q wasn't up to delivering great sourdough toast like you'd get at a café.
Switching on Sourdough mode is a little different to toasting as normal on the Eye Q. You need to hold the button and wait for the toaster to change into the mode before toasting your sourdough slices.
During the initial test, I was subject to some burnt crusts on our test sourdough. It was rather unfortunate, too, as everything else about the slices was ideally crisp, café-quality sourdough. It even made for a perfect avocado toast — minus the burnt bits, of course.
That said, once I settled on a lower setting and an ever-so-slimmer sourdough slice, the results were perfection. Easily, the thing that terrified me the most was solved in a slight adjustment of settings, and I've never been more confident in toasting sourdough.
Crumpets, crumpets, crumpets!
My most used feature over the past few weeks is the Crumpet setting, and it has reignited my love for all things spongy and sweet. For non U.K. or AU residents, a crumpet by definition is a thick and flat griddle-like bread, often served with honey or syrup and butter. A staple of my childhood, I was pleased to revisit the holy grail of breakfast foods for this hands-on review.
The Crumpet mode is a hodge-podge setting that encompasses crumpets, bagels and English muffins, providing additional heat on one side to perfectly toast specialty items. To activate the setting, just press the crumpet button and adjust the shade to your preference. Much like my bread, I prefer my crumpets to be slightly toasted, so I chose the first setting again.
Crumpets are a bit of an odd item to toast, as most toasters have just enough width to pop in a pair without it being a total fire hazard. That said, the Eye Q had plenty of space around each crumpet for it to slide in and out without raising any alarms.
After less than a minute, my crumpets came out warm throughout, with a touch of soft toasting on top. Drizzled with an excess of honey, it was the best way to start my day, with each bite better than the last. The Breville Eye Q did a superb job of crumpets, and I would be keen on trying out some denser, specialty breads — like a thick bagel — in the near future to see if it stands up to the challenge.
All in all, I've thoroughly enjoyed my little time spent with the Breville Eye Q Auto smart toaster so far, but I'm even more excited to get stuck into a full review. Stay tuned!
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