TL;DR
Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab tested Breville’s Eye Q Toaster, which uses optical sensors to monitor bread color and lift the carriage at the selected shade. The reviewer found it fast and consistent across five consecutive slices, but said it takes up more counter space and can leave slight grill-like marks.
Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab tested Breville’s Eye Q Toaster and found that it toasted bread in under two minutes, with five consecutive medium-setting slices coming out almost identical. The test offers evidence for the model’s sensor-based browning approach, but it does not establish that the toaster will prevent burnt toast in every kitchen or with every kind of bread.
The Eye Q’s defining feature is an optical sensor in one toast slot. According to the report, the sensor checks the bread’s color 10 times per second as the carriage lowers. When it detects the selected shade, the toaster raises the carriage. The controls offer seven browning levels, along with sourdough and timer modes. The toaster can handle frozen bread without a separate defrost setting, the report says.
For its color-range test, the reviewer toasted white sandwich bread at four settings. The lowest produced almost no color and left the bread slightly dried out, while the highest produced an even, deep brown with some extra browning at the edges. The reviewer also observed slight grill-like marks, although browning was largely even from top to bottom and side to side.
Speed and repeatability were strong points in the reported tests. The Eye Q finished even at its highest setting in less than two minutes. For a consistency check, the reviewer made five slices in a row on medium; the slices were almost identical despite the toaster getting warmer. Good Housekeeping also cited easy-to-read controls, a high-rise lift intended to help users retrieve toast, a cancel control and slots that accommodate a bagel, including one cut unevenly.
What the Sensor Test Shows
The report matters to shoppers who want a toaster that can reduce the need to guess at timing or restart a cycle. Instead of relying only on a preset heating duration, the Eye Q uses bread-color sensing to decide when to lift the carriage. The lab’s results suggest that this approach delivered fast toast and closely matched slices in the tested conditions.
Those findings are useful, but they are not a guarantee against burning. The lowest setting left the bread slightly dry, and the highest produced extra color around the edges. Bread type, slice thickness and personal preference can affect the result, so readers should treat the test as a report on one appliance under specified lab tests—not proof that every slice will come out at an ideal shade. The larger countertop footprint is another practical trade-off for kitchens with limited space.
![Breville DuraCeramic Sandwich/Panini-Presse und Toaster | 2-Scheiben-Sandwichmaker im Café-Stil | Edelstahl [VST071X]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41XvTd2tSnL._SL500_.jpg)
Breville DuraCeramic Sandwich/Panini-Presse und Toaster | 2-Scheiben-Sandwichmaker im Café-Stil | Edelstahl [VST071X]
- Versatile Use: Ideal for Panini, Ciabatta, and more
- Large Cooking Surface: Fits 2-3 sandwiches comfortably
- Non-Stick Plates: Easy to clean aluminium plates
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Breville’s Eye Q Works
Good Housekeeping’s report describes the Eye Q as a new Breville model designed around internal optical sensors, rather than a toaster that relies solely on a timed cycle. Its seven browning levels let users select a preferred shade, while sourdough and timer modes provide other ways to toast. The sensor monitors one slot as the carriage lowers, according to the report.
The review was written by Lizzy Briskin, a contributing analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. The report says Briskin has tested 10 toasters in the lab, which has assessed more than 80. It does not provide comparative scores, prices or a detailed side-by-side comparison with other Breville models. The report says Breville also makes a four-slot version for larger households.
WMF Stelio Toaster 2 Scheiben Edelstahl, Doppelschlitz Toaster mit Brötchenaufsatz, Bagel-Funktion, 7 Bräunungsstufen, 900 W, edelstahl matt
- Dual Slot Design: Toasts two slices simultaneously
- Versatile Baking Capacity: Handles bread up to 9×9 cm and 2.6 cm thick
- Customizable Browning: 7 adjustable browning levels
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Limits of the Published Test
The report provides results from specific tests, but it does not state the Eye Q’s price, warranty, energy use or long-term durability. It also does not describe testing across every bread variety, slice thickness or kitchen environment. The sensor’s reported checks apply to one toast slot; the supplied material does not explain whether or how that sensing behavior applies to a four-slot model.
Good Housekeeping reports that five medium-setting slices were almost identical, but it does not publish numerical color measurements or a complete test protocol. The results therefore support a limited conclusion: the reviewer observed strong speed and repeatability in these tests. Whether individual users will avoid burnt toast depends on their bread, selected setting and preferred browning, details the report does not quantify.
Krups KH442D Control Line Premium Toaster, Edelstahl, 2 kurze Schlitze für 2 Scheiben, Brötchenaufsatz, 6 Bräunungsgrade, 850 W, 23.6 x 32.4 x 20.2 cm, Silber/ Schwarz
- Removable Crumb Tray: Easy to clean and hygienic
- 6 Toast Browning Levels: Adjust to perfect toast color
- Enhanced Toasting Performance: Consistent, high-quality results
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
What Shoppers Can Check
The supplied report does not announce a follow-up test or provide a release schedule for additional findings. Readers considering the toaster can compare its countertop size, price and available slot configurations with their kitchen needs, then review current product specifications and retailer terms before buying. Those details are not included in the test material.
For use, the review’s results point to starting with a preferred browning level and adjusting it to the bread being toasted; the lowest and highest settings produced noticeably different outcomes in the white-bread test. Shoppers who need more capacity can also check Breville’s four-slot model, which the report mentions, while recognizing that no test results for that version are supplied here.
Clatronic® 4 Scheiben-Toaster | mit Brötchenaufsatz | Langschlitztoaster mit Auftau-/Aufwärm-/Schnellstoppfunktion | für Toastbrötchen & Fertigwaffeln | TA 3802 schwarz
- 4-Scheiben Capacity: Toast multiple slices at once
- Versatile toasting options: Includes bagel and waffle settings
- Cool Touch Exterior: Safe handling during operation
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Does the Breville Eye Q Toaster guarantee that toast will not burn?
No. Good Housekeeping reports favorable results in its tests, but does not establish a guarantee. The highest setting produced deep browning with extra color at the edges, and outcomes may vary with bread and settings.
How does the Eye Q’s sensor work?
According to Good Housekeeping, an optical sensor in one slot checks the bread’s color 10 times per second as the carriage lowers. The toaster lifts the carriage when the bread reaches the selected shade.
How quickly did it toast bread in the test?
The reviewer said the Eye Q finished in less than two minutes, even on its highest setting. The report does not give separate timing results for every bread type or setting.
What were the main drawbacks?
The review describes the toaster as bulky and less sleek than some other models. It also observed slight grill-like marks on toast and a little extra browning around the edges at the highest setting.
Did the toaster brown repeated slices consistently?
In the reported test, five consecutive slices toasted on medium were almost identical, even as the toaster warmed up. The report does not provide numerical measurements for that comparison.
Source: rss
