What a great little toaster!

I recieved my MADETEC 2 Slice Wide Slot Toaster today and couldn't wait to open the package up. Our last toaster, a cheap piece of junk from WalMart, lasted only about 2 weeks before only half of the heat elements would work. So getting this toaster in the mail was a cause for excitement in the household! It arrived securely packaged and upon opening, it was even more attractive than the photos showed. The stainless steel part is nice and shiney and the black sides had a nice gloss to them. It felt quite well made when I picked it up, with very little rattling of the chasis and a decent heft to it. Upon inspecting it, I noted and liked how there is a spot on the bottom and side for the cord to weave through which makes sure that the toaster sits level and the cord is secured in case it is ever pulled upon. The buttons for Defrost, Bagel, and Cancel are big but not obnoxiously so, and they light up when the toaster is in use. The cord is approximately 2 1/2 feet long, which is perfect to reach that outlet that is a little far away but not so long as to leave a bunch of wire stretched out over your counter inviting accidents.

The first thing I did was to set the toaster to 7, the max toasting time, and let it run through a "dry cycle", or without anything inside it. I did this as all appliances like this will have a thin layer of oil on the heat elements to help prevent rusting and it needs to be burned off before first use, otherwise it will flavor the bread. Once done, I dropped in a few slices of Wonder Bread, set the knob to 3 1/2, and turned it on. The lever felt very sturdy for a toaster, with no real wobble or grinding of metal on metal like you would hear and feel with a cheap toaster. The knob was also quite solid, with just enough resistance to keep it accurately set but not so firm as to feel overly tight. Once the lever was down, the Cancel button lit up with a bright red light that definitely catches your attention. I peered through the slots, watching my bread turn to a nice and golden brown, and realized that any longer would make it darker than I desired. I hit the Cancel button and the bread immediately popped up looking lovely and inviting. I set the knob down to 2 1/2 and tried with another 2 slices, hoping I had found the sweet spot. While waiting, I munched on my first slices and was pleased to find out that while the toast was nice and done on the outside, the inside still had a softness to it that makes it delicious. Apparently the elements get hot enough that they brown the outsides of the bread yet leave the inside moist and not all dried out and crunchy. My appreciation of this little toaster grew at this discovery! And much more quickly than I expected, the toaster popped the next 2 slices up and they were picture perfect. Total toasting time couldn't have been more than a minute and a half. And to make sure the toaster wouldn't be a safety hazard for the rest of my family, I bit the bullett and touched the sides to see how hot it got after 3 cycles. To my surprise, it was quite warm, as to be expected, but not hot enough to burn someone or start a fire. Now I was in love. In love with my MADETEC 2 Slice Wide Slot Toaster! I see many happy breakfast to come. 

Also, the day after I had ordered this toaster through Amazon with my 2 day prime shipping, the seller contacted me to let me know that when it arrived, if I had any issues or concerns with it, to contact them immediately and they would do whatever was needed to make things right. No begging for a review or anything, just good old fashioned customer service that a lot of sellers are lacking. I feel I have made a wonderful and smart decision buying this MADETEC toaster from the seller CHARDY and I will let all my friends and family know that if they are looking for great customer service, prices, and an awesome toaster to look them up! I would give 10 stars if I could!