Best Bagel Toaster for That Perfect Crunch

If you are like many people, you love a perfectly toasted bagel in the morning, but not all toasters work well on bagels. Some toast evenly on both sides, leaving the top and bottom of the bagel crunchy and hard - not the desired result. A good bagel toaster will only toast the cut side of the bagel and must be big enough to handle a typical half, which is often larger than a standard slice of bread.

For this job, a typical toaster oven or appliance made for just bread will not do the same quality job as a machine made for the bagels we love. Let's take a look at some of the top small appliances out there that will do a superb job.

Here is what you really want in a toaster if the ultimate goal is a bagel with a crispy cut side and warm but not crusty top or bottom. At a bare minimum, the toaster must include these features.

• wide slots for the bagel
• ability to toast only the cut side of the bagel
• easy cancel operation to eject the bagel

That's really it! The good news is that yo can find these features in a number of small appliance toasters these days, so it's easier than ever to find a machine that will work well. The bad news is that there are a lot of toasters with these features these days, making the final choice mind-numbing. To help you out, here are the top rated toasters available today, specifically noted for being loved by their owners for the ability of each to produce a perfectly toasted bagel.

This is a question that can be debated. The answer, of course, depends on your personal preference, but here is some advice. If you have bagels purchased fresh from the bakery this morning, it's probably in the perfect eating state right now. A great, fresh bagel is soft on the inside and has a pleasant crisp outer shell, especially on the top. Putting this in the toaster is strange to many people, but still, others just like the extra crispiness that only a bagel toaster can offer.

Bagels that are purchased from the grocery store or those that are past their prime, however, can be considerably better when toasted. These bagels tend to be void of that crispy shell, and are much more bread-like. The added crunch from a medium toasting adds welcome texture.

Plain bagels from the bread aisle or freezer of the grocery store are great, but toasted bagels have that crispy texture that makes them awesome. This is because these bagels found at the store tend to be different than those made daily at the local bagel bakery. The nice thing about having a toaster that can really handle the extra width of a bagel is that it opens up the possibility of using frozen or day-old bagels, since they will toast nicely just like their fresh counterparts. This will expand your options and save you money if you choose.

If you're looking for a new toaster, and one that has the wide slots needed, these toasters are all quality choices and the highest rated by those that use them.

If you want the freshest bagel possible but don't feel like driving to the store, or you can't find exactly the kind you want, make your own! Be advised, that making your own from scratch is not foolproof, and it takes some getting used to, but there are plenty of simple-to-follow recipes out there to get you started. Here are some very highly rates ones that you should check out.

Classic Recipe - For a classic bagel that can be amended with your favorite toppings or fillings,this recipe is a great place to start.

Bread Machine Recipe - If you already have a bread machine, use it to make your own bagels too! This recipe will show you how.