MagimixToaster Vision Black 1450 Watt Toaster

I hate buying small kitchen appliances. So many 'top-rated' appliances are just poorly made junk, designed to work well just long enough to make it through the warranty period, and when they go bad, there's no customer support, other than to tell you 'Just buy another one'. I guess I really just hate the whole 'throw-away' mentality, so I don't mind paying more for something that's a 'one-and-done' purchase; something that's built so well it'll be around for years of trouble-free service. My parents had a toaster that they purchased when they bought their first home (I was 4 years old), and that thing worked great until my sister accidentally knocked it to the floor when I was 18. I don't know how much they paid for it, but I remember my mom telling me it was one of the most expensive appliances they purchased. They bought it when I was 4, so that would be 1960 dollars.That being said, though, it took a hard swallow to pay $200 for a countertop toaster. I looked at what seemed like a couple of hundred web sites that reviewed toasters, and then read the reviews for those brands here on Amazon. I eventually looked at the America's Test Kitchen review of countertop toasters, and that's where I first learned about the Magimix Vision toaster. They didn't have a lot to say about it, other than to say it was their top rated toaster in their last review, but also the most expensive, and that they were looking to see if they could find lower priced alternatives that worked as well as the Magimix. They eventually ended by saying the Magimix was STILL the best toaster, but they also called out a Breville model and the Dash Clearview (as the 'value-priced' models). So I looked at that Breville model, and the 5-star reviews prompted me to put it in my shopping cart. But then I started reading the 3 and less stars reviews, and I removed it. A lot of folks seemed to have great luck with their Breville purchase, but those that had a problem were often unable to get it resolved, and got lousy customer support from Breville. The Dash model seemed like a reasonable alternative, until I started reading those disclaimers telling you to put the toaster in the middle of your countertop, as it would pop the bread out with such force it wound up on the floor.Decided to take a closer look at the Magimix, and immediately liked what I saw. Not unexpectedly, not a lot of reviews on Amazon, due to the high price, but all 5 stars, and some glowing reviews. The Magimix web site lists 3 years as their warranty period, and their customer support section seems pretty active with positive customer interactions. So, I gritted my teeth and bought it (wanted the stainless steel version, but just couldn't justify the extra $50, so settled for black).So far, it's pretty darned impressive. Really simple to understand and operate the multiple functions for toasting regular bread, bagels. baguettes, reheating, and thawing. It's REALLY fast; I had to use the stop button a few times to keep my toast from burning at the median 4 setting. Eventually I got more accustomed to how quickly and efficiently those 4 quartz heating elements work, so burning my toast wasn't a concern. Best of all, my wife actually loves it. She is not technology friendly, so for her to say she 'loves the new toaster', is a seriously big thing.So...yeah, it seems to be, as toasters go, the 'best in show'. It's really up to you, the consumer, and your priorities, to decide if you are happy with a much less expensive model that may - or may not - give you the years of service and quality of service you expect for your money, or you decide instead to pay an exorbitant amount of money for an appliance that should NEVER cost this much, but will give you the quality that you want. Seem like a ludicrous choice? You'd be right, but that's where we are in today's marketplace. I decided to go with the latter, but you may be perfectly happy with the former. Oh...in case you're wondering - former = first choice, while latter = last choice

There was a time one could buy a good all-round toaster for about $50 that toasted evenly & and light/dark adjustment worked and had a life span over 5 years if not more. Not any more. I’ve now had more than one, paying $100-$150, and the toasting elements die bit-by-bit and/or the light/dark adjustment is worthless, or it dies! I did the deed & bought this Magi-Mix so at least I could see it before it burned the toast. Instead of the wire elements on both sides of the slot, there are 4 quartz elements-two at the top front & back & two on the bottom front & back. Boy do they make toast FAST!!! Fresh whole wheat toast on the 1 1/2 setting is less than a minute. A bagel is a minute plus a few seconds at the 3 setting. I am just astonished at the speed of the toasting. It does brown a little more at top & bottom faster than the middle but it still toasts the whole thing & can be seen. The toast is delicious. I got brave & bought some of those ‘toaster bags’ one can use to make a grill cheese sandwich in the toaster. I put a slice of ham in with the cheese & put into the toaster bag & then into the toaster on the 2 setting. It was harder to see the browning inside the bag so when it came up it still needed just a little more. So 2 1/2 seems to work for a good grill cheese on whole wheat. I have really fat bagels & no problem with fit. The thing is I can see it and adjust up or down whatever I am toasting & BOY IS IT FAST! If it lasts as long as the Magi-Mix warranty, 3 years, I’ll be satisfied as I have spent this amount over the past few years on highly rated toasters that shouldn’t have been or were good but not for long. I am happy with this as at least it works as described-better even.

The lever has broken on this multiple times, requiring that I manually hold it down while it toasts. I paid to ship the unit in for repair and the repaired unit also broke the same way. I could have bought two basic toasters for the shipping cost alone.

It's hypnotic watching your toes toasting and your waffle getting Brown

This is the second one I purchased because I like the window, but the first one lasted a year and the lever would not stay down.

10 years ago I purchased a Magimix for $300. It was great bit it finally wouldn’t hold toast down. I looked at wire cutters and bought a model they recommended a Breville that was mediocre. So we paid $240 for a new Magimix and it is the BEST. We love it

I love this toaster. Evenly browns. And I love you can see how brown your items are getting through the glass. It’s quick too. It does bagels also. It’s pricey for a toaster and a little larger than a 2 toast toaster. But I really do like it.

This is a great design and does a very good job of making toast. The fact that you can see the bread as it toasts is a real plus. However, there is a design flaw in this device. As others have said, the mechanism that holds the handle and the bread carriage down fails quite often. Mine failed after five years. There are numerous posts on the internet about this. It will still toast bread but you have to stand there and hold down the handle and watch the bread, which is impractical. There are toasters 50, 60 75 years old that are still working and cost a fraction of what the Magimix cost. When you pay $250 or more for a toaster you expect it to last a long time, they tout their quality but, not so much. I have tried to contact the company for a repair but they haven't responded.