I purchased a Cookworks toaster from Argos, which cost me £5.79. It wasn't my first choice, but most of the toasters seemed to be out of stock over the Christmas period-so I opted for this one, thinking it couldn't be that bad. How wrong I was!


The toaster looks similar to most toasters. It is white in colour and all the functions and settings are clearly visible. It has a removable crumb tray, though it doesn't seem to catch the majority of crumbs and you end up with them all over your kitchen surface. It does have none slip feet and cord storage so it can be easily stored.


The toaster can cook a maximum of two slices at a time, and as with any toaster you can alternate the temperature so that the bread comes out to your preference. Since we purchased the toaster more than six months ago, I have yet to have a piece of toast where the whole slice has been toasted. I have trouble fitting in most types of bread (Warburton's is completely out of the question!), and when I can fit them in the bread often gets trapped. The toaster also has a tendency to cook the main section of the bread, and leaves the whole surrounding area completely uncooked.

The only advantages of this toaster are that it has a defrost function, so that you can toast bread from frozen, and the reheat function so that you can reheat a piece of toast without browning it. I do however find that when I do this the toast tastes a little chewy-but that's just my personal opinion.

I've normally been really happy with goods from this brand, but I certainly won't be recommending that anyone buy their KT-800 toasters. In terms of price, it looks good, but I would definitely recommend spending that little bit more so that you are actually getting a full slice of toast. I've had toasters in the past that have cost a similar price, but have lasted a good few years and have done their job properly.