In the build up to our wedding, my wife insisted we put a good toaster on the wedding list. Thinking it was easy, we looked at a wide range of toasters, not realising that each brand has about a gazillion different types of toaster. Finally settling on one, we went through our wonderful, giving each other knowing looks that meant it wouldn't be long before we could use our brand new Morphy Richards 44724 model toaster.......as a married couple!

For a start, it's really nice to have an aesthetically pleasing toaster. This one has a curved appearance, maknig it seem almost space-like when combined with its polished chrome appearance. And you can use it as a toaster as well if you want!

The toaster has a good range of temperature, as all good toasters do, although the temperature isn't specified it has grades from 1 to 7. There are four slots, and you can use two or four at a time. There is a simple switch at the base on the front to switch betwee the two settings.

There are also settings for whether you want to defrost something, warm it up, and there is a cancel button. The toaster also comes complete with two bun or bagel warmers which fit onto the top of the slots, allowing the heat to get up to them. The button to start the toaster is big enough and shaped so that it's quite easy to use as well.

So, they are the main functions of the toaster. How is it practically? Well, I find that it does a good job of toasting all over. The heated bars on the inside have flexible movement to be able to touch whatever it is you are toasting, so it doesn't matter how thin the bread/pitta/toastie you are putting in, although you can't quite fit a sandwich in there to toast (and I probably shouldn't be trying - doh!) The settings work properly. I know some toasters cause problems such as setting number 3 burning your toast one day and then barely heating it up the next. This toaster is consistent.

One gripe I have is that once it pops, it's hard to get the toast up, and I sometimes burn my fingers slightly trying to get the toast out, as the top doesn't come up above the rim. Another problem is the crumb trays. They are located at the back on the bottom, and blend in to the toaster, so they aren't noticeable, for aesthetic reasons. However, close inspection on the inside shows that they taper in the middle at the bottom so that the product doesn't actually fall through, and as a result half of the crumbs remain stuck to the sides and the bottom slopes. This is a bit annoying, as it means that you still have to give it a good shake or occasionally turn it upside down to get all the crumbs out. nd there will still be some left in there!

However, all in all it is a very reliable toaster, which does what we need it to, and looks good. I would recommend getting it if you want a quality toaster, although it is not cheap (hence why it was part of the wedding list and not an individual purchase by us!) You can get one currently online at amazon for around the £40 mark, but expect other places to have it a bit more expensive. Retailers vary quite drastically when it comes to household appliances, so it is worth having a good look around the shops before finally buying one. It's a good product, although if I had the choice I might not spend £40 on one.