As toasters go, I think this one is as good as any. As a Russell Hobbs product, I had high expectations, which I think this product has met, but I wouldn't say exceeded. At the end of the day, it's toaster.

The product is well designed. It has a sort of classic feel to it. Its simple design means that, stylistically speaking, it would probably fit nicely into any kitchen. It's not too space age, but it doesn't look tired or unstylish either. It's a small machine and takes up very little space in my kitchen. The power cord is long, but not trailing. The whole unit generally looks tidy and compact.

The stainless steel panel on the sides of the toaster do not tarnish easily, and keeps the toaster looking clean and fresh. The crumb tray is easy to remove, clean and replace.

There are lots of various different heat and 'browning' settings for fussy eaters. There's a frozen bread setting, which I have found to be quite useful. There's a bagel setting too, for toasting just one side of the bagel (or toast if you're that way inclined). As an avid bagel eater, I have found this to be a nice, if somewhat unnecessary, facility.

I have had this toaster for around six months, and so far I have found it to be perfectly reliable, with no problems so far. A lot of toasters are fairly unreliable, so I'm quite happy with this one.

Generally, I am happy with this toaster. It seems reliable and it cooks toast well. Although it was a little more costly than other toasters, I feel that given its reliability, it was a good purchase.