Breville's $300 Eye Q Toaster Uses Color, Not Time, to Make Toast

The traditional pop-up toaster has changed little in more than 100 years, according to the review. It is essentially a box with resistive coils, a timer and spring-loaded slots that eject bread when the time is up. Engadget said that formula works, but it also means results vary depending on how hot the coils are and what kind of bread is being toasted. Achieving a consistent golden brown can feel hit or miss, especially with an unfamiliar toaster.

Breville's design for the Eye Q is more futuristic than the average toaster. Engadget described rounded edges and a minimalist appearance that would look at home on a spaceship rather than in a mid-century modern kitchen. The top has a non-stick ceramic coating intended to keep the appliance clean and allow crumbs to fall into a removable tray. Buttons let users adjust the desired darkness, with the middle light setting producing what the review called a really nice golden brown. A minus button on the left makes toast lighter, while a button on the right makes it darker. There is a dedicated bagel button and an "A bit more" button for extra toasting. Instead of a spring-loaded lever, a large central button starts the process.

In operation, pressing the start button causes the Eye Q to use built-in motors to clamp down on the bread and slowly lower it inside. Engadget said the process feels more sophisticated than pushing down on springs, but the meaningful difference is what happens when the coils heat up. A traditional toaster relies on a timer, while the Eye Q uses a handful of optical sensors that track the color of the toast 10 times per second. When the bread reaches the selected shade, the toaster beeps and smoothly raises it. The review said users do not need to guess whether a slice needs one minute, 90 seconds or two minutes; the toast is ready when its color is right.

To test the seven color options, Engadget bought a fresh loaf of whole wheat bread and toasted one slice on each setting. The review reported a surprisingly smooth gradient from light to dark. The lightest setting barely crisped the crumb without changing its color much, while the darkest slice was deep brown but stopped short of burning except at the very edges of the crust. The middle setting produced a perfect golden slice that the reviewer said almost anyone would be happy to eat. The reviewer left the standard middle option in place for nearly all regular toast needs after that.

Engadget noted a few cosmetic issues. Sometimes the grill lines from the toaster were visible where each slice was held in place, and some pieces looked more splotchy than others. The review said those differences were almost entirely cosmetic because the taste was on point after butter was spread on the toast. The "A bit more" button can add extra crunch, and the Eye Q can toast frozen bread straight from the refrigerator without worrying about it coming out overdone. The review also said holding down the main button triggers another function.