| | |  | NEW | Home » » Breville BTA630XL Lift and Look Touch Toaster | | | | | | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 12.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 12.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 12.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 9.0 pounds | | Package Length:
| 18.0 inches | | Package Width:
| 9.3 inches | | Package Height:
| 8.8 inches | | Package Weight:
| 7.6 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 75 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 75 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
132 of 139 found the following review helpful:
 Awesome but pricey!Sep 20, 2011
By S. Dang
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3PMRMZC91T7VT Hi, this is my review of the "Lift & Look" touch toaster. With an MSRP of $99.99, I think it's a bit high but if you want the absolute fanciest high-end toaster to match your high-end kitchen, then don't let the price stop you :) This toaster is for you, as it is chock full of bells and whistles.
I wouldn't normally pay this much for a toaster, and my current one makes perfectly fine toast, however the additional features this toast has over basic toasting is genuinely useful. If you've ever tried toasting a Bagel or English muffin in a regular toaster, often times one side gets burned or undercooked, due to their differing sides. The 'Bagel' setting will toast the split side hotter, so that it browns quicker, otherwise the outer crust may burn since it is drier than the inside.
Anyway, my video will explain the rest. Enjoy!
Comments and feedback welcome!
-Scott
53 of 54 found the following review helpful:
I love this toaster, but it may not be for everyoneOct 02, 2011
By Kristi
"all my facts come from fiction"
I hated my toaster. It was a simple machine, yet would behave in a demonic fashion -- the same setting would leave one set of slices raw, then char the next set. I researched toasters on the internet and was dismayed to find that my horrible toaster was often rated most desireable on the consumer opinion sites. Argh! Thus, when I had the chance to try this toaster, I jumped at it, and, boy, am I glad I did.
The toaster features attractively illuminated digital controls for the up/down/up to check it/bagel/defrost settings, and an analog slider for 'more or less browning.' It works consistently and easily. It does take two quick button presses to get the bagel and defrost settings, a non-intuitive operation that may frustrate unsuspecting houseguests or folks who don't like gadgets.
I was extremely surprised to find how much we appreciated having space to toast four pieces of bread at once. There are only two of us, so how big a deal was it that someone had to wait another 60 seconds or so to get their bread for toasted sandwiches or the toast for their eggs. As it turns out, it was a big deal that we never had bothered to acknowledge... being able to sit down to eat together removes just one more of life's little irritations, and we all need less of those, don't you think? Who knew that it is also occasionally desireable to toast a very long piece of bread? Turns out that it is very handy, and the contiguous slots (two very long slots on each side rather than four separate slots) allow this to be done.
The toaster has performed flawlessly and with only a very few checks using the "lift and look" feature or adjustments of the darker/lighter slider on frozen waffles, fresh bread, store-bought bread, store-bought english muffins, and what we here in Iowa call bagels. I am sure much of the nation will discount anything I have to say about bagels, but whether they were Thomas' from the grocery store or fresh-made from Panera, the toaster handled them beautifully -- warm throughout, no burnt edges, nicely crunchy on the cut side.
I am sure my techno-loving brother will be pleasantly envious with regard to this sleek and fancy toaster over the holidays but rather suspect that my husband's 'less is more' side of the family will ask rather pointedly what happened to the perfectly good toaster we used to have. So I suppose that backing my car over it is probably a bad idea, and I should just make sure it goes somewhere deserving. The garbage can comes to mind.
THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER: Every time I get the toaster out of the cabinet, I think "I should tell people how much I still love this toaster." So, here I am. It just does what I want it to... I set the lever for the lightness/darkness, press the button and get toast or bagel or frozen waffle or raisin toast or... anything! The crumb tray is super easy to empty and goes back into place without a lot of wiggling. The plug has a nicely shaped end that is easy to grasp to unplug, even if you've got a bit of arthritis... I just remain very, very happy with this toaster and I hope we'll be together a long time.
47 of 49 found the following review helpful:
 "A High Quality Toaster"Sep 22, 2011
By Silver Stars
The Breville four-slice toaster will amaze. Most 4-slice toasters have four slots for the toast, but this toaster has two slots which can handle two slices each the slots are that long. When I get my favorite round loaves of rye and Pumpernickel from the local bakery, I don't need to cut the slices to fit the toaster. This toaster will take slices twice as long as and thicker than a regular slice of bread. The Defrost button allows English and Bagels to be taken from the freezer and defrosted then toasted. The unit can toast bagels so the inside of the slice can be toasted the way you prefer, without burning the outer side. Now, that is innovation. The cord is long enough to reach distant plugs, but the surplus cord is stored under the unit, so that it is not showing and getting in the way. The cord's plug is unique in that it is molded with a finger hole in it, making it super easy to unplug the toaster. This toaster has a button that you can push to let it toast a little bit longer. It's motorized "lift and Look" feature will allow you to check on the progress without interrupting the toasting. The toasting can be stopped with the push of a button. You do not have to go digging for your toast. The Breville unit will raise the toast in a controlled manner with its motorized lift.
This toaster's exterior is cool to the touch, and it has a crumb tray to make cleaning a snap. It even has an LED to show you how much time is left before the toast is done. The designer(s) of this unit must have had experiences similar to mine with the typical pop-up toasters, and engineered those aggravating and dangerous issues out of the Breville. The Breville takes up more counter room than other toasters I've had, but that's a small price to pay for the Breville's quality, safety and features. Also, its pricing is competitive with other quality 2 and 4 piece toasters, but the others cannot handle the longer and thicker slices that the Breville toaster can.
I highly recommend this toaster. Its conservative design impresses the most discriminating in kitchen decor.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
ImpressiveOct 17, 2011
By M. A. Gratton
I did not purchase this from Amazon (unfortunately at the time they were on 1-4 month shipping delay here at Amazon when I bought it from another store).
Everything about this toaster is .. impressive. It's weight in your hands. It's quality of craftsmanship, very well put together. I like the look of this toaster. As far as toasters go, it is very sleek, stylish, elegant even, but not overstated. I cannot think of any kitchen this would look 'wrong' in from an aesthetics POV (see my only Con comment at the bottom).
This is a very easy to use toaster. The timer slider is easy to use, and shows an LED visual display as you slide it. This also acts as the count-down timer, letting you know where in the cycle the toaster is at when activated. After setting the timer slider, simply press the Start button. Toast will "rise up" (not pop) when done and a chime will sound. More on this later.
The slots are long and wide. I have not yet toasted bagels in it, but I don't see them having any problems. A real plus to the long slots is not having to cut your artisan breads in half anymore. If you are toasting regular bread slices, then just drop them in side-by-side, filling up each slot of the toaster.
This is a deep toaster. Everything I have toasted so far is completely covered by the heating elements. Gone are the days of the top of the item being toasted being untoasted, or having to be flipped and retoasted, overcooking and drying out the middle. On the flip side, when the cycle is done, the carrier raises the items very high, allowing even short items to be easily plucked of the toaster, dramatically reducing the number of times my or my kids little fingers have to come in contact with the hot metal parts. This is a very nice touch! (pun intended)
Everything that goes in, comes out toasted right the first time. Repeated toastings so far have produced consistent results. However, if you are toasting something new (or are unsure of how long something will take to attain toasty perfection) there are two buttons that are there to help you: "Cook a bit more" and "Life and Look". "Lift and look" pauses the toasting cycle timer, gently lifts what you are toasting up for a look and then drops them down again and resumes the toasting cycle. "Cook a bit more" does just that, adds some time onto the timer. I have not scientifically used the "Cook and bit more" to know that it adds 30 seconds, 10% more or whatever, to the time. But it is there if you need it. I believe (according to instructions) that it can also be used at the end of a cycle to lower the items to be toasted for a bit longer.
The manual is excellent. All aspects of this toaster are well documented, both in their own section, and in context as necessary. Their description of the act of toasting something is 7 or 8 highly detailed, but easy to read bullets talking about everything aspect of the process that someone would want to know. Really, this is one of the best user manuals I have seen in quite a while. I cannot think of a question that was left unanswered after having read through it. It is easy to read, detailed, while not being overwhelming.
Silly as this seems, my kids (okay and myself too) like watching this thing work. When you push the button, it gently lowers the items into the body. The sides collapse to center the item. That smooth movement is ... well frankly cool! When it is done, it gently raises the items, and chimes unobtrusively to let you know it is done. My 4 year old literally pulls up a step stool and wants to start the toaster every time someone has something to toast. The smoothness of this units operation is a silly, but real part of it's allure. The first time you drop something in here, you will immediately think "Wow, that was pretty cool!" Of course, then you will feel silly for thinking that about a toaster. But it is!
Are there any cons? It is large (which is both a pro and con). My wife's initial "take it back" reaction had everything to do with its dimensions and the fact that it really sticks out on the counter. We have it towards an enclosed end of the counter, so it does not interfere with any counter operations. Still it is quite a large toaster, and if this is going to be in the middle of the counter, then you will have to get used to either putting it away or turning it sideways to get back counter space. The plug does stick out as well, but maybe an inch further than anything else I have to plug in.
If you can't tell already, I really love this toaster and would recommend it to anyone. Now I just truly hope it stands the test of time and look forward to many long years of use.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
The Cadillac Of ToastersOct 07, 2011
By G. Ratcheson
At my home, the Breville is replacing a 10 year old cheap Westinghouse, & it's a huge step up.
Probably the first thing you should know is this puppy is BIG. In an average to small kitchen like mine, this toaster is going to be the visual centerpiece of the kitchen, like it or not. If you are doing an expensive kitchen remodel, this will fit right in visually; in fact it should probably be on your short list. I can visualize Homer Simpson saying, "Ah... toast"! On the other hand in a small kitchen like mine, it does take up a significant amount of real estate.
First 3 minor negatives; then the pluses. If you have a curious kitty or other small critter, this toaster is NOT pet proof. I'm going to say that again, this thing could potentially catch & burn a cat's paw or tail. The buttons are touch sensitive & on top. Kitty could easily push them. It also has a nice quiet motor to suck toast (& kitty paws) down inside & hold them there until another button is pushed. Easy solution: ALWAYS unplug when not in use. The power cord has a large "finger hole" holder that others have complained about, but I love it as I do unplug it after every use.
In my opinion, the other negative is a lost opportunity with the "defrost" feature. I personally buy a lot of day old bread, & as such most of my bread is frozen. I would have loved to see a feature that simply & perfectly defrosts frozen bread. Unfortunately, this "defrost" button is really just a duplication of the toaster's "a little bit more" button; it adds an unspecified amount of extra time to the toasting cycle you've selected (& MUST be used with a toasting cycle), & as I discovered tonight it's a pretty significant addition; it adds more time than what is needed (more later).
Also, while you will only have to deal with it once, the odor on first use is even more extreme then they mention, & it took a couple hours to dissipate even with 2 doors & a window open. Do not use it for the first time in winter; & I would also suggest consulting with your vet before the first use if you have parakeets as they can be quite sensitive to this sort of thing. I found it took 3 full heat cycles to completely be done with the odor, but it's now completely gone. For this price, I would suggest that the manufacturer do this in the factory, rather than the end user.
What do I like? It's gorgeous. It's versatile. The size has 1 big benefit for me: One of the breads I frequently use is a huge sourdough that was too big for the Westinghouse, I had to turn it over manually ½ way through. As this is designed for 2 pieces on each side, the sourdough fits easily. Love the slick motor, the button to see how done the bread is without re-setting the timer, love the versatility other than the defrost idea.
I'm still working on discovering the ideal settings for me. In most cases I prefer my bread quite light; in fact my #1 use for a toaster is to defrost bread as I mentioned above. With frozen bread it looks like I'm going to be using the lowest setting (1) + defrost (though I'm sure I'll experiment more). Tonight, I tried fresh bread for the first time. I went with setting 2 of 5 without defrost & it came out lighter than frozen does on 1 + defrost, which I found surprising. Obviously I need to do some more experimenting before I come to the ideal settings for my tastes. And if you like your toast darker than I do, you have a large range of settings to play with.
The unit also has a special bagel setting which I haven't tried yet (due to lack of bagels at the moment). It's supposed to heat differently to deal with the thickness.
With the 2 caveats above (& the fact this puppy is not cheap) it's good stuff. I plan to keep it around for a long time.
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