Breville 2 Slice Select Luxe Retro Toaster Review
The Breville 2 Slice Select Luxe Retro Toaster: When Premium Meets Performance
An unflinching examination of Breville’s $200+ toaster and whether it justifies its premium price
The Truth About Expensive Toasters
Let me be direct: most people don’t need a $200 toaster. But some people absolutely do, and they know who they are.
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The Breville 2 Slice Select Luxe doesn’t apologize for its price tag. It earns it through engineering, materials, and performance that lesser toasters simply cannot match. The question isn’t whether it’s expensive – it is. The question is whether it’s worth it.
For the right buyer, the answer is an emphatic yes.
First Contact: The Unboxing Experience
When you lift the Breville Select Luxe from its packaging, you immediately understand where your money went. This isn’t stamped metal wrapped in chrome paint. This is a precision appliance with the weight and presence of serious kitchen equipment.
The stainless steel housing feels substantial – not heavy for the sake of weight, but dense with purpose. The control knobs turn with mechanical precision. The lever operates with the smooth confidence of a well-engineered machine.
Your first impression will be: “This looks like it belongs in a professional kitchen, but designed for people who actually live in their homes.”
That impression proves accurate with every use.
The Performance That Justifies the Price
Precision Heating Technology
Most toasters heat bread with simple resistance coils and hope. The Breville employs what they call “Element IQ” – intelligent heating elements that adjust automatically based on your selections.
What this means in practice: Your toast emerges evenly browned across the entire surface. No light spots near the center. No burnt edges. No disappointing surprises.
The Bagel Function That Actually Works
Here’s where the Breville separates itself from pretenders: the bagel setting performs dramatically better than cheaper alternatives.
The secret: Independent heating element control. The inside elements toast your bagel’s cut surface to golden perfection while the outside elements gently warm the exterior without burning it.
Smart Settings for Real Foods
The Select Luxe offers eight browning levels, but they’re not the arbitrary numbers found on cheap toasters. These settings reflect actual testing with real bread varieties.
- Setting 3 produces perfect golden toast for most standard breads.
- Setting 5 handles denser breads like sourdough beautifully.
- Setting 7 manages thick, artisanal breads without cremating them.
The “A Bit More” button adds precious seconds of toasting without starting over. Simple, but brilliant for achieving perfect results.
Design That Respects Your Kitchen
Authentic Retro Styling
The Select Luxe’s retro appearance isn’t costume jewelry. Breville studied classic toaster designs from the 1950s and borrowed the best proportions and details.
Most importantly: It photographs beautifully. In our Instagram age, style matters more than some people admit.
Practical Design Considerations
The footprint measures approximately 8 by 11 inches – compact enough for most counters but substantial enough to feel stable during operation.
The cord storage system keeps your counter tidy. The removable crumb tray slides out smoothly for cleaning. The exterior wipes clean easily without special products or techniques.
The Honest Advantages
Superior Toast Quality
Side-by-side comparisons with budget toasters reveal the difference immediately. The Breville’s toast exhibits consistent browning, better texture, and more appealing appearance.
Reliable Performance Over Time
Breville builds this toaster to last. The mechanical components feel robust. The heating elements are designed for thousands of cycles. The overall construction suggests years of reliable service.
Thoughtful Engineering Details
These refinements accumulate into a significantly better user experience:
- Lift mechanism raises toast higher
- Bagel mode improves texture
- “A Bit More” gives extra control
- Immediate stop with Cancel button
Professional Appearance
Guests notice it. Real estate agents appreciate it. You’ll feel proud to own it.
The Honest Disadvantages
The Price Reality
Compare that to perfectly adequate toasters available for $30-50. The Breville makes better toast, but not five times better toast.
Limited Capacity
Two slices might not suffice for larger families or frequent entertainers.
Overkill for Basic Needs
Simple users might find equal satisfaction with much less expensive alternatives.
Replacement Cost Anxiety
This psychological factor affects some owners’ enjoyment of the appliance.
Who Should Buy This Toaster
Perfect For:
- Serious home cooks who use it daily
- Bagel lovers who want consistent quality
- Design-conscious households that care about style
- Gift-givers seeking impressive and useful presents
Not Ideal For:
- Budget-conscious buyers
- Large families needing volume
- Casual toast users
The Real Value Proposition
The mathematics work if you toast bread daily and plan to keep the appliance for many years. Divided across 2,000+ uses, the premium becomes modest per serving.
Comparison to Alternatives
Versus Budget Toasters ($30-50)
The question: Are these improvements worth 4-5 times the cost? For some buyers, absolutely. For others, clearly not.
Versus Other Premium Toasters ($150-300)
The choice often comes down to design preferences and specific feature priorities rather than clear performance leaders.
The Longevity Question
But longevity alone doesn’t justify the premium unless you value the performance improvements during those additional years of service.
My Professional Recommendation
- Buy it if: you toast daily, care about aesthetics, and plan to use it for years.
- Don’t buy it if: you rarely toast, or are mainly impressed by the price tag.
The Bottom Line Truth
The price is high because the product is genuinely superior. But superiority only matters if you value what makes it superior.
Final Verdict: When Premium Makes Sense
For those who answer yes, you’ll enjoy years of superior toast and kitchen pride.
For those who answer no, you’ll be equally happy with less expensive alternatives.
That’s not a failure of the product. That’s a success of honest marketing in a world that needs more of it.
*** See our guide for more info on Retro Toasters.
