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30 of 30 found the following review helpful:
 Pre-Gifting Impressions of an Awesome Little Toaster Dec 03, 2009
By goonius
I felt, before I started writing this review I should emphasize that this is my take on the toaster, since it is a Christmas gift, and has yet to be played with by the children.
I think it's absolutely gorgeous. It's every bit as lovely as pictured, perhaps even more so. As with all Plan Toys we own, the wood grain is visible beneath all the vegetable-based stains, which is a quality I like.
I was hesitant to buy this toaster for a myriad of reasons; there are a lot of lukewarm reviews of it, and people seemed to have a number of issues with their kids not being able to operate it, the size being too small, the toast not going all the way into the toaster when the button is depressed. Another reviewer noted that the toast doesn't 'pop up' which really had me confused. What does that mean exactly?
So here are the basics from my perspective:
1. The toaster's a great size. It, and the two slices of bread it comes with are compatible with most European wooden toys on the market, including Erzi, Estia and the more reasonably sized Haba foods. It's also the approximately the same size as the bread slices that came with our Hape kitchen, and even a little thicker. If the toaster were any larger, it wouldn't be the kid-sized variation I've come to expect, and it would look awkward up next to our kitchen and other play foods.
2. The toaster is well made. It feels really solid, the wood is silky smooth, and it is, from all appearances, well-constructed. It has some weight to it as I would have expected and hoped it would. It operates very smoothly, and while the round lever must be pulled more forward than down to insert the toast, and this may be a skill you'd have to clue your child in to, I believe that it is one that both my children at 2 and 4 years old will be able to master quickly. There is a little tension on the lever as you pull down, but not nearly so much as I was led to believe there would be by other reviewers. Perhaps a very young toddler (15-18 months?) would find this difficult if they were just getting up to speed on their motor skills? I found it to be quite reasonable to operate and wouldn't have given it a second thought if not for negative reviews I've read.
3. The toast, once pushed down still sticks out a bit at the top. I thought this might bother me, but it doesn't. Technically you would not have to pop the toast up to remove it, but if you wish to pop the toast up, that's what the little red button on the front is for. The reviewer who mentioned that the toast does not 'pop up' must have meant that it does not do so as if on a timer, of its own volition, and that's true. You must press the red button to make the toast pop up. When it does pop up, the wooden components make a noisy clattering as the mechanism releases it. This sound, while not unlike that of a regular toaster, is more pronounced in this toy toaster. I actually think the kids will enjoy this sound, and appreciate it as part of the realistic like-mom-and-dad's kitchen effects. The yellow dial on the front isn't just for looks, but can be turned to 3 or 4 different positions, making a nice little mechanical clicking sound at each stop.
4. This is a safe toy. Assuming the pieces are well attached and that a parent checks them regularly (especially the ball on the lever), I don't see why this couldn't be a toy that a younger child could play with some too. The bread slices by themselves are definitely not a choking hazard. And Plan Toys has the benefit of having many of their toys tested by XRF by the Ecology Center, with shining clean results. While 1 in 3 toys on the shelves this Christmas season will contain dangerous levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic, or mercury, you can feel pretty confident that Plan Toys will not be included in that 33%.
All told, this toy met and perhaps exceeded my expectations, which were admittedly a little lower than usual, after reading so many negative reviews.
I'd add that a great companion to this set is the PlanToys Bread Playset. We bought this alongside the toaster and will be wrapping them together (they both conveniently and snugly fit into the toaster box once the excess packaging is removed). There are 4 more pieces of bread that will fit into the toaster in this set. The french bread slices will go all the way down while toasting - which is a little more traditional, I suppose. It's kind of fun to have the extra accessories - especially if you can find them at a good price as we did.
I'd recommend this toaster to anyone wanting a safer, greener, wooden option for a kids play kitchen. I think it's absolutely fantastic!
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Fantastic Play Toaster! Feb 19, 2008
By Julie Artz
"ChezArtz.com"
I bought this toaster for my children for Christmas and they absolutely love it. It is the right size for small hands (my children are 3 and 1.5) and the toast is the right size for other wooden food sets that are on the market. The children can actually push the toast down in the toaster to "toast" and they love it when the toast pops up.
This toys is extremely durable and not too heavy even though it's wooden. Thumbs up!
Julie Artz
ToysNaturally.com
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Cute but not essential Jan 07, 2010
By C. Creekmore
I got this for my 2.5 year old and she really doesn't seem too interested in it. It is a cute and very well made product but just doesn't seem to be that much fun. The popping action isn't really popping at all. It's more of a slowly coming back up action after you slowly push it in the toaster and it only goes in half way.
Like I said, cute and definitely well made but just not so interesting.
Great toy Mar 31, 2012
By Momof4
This is a high quality toy have been trying to replace most of my daughters plastic toys with wooden ones. She loves this toaster and plays with it all the time. Would buy this again in a heartbeat.
Wonderful and Fun Toy Dec 26, 2011
By Mary_WV8633
I think this is a wonderful toy for a toddler interested in mechanics and puzzles. My son enjoys figuring things out and putting them together (maybe all toddlers do but I only have one), so he likes this. The mechanics are well laid out and it's got a lot of different elements to look at in terms of how it works to keep a little one interested.
The quality is excellent - this has been thrown around quite a few times and everything still works. Also the size is great. It's tiny but not small and can be easily carried by tiny toddler hands. As always, the Plan Toys quality is exemplary and the wood is beautiful and well-finished without harsh colors or chemical smells.
The only issue with this toy, and this is likely an age issue as my son is 16 months, is he has difficulty turning and latching the knob to push the toast down. Also the button is a little hard to push. I anticipate that these issues will go away once he is a bit older, but for now he enjoys putting the toast or other items in the slots and pushing the button to watch it pop up. I really like simple toys that encourage self-paced play and I think this fits the bill.
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