Testing the Balmuda toaster

THE difference between a S$49 toaster oven and a S$539 Balmuda toaster is not just the price but the attitude. Where you slam a slice of bread or curry puff in the cheap toaster without a second thought, the Balmuda calls for a slightly more reverential approach: You open it carefully, maybe stroke it in admiration because it’s so sleek – it even beeps gracefully when it’s done – and pull out your baked good like a master chef lifting out his pastry du jour.

Part of the marketing spiel of the Balmuda toaster is that it’s not just a heating element but a lifestyle experience. You can picture the kind of setting it deserves to be in – soft lighting, island kitchen, KitchenAid mixer and zero clutter. If that’s your lifestyle, good. If a war zone of rice cooker, air pot and unpacked groceries is your reality, then the presence of a Balmuda is going to give all your appliances – and you – an inferiority complex.

The first thing that stands out about it is the tiny little cup that comes with the toaster, which is the key to its success. It measures out exactly 5 ml of water, which you pour into a little opening at the top of the toaster. When the machine heats up, steam fills the interior, permeating the dry bread to soften and plump it up. After that, there’s a final blast of heat to give the surface a golden, even crisp.