This Japanese Toaster Oven Makes the Crispy Bagels of My Dreams

Ever since shifting into my first solo condo, I’ve stocked up on house and kitchen home equipment prefer it was my job. My house aesthetic is extraordinarily vital to me, and discovering each practical and cute devices is not at all times the simplest activity. A toaster was a prime precedence. I had postpone shopping for one within the earlier months of my transfer, however as soon as I settled in, I missed my morning avocado toast and weekend bagels. That is once I found the Balmuda toaster—an modern toaster oven that makes use of steam to warmth up meals to crispy perfection—after seeing it throughout my FYP. 

The Japanese toaster, which has been round since 2003 however launched within the U.S. solely in 2020, rapidly turned a TikTok phenomenon: Views for the model are as much as greater than 3 million at this level, with customers raving about its distinctive steam expertise. Well-known meals TikToker Emily Mariko helped put the system on folks’s radars. She has greater than 10 million followers, makes use of the toaster virtually each day, and principally satisfied others so as to add it to their very own kitchens. (It isn’t referred to as the “Emily Mariko toaster” for nothing on TikTok.) 

(P.S. The product beneath is a Fast Store product—you do not have to depart Glamour to purchase it.)

The toaster oven makes use of moisture and excessive warmth to crisp bread on the surface, whereas preserving the aroma and texture on the within. It retails for about $329 and is available in 4 colours (taupe, white, black, and grey). It is about 14.1 inches vast, 8.2 inches tall, and weighs slightly over 10 kilos—not precisely compact when you’re brief on counter area, however you possibly can at all times maintain it in a close-by cabinet. The warmth settings vary from 350°F to 450°F, with a timer that goes as much as quarter-hour.

In contrast to an everyday toaster or toaster oven, although, the Balmuda Toaster comes with a teeny-tiny measuring cup that matches precisely 5 milliliters of water (professional tip: Use filtered water), which you pour right into a small slot earlier than turning on the timer. Why add water, you ask? The purpose of the toaster oven is to create a “bread sauna” that locks in moisture, providing you with a golden crispy layer and ideal crunch with each chunk. In line with the model’s science, bread begins to “fluff” at 140°F, then, at 320°F, bread begins to get that attractive golden colour, and it browns at round 428°F.