Balmuda The Toaster Pro vs Dualit Classic Kettle

Balmuda The Toaster Pro is a compact steam toaster oven built around an unusual mechanism: you pour a small measured amount of water into a cap on top, and the machine converts it to steam at the start of the cycle. The steam forms a thin layer of moisture on the bread surface, which sets quickly under heat, so the crust crisps while the interior stays soft and moist rather than drying out. Rather than a generic browning dial, it offers bread-specific modes for thick-cut white bread, standard toast, croissants and pizza, each running its own temperature curve. The Pro variant adds a salamander grill mode that fires the top element hard for browning and finishing, which is what separates it from the standard model. It is small, expensive and single-mindedly focused on doing bread well.

Dualit's Classic Kettle is the kettle half of the company's long-running Classic range, designed to sit alongside the Classic toaster in the same finish. It holds 1.7 litres, enough for around six cups, and uses a 3kW element for fast boiling rather than the 2.2kW to 2.4kW typical of cheaper kettles. Two details set it apart from generic stainless kettles: Whisper Boil technology, which reduces the noise a kettle makes as it approaches boiling, and the Pure Pour spout, shaped to stop the dribble that runs down the outside of most kettles. Dualit builds the Classic range to be repairable and sells spares directly, and the kettle is offered in a range of finishes including polished, matt black, brass, copper and several muted colours.

• Steam function makes a genuinely noticeable difference to bread texture
• Bread-specific modes handle croissants and thick-cut loaves far better than a browning dial
• Salamander mode adds real finishing capability for browning and glazing
• Distinctive, well-made design with straightforward analogue controls

• Fast 3kW boil without the usual noise penalty
• Spout genuinely does not dribble
• Wide choice of finishes to match a kitchen
• Spares available so it can be repaired

• Very expensive for a two-slice toaster oven
• Small cavity limits it to bread and small items, not general cooking
• Requires pouring water in for every steam cycle, which is an extra step

• Priced well above a generic stainless kettle
• No variable temperature control for tea or pour-over coffee
• 3kW element needs a suitably rated supply, which matters outside the UK and EU