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Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab tested Breville’s Eye Q Toaster and found it fast, with five consecutive medium-setting slices coming out almost identical. Its sensors monitor bread color, but the toaster is bulkier than some alternatives and the test does not establish that burnt toast is impossible.
Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen & Cooking Lab tested Breville’s Eye Q Toaster and reported that it toasted quickly and produced nearly identical results across five consecutive slices on a medium setting. The toaster uses sensors to monitor browning, but the review also found it bulkier than some competing models; its results do not prove that the appliance can prevent every slice from burning.
Contributing analyst Lizzy Briskin put the Eye Q through standardized tests used by the Good Housekeeping Institute. The review says an optical sensor in one slot checks the bread’s color 10 times per second as the carriage lowers. When the sensor detects the selected shade, the carriage rises. Breville’s product design is intended to adjust to the bread’s color rather than rely only on a fixed toasting time.
The toaster offers seven browning levels, a sourdough mode for thicker artisan slices, and a timer mode for users who prefer time-based toasting. It also handles frozen bread without a separate defrost setting, according to the review. In tests with white sandwich bread, the lowest level barely colored the slice and dried it slightly; the highest produced an even, deep brown with extra color around the edges. Briskin also observed slight grill-like marks.
In the lab’s speed test, the Eye Q finished in less than two minutes even at its highest setting. For consistency, Briskin toasted five slices in succession on medium; the review describes them as almost identical. It also praised the controls, high-rise lift, cancel feature and slots wide enough for a bagel, including one cut unevenly. The drawbacks identified were its counter space needs and less understated design. Good Housekeeping says Breville also makes a four-slot version for larger households.
A Sensor-Based Approach to Browning
The test offers shoppers a practical look at whether a sensor-led toaster can make everyday results more consistent. The reported performance was strong on speed and repeatability: five consecutive medium-setting slices came out nearly alike, despite the toaster warming up between cycles. That may appeal to households that make several rounds of toast and want less variation from one slice to the next.
The findings are still a review of one model under specified test conditions, not a guarantee that toast cannot burn. The lowest setting slightly dried the bread, while the highest added more color at the edges. For buyers weighing counter space against performance, the review presents a clear trade-off: fast, even results and useful controls, in a comparatively bulky appliance.
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How Good Housekeeping Tested It
The review was written by Lizzy Briskin, a contributing analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. The source says she had tested 10 toasters in the lab, which had assessed more than 80, and that she uses a toaster nearly every day. The Eye Q was run through a series of standardized tests; the published account describes tests of browning range, speed and consistency, along with checks of usability features.
For the browning assessment, the tester used white sandwich bread at four settings, rather than reporting results for every one of the toaster’s seven levels. The consistency test used five successive slices at medium. Those details matter when interpreting the results: they describe observed outcomes for those breads and settings, rather than performance across every recipe, slice thickness, household routine or unit.
“This toaster works fast; even on the highest setting, my toast was done in less than two minutes.”
— Good Housekeeping review
Limits of the Published Test
The source does not specify the test date, the exact timing for each setting, or the number of Eye Q units tested. It also does not report comparisons against named competing models, long-term durability testing, or results for every bread variety. Although the toaster’s sensors are designed to stop the cycle when bread reaches a selected color, the review does not establish that burnt toast is impossible or that the sensor performs identically in all conditions.
The source gives no price, warranty details, energy-use figures or measurements of countertop space. It also does not report a separate test of the four-slot Breville model. Those factors may matter to shoppers, but they cannot be resolved from this review.
What Buyers May Want to Check
The review does not announce a follow-up test or a new product release date. Readers considering the Eye Q can compare its current price, dimensions, warranty and available slot configurations with their needs, since those details are not supplied in the source. In particular, measuring available counter space may help determine whether the reported performance advantages justify its larger footprint.
For anyone testing the appliance at home, the published results suggest starting with a moderate browning level and adjusting for the bread being used; the review does not promise identical outcomes for all breads. Further independent testing across more bread types and repeated use would clarify how broadly the lab results apply.
Key Questions
Did the test show that the Breville Eye Q prevents burnt toast?
No. The review describes a sensor system designed to monitor browning and reports its lab results, but it does not establish that burning can never happen.
How quickly did the Eye Q toast bread?
Good Housekeeping reported that it finished in less than two minutes at the highest setting in its speed test. The source does not give exact times for every setting or type of bread.
Was the toast evenly browned?
The reviewer described browning as largely even from top to bottom and side to side, with slight grill-like marks and extra color around the edges at the highest setting.
What are the main drawbacks reported?
The review says the Eye Q is bulky and less understated than more design-forward toasters the lab has tested. It does not provide measurements or a price comparison.
Does Breville make a version with more slots?
Yes. The Good Housekeeping review says Breville also makes a four-slot model for larger households, but it does not report separate test results for that version.
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