Sounds like a simple point to consider, right? It kind of is. But let’s make sure you’ve factored it in properly to your stainless steel toaster quest:

The main advantage of having more slots is obvious: you can toast more bread simultaneously.

The main drawback is that more slots may come at extra cost. However, as you may have noticed, the options in this list are some of the best around, and show variation between price and the number of slots.

So if you can get a four-slot stainless steel toaster for the same price as one with two slots, isn’t the one with four slots the obvious choice?

Not exactly.

It is if you have a family and need to make more than two slices of toast at once for everyone.

But if it’s just you, or you and one other person, it’s unlikely that you’ll need all four slices. And in that case, there is a drawback worth considering:

A four slice toaster will usually take up more space. Now, this isn’t necessarily the case.

For example, our top spot on this list is a four-slice toaster by Keenstone. It has the following dimensions:

Meanwhile, our third place option is the Breville Smart Toaster. Despite having just two slice slots, it has a more unique design, resulting in the following dimensions:

11.25 x 7 x 7.75 inches (length by width by height).

In other words, Breville’s 2-slice stainless steel toaster has almost the same length as Keenstone’s 4-slice, the same height, but is a few inches less wide.

There is a notable weight difference between these though, which is pretty representative of the usual size differences between 4-slice and 2-slice toasters: Keenstone’s toaster is almost twice the weight of Breville’s.

So this leads us to another important point:

While a four slice toaster is generally going to take up more space, you should always check the size specifications.

If you have a lot of room in your kitchen, you can probably ignore this point, but if your kitchen is crowded and counter space is valuable, even a few inches of space can be a relief.

Typically weight doesn’t matter too much, as presumably your toaster will rest on a counter, but you know best.

One final point on the differences between two and four-slice slot toasters:

A stainless steel toaster with four slice slots is more likely to have additional features. Again, this is not necessarily the case, just generally so.

Obviously, this is ultimately a subjective issue. However, we can still help you parse things out. The most basic way of doing this is to stick to the basics:
What are you going to use your toaster for?

A lot of people will only use a toaster for sliced bread, with some bagels thrown in here and there, and maybe English muffins.

A decent toaster, even if it’s basic in features, can still toast all those things just fine. If you don’t expect to care too much, you probably don’t need many extra features.
However, it’s often the case that once you realize how much better toasting can be with this or that feature, you’ll have a hard time going back.

For example, bagels. Some toasters have a designated “bagel” mode on top of the regular toaster settings. If you love bagels, chances are this will make toasting bagels a lot better.

However, a word of warning: it’s important to make sure you know what that bagel function does before you buy your stainless steel toaster:

Sometimes the bagel function just means a special heating method. Usually though, it means only one side of the bagel will be toasted. So if you don’t care if both sides of your bagel get toasted, a given product’s bagel setting may not be that important to you, after all.

Another feature many find useful:

Timer displays. If you looked through this list, you’ve noticed that these are on many of the products listed.

While it’s true that many products nowadays get screens and displays, which are more gimmicky than useful, it’s actually practical with a toaster:

If you’re busy and have things to do, or you’re rushing to get to work in the morning, you know exactly how much time you have before you can grab your toast.

Even if you’re not in a rush, it’s just nice for getting the timing of your meal right—you can get out your plate, butter, jam (or whatever you use) to dress your toast right when it’s warm, before it cools.