The best toasters not only brown your toast consistently, but they also look good while doing it. And there’s no doubt that the De’Longhi Ballerina Seta toaster (Seta means silk in Italian) will make a stylish addition to any kitchen counter.
The four-slot toaster, which comes with a matching kettle, will win over design fans who want their kitchen appliance to fit in with their decor while doing a decent job. De’Longhi has a firm reputation for making excellent gadgets, so you know you can trust the quality. However, it’s pretty expensive compared to similar products by other brands, which may put off some people.
In my honest review, I’ll outline key details, including price, setup, design, performance, care, and maintenance, so read on to find out how I found the De’Longhi Ballerina Seta toaster and if I’d recommend it. Read on to find out what I thought.
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Key specs
| Power | 1800 watts |
| Slots | Four |
| Browning Settings | Three |
| Special Features | Variable browning control, cancel function, extra lift function |
| Dimensions | 302 x 320 x 207mm |
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Setup
Unboxing the toaster is a pleasant experience, and it’s very well protected, with all the components easily accessible. It comes with a user manual and instructions.
This is a straightforward appliance to set up - once you’ve taken it out of the box, you just need to remove the protective plastic cover off the plug and connect it to a power supply. The toaster has feet on the bottom of the machine to keep it stable on the counter.
I did a test run toasting my daughter’s favorite ‘toastie’ white bread. This had no issues, and the toaster worked perfectly on the first attempt. It’s easy and intuitive to use.
- Score: 9/10
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Design & Features
As you’d expect from De’Longhi, this is a stylish kit. This textured toaster is supposed to recreate “the smooth waves of precious silk while being reminiscent of the gentle movements of a ballerina,” according to the brand.
It looks pretty on my kitchen counter, and I like the modern style, but I’m not sure it makes me think of silk or ballerinas. It’s pretty bulky, so it’s probably not the best choice for anyone with limited counter space.
It comes in two color options: silk blue and silk cream.
The Ballerina Seta toaster is very intuitive and easy to use. It comes with precision controls designed to brown, defrost, and reheat. So, if you want a frozen bun to go with your burger, you can use the defrost function to have it ready when the BBQ is finished.
Inserting and removing the bread is easy, and the extra wide slots are handy, especially as I often buy unsliced bread so that the thickness varies. The high lift feature also means you can quickly raise the toast out of the toaster to avoid burning your fingers when you remove it.
The lever is easy to press down, and the buttons light up when used, so you know they work.
The De’Longhi toaster also has a fully removable crumb tray to make cleaning easy and prevent build-up in the toaster.
It’s well-made despite being plastic and looks stylish on the counter. My only real gripe is that the plug could be a bit longer, limiting where you can put it in your kitchen.
- Score: 8/10
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Performance
I tested a range of bread types to see how the De’Longhi Ballerina performed, and it was consistent throughout. I tried the defrost function first on some frozen white bread. It came out nicely defrosted with no issues - perfect for making sandwiches at the last minute!
I also tested the frozen setting on an English muffin, which worked well. It was convenient and seemed more consistent than defrosting it in the microwave.
The brown setting worked well, although, with seeded or wholemeal bread, I sometimes had to put the toast down for a second and go on the first setting to get that brown crisp I liked. It toasts quickly, too. It’s nice and quiet, too.
This toaster is fast and effective at browning white bread, although I did have to pop it down twice on seeded whole wheat to get the crispiness I like. I like that it has wider slots and an extra lift function, so you can get the toast or items out without risking burning your fingers.
I toasted a protein bagel on the lowest setting (one), and it came out quite hard; however, on regular bread and bagels, there wasn’t an issue, and it browned evenly and consistently. It only took a couple of minutes to produce an even color.
I defrosted an English muffin and some frozen white bread, which was efficient with both items. It was swift and way more effective than my usual microwave defrosting method.
The toaster comes with two crumb trays that help avoid build-up. They are easy to remove by slotting them out, and then you can clean them with warm, soapy water.
- Score: 8/10
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Care & maintenance
When cleaning a toaster, this appliance is straightforward to maintain. You simply unplug it and let it cool down. Then, slide out the two crumb trays underneath the toaster and empty them in the trash. The crumbs are easy to remove and are not challenging to clean. The trays slide out quickly, and then you can wash them with warm water and washing-up detergent, but they are not dishwasher safe. Then, you can wipe the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth and dry it thoroughly with a tea towel.
The only thing I would say is the stainless steel top of the toaster shows crumbs and grease marks quickly, so you may have to wipe it clean more often than most. There is a slight gap between the plastic casing and the metal interior of the appliance, which is prone to catching crumbs. When not in use, storing the toaster on your kitchen counter is safe if you have the space.
- Score: 7/10
Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster: Price & Value
The De’Longhi Ballerina Seta 4-Slot Toaster retails at $86 and is available from De’Longhi, Amazon, John Lewis, AO, and other major retailers.
It’s pretty expensive compared with the other four slot toasters, but De’Longhi is a reputable brand so that you might be paying above the odds for the name.
- Score: 7/10
Would I buy the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster?
This is a smart, well-designed, and functional toaster that looks as good on your counter as it performs. I appreciate the four wide slots with an extra lift function so you can get your toast and baked goods out without the risk of burning.
It’s easy to use, clean, and maintain and toasts evenly without issue. It’s slightly expensive compared to other four-slot toasters, and the plug is a bit short to my liking, but it’s a reputable brand, and design fans will appreciate the style factor.
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | very straightforward; well-protected during shipping; easy and intuitive to use | 9/10 |
| Design & features | stylish; available in silk blue and silk cream; precision controls for browning; extra-wide slots; high lift feature; fully removable crumb tray; plug could be longer | 8/10 |
| Performance | consistent results across various types of bread; quick toasting; operates quietly; may require multiple cycles for certain items | 8/10 |
| Care & maintenance | straightforward to maintain; trays are not dishwasher safe; stainless steel top tends to show crumbs and grease marks | 7/10 |
| Value | more expensive than similar models; paying for the brand name | 7/10 |
How does the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster compare?
For a similar price, you can get the Cuisinart 4-slice toaster from Walmart (on sale at $38.99, down from $49.95), which comes with a 7-setting shade dial, reheat, defrost and bagel controls and wide toasting slots.
If you want something more state-of-the-art and have a much bigger budget, you might like the Revolution Cooking Touchscreen Toaster R180. This touchscreen-operated smart toaster works very well, which it should do, given its high price of $349.95.
How I tested the Delonghi Ballerina Seta Toaster
I tested the DeLonghi toaster for one month in my own home. I have two young daughters, so we get through a lot of bread, and they love toast, so we use the appliance at least once a day, if not twice.
I tested a few different types of bread - thick white bread, bagels, protein bagels, seeded sourdough, and potato waffles. I also tried the three distinct functions and the toast shade dial from 1-5.
Find out more about how we test.
