We never thought we’d get excited about toast, but that changed when the Smart Toaster from Breville entered our kitchen. It has a groovy push-button control that lowers and lifts the bread as if on an elevator—no more spring-loaded levers that need to be forced or that send the toast airborne. A microchip delivers precise browning control and regulates a lift-and-look button, which lets you check the toast without canceling the cycle. In brushed stainless with a blue-background LED control panel, the Smart Toaster comes in two-slice ($130) and four-slice ($180) models atBrevilleusa.com.