Hamilton Beach 2-Slice Toaster with Extra-Wide Slots, Red (22623) review

This is a source-based assessment of the Hamilton Beach 22623, a red-and-chrome two-slice pop-up toaster with conventional slots. Its exact U.S. product page lists Toast Boost, Cancel, a shade selector, jam-related automatic shutoff, cord storage and a crumb tray. The linked maker guide identifies the 22623 as a 120-volt, 60-hertz, 750-watt model. Those details define a straightforward manual-toasting setup; they do not amount to a toast-quality or food-fit test.

Two separate slots, with no published opening size

The exact model page calls the two openings extra-wide and names thick-cut bread and bagels as intended foods. A high-lift lever raises small items, and the page describes a two-slice capacity. These are useful distinctions from a long-slot toaster or a basic lifter with no retrieval aid. But neither the product page nor its guide gives an aperture width or depth, a maximum slice length, or a maximum food thickness. “Extra-wide” is the maker's qualitative description, not a measured guarantee that your bagel, homemade loaf or thick slice will clear the guides.

The product image shows two separate openings and a single front control area, but a staged slice in a photograph is not a fit test. Check the bread you actually use against the exact toaster if even a small mismatch would make the purchase impractical. Bagels appear in the maker's food examples, but the page and manual do not list a dedicated Bagel button or one-sided bagel program for this model.

A manual shade dial and a useful stop button

The maker guide describes selecting a shade, pushing down the bread lifter, and letting the toaster raise food when the cycle ends. Cancel stops a cycle early; Toast Boost raises a small item for easier removal. This is a simple interaction model with no motorized lowering or digital display described. The sources do not quantify the dial's number of settings, cycle time, evenness or the shade a particular bread will reach, so the dial position should be treated as a starting choice rather than a promised result.

The product page says the toaster's automatic shutoff turns off the heating elements if bread is jammed. That is a maker-published feature, not a reason to leave an operating toaster unattended. The guide says to unplug the unit and allow it to cool before clearing stuck food; it also warns against inserting utensils. It directs toaster pastries to a toaster oven and cautions against oversized food, foil packages and non-bread items. Follow the full current booklet and the instructions for the food itself.

Counter size and crumb-tray access

Hamilton Beach publishes an outside body of 8.4 inches high, 7.1 inches wide and 12.6 inches deep. The depth is the largest listed footprint dimension, so a counter with a short front-to-back shelf deserves a tape-measure check before choosing this exact model. These are body measurements only: they do not include safe ventilation clearance, room for the lever, a route to the outlet or space to work around the cord.

The 840228603 guide labels a swing-open crumb tray and a cord wrap. It says to unplug and cool the toaster before cleaning, then open and wipe the tray. The tray is not a slide-out drawer on this model according to the instruction diagram, so verify that the actual location gives you room to open and clean it without relocating the toaster into an enclosed cabinet. If the intended setup depends on a front-removable tray, the available evidence does not support that expectation here.

How the red 22623 differs from its suffix neighbors

The nearby 22623G and 22623V exact pages describe red metal two-slice machines with seven shade choices and a noticeably different published body size: 7 inches high, 11.3 wide and 6.4 deep. I keep those numbers with their own suffix models rather than treating the three codes as interchangeable. The G page was marked “NO LONGER AVAILABLE” on the date checked; the V page did not show that notice. That dated page state is not a promise about any current retailer or used offer.

The base 22623 page itself does not state seven shade steps, despite a shade selector being visible and described, so its shade-count field remains unknown. The manual's 22623 electrical row is separate from the nearby 24614 / T96 row; the 22623 line is T95 at 120 V, 60 Hz and 750 W. Its U.S. warranty text says one year from original purchase, subject to proof and written terms. That printed term cannot establish whether an individual resale or old-stock toaster remains covered.

Who should keep this model on the list?

The strongest source-supported case is a household that wants two conventional slices per cycle, a manual shade dial, Cancel and a higher-lift position, and can accommodate the exact 12.6-inch depth plus operating clearance. The weaker case is someone who needs a named Bagel or Frozen cycle, quantified bread limits, a compact front-to-back footprint or verified warranty coverage for a particular secondhand unit. Other two-slice models with a documented Bagel control answer a different use case; do not infer one from the 22623's bagel-friendly slot language.

Before choosing a listing, confirm that the rating label says 22623 rather than 22623G or 22623V, inspect the lifter, dial, Cancel button, cord and crumb tray, and compare the unit's dimensions and condition with the seller's return terms. Check the actual series label against the manufacturer's current recall guidance; the bounded manufacturer notice review for this assessment is not a unit-level safety clearance. The assessment uses manufacturer documentation and an exact model image, with no hands-on use or performance testing.

Sources: Hamilton Beach 22623 product page, Use & Care guide 840228603, and the maker's recall index.