Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel Toaster with Extra-Wide Slots (22680) review

Hamilton Beach · U.S. model 22680 · two-opening toaster

Hamilton Beach's U.S. page identifies the 22680 as a “Stainless Steel Toaster with Extra-Wide Slots” and now labels it NO LONGER AVAILABLE. That status does not prove every seller lacks old stock or used units. This is a paper-based assessment of the exact page, its linked Use & Care guide and page-linked image—not a hands-on test or an ownership report.

A two-opening layout, with a qualitative slot claim

The exact hero image shows two separate top openings, a single bread lifter and one front control group. The manufacturer calls the slots extra-wide, but neither the product page nor the linked booklet supplies a clear opening width, depth, maximum slice length or maximum food thickness. A styled slice sitting in a product image is not a fit gauge. If a loaf is unusually broad or thick, compare its actual dimensions with the specific appliance rather than treating “extra-wide” as a numeric promise.

The 22680 is a conventional two-opening layout, not the long-slot design used for one extended slice. Its visible arrangement is appropriate to a two-piece cycle, but the documents do not tell us which bread sizes fit or how evenly any individual unit browns. If you need more than two slices in one cycle or one longer slice, choose a model whose exact manual establishes the layout you need.

Simple controls—and important features not documented

The directly linked 840307401 guide names the food slots, bread lifter, shade selector, Cancel button and drop-down crumb tray. That is a modest control set: select a shade manually, lower the lifter to start, and use Cancel to end the cycle early. The image shows marks around the dial, but the booklet publishes neither the setting count nor a calibrated shade result.

The manual's feature list does not document a dedicated Bagel or Frozen/Defrost program, Reheat, extra-time button or mid-cycle inspection control. “Extra-wide” describes a maker-named slot characteristic, not a bagel program, and does not establish a fit guarantee for any bagel. For comparison, the separate Hamilton Beach 22633 assessment discusses a model whose exact page and guide do name Bagel and Defrost; that functional distinction should not be transferred backward to the 22680. A need for either dedicated mode should lead you to a configuration with that control documented for its own edition.

Care and food limits come from the manual

The 840307401 guide says that bread should rise automatically at the end of a normal cycle. That is not a claim that the model detects a jam or has a separate safety shutoff, and the same booklet warns users not to leave it unattended. It also advises against using the toaster with fried foods, rice cakes, frozen prepared foods or other nonbread items, and says toaster pastries should be prepared in a toaster oven. Follow the actual appliance instructions rather than reading a generic toaster capability into the slot shape.

For cleaning, the guide says to unplug the toaster and let it cool before working on it. It describes opening the drop-down crumb tray and wiping it; for daily use, it recommends weekly tray cleaning. On a used unit, inspect the tray, cavity, cord, plug and lifter without probing a plugged-in appliance.

Electrical identification: check the label, not a sibling row

The exact-page-linked guide's model table lists 22680 as Type T121, 120 V, 60 Hz and 750 W. The same booklet includes other toasters, including a separate four-slice 24671 with a different Type T122 row and a 1300 W rating. That nearby entry is not the 22680. An older listing should show the bottom rating label clearly; verify that its model and electrical details correspond to 22680 rather than relying on a seller title or a family's shared manual.

The maker calls the outside a stainless-steel toaster, while the image shows a silver-colored side and a dark front panel. Neither source states the steel grade or how much of the exterior uses it. Likewise, the page and guide provide no outside height, width or depth. A counter-fit decision therefore needs a physical measurement of the exact appliance plus a separate check of safe working clearance, cord reach, access to load bread and room to open the bottom tray. This assessment cannot certify that the 22680 fits a particular counter.

What an older offer would need to prove

Because the manufacturer page says NO LONGER AVAILABLE, treat a 22680 listing as an exact-unit identification exercise, not a routine new-product recommendation. Ask for a clear photo of the rating label and model suffix, the appliance itself from several angles, and the supplied manual or a traceable match to guide 840307401. Confirm the seller's stated condition, missing parts, return terms and whether any warranty claim has original-purchase proof; the booklet's printed one-year U.S. limited-warranty language is subject to its terms and does not promise coverage for a particular used or old-stock unit.

A bounded review of the Hamilton Beach recall index and named 2008/2011 CPSC toaster notices did not identify model 22680 in the displayed model lists. That is not an individual series-code or serial-number determination, a comprehensive recall search, or a clearance for an appliance in an unknown condition. Check the actual unit against current official notices. The sensible fit is narrow: someone comparing this exact older two-opening model, content with manual shade selection and no documented special modes, and able to inspect and measure the actual unit. If dimensions, Bagel/Defrost controls, current support or guaranteed availability are essential, the evidence here is not enough to recommend it for that job.