Hamilton Beach Professional 2-Slice Toaster (22990) review

This is a source-based assessment of Hamilton Beach model 22990, not a hands-on test. The manufacturer's U.S. page identifies a Professional two-slice toaster with two wide openings and says “NO LONGER AVAILABLE.” Its directly linked Use & Care guide supplies an unusually clear control description: dedicated Bagel, Defrost and Reheat buttons sit alongside a manual lever, a shade selector and Cancel. Those specifics make the 22990 a different assessment from a basic two-slot toaster, but they do not establish that a particular used or boxed unit is on sale today.

Two separate openings, not one long slot

Hamilton Beach describes the openings as deep and wide and labels the appliance for two slices. The page-linked product image shows two conventional top openings, not the single elongated channel found on a long-slot toaster. That is a useful first distinction if you compare it with the reviewed Hamilton Beach 22989: the 22989 has one published 10-inch-long slot, while the 22990's published material does not call its layout long-slot. Neither “deep” nor “wide” is a measurement. The maker gives no usable opening width or depth, maximum slice length or food-thickness limit, so a thick bakery slice or unusually broad bagel still needs a real fit check against the exact toaster.

The outside body is listed at 7.9 inches high, 6.8 inches wide and 11.25 inches deep. Width and depth describe the casing only; they do not provide safe operating clearance, loading space, cord reach or room to pull the crumb tray out from the rear. Hamilton Beach's linked guide says not to use the toaster in an enclosed appliance cabinet. Measure the counter and leave the access the instructions require rather than treating those body numbers as a placement diagram.

Bagel, Defrost and Reheat are different jobs

The model-linked guide says to start a toast cycle with the manual lifter, then use Bagel for a cut bagel, English muffin or bun. It directs the user to load the cut side facing inward and describes Bagel as toasting one side. That is more specific than a button name alone, but the instructions do not say that a particular heating element switches off. The feature is not a size guarantee: the opening dimensions are unpublished, so the actual item still matters.

Defrost is a dedicated, user-selected setting for frozen food made for a toaster. The guide says it adds time to let the food thaw and heat, and instructs the user to press the button after the cycle starts; it does not describe automatic frozen-bread sensing. Reheat is separate: it starts a 30-second warm-up for previously toasted items without adding color. That is not the same as a mid-cycle “add more browning” control. Cancel ends a cycle, and the manual lever/high-lift arrangement does not document a Lift & Look feature that pauses, inspects and resumes.

What the published numbers do—and do not—say

The linked guide's model table identifies 22990 as Type T117, rated 120 volts, 60 hertz and 900 watts. It describes seven positions on the shade selector. Those figures establish the printed rating and a manual selection range, not measured heat-up time, browning consistency or a promise that one setting will suit every bread. Bread temperature and composition can affect toast color, as the guide's troubleshooting notes caution.

The same guide places the slide-out crumb tray at the back and recommends weekly tray cleaning for daily use. The page also lists a cord wrap and a stainless-steel exterior. The image supports the visible two-slot/control layout only; it cannot tell us how evenly the toaster browns, whether a bagel fits, or how warm the exterior becomes. The guide says household use only, warns against leaving the toaster unattended or operating it in an enclosed space, and directs toaster pastries to a toaster oven. Keep the tray clear and follow the full instructions for food, placement and cleaning.

Earlier-model status changes the decision

Because Hamilton Beach marks this exact page “NO LONGER AVAILABLE,” I treat the 22990 as an earlier reference rather than a current product recommendation. That status says nothing about a particular resale listing. If comparing an old-stock or secondhand unit, check the model and Type label, cord and controls, included crumb tray, seller's return terms, and whether any warranty can actually be claimed. The manufacturer page and linked U.S. guide state a two-year limited warranty, but that is not evidence that a used unit remains covered. The recall pages checked here are a bounded screen, not clearance for an individual toaster or its series code.

The 22990 makes most sense on paper for a two-slice routine that values separate Bagel and frozen-food controls plus a short Reheat cycle. Someone who needs one long opening should compare the 22989 instead; someone who needs a current offer, a measured slot fit, a mid-cycle inspection control or an automatic frozen setting has unanswered checks here. This assessment does not claim ownership, test results, present inventory or a best-in-class result.