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Pop-up toaster or sandwich maker?

By EkPick · Sources checked

The short answer

For an Indian kitchen, get a pop-up toaster if your mornings are mostly plain toast, and a sandwich maker if you want filled sandwiches. A toaster takes slices of bread in its slots and pops them up when they're done, and Russell Hobbs' UK manual for its 18790 says not to toast or reheat buttered, torn or misshapen bread. A sandwich maker cooks the sandwich on its plates (Glen's SA3029GRILLCE, for one, has an upper and a lower plate), and Philips says the plates of its HD3010/80 suit sandwiches and similar filled breads, depending on the model.

Beyond that, a few jobs are named only on one side: defrost on toasters, grilling and waffle plates on sandwich makers. Several pop-up toaster listings name defrost and reheat settings, and none of the sandwich maker listings we shortlisted mentions defrost or frozen bread. Some sandwich makers open up to 180° to grill, like Wipro's Elato BS202, or come with waffle plates, like the Morphy Richards 370070.

Power draw doesn't separate them. The Havells Crisp Plus toaster and the Morphy Richards 370070 sandwich maker both draw 750 W, the Wipro Elato BS202 draws 1000 W, a 4-slice toaster such as the iBELL CrustoF40 draws 1400 W, and the iBELL SM1700G sandwich maker 1500 W.

How they compare

Pop-up toasterSandwich maker
What goes in Source: Russell Hobbs UK 18790 user manual, Glen SA3029GRILLCE product page, Philips HD3010/80 product page and truTRTL 3-in-1 product pageSlices of bread, dropped into the slots. Russell Hobbs' UK manual for the 18790 gives a maximum thickness of 26mm and says not to toast or reheat buttered, torn or misshapen bread.An assembled sandwich, laid on the plates (Glen's SA3029GRILLCE has an upper and a lower plate). Philips says the HD3010/80's plates suit sandwiches and similar filled breads, depending on the model, and truTRTL says the lid lock on its 3-in-1 keeps a well-filled sandwich from spilling over.
How much at once Source: Amazon.in listings B07MPCHNW9, B0CSFP59JG and B00935MGHS, iBELL CrustoF40 product page and Borosil Prime Grill product page2 slices in a 2-slice model such as the Havells Crisp Plus, 4 in a 4-slice model such as the iBELL CrustoF40.Borosil's page says its Prime Grill makes up to 2 large sandwiches at the same time, and the Wipro Elato BS202's listing says it takes regular bread size for 2 slices. The Prestige PSMFB's listing gives a capacity of 4 slices.
When it's done Source: Russell Hobbs UK 18790 user manual, iBELL CrustoF40 product page and Amazon.in listings B07MPCHNW9, B00935MGKK and B0CSFP59JGThe toast pops up, according to Russell Hobbs' UK manual. The Havells Crisp Plus listing also names a cancel function to stop the toasting at any moment, and iBELL's page lists auto shut-off for the CrustoF40.The Prestige PGMFB listing says it switches off automatically when the food is cooked. The Wipro Elato BS202 listing names an auto cut-off to avoid excessive burning of food.
Frozen and leftover bread Source: Amazon.in listing B07MPCHNW9, Russell Hobbs UK 18790 user manual and the sandwich maker listings in this comparisonSeveral listings name defrost and reheat. The Havells Crisp Plus listing says it can defrost frozen slices and reheat bread you toasted earlier, and Russell Hobbs' UK manual says the 18790's frozen button changes the toasting time automatically.None of the sandwich maker listings we shortlisted mentions a defrost or reheat setting, or frozen bread.
Other jobs Source: Philips HD2582/00 product page, Wipro Elato BS202 product page, Bajaj Electricals 370070 product page and Borosil Prime Grill product pageWarming buns, on some models. Philips' page for the HD2582/00 describes an integrated rack for heating rolls, pastries or buns. Philips' Daily Collection manual says never to put rolls to be warmed directly on top of the toaster.Grilling and waffles, on some models. Wipro's page says the Elato BS202's plates open up to 180° to grill, and Bajaj Electricals' page lists a waffle plate set in the Morphy Richards 370070's box. Borosil's page says its Prime Grill can grill vegetables but not non-veg.
Power draw Source: Amazon.in listings B07MPCHNW9, B0CDXW5R2M, B0CSFP59JG and B0D45L364Q and iBELL CrustoF40 product page750 W for the Havells Crisp Plus, 1400 W for the 4-slice iBELL CrustoF40.750 W for the Morphy Richards 370070, 1000 W for the Wipro Elato BS202, 1500 W for the iBELL SM1700G.
Cleaning Source: Russell Hobbs UK 18790 user manual, Philips Daily Collection toaster user manual and Borosil Prime Grill product pageRussell Hobbs' UK manual says to unplug the toaster, let it cool, then remove and empty the crumb tray and wipe it with a damp cloth, and not to run the toaster without the crumb tray fitted. Philips' Daily Collection toaster manual says not to use any tool to clean the slot, and never to use scouring pads or abrasive cleaning agents.Borosil's page says to let the Prime Grill cool completely, wipe the plates with a damp cloth or sponge without abrasive cleaners, and not to immerse it in water.
Warranty on our picks Source: Amazon.in listings B07MPCHNW9 and B0CSFP59JG2 years on product, on the Havells Crisp Plus listing.2 years from Wipro, on the Wipro Elato BS202 listing.

Which one suits you

Choose the pop-up toaster if

  • your breakfast is mostly plain slices of bread, toasted on their own.
  • you toast bread straight from the freezer or rewarm cold toast. Look for defrost and reheat in the listing, as on the Havells Crisp Plus.
  • you toast plain slices for several people at once. A 4-slice model such as the iBELL CrustoF40 takes 4.
  • you'd also like to warm buns, which the Philips HD2582/00 does on its own rack.

Choose the sandwich maker if

  • you want filled sandwiches, cooked shut between two plates.
  • you'd also grill on it. The Wipro Elato BS202 opens up to 180° for grilling.
  • you want waffles from the same machine, with a waffle plate set like the one in the Morphy Richards 370070's box.
  • you want a tray to catch grease, like the oil collector tray Glen's page describes on the SA3029GRILLCE.

Questions buyers ask

Is a sandwich toaster the same as a sandwich maker?

Yes, for the electric ones we read: an electric sandwich toaster is a sandwich maker under another name. Bajaj Electricals' page for the 370070 calls it a sandwich maker in its name and a 3-in-1 Sandwich Toaster in its highlights, and the Prestige PGMFB and PSMFB listings call their sandwich makers sandwich toasters. The name runs the other way too: the Philips HD2583/90 pop-up toaster's listing calls it a 2 in 1 Toaster and Sandwich Maker.

Can I put a filled sandwich in a pop-up toaster?

Russell Hobbs' UK manual doesn't allow for one in the 18790: it says not to toast or reheat buttered, torn or misshapen bread, gives a maximum bread thickness of 26mm, and says not to use the appliance for any purposes other than those described in its instructions. The Philips HD2583/90 pop-up toaster's listing says it suits bread toast and sandwich without saying how, so check your own toaster's manual. Philips says its HD3010/80 sandwich maker's plates are suitable for sandwiches and similar filled breads, depending on the model.

Can a pop-up toaster handle frozen bread?

Some pop-up toasters can: the Havells Crisp Plus listing names a defrost function for frozen slices, and Russell Hobbs' UK manual says the 18790's frozen button adjusts the toasting time to give the same browning as unfrozen bread. None of the sandwich maker listings we shortlisted mentions defrost or frozen bread.

Which one draws more power?

Neither the pop-up toaster nor the sandwich maker always draws more. The Wonderchef Regalia toaster lists 600 Watts and the Russell Hobbs 18790 toaster 1500W, while the sandwich makers we read include the Morphy Richards 370070 at 750 Watts and the iBELL SM1700G at 1500 W. The two guides' first picks draw 750 W (the Havells Crisp Plus toaster) and 1000 W (the Wipro Elato BS202 sandwich maker).

What voltage are they listed at?

The two guides' first picks are listed at 230 V: the Havells Crisp Plus toaster's listing gives 230 Volts and the Wipro Elato BS202 sandwich maker's listing a voltage of 230. The exception among the listings we shortlisted is the Hamilton Beach 22796 pop-up toaster, whose details table gives 120 Volts, where every other shortlisted listing that gives a voltage field reads between 220 and 240.

Our picks

The pick from each of our guides, with the reasons and the listings behind it.

  • Pop-up toaster

    The best pop-up toaster on Amazon.in

    The pickHavells Crisp Plus 2-slice toaster (GHCPTCJK075)

    +2 alternatives for other needs

    30 read · 18 shortlisted · checked October 2026

  • Sandwich maker

    The best sandwich maker on Amazon.in

    The pickWipro Elato BS202 grill sandwich maker (EM082100)

    +2 alternatives for other needs

    30 read · 22 shortlisted · checked November 2026

Sources we read

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