This review for a $600 toaster:

Particularly awesome- you told it what kind of bread/bagel/muffin/etc you were toasting, and then you set a little control for how dark you wanted it. No “1,2,3” bs. There was also a manual override to custom select settings- but if you chose light or super light- what came out was what I picture when you say that- every time.

The layout of the coils and how they adjusted really helped to get EVEN toasting- a little darker around the edges- but it was set up however they did it- so that things like charcoal black edges on heavily toasted items were not an issue. It was awesome. And- supposedly, my former boss told me- in their experience that brand would last for decades of heavy use.

Certainly there is a case for value if you pay $400 for a toaster that lasts even 10 years- that’s only $40 a year. You could buy a shitty toaster every year for that much of course- but I’d rather have one awesome toaster. But- that said, I’ve never used a $600 toaster so don’t know if it’s worth it or not. I can say that if you really like toast, or often toast things or have to cook for a large number of people- a lot of the seemingly expensive kitchen stuff is worth it.

Tools are a good example- if you just need a general tool kit for the occasional household thing, or you go to junk yards or do light home projects- cheap no name tools are great. But if you use something everyday- personally, where my finances allow, I will pay more for something that is more comfortable or more pleasant to use. A screwdriver that fits the hand well, a jacket that fits just right and is comfortable, shoes that suit your comfort and so on. It is perhaps a first world problem- but of all the things I want to have to “deal with” annoyances or whatever else- everyday things like making toast I want to be easy and satisfying, not annoying or disappointing. These little things seem trivial- but they all add up to create what our daily life looks like.