I previously had a Calphalon toaster and would not recommend that brand at all.  It was only a few years old and needed replacement, so after reading reviews, I purchased the Cuisinart because I have a Cuisinart hand mixer that I have had for many years and it has served me well.  While I have only had the toaster for a short period of time, we are extremely pleased with it's performance.  Easy to use, works well, nice features and works  as advertised and I am hoping to get the same long term reliability as I have with my mixer.