I was surprised to see how quickly toast is ready with this. The outside doesn't get extremely hot, but the top does, as is typical for all toasters. I've used it a handful of times and it works really well. It's easy to use and allows you to adjust the timing for your toast perfectly. It is very light to lift and the color is great too. Easier to clean, more simplified job. Definitly It looks good on my counter top, and I like a lot. Highly recommend!