Product Review: Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster

The Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster is a small appliance for your kitchen. This device allows you to cook two hot dogs and two hot dog buns at the same time. It boasts that it delivers "perfectly delicious hot dogs every time". If your idea of a perfectly cooked hot dog is one that is warmed up in a toaster, then this statement would be true. If however, you like your hot dogs a little better cooked, you will be sadly disappointed with the results generated by this product.

The Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster has two semicircular compartments for hot dog buns and a small removable basket in the center that will hold two hot dogs. The instructions warn the consumer to use only standard size hot dogs and standard size hot dog buns and warn that using jumbo hot dogs or jumbo hot dog buns may cause a problem. The instructions warn that although these items may fit initially into the toaster, they will swell when they are heated and may be difficult to remove from the appliance. If this does occur however, you can wait until the hot dogs cool slightly and shrink allowing for easy removal from the toaster.

The instructions also inform the user that better results are obtained by using room temperature hot dogs and room temperature hot dog buns rather than ones right out of the refrigerator. It also cautions against using frozen hot dogs in this appliance.

When the Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster was used as directed, the hot dogs were just warmed up. To get them to cook well, it is necessary to cook them at the highest setting for two cycles. The hot dogs swell when cooked in this manner and are difficult to remove from the appliance. When cooked like this, they do brown nicely and look like something one may want to consume. Although not suggested as a use for this toaster, it might be useful in heating left over hot dogs.

The Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster is made in China. The material is quite flimsy. The Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster was ordered through the mail at a cost, including shipping, of around $30.00. It does not perform as expected. This product does not live up to the description on the box which states "Perfectly Delicious Hot Dogs Every Time".

On the positive side, the Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster does toast the hot dog buns nicely. With the removable hot dog basket and crumb tray, clean up is easy.

Overall, the Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster does not deliver what it promises.