Housekeeping · Small appliance safety

Clean a toaster crumb tray without damaging the heater

Unplug and cool the toaster, empty its removable crumb tray and never immerse the appliance.

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Wikimedia Commons · John Bell / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; original photograph, no modifications. · CC BY-SA 2.0 ↗

Toasters collect crumbs during regular use. KitchenAid directs users to unplug and cool the appliance, empty its crumb tray, wipe the casing gently and fully reseat the tray. Never insert implements into the heating slots or immerse the toaster.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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Unplug the toaster and wait until the body and crumb tray are completely cool.
Locate the crumb tray in the model's manual; some models do not have a user-removable tray.
Carefully remove an accessible tray and empty crumbs into a waste bin. Do not touch a hot tray.
Only hand-wash the tray if the manual permits, then dry it fully. Wipe the body with a soft slightly damp cloth; do not immerse it.
Do not insert forks, knives or other tools into bread slots or scrape heater wires. Do not disassemble internal parts.
Reinsert the dry tray completely before use. Stop using the toaster and seek service if smoke, burning smell or malfunction persists.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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