Hehehe.

If your son isn't at home still, you can just replace it. You can even offer it to him. He's not going to mind!

Mine is about 16 years old.

He's still home. Goes to a state university in town, and is saving us a ton on dorm fees. He has two years to go- when he finally moves out I will offer it to him.

I'll just live with it for now.

Just ask him if he minds if you replace it with something else that would match the decor better. How do you know how he really feels unless you ask? Good luck, you sound like a kind and caring mom.

or it could accidentally break on it's own and then you are forced to get another one, that happens to match better LOL

i agree with schoolhouse. if it doesn't match your new kitchen, just ask if he minds you buying a new one that will coordinate. it has been five years. it's not as if you didn't get a lot of good use/enjoyment out of it. :)

Heat resistant magnets?

Rather than insult his color choice, can you find one w/ a new "feature' your existing one doesn't have and ask if he minds if you replace so you can get XYZ cool new feature?

Is it metal? Could you zap it with some appliance paint? Or how about one of those handy fabric covers that matches the kitchen like folks used to put on their toasters and mixers?

eh... i don't recommend insulting his intelligence by inventing a reason to replace it. likely he's not about to call you on it if he guesses. just my .02

i misread the opening post, thinking the toaster didn't go with a newly remodeled kitchen.

unfortunately i can relate to finding out after the fact that my mom hated something i'd given her, but put up with it for X number of years. i hope the toaster dies! ;)

How about a nice little shelf over it? Like a wooden U that goes over it with a few inches for clearance that matches your kitchen? See, you could then put stuff on top of it or something. Then it won't stand out.

It is really sweet of you to keep this toaster and not say anything for five years. If your parenting is consistent with this (and I'm sure it is), I'm sure your son won't mind if you replace it. Just tell him the truth and that it'll be in the basement for him when he moves out.

Is it by any chance a Breville? If it is he bought you one of the most expensive, most reliable, longest lasting toaster ovens on the market today. If its a Hamilton beach don't sweat it, will probably die in the next year!

Cheer up. Oster ovens have a very short life span these days. You must be near the end already.

ETA I'm kind of surprised if it still makes acceptable toast. Usually one of the toaster elements is the first thing to fail.

Bless you for supporting his hard earned gift and choice - those things do make a difference. But don't worry, it probably won't last more than another 12-18 months, max.

I'm sure the kid has moved out by now. Wonder how the toaster is doing.

Yup. Oven must be at least 11 years old by now.

Mine is still doing great.

Since Bill Howey resurrected this 6-year-old thread seemingly just to tout Breville (though the OP said hers was an Oster), I will say, for other readers' benefit, that my expensive Breville toaster has been a disappointment. Started out great, but within 6 months, it started toasting extremely unevenly, like one side barely warm and the other side brown. Sometimes the electronics die, and I have to unplug the toaster to "reboot". Many reviews on Amazon indicate quite a few people with issues with the Breville toaster - and at these prices! I would have been happier I think with an inexpensive Hamilton Beach. It wouldn't look as chic on my counter, but would work better.

You have to reboot the toaster??? Jeebus. Hahahahaaaaaahaha.

I know, right?

But Bill Howey above says Breville is the "most reliable, longest lasting toaster ovens on the market today". Nope. It's definitely not.

Alas, I think that these days no matter what you buy and how much you spend, it's all a matter of luck whether you get a good one or not, and that applies to large appliances as well.

Grrr....I have to remember to look at the date of the original post to avoid these Zombie threads. I do love my Breville Smart Oven, though.

I never heard the expression "Zombie thread" Toronto Veterinarian! So I looked it up, and saw a zillion memes about it--lots o' Zombies! Will have to remember that one.