BALMUDA Toaster Pro vs Original Toaster: What Changed

If you want a new BALMUDA toaster from the company's US store, there is exactly one: The Toaster Pro, model K11H-SE, at $379. The original BALMUDA The Toaster is still easy to find, but it comes in two very different forms. One is the K01M, a 120-volt US model that BALMUDA no longer sells new. The other is a family of Japanese models built for 100 volts, which turn up on import and secondhand listings looking almost identical.

The short answer: buy the Pro new if you want the Salamander Grill mode and a two-year US warranty. Consider a used K01M only if the listing proves it is a K01M, the price is well below the Pro's, and you accept that BALMUDA's warranty will not cover it. Do not buy a Japanese 100-volt unit for a US kitchen, whatever the price. Everything below comes from BALMUDA's US store, its US instruction manuals, and its Japanese spec page, checked September 11, 2026. For the kettles and the coffee maker, see our guide to what BALMUDA sells in the US.

Three toasters get called "the original"

The Toaster Pro, K11H-SE (US) - $379 new, 120 volts, six modes including Salamander Grill. The only BALMUDA toaster on the US store.
The Toaster, K01M (US) - the earlier 120-volt US model, in black (K01M-KG), white (K01M-WS), and gray (K01M-GW), with five modes. BALMUDA still publishes its specifications and sells some of its parts, but not the toaster.
Japanese models - The Toaster K01A, K01E, K05A, and K11A, and the Japanese Toaster Pro, K05A-SE and K11A-SE. The current K11A and K11A-SE are rated 100 volts, and BALMUDA Japan says its toasters are not for use outside Japan.

A white and a black BALMUDA The Toaster side by side on a wooden kitchen counter below a tiled backsplash and a rail of hanging mugs — The original BALMUDA The Toaster in white and black in a Japanese kitchen. These are Japanese 100-volt units; the US version of this design was the K01M.

Japan also still sells a standard, non-Pro Toaster next to its Pro. The US store does not, so in the US the choice between "standard" and "Pro" is really a choice between a used toaster and a new one.

A black BALMUDA The Toaster with gold trim on a stainless steel kitchen counter, with open black shelves on the wall behind it — The current Japanese standard model, the K11A. Japan still sells a non-Pro Toaster; the US store does not.

How the three compare

Spec	Toaster Pro (US, K11H-SE)	The Toaster (US, K01M)	Japanese models
How to get it	New from BALMUDA USA and retailers	Used or refurbished	Import or secondhand
Price	$379.00	Varies; not on BALMUDA's store	Not sold in the US
Power	120 V, 1300 W	120 V, 1300 W	100 V, 1300 W
Modes	6, including Salamander Grill	5, no top-heat mode	5; the Pro adds Salamander
Oven settings	350 / 400 / 450°F	350 / 400 / 450°F	170 / 200 / 230°C
Size (W x D x H)	14.1 x 12.8 x 8.2 in	14.1 x 12.6 x 8.2 in	About 14.1 x 12.6 x 8.2 in
Weight	About 9.7 lb	About 10.2 lb	About 9 lb (4.1 kg)
Clearance in the manual	1.8 in sides and rear, 3.9 in above	4 in sides and rear, 6 in above	Not for use in the US
Baking tray	Sold separately, $34.90	Baking pan included	Not included (K11A, K11A-SE)
BALMUDA US warranty	2 years, original buyer	None if bought used	None
Best for	Buying new, with a warranty	A verified 120 V unit at a real discount	Kitchens in Japan
Main drawback	$379, plus $34.90 for a tray	No warranty; condition unknown	Not approved for use outside Japan

US price from us.balmuda.com on September 11, 2026. US specifications from the K11H-SE and K01M instruction manuals and BALMUDA USA's spec pages; Japanese specifications are for the current K11A and K11A-SE on balmuda.com/jp. We have not tested these toasters ourselves.

What the Pro actually changes

Electrically and physically, very little. Both US models draw 1300 watts at 120 volts, share the 14.1-inch width and 8.2-inch height, use the same 1-to-15-minute timer and a cord of about 3.3 feet, and run on the same idea: you pour a few cc of water into a port on top before a toast cycle, and none at all in Oven mode. The real differences are in four places.

A top-heat mode. Salamander Grill uses high heat from the top only, for 1 to 3 minutes, to brown a gratin or finish a dish. The K01M has nothing equivalent. The manual says to add no water in this mode and to stay with the toaster while it runs.
A different set of toast modes. The K01M has Sandwich Bread, Artisan Bread, Pizza, and Pastry. The Pro has Shokupan, Golden Toast, Pizza, and Croissant. Compare them by the foods each manual lists rather than by name: the Pro puts sandwich bread and English muffins under Shokupan, bagels and sliced country bread under Golden Toast, and baguettes, rolls, buns, and pastry under Croissant.
Less in the box. The K01M shipped with a baking pan. The Pro comes with the toasting rack and the 5 cc cup, and the Baking Tray with Rack is a separate $34.90 accessory, sold as final sale.
Tighter placement. The Pro's manual asks for 1.8 inches of space at the sides and rear and 3.9 inches above. The K01M's manual asks for 4 inches at the sides and rear and 6 inches above.

A black BALMUDA toaster with its heaters glowing behind the window, next to a black bread box on a white counter below a shelf of mugs — Toasting in a Japanese kitchen. Both US models work the same basic way: a few cc of water go into the port on top before a toast cycle.

The Pro is also 0.2 inch deeper and about half a pound lighter. Neither difference changes where it fits.

Our pick

Pick #1: BALMUDA The Toaster Pro (K11H-SE), $379

A white BALMUDA The Toaster Pro seen from the front on a wooden stand, with the mode dial on the left and the timer dial on the right — The Toaster Pro in a Japanese kitchen. This one is the Japanese K11A-SE; the US model is the K11H-SE, rated 120 volts.

If you are buying new, this is the toaster BALMUDA USA sells, and it is the one to buy if you want a warranty behind it. You get the six modes, the Salamander Grill top heat, and BALMUDA USA's two-year warranty, which does not cover units sold by an unauthorized third party, so buy from BALMUDA USA or an authorized retailer. The US store listed both colors, black (K11H-SE-BK) and off-white (K11H-SE-WH), in stock at $379 on September 11, 2026.

Best for: anyone buying a BALMUDA toaster new, especially if you would use the top heat for gratins or melted cheese. Avoid if: you need to cook food taller than 2.1 inches, which the manual rules out, or you want one appliance to replace a full-size oven. Main drawback: the price, and the baking tray is another $34.90. The manual also asks for a heat-resistant dish or a sheet of foil under foods that can drip, kept away from the heater tubes.

Find The Toaster Pro on Amazon

Should you buy a used US Toaster?

With the K01M gone from BALMUDA's store, a used one is the practical way to get the original design at 120 volts, and it can make sense. The case rests entirely on price, because BALMUDA's warranty does not follow the toaster: the US policy covers the original purchaser and someone who received it new as a gift, and it excludes second-hand units and units sold as is or open box. Any coverage on a used or renewed listing comes from the seller.

Before you buy one, check four things:

The model. The listing or the unit should say K01M and 120 volts. The US colors were black K01M-KG, white K01M-WS, and gray K01M-GW.
The parts. The baking pan, toasting rack, and 5 cc cup should be included. If they are not, BALMUDA USA still lists a baking pan ($19.90) and a toasting rack ($14.90) for The Toaster and a 5 cc cup ($5.90) that fits both models, all final sale.
The price gap. The Pro is $379 new with a two-year warranty but no tray. If the used price plus any missing parts comes close to that, buy the Pro.
The space. The K01M's manual asks for more room than the Pro's: 4 inches at the sides and rear and 6 inches above.

Why a Japanese unit is the wrong buy

Japanese BALMUDA toasters are made for Japan's 100-volt supply. BALMUDA's Japanese spec page rates the current Toaster and Toaster Pro, the K11A and K11A-SE, at 100 volts, and BALMUDA Japan's support page says its toaster is designed to meet Japan's electrical safety law, is not supported for use outside Japan, loses the manufacturer warranty if used abroad, and may cause fire, burns, or injury. The US manuals say the same thing from the other side: for use in the U.S. only.

The plug fits a US outlet and the toaster looks the same, which is how these units get bought by mistake. BALMUDA's US warranty also excludes products brought into the country by an unauthorized third party, so there is no US repair path either.

A black BALMUDA The Toaster with slices of toasted bread visible through the window, on a kitchen counter below a wall shelf with hooks — An early Japanese K01A. Secondhand listings in the US mix Japanese units like this one with the 120-volt K01M, and the two look alike.

How to tell a Japanese unit from a US one

Model number. US: K11H-SE for the Pro and K01M for the original. Japanese: K01A, K01E, K05A, and K11A, and the Pro as K05A-SE or K11A-SE.
Oven settings. Japanese units mark their oven settings in Celsius, 170, 200, and 230°C. The US models list 350, 400, and 450°F.
Not the color. Black, white, and gray were sold in both countries, so a photo of the color tells you nothing about the voltage.

Two Japanese generations: K01E and K05A

A gray BALMUDA The Toaster seen from the front on a white counter, with the mode dial on the left marked 170, 200, and 230 degrees Celsius — A Japanese K01E. The oven settings beside the left dial read 170, 200, and 230°C; the US models list 350, 400, and 450°F.

A white BALMUDA The Toaster on a white kitchen counter under a range hood, with a vase of kitchen tools beside it — A later Japanese generation, the K05A. The shape barely changed, so the model number is what tells you the market.

Where it fits on a US counter

Add the manual's clearances to the outside dimensions. For the Pro, that is a space about 17.7 inches wide, 14.6 inches deep, and 12.1 inches tall: 14.1 inches of toaster plus 1.8 inches on each side, 12.8 inches plus 1.8 at the back, and 8.2 inches plus 3.9 above, with room in front for the door. A used K01M, with its manual's larger clearances, needs about 22.1 by 16.6 by 14.2 inches.

Both manuals say not to set the toaster on top of another appliance such as a microwave, not to put anything on top of it, and to leave more space if the wall behind it is plastic or otherwise sensitive to heat. The Pro's manual also says not to keep the 5 cc cup on top of the toaster, against its sides, or inside the clearance, which rules out the magnetic hook some owners use to hang it. The cord is about 3.3 feet, so check where the outlet is before you pick the spot. Our small-counter kitchen organization guide has more layout ideas.

A light green BALMUDA toaster on a wooden sideboard with open space on both sides and the wall shelves well above it — Open space at the sides and plenty above the toaster, which is what both US manuals ask for.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toaster Pro worth it over the original BALMUDA Toaster?

If you are buying new from BALMUDA, there is no choice to make: the Pro is the only toaster on its US store, at $379 on September 11, 2026. Against a used US K01M, the Pro adds a top-heat Salamander Grill mode, a different set of toast modes, smaller clearances in its manual, and BALMUDA's two-year US warranty, and it drops the baking pan from the box. Power, width, height, and timer are the same. We have not tested either toaster, so this is a comparison of BALMUDA's specifications, not of toast.

Does BALMUDA still sell the original Toaster in the US?

No. On September 11, 2026 the US store listed only The Toaster Pro. BALMUDA USA still publishes the K01M specifications and still sells a baking pan ($19.90) and a toasting rack ($14.90) for The Toaster, plus a 5 cc cup ($5.90) that fits both models. The accessories are final sale.

Can I use a Japanese BALMUDA toaster in the US?

BALMUDA says no. Its Japanese support page says the toaster is designed to meet Japan's electrical safety law and is not supported for use outside Japan, that using it abroad voids the manufacturer warranty, and that it may cause fire, burns, or injury. The current Japanese models are rated 100 volts, the US manuals are marked for use in the US only, and BALMUDA's US warranty excludes products imported by an unauthorized third party. Buy a 120-volt US model instead.

Does a used BALMUDA toaster come with a warranty?

Not from BALMUDA. The US warranty runs two years from the original purchase and covers the original purchaser and someone who received the toaster new as a gift from them. It does not cover second-hand units or units sold as is or open box. Any coverage on a used or renewed listing comes from the seller, so read that seller's terms before you buy.

Does the Toaster Pro come with a baking tray?

No. BALMUDA's manual lists the toaster itself with the boiler cover and crumb catcher attached, the toasting rack, the 5 cc cup, the instruction manual, and a guidebook. The Baking Tray with Rack is a separate $34.90 accessory, sold as final sale. The original US K01M shipped with a baking pan, which is one of the few things the Pro gave up.

What does Salamander Grill mode do?

It heats from the top only, at high heat, for 1 to 3 minutes, to brown the top of a gratin or finish a dish. The manual says to add no water in this mode and to stay with the toaster until cooking is finished. The Japanese Toaster Pro has a mode with the same name, but it is a 100-volt model.

Ready to buy?

BALMUDA's US store is the most direct way to get the K11H-SE with the warranty. On Amazon or anywhere else, check that the listing names the K11H-SE and 120 volts and that the seller is BALMUDA USA or an authorized retailer. The price below was taken from the US store on September 11, 2026 and will change.

BALMUDA The Toaster Pro (K11H-SE)

$$$ ($379.00 on us.balmuda.com, checked September 11, 2026)

Check Price on Amazon

Verify specifications with the manufacturer · Checked 2026-09-11