Hi Joe,
Thank you for alerting us of this occurrence. We regret to hear that you are not experiencing optimal heat while using your Hamilton Beach Pro 2-Slice Toaster. Hamilton Beach strives through quality testing and design to ensure that all of our appliances perform at an exemplary standard, when used as directed. We would like to offer our assistance in this matter. Please email our customer service department at customer.care@hamiltonbeach.com.