A toaster oven is a multipurpose, compact, and energy-efficient kitchen tool that can significantly improve your baking and cooking experiences. It’s ideal for people who want to add another cooking option to their kitchen or who live in smaller spaces. It provides a convenient way to prepare a variety of dishes, from quick snacks to full meals, thanks to its ability to perform multiple cooking functions like toasting, baking, broiling, and in some models, even rotisserie cooking.
Especially for small-scale cooking, a toaster oven’s small size allows it to heat up quickly, cutting down on preheating times and energy consumption when compared to a traditional oven. It is also a desirable option for quick, daily meal preparation due to its user-friendly design and features that are simple to clean. A toaster oven can be a very useful addition to your kitchen toolset, regardless of whether you’re cooking for a small family, just for big parties, or both.
The Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven is a high-quality, versatile appliance suitable for various cooking tasks.
- Key Features:
- Spacious interior suitable for large dishes.
- Multiple cooking functions with convection feature for even cooking.
- Precise temperature control with a user-friendly digital interface.
- Sleek, durable design but requires significant counter space and careful handling due to exterior heat during use.
The KitchenAid Countertop Oven with Air Fry is a multifunctional and convenient appliance, ideal for a range of cooking tasks.
- Key Features:
- Air frying capability for healthier frying with less oil.
- Multiple cooking functions, including baking, roasting, and broiling.
- Compact design with a spacious interior.
- Easy-to-use controls with useful accessories included, but may have a higher price and not fully replace larger appliances.
The Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven is a compact, efficient appliance ideal for quick cooking.
- Key Features:
- FlashXpress technology for up to 40% faster cooking.
- Precise temperature control for a variety of cooking tasks.
- Versatile cooking functions in a space-efficient design.
- Ideal for small kitchens or quick cooking needs, though with limited capacity for larger meals.
The Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection is a high-quality, multifunctional appliance ideal for smaller kitchens.
- Key Features:
- Advanced convection technology for even and efficient cooking.
- Multiple cooking modes for versatility.
- Intuitive controls with an LCD display in a sleek design.
- Space-efficient with a relatively spacious interior, though with a higher price and potentially limited capacity for larger cooking needs.
The Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a versatile and convenient appliance for a variety of cooking tasks.
- Key Features:
- Multiple cooking functions including air frying, toasting, baking, and roasting.
- Intuitive digital controls with preset options.
- Compact yet spacious design suitable for family use.
- Ideal for those seeking multi-functionality, though may have a learning curve and requires counter space.
How Conventional Toasters Differ From Conventional Toaster Ovens
There are toast and bake settings on a conventional toaster oven, along with occasionally additional settings. Three main heat sources are used in the baking setting to cook food:
- Heat that moves from the baking pan to the object on top of it is called conduction heat.
- Heat that comes straight from the heating components and metal walls is known as radiant heat.
- Warm air: The oven’s interior naturally circulates heat.
- In addition to these three heating components, a convection toaster also has an integrated fan.
Warm air is forced by this convection fan to:
- facilitate the browning process, which is especially beneficial for vegetables.
- Move around the toaster’s interior.
- Cook food more quickly and uniformly.
- Raise your toaster’s temperature.
- Eliminate the moisture
They’re also usually bigger. Pizza pans can fit inside some convention toasters!
The Benefits of a Convection Toaster Oven Over a Conventional Toaster for Roasted Vegetables
The distinctions between a convection toaster, a pop-up toaster, and a conventional counter toaster have already been discussed. This brings us to a side-by-side comparison.
Pop-Up vs. Convection Toasters
You might not want to take up valuable counter space with a convection toaster if you’re short on space.
It might be worthwhile, though, if you like to cook. For numerous reasons, a convection toaster is superior to a pop-up toaster.
- Greater capacity: Four toast slices can be made at once in a convection toaster oven. It is only possible to make two with a pop-up toaster.
- Additional choices: You can make more than just toast, waffles, and other flatbreads with a convection toaster! Even bagels can occasionally have trouble fitting into pop-up toasters. Convection toasters allow you to bake small pies, reheat chicken nuggets, toast two whole bagels at once, and much more.
Simply put, buy a counter toaster if you want to use a toaster as a mini-oven.
A convection counter toaster and a conventional counter toaster are your two choices.
Traditional Counter Toaster vs. Convection Toaster
Additionally, conventional toasters are superior to traditional toasters.
- Improved browning: Because they eliminate moisture, they work better when broiling and browning vegetables.
- Cooking consistency: Compared to conventional toasters, convection toasters have a more precise and constant temperature. In comparison to traditional toasters, they also cook your food more evenly.
- Faster heating: Because of their fan, convection toasters heat food more quickly than conventional toasters.
In conclusion, a counter toaster and a convection toaster are comparable. Although it appears identical from the outside, it cooks food in a different way than a conventional toaster because of an internal fan.
The Buyer’s Guide to Toasters
Here are some additional factors to think about if you’re just beginning your toaster search and aren’t sure if you want a convection oven toaster, a pop-up toaster, or a conventional counter toaster.
Upkeep and Cleaning
Cleaning a toaster isn’t the top priority for most people. Usually, it’s not among the top five!
However, that does not negate its necessity.
If you use a pop-up toaster frequently, crumbs may accumulate and burn. At worst, this could result in a fire, and at best, it could smell bad.
Grease and food particles can accumulate on a counter toaster or convection toaster if it is used for purposes other than bread, and high temperatures can cause them to catch fire.
Cleaning toasters is comparatively simple. While some can be cleaned by simply emptying the crumb tray and using a stainless steel cleaner to clean the inside and outside, others have a self-cleaning feature.
Clean and maintain your toaster if you want it to last.
Usability
A difficult-to-use appliance is disliked by everyone. If it’s too complicated, you’ll probably make a mistake and contaminate your food!
You want a toaster that is comparable to your level of expertise.
For some, this entails traditional buttons and knobs and possibly few bells and whistles. A more recent digital model with more features than they could ever want might be preferred by others.
No response is incorrect. What’s best for your mom might not be the same as what’s best for you.
Could you examine a few models and identify the most easily accessible?
Additional Accessories
A few accessories are typically included with appliances. This also applies to toasters.
A pop-up toaster usually doesn’t have any accessories, but convection and counter toasters can have things like:
- Prepare baking trays.
- Pans that are broiler-ready
- Trays for crumb
- Stones for pizza
- Racks for wires
Since accessories are typically inexpensive, you shouldn’t base your choice of toaster on the free ones that are offered. They are categorized as “nice to have,” though.
The quantity of functions
If a toaster only produced toast, would you be content with it? And just two pieces at once?
If so, you’re a simple customer who will probably be satisfied with the first (and least expensive) toaster you come across.
However, take a look at the convection and counter toasters if you want a toaster that functions similarly to a tiny oven.
Could you make a list of all the things you would like your toaster to do? Look for a toaster that can do more than just “toast” if warm chicken nuggets, nachos, and other small plates of food are on your list of uses.
Typical toaster features include:
- Automated shutdown
- Options for cooking include convection heating, toast, baking, broiling, warming, and defrosting.
- Light inside
- Shade of toast
- Dimensions
Convection toasters cook food so well that we adore them, but they have a drawback: they’re large.
Pop-up toasters are much smaller than counter and convection oven toasters. Fitting them next to your coffee maker, slow cooker, blender, and other small kitchen appliances might require assistance.
In order to use your oven for baking and cooking tasks that you wouldn’t have done with a conventional counter toaster, you might want to get a small pop-up toaster if counter space is a concern.
Guarantee
Every decent appliance has a warranty, though the specifics differ depending on the brand and model.
The majority of toasters come with a limited warranty of one year. Some come with a limited warranty of three years.
Output Wattage
Be mindful of the type of toaster you buy if you’re attempting to use less electricity and energy. A pop-up toaster uses less energy than a conventional counter or convection toaster, as you might expect.
The typical energy consumption of a toaster is between 800 and 1,500 watts. The majority of pop-up toasters use less than the 1,200 that the average toaster uses. The majority of convection and counter toasters are more expensive.
Using your toaster oven in different ways
You can choose the best toaster for your needs by using our top picks and this buying guide.
The Top 5 Ovens for Toasters
1. The best toaster oven overall is the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1.
According to our review, the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1 is the best option. This toaster oven is ideal for larger families or parties because of its roomy interior, which can accommodate up to nine slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza. Toast, bagel, waffle, dual cook, bake, broil, roast, pizza, sandwich, keep warm, leftovers, plus 30 seconds, two convection cooking settings, and defrost are just a few of the cooking options it offers. With 1800 watts of power and “Exact Heat” sensor technology, this toaster oven continuously distributes heat evenly, producing crispy waffles, perfectly toasted bread, and meals that are cooked through.
The accessories that come with the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1 are another noteworthy feature. It comes with a 13-inch pizza stone, a broiling pan, a crumb tray, a 9-by-13-inch enamel baking/drip pan, and two cooking racks. The auto-slide middle rack adds convenience by partially pulling out when the door is opened, and the nonstick interior coating makes cleaning a breeze. This toaster oven’s selector dial, backlit LCD screen, and user-friendly interface make it simple to use. Its superior performance, versatility, and three-year warranty make it worth the investment, even though it is heavier and larger than other models.
2. The Greatest Air Fryer Toaster Oven: KitchenAid Countertop Oven with Air Fry
The KitchenAid Countertop Oven with Air Fry is the best option in our review if you’re specifically searching for an air fryer toaster oven. This toaster oven stands out in terms of both performance and style thanks to its sleek black matte design and straightforward controls. Nine cooking settings (proof, dehydrate, toast, air fry, bagel, bake, broil, reheat, and keep warm), eight toast shades, and four heating elements are all included.
The functionality of the KitchenAid air fryer really impressed us. Food can be conveniently shaken or flipped halfway through the cooking cycle thanks to the included air fryer basket, which slides in and out of the device with ease. It offers great performance and versatility even though it might not have as many cooking features as the Cuisinart model. A baking pan, grill rack, crumb tray, metal rack, and air fry basket are all included with the KitchenAid Countertop Oven with Air Fry. It is a great choice for people with limited counter space because of its smaller size and lighter weight.
3. The Best Low-Cost Option: Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven
A great option for those on a tight budget who still want a dependable toaster oven is the Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven. It provides good performance and value for the money, even though it might not have all the features of more costly models. Double infrared heating technology in the Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven cooks food more quickly and uniformly. Its small size makes it ideal for kitchens with limited counter space.
This toaster oven can be used for toasting, baking, broiling, and reheating, among other cooking tasks. It features multiple toasting shades and an easy-to-use digital display. A useful addition for everyday cooking needs is the included 9-inch-square baking tray. The Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven offers dependable performance at a reasonable cost, despite the fact that it might not have sophisticated features like convection or air fry capabilities.
4. The Best Compact Toaster Oven: Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection
The Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection is the best option for people searching for a small toaster oven without sacrificing performance. This toaster oven has remarkable cooking capabilities despite its smaller size. It can cook a 12-inch pizza, roast a large piece of salmon, or bake brownies in an 8 x 8-inch pan. An indicator that shows how long the cooking or toasting cycle is, a frozen food button, and a Fahrenheit-to-Celsius converter are all features of the Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection.
The Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection offers users greater control than many other toaster ovens thanks to its user-friendly interface and a wide range of control options. It constantly distributes heat evenly, producing nicely roasted meats, evenly baked cookies, and perfectly toasted bread. Even though it might only have a few of the features of larger models, its portability and small size make it a great option for people with limited counter space or for smaller kitchens.
5. The Greatest Multipurpose Toaster Oven: The Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven is the best option if you’re searching for a toaster oven that can do everything. Convection-powered cooking, air frying, baking, broiling, dehydrating, reheating, roasting, toasting, and warming are just a few of the cooking options available with this multipurpose appliance. It has a large enough capacity to hold a whole chicken and has all the accessories you need for various cooking tasks.
One notable feature of the Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven is its ability to air fry, which results in cooked food that is evenly cooked and crispy. It is a true multipurpose appliance because it is also excellent at roasting, toasting, and reheating. Even though it might cost more, its features and performance make it a good buy for anyone looking for a toaster oven that is both effective and multipurpose.
In conclusion
To sum up, the top toaster ovens of 2023 provide a variety of features, functionality, and affordability. Because of its roomy interior, even heat distribution, variety of cooking functions, and included accessories, the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1 is the best toaster oven ever. With its exceptional performance and design, the KitchenAid Countertop Oven with Air Fry is the ideal option for anyone searching for an air fryer toaster oven. A fantastic low-cost option that offers dependable performance at a reasonable cost is the Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven. The best small toaster oven is the Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection, which offers remarkable cooking power in a more compact package. Last but not least, the Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven is the greatest multifunctional oven due to its versatility and range of cooking features.
Think about your budget, available counter space, and your unique cooking requirements when selecting a toaster oven. These top toaster ovens will improve your culinary experience and make cooking more convenient and pleasurable, whether you’re toasting bread, baking cookies, or air-frying crispy fries.
