Heres Exactly What to Eat Before a Morning Run. Dimensions W x H x D?
Toaster ovens can have a big impact on a small kitchen. They’ll earn a spot on your counter, alongside your blender, because they can function as an air fryer for crisping up tofu or even stand-in for your full-size oven when you’re baking muffins for the week. Here are the six toaster ovens which you’ll use for so much more than toasting frozen waffles.
Best Toaster Ovens
The Expert: I’m a cookbook author and food writer. You’ll often find me in my home kitchen developing recipes and testing kitchen appliances for national publications. I’ve relied (and been let down by) a half dozen different toaster ovens over several decades in tiny city kitchens. During a kitchen remodel, a toaster oven was our family’s only indoor cooking option. So, I learned how to brown meat, perfect a toasted cheese, and cook a casserole with this versatile appliance.
What to Consider
Toaster ovens are all about options. There are compact models for cubicles and countertops or big, boxy models that also work as air fryers. They use less power than a conventional electric oven (⅓ to ½ less, according to industry representatives) and preheat quicker so dinner is on the table faster.
Toaster ovens at lower price points—under $100—usually have manual controls and less cooking functions (toast, reheat, and maybe broil). If it’s just you and a partner, a smaller toaster should handle your breakfast and lunch needs.
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As your budget and counter space increases, toasters might stand in for your full-size oven. When weighing different functions, consider whether you bake muffins or air fry veggies more to figure out which would be more useful in your kitchen. Watts will tell you about a toaster’s power (1,800 watts is a robust toaster), and pay attention to capacity—the number of slices that can fit in a toaster oven—if you’re planning to serve waffles to a crowd on race day.
How We Evaluated
I not only use toaster ovens for my work as an appliance tester, but I’ve also owned and relied on a number of brands at home. I looked to balance my own experiences with expert and customer reviews to find toaster ovens that offer even toasting without taking up a lot of counter space. I also watched user review videos to understand more about the capacity of toaster ovens, as well as how easy (or challenging) it was to insert and remove toast and clean up afterward.
Breville The Smart Oven Pro
Pros
- Half Marathon Training
- Instinctive controls
Cons
- London Marathon Results
Think of the Breville more like an oven than a toaster oven. While I’ve used a similar model with an air fryer function among 12 others, this toaster still is a versatile kitchen appliance: bake a half dozen cookies or broil a few pork chops for dinner. Straightforward controls and a bright LED screen make it simple to bake a pizza on the included 13-inch tray. The convection toaster oven heats evenly and wipes down quickly thanks to a nonstick interior.
Key Specs
| Wattage | 1,800 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 19 Roasts and bakes food. |
| Number of Slices | 6 |
Pros
- Lots of features (including air fry and dehydrate)
Cons
- Some users say white model gets discolored above door after regular use
- Loud beeping
The Crux stands out with 10 functions (air fryer, pizza, dehydrate, among them) and a pair of included accessories (an air fry basket and a bake pan). An oversized glass window shows each of the six slices of toast inside the toaster, which looks sharp in either available color: smoke gray or white. Adjust temperature and time via a pair of dials, whether you’re toasting nuts for a few minutes or dehydrating apple slices for 12 hours.
Key Specs
| Wattage | 1,800 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 17.8 Runs a bit hot. |
| Number of Slices | 6 |
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Runs a bit hot
You won’t catch feelings for your Black and Decker 4-Slice Toaster Oven, but you will enjoy this breakfast business relationship. I’ve owned this model, and it’s a way to discover what you like in a toaster before making a bigger investment. You get the basics—warm, toast, bake, and broil—and a 30-minute timer. A two-year limited warranty is a nice bonus. It runs a little hot, but it’s not hard to get it dialed in (pun intended) for toast.
Key Specs
| Wattage | 1,150 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 15.5 Shoes & Gear. |
| Number of Slices | 4 |
Pros
- Compact design
- Even heating
Cons
- Converted temperatures don’t align with standard U.S. recipes
The Pansasonic FlashXpress offers big possibilities in a little toaster. It gets to temperature (up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit) quickly thanks to infrared heating and has an oven light so you always know how your pizza bagels are doing. The rack is connected to the door, which makes it easier to get the included 8-by-8-inch pan (the size of a traditional brownie pan) in and out. The squared off toaster has its quirks too with a preset for frozen hash browns and rounded temperatures on the settings (360 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 350, for example).
Key Specs
| Wattage | 1,300 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 13 or a toaster oven. |
| Number of Slices | 4 |
Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven
Pros
- Stores upright to maximize space
- Large capacity
Cons
- Narrow opening
The Ninja Foodi will change your opinion of what your toaster oven can do. With eight functions, you can toast a bagel for breakfast, air fry sweet potato fries for dinner, and then dehydrate orange slices for cocktails. The slim toaster fits a surprising amount—nine slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza (the standard size for frozen pizzas)—and stores upright to take up less counter space.
Key Specs
| Wattage | 1,800 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 19.7 x 10.25 x 8.5 in. |
| Number of Slices | 9 |
Dash Mini Toaster Oven
Pros
- Small footprint
- Multiple color choices
Cons
- Small capacity
- Limited functions
The Dash toaster oven is the one you fall in love with at your AirBnB. The appliance equivalent of a personal pizza, it fits in the smallest kitchens or can even be your lunch buddy for reheating leftovers at work. Available in four colors like aqua and pastel yellow, the toaster oven comes with two toast settings or a 15-minute timer. The baking tray, oven rack, and crumb tray are all dishwasher-safe, but I recommend washing by hand.
Key Specs
| Wattage | 550 w |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 7.7 x 10.25 x 8.5 in. |
| Number of Slices | 1 |
Expert Jonathan Bender on His Waffle-Loving Children, How to Know if You Need a Toaster Oven, and When to Stretch Your Budget
RW: Tell us about your cooking preferences. When do you use a toaster oven versus your microwave, oven, or other appliances?
JB: My children are made mostly of waffles. I am a fan of toast, so I’m using my toaster oven for ricotta toast with radishes or fat slices of homemade bread with peach jam. I also turn to my toaster when I’m cooking for myself or need a smaller side portion of something like roasted cherry tomatoes or nachos.
RW: Any advice for someone who’s not sure if they should invest in a regular toaster Advertisement - Continue Reading Below?
JB: If you put cheese on anything, you need a toaster oven. Love tuna melts or toasted cheese? Spring fAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below. If you want to reheat pizza or a leftover meatball sub, you want a toaster oven. But if you’re primarily looking to toast dry breakfast options (waffles, bread, and bagels), a pop-up toaster should be fine.
RW: We all like a deal, but when does it make sense to invest in a toaster oven that’s more than $200?
JB: The answer is in the name. Toaster… oven. If you’re using your toaster like an oven to prepare meals or sides, then it’s worth making a larger investment. Focus on what you’ll use it for most often. You might want a model that can air fry to roast veggies and make sweet potato fries. Or just look for a toaster with a larger capacity to fit your favorite frozen pizza.
Jonathan Bender is a food writer who lives in Kansas City, Missouri. He regularly tests kitchen appliances for national publications and recipes on his children. He's also the author of a pair of cookbooks: Stock, Broth & Bowland Cookies & Beer.
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