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While many kitchen appliances cost hundreds of dollars, toaster ovens can be incredibly affordable. Despite their affordable price points, toaster ovens yield the same cooking results as any full-sized oven.
And they rival the excellent performance of high-end kitchen appliances while using less energy. As such, they’re energy-saving kitchen appliances for any home.
Toaster ovens also last long as they feature stainless steel in their construction designs. They are also versatile and cook different meals since they feature many cooking functions.
And if space is something you don’t have in plenty, a toaster oven is a perfect kitchen appliance. It only occupies a small space on your kitchen countertop.
But with many toaster ovens on the market, finding inexpensive models that perform excellently isn’t as easy as you might imagine. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best-performing toaster ovens at affordable price points.
We’ve also included a buyer’s guide to help you find other incredible models from the market. So, be sure to read on for more information.
What Are the Best Inexpensive Toaster Ovens?
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven | Product Information | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
Top | Luby Convection Toaster Oven with Timer and Crumb Tray, 6-Slice | Check Price |
Top | Toaster Oven 4 Slice, Multi-function Stainless Steel Finish with Timer - by Mueller Austria | Check Price |
Top | BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven, Silver | Check Price |
Top | Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven with Easy Reach Roll-Top Door, Bake Pan, Silver | Check Price |
Luby Convection Toaster Oven with Timer
- Use convection heating technology to circulate warm air throughout the appliance for quick and evenly baking or cooking Also brings better flavors in your food as the dish inside the oven is cooked at the same rate
- The perfect wedding or new home gift Its sleek design and trendy color options will match any kitchen décor
- 3 knob controls with easy-turn design 60 minutes timer for automatic shut-off and the ready bell is loud enough to hear No worries about getting distracted and burning your food
The first thing you probably notice about this toaster oven is its pull-down door design. Once you pull down the door, you immediately access the 23-liter cooking space capable of holding a 10-inch pizza and six slices of bread.
It is a small kitchen appliance but packs serious cooking power.
And that’s true if you check the wattage rating on this toaster oven. The toaster oven cooks 1500W of power, delivering sufficient heat throughout the cooking times.
As a result, it generates temperatures ranging from 150°F to 450°F. That temperature range is wide enough for average cooking needs.
The built-in fan circulates warm air within the cooking space for convection baking. One benefit of this cooking is that it speeds up the cooking process and yields even cooking results.
As such, you can be sure to save energy during convection baking, meaning this toaster oven is energy-efficient.
Like any other countertop toaster oven, this unit only requires a small space on your kitchen countertop. It is a multi-functional toaster oven featuring only four cooking functions: Air Fry, Broil, Bake, and Toast.
Also, it features four heating elements that improve the radiation of the heat.
With only three control knobs, controlling this kitchen appliance is easy. Among the knobs is a 60-minute timer Auto-shutoff feature. As such, your toaster oven will switch itself automatically after the timer countdown is complete.
Besides, you get all these incredible features at an affordable price!
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1500W cooking power. | The non-stick coating on the pan peels off. |
| Convection baking. | The heating elements aren’t durable. |
| Auto-shutoff. | |
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven Reviews |
Mueller Austria Toaster Oven 4 Slice
- Our toaster oven comes with many features and cooking functions some of which include: baking, broiling, toasting, and keeping food warm.
- The 30 min timer includes precise toast settings and stay-on functionality.
- 2 rack positions and included multi-purpose pan provide the versatility to have great results for all foods.
This toaster oven is compact and demands less space during usage and while in storage. After placing it on your kitchen countertop, you will prepare lightly browned and evenly toasted bruschetta in minutes.
That’s because it cooks with sufficient power to speed up the cooking process.
It is rated 1100W, which results in sufficient heating temperatures. Due to its impressive cooking power, the toaster oven yields heat ranging from 150°F to 450°F. As such, it covers all the temperature bases you require to prepare your favorite meals.
Like the rest of the toaster ovens on our list, it is a multi-functional unit boasting four cooking functions. These cooking programs include bake, broil, toast, and keep warm. This makes it a basic toaster oven as it only features four cooking functions.
As such, it is an ideal choice for a small family. On the upside, though, this toaster oven has impressive energy efficiency, thanks to its energy-efficient heating elements. It saves up to 30% energy when toasting slices of bread, and you have the EvenToast Technology to thank.
However, the cooking capacity is a bit small, that’s why it is a perfect choice for a small family. The cooking interior can only toast four slices of bread or bake a 9-inch pizza.
But the unit levels up with impressive cooking power and sufficient cooking heat. What’s more, it is an affordable unit.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1100W cooking power. | Small cooking space. |
| EvenToast Technology. | Few cooking functions. |
| Stay-On function. | |
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven Reviews |
BLACK+DECKER CTO6335S Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
- Included Components: Removable Crumb Tray
- Forget about heating up the large oven. This countertop oven is designed to fit 12” pizzas, and things like casserole dishes, whole chickens, and more.
- Hot air is circulated throughout the oven for fast, even baking.
One of the reasons for including this toaster oven among our top picks is its reputable build. The toaster oven boasts stainless steel construction that guarantees the best durability.
What’s more, the high-quality stainless steel has a polished finish for elegance. You can be sure this unit will blend well with your kitchen décor, which is one of the reasons for buying it.
The toaster oven also features eight cooking functions, and each function has a dedicated button for selecting it. That means your toaster oven has eight preset buttons. The cooking functions include bake, broil, toast, bagel, pizza, frozen snacks, potatoes, cookies.
Since the unit also features a convection baking setting, it rightfully earned its spot among the convection toaster ovens. The convection setting speeds up the cooking time, thus reducing the cooking time. And in the long run, you will cut down electricity costs significantly.
You can only expect to cook larger meals in this toaster oven with all the featured cooking functions. Well, the unit meets your expectations by presenting you with a cooking space for baking a 12-inch pizza.
The unit is multi-functional, and you can prepare more than pizza in the cooking space. Other foods you could cook include casserole and chicken, among other foods. Therefore, this is an excellent buy, given that it is also affordable.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1500W cooking power. | The glass door cracks easily. |
| 120-minute timer. | The preset labels wear off. |
| Non-stick coating. | |
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven Reviews |
Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
- Easy to keep clean: door is up and out of the way of messy spills and drips
- Bake, broil & toast: 2 rack positions and included bake pan makes it easy to get started on cooking a variety of foods
- Easy to use contoured knobs: not only is this new design easier to maneuver, but they’re safer too
You can be sure to find Hamilton Beach toaster ovens with pop-up toasters. But this specific model lacks a pop up toaster. And that doesn’t mean it doesn’t toast slices of bread.
You can still use the same cooking interior to toast your bread slices besides using the cooking space for cooking your favorite meals. You can do that because this toaster oven is a versatile kitchen appliance.
The interior cooking space is spacious enough to fit a 12-inch pizza and toast six slices of bread. The unit includes a baking pan and baking rack as accessories.
The interior also boasts two rack positions for meeting your baking needs. Even if you’d want to use other bake pans, you can do so only if the baking pans measure 9 × 11 inches. Therefore, this unit gives you plenty of choices.
The cooking functions are few, but this is one of the versatile toaster ovens. And it rightfully features on this list as it performs incredibly well. The cooking functions include bake, broil, and toast.
Controlling the functions and the time is simple as this unit features only three control knobs.
The lowest knob is a 30-minute timer with an auto-shutoff function. After setting the cooking time, you will be sure the unit will turn itself off automatically, thanks to the auto-shutoff function.
The roll-top door design grants you easy access to cooking food. Also, you will easily clean the cooking interior due to easy access. The unit cooks with sufficient power and yields sufficient heat. Therefore, it is another excellent buy.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1400W cooking power. | Few cooking functions. |
| Spacious cooking interior. | Toast settings burn foods. |
| Auto-shutoff. | |
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven Reviews |
Toshiba Digital Toaster Oven
- 1700W powerful output and two infrared heating elements improve heating efficiency and shorten up to 1/3 cooking time
- 10 cooking settings with adjustable temperature from 150 F to 450 F could satisfy all your daily cooking needs
- Bright digital display, easy-to-turn control knobs, dual position racks and non-stick interior for convenient use
One incredible feature of this toaster oven is that it cooks with so much power. What’s more, the toaster oven boasts infrared heating elements for fast heating performance.
The infrared heating elements provide instant heat, meaning the toaster oven doesn’t require preheating.
And with a 1700W power rating, this toaster oven yields the same heat as a full-sized oven. But its cooking interior isn’t as spacious as that of a full-sized oven.
The toaster oven also boasts high-quality stainless steel construction, making it another very durable toaster oven on the list.
Checking the cooking capacity reveals that the toaster oven boasts an extra-large interior. As a result, this toaster oven excellently bakes a 12-inch pizza and toasts six slices of bread. You can also roast a 4-pound chicken in this cooking interior.
Given that the unit boasts an extra-large capacity, it makes more sense that it features ten cooking functions. These cooking programs include bake, broil, convection, cookies, defrost, keep warm, pizza, reheat, rotisserie, and toast.
Therefore, you can be sure to reheat your frozen pizza besides toasting bread slices. It is a versatile kitchen appliance that rightfully deserves a spot on your kitchen countertop.
With the rotisserie and convection functions activated, you can perfectly air fry your meals to the doneness level you find tasteful. As such, this is yet another excellent air fryer toaster oven that reduces the amount of cooking oil you use by as much as 75%!
Operating this unit is easy as it features easy-to-turn control knobs and an LCD screen. The unit comes in a black color finish for beauty and elegance. And since it is an affordable unit, it is another excellent toaster oven to buy.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1700W cooking power. | It doesn’t include pizza stones. |
| Ten cooking functions. | Upper heating elements burn food. |
| Non-stick coating. | |
| Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven Reviews |
How Do You Choose the Best Inexpensive Toaster Oven?
When setting out to buy an inexpensive toaster oven, you will look more than the price. And that’s because you want a top-performing kitchen appliance despite its affordable cost.
Well, if you’re looking to source a kitchen workhorse at an incredibly affordable price, you will check the following features first:
Cooking Power
One of the things to consider before buying a toaster oven is the cooking power. Toaster ovens cook with varying power. Some models are more powerful than others. And knowing how much power a toaster oven uses to cook meals is simple: you will check its wattage rating.
A unit with a higher wattage rating is more powerful than another unit with a less wattage rating. For example, a 1700W toaster oven cooks with more power than a 1500W toaster oven. You want to choose a more powerful unit as it preheats faster and cooks faster.
Also, more powerful toaster ovens tend to generate sufficient cooking temperature. Therefore, consider opting for more powerful toaster ovens. Any unit packing 1000W of power and above is powerful enough. So, be sure to always choose 1000W and above.
The Heating Elements
The heating elements also impact how much heat output a toaster oven boasts. And that makes them a factor to consider before buying a toaster oven.
Usually, toaster ovens feature quartz heating elements. One thing with quartz is they produce sufficient energy, and they are durable. A toaster oven with these heating elements serves for extended periods without compromising energy efficiency.
On the other hand, other toaster ovens feature infrared heating technology. These toaster ovens require no preheating as they produce heat instantly.
As a result, they shorten the cooking time significantly, making them more energy-efficient. As such, they should be your go-to heating elements. But if you can’t find a toaster oven with these heating elements, you can select quartz as the alternative.
Temperature Range
Energy efficiency is essential. But do you know what else is essential? The temperature range is as essential as energy efficiency. When picking a toaster oven, you want to opt for one with a wide temperature range.
Usually, toaster ovens heat from temperatures ranging from 150°F to 450°F. But there are exceptional toaster ovens that push this boundary to 500°F. These exceptional toaster ovens are more versatile as they provide sufficient heat for all the cooking functions.
Whether you’re looking to slow cook a meal at lower temperatures for hours or you want to bake at 500°F, a toaster oven with a wide temperature setting will serve you better. Therefore, consider buying toaster ovens heating from 150°F to 500°F to be on a safer side.
Cooking Functions
Toaster ovens also differ if you check versatility. Of course, some models are more versatile than others. And this only means one thing: they cook more meals than their counterparts with fewer cooking functions.
But the idea is to source a more versatile kitchen appliance at an affordable price point. Therefore, consider buying a toaster oven with more cooking functions.
The Size of The Toaster Oven
The cooking capacity refers to the meal size a toaster oven can cook at once. The larger the cooking capacity, the larger the meal size your toaster oven cooks at once. But the size of the toaster oven dictates the meal size it can cook at once.
But before picking a toaster oven of any size, you want to check your family size. And that’s because you want a unit that cooks enough meals for everyone at once. You can check the size of the interior cooking space to know the cooking capacity of a toaster oven.
Manufacturers express this size in quarts or liters. Sometimes, they express the size of the cooking space in cubic-foot. A unit with a large cooking capacity has a large cooking space, i.e., more quarts, liters, or cubic-foot rating.
If you have a large family, look for more quarts or liters ratings. And look for a smaller quarts or liters rating if you need a toaster oven for cooking only your meals.
Toaster Oven Accessories
Toaster ovens also include accessories such as a removable crumb tray, baking pan, and oven rack. These accessories are useful when cooking your meals. For example, a removable crumb tray collects any crumb, making cleaning the toaster oven easy.
Also, you will use the unit’s baking pan for baking cakes and cookies. And the oven rack will support the baking pan when cooking your cakes exactly how you like them. Therefore, ensure these essential accessories also come with your preferred toaster oven.
Timer And Alerts
Toaster ovens usually have control knobs for controlling the temperature, functions, and cooking times. The timer is among the featured control knobs, and you can expect this dial to vary from one toaster oven to another.
Before you spend your money on a toaster oven, check the timer knob. Ensure it has the maximum selectable time on it. Some timers allow you only to select up to 30 minutes, while some push this boundary up to 120 minutes. Choose timers allowing you to select more minutes.
Also, opt for a timer with a Stay-On function. Such a timer allows you to cook beyond the selectable cooking time. For example, you could bake for over two hours despite having a 30-minute timer, but only if it features this robust feature.
You can also go the extra mile to pick a toaster oven that dings once the timer countdown is complete. Hamilton is one toaster oven with alerts that come in handy. Be sure to look for toaster ovens like Hamilton Beach Easy Reach.
Safety Features
Auto-shutoff is a safety feature that protects your kitchen from fires. Your toaster oven could burn food if it proceeds to cook beyond the set cooking time.
But with an Auto-shutoff feature, the toaster oven will turn itself off to avert any potential fire hazard. As such, look for toaster ovens with this safety feature.
Also, buy toaster ovens with cool-touch handles and parts. Handling such a toaster oven during usage is safe. The glass door should have a cool-touch handle for easy handling. If you come across a toaster oven with an Auto-shutoff function and cool-touch handles, consider buying it.
Ease Of Cleaning
After using your toaster oven, cleaning it becomes the next essential step. But ease of cleaning depends on the design of the toaster oven.
Generally speaking, toaster ovens with non-stick interiors are easier to clean. Also, the non-stick coating ensures the toaster ovens release food easily.
By wiping the interiors with a well-wrung cloth, you will clean all the dirt from the cooking compartment. Also, wiping the accessories will easily clean any stain if they have a non-stick coating.
Therefore, consider buying toaster ovens with a non-stick coating if you want easy cleaning of the unit.
The Price
Lastly, you want to check the price of a toaster oven before buying it. You don’t have to spend hundreds of bucks to get a top-performing toaster oven.
Some toaster ovens cost less than a hundred bucks and pack as much power as high-end toaster ovens. Fortunately, we’ve rounded some incredible toaster ovens with exceptional output at affordable prices.
FAQs
Do toaster ovens consume electricity while on standby?
Yes, and no, depending on your toaster oven model. Toaster ovens with digital controls can consume 0.2W of electricity while in standby mode. On the other hand, toaster ovens with manual controls don’t consume any electricity while in standby mode.
How long do toaster ovens last before developing problems?
Like any kitchen appliance, a toaster oven also has a life expectancy. But they are more durable than many kitchen appliances in your home kitchen. Generally speaking, these kitchen workhorses last up to five years.
And that’s their life expectancy. But using them less often could extend this life expectancy.
Do toaster ovens feature convection technology?
Yes, toaster ovens usually use convection technology to cook, especially when baking cakes and cookies. And they have a convection fan for this cooking performance.
Even models with no convection fan still use convection technology as their cooking interiors boast natural convection designs. As a result, they save up to 40% energy.
How long does a toaster oven take to preheat?
Usually, toaster ovens take 5 – 6 minutes to achieve your set temperature. But models with infrared heating elements require no preheating as they provide heat instantly. They save more energy in the long run!
Do toaster ovens have sensors?
Yes, toaster ovens have plenty of sensors. One essential sensor would be the temperature sensor. This component guides the toaster oven to select and maintain your chosen cooking temperature.
Also, toaster ovens could sense when the cooking time you set has elapsed and turned themselves off automatically. But these toaster ovens usually feature an Auto-shutoff sensor. Therefore, toaster ovens have essential sensors to help them function correctly.
Wrap Up
You don’t have to spend hundreds of bucks to source the best toaster oven for your kitchen needs. You can be sure to buy an excellently performing unit at an affordable price.
And these affordable toaster ovens pack the same cooking power and have the same features as high-end toaster ovens.
If you’re looking for the best toaster oven at an affordable price, we hope this article has helped you greatly. Even if you’re looking for other best-performing toaster ovens, you will easily find them, thanks to our buyer’s guide.
We advise you to invest in the best units if you want unrivaled cooking performance and unmatched restaurant-quality results. So, take your time and find a toaster oven that your kitchen rightfully deserves.
