What Is the Best Toaster Oven to Purchase?

A small countertop kitchen appliance like a toaster oven could come in handy when preparing various meals. Whether you want to toast slices of bread or reheat frozen pizza, a toaster oven will help you tremendously.

And that’s because toaster ovens are versatile kitchen appliances.

Besides toasting and reheating, toaster ovens could also broil, bake, and air fry your poultry or French fries, for example. You can prepare about any food with these space-saving kitchen units.

What’s more, they usually comprise stainless steel as their material which makes them very durable. As such, they are worth the investment, especially when you usually prepare different foods while hoping to use the same kitchen appliance.

But with many toaster ovens on the market, finding the best ones to purchase might prove a bit challenging. That’s why we’re going to look at some of the best-rated and excellent performing toaster ovens that might serve you better.

Also, we will look at what to consider before splashing your hard-earned Franklins and Lincolns on any unit. So, be sure to read on for more information.

Our Top Picks for The Best Toaster Ovens to Purchase

BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster Oven

Black + Decker toaster ovens have a reputation for excellent durability, and this one is no exception. Thanks to the stainless steel material that also makes this unit elegant, this toaster oven surpasses its life expectancy to serve you for many years.

It features a glass door for monitoring the cooking progress with ease. The glass door has an extra-wide viewing window for excellent view, as we’ve mentioned already. You also get serious cooking power if you pick this unit as it packs 1150 Watts of power.

With such an impressive power ready to cook anything you slide into the toaster oven, you can be sure to have a crisp chicken wing or French fries. But this unit limits you on what you can cook as it only features four cooking functions: Bake, Broil, Toast, Keep Warm.

Using this toaster oven is a complete breeze, which increases its efficiency. You have three control knobs: temperature, cooking function, and time selectors. The cooking capacity is also reasonably large since this unit can warm a 9-inch pizza and toast only four slices of bread.

The time selector only allows you to set a 30-minute timer, but you can use the stay-on function if baking for an extended period. The unit comes with everything you need to start cooking right out of the box.

The accessories it includes are a baking pan and a baking rack. It serves a small family excellently with its small cooking capacity but is still one of the best toaster ovens to purchase.

Pros	Cons
Stainless steel for durability.	Only four cooking functions.
It is easy to use.	It has a small cooking capacity.
Extra-wide viewing window.
Best Toaster Oven Reviews

COMFEE’ Toaster Oven Countertop

Comfee’ continues to make durable kitchen appliances, with toaster ovens as their flagship products. This particular model features a black finish that makes it unique.

With this unit on your kitchen countertop, everyone visiting your kitchen won’t help but notice how elegant your toaster oven looks. But behind that good look is a powerful cooking performance that makes this unit a top-performing model.

The unit boasts a 1000-Watt power rating that yields temperatures in the range of 150°F – 450°F. Such a wide temperature range makes this toaster oven ideal for warming frozen foods and any cooked food you slid into the toaster oven.

This unit only has three cooking functions: toast, bake and broil. But the cooking functions still work to satisfy your daily needs, making this unit one of the best toaster ovens to purchase. Many units feature three control knobs, but not this one.

You only have two controls in this unit – a temperature/function selector and a timer. Therefore, one control knob controls the temperature and the cooking function.

The 30-minute timer controls cooking times excellently, even if you are baking your food for more than 30 minutes. You will use the stay-on function for cooking that takes longer than the 30-minute threshold.

The removable accessories such as the crumb tray and baking rack are non-stick for easy cleaning. The rest of the cooking chamber is also non-stick, and a wipe with a wet cloth also cleans the unit excellently.

It is a powerful and space-saving toaster oven that is worth considering.

Pros	Cons
1000-Watt cooking power.	It only has three cooking functions.
It is easy to use.	It is only ideal for a small family.
Elegant black color finish.
Best Toaster Oven Reviews

Mueller Austria Toaster Oven 4 Slice

Whether you find a bubbly bruschetta delightful or you can’t get enough of chicken nuggets, this toaster oven is the unit to prepare your meal.

It cooks with sufficient power as it boasts an 1100-Watt power rating. With such a wattage rating, this unit generates heat of up to 450°F.

Therefore, you have a wide range of temperatures for cooking your food. Select a lower temperature setting to slow cook your pizza when baking it. When talking of the foods you can cook, you have only four functions to choose from before cooking your foods.

And these cooking programs include toast, bake, broil and keep warm. Of course, there is a control knob for selecting the cooking function you want to use for cooking.

In total, you get three control knobs, each controlling a specific function. There is one for controlling the temperature and the other for controlling the cooking time.

Durability is another benefit of using this toaster oven, thanks to the stainless steel material. Even though it only has four cooking functions, you can cook various foods with this toaster oven.

The cooking capacity allows for cooking four 2-4 slices of pizza, 4-8 hot dogs, 4-6 bacon, and four pieces of hamburgers.

The toaster oven is highly efficient as it uses 60% less energy and reheats food 30% faster. The dual position rack is a design that guarantees versatility without sacrificing quality.

The glass window is also large for excellent viewing. And the result? A crisp chicken since it will not burn! It is a compact unit that packs sufficient cooking power and is an investment worth considering.

Pros	Cons
1100-Watt cooking power.	The cooking capacity is a bit small.
Stainless steel construction.	It has fewer functions.
Wide viewing window.
Best Toaster Oven Reviews

Cuisinart TOB-1010 Toaster Oven Broiler

Cuisinart toaster ovens are always powerful and deliver crisp chicken every time you cook poultry for dinner. And it’s easy to see why Cuisinart toaster ovens are powerful. For example, this model packs 1800 watts of cooking power.

As a result of the impressive wattage rating, this toaster oven heats up to 450°F – the perfect temperature for baking many foods. The cooking chamber isn’t as large as that of many full size ovens. But you can still cook food for your family in the 0. 5 cubic foot chamber.

This chamber holds an 11-inch pizza and 6 slices of bread perfectly. Therefore, you can have more bread slices, unlike what you’d get from many pop up toasters.

But impressive cooking capacity, sufficient heat, and cooking power aren’t the only things you get from this compact toaster oven.

Durability is yet another benefit you get from this stainless steel-made toaster oven. Since stainless steel is a material that outlasts many toaster oven construction materials, your kitchen appliance will serve you for many years to come.

This unit beats many convection ovens hands down, with its EvenToast technology. When using the toasting function, you will use 30% less heat while having an excellent crust and crisp chicken.

The result of this proprietary technology is an even toasting for an excellently cooked food.

The cool-touch handle and lever-style control knobs make handling and usage a complete breeze. The crumb tray and baking rack are dishwasher-safe, making cleaning effortless.

And if you consider the wide viewing window on the glass door, you have yourself a toaster oven that allows food monitoring. Therefore, this is another best toaster oven to buy.

Pros	Cons
Stainless steel for durability.	Some users complain about durability issues.
It is easy to control.	The topside gets a bit hot.
Cool-touch handle.
Best Toaster Oven Reviews

Hamilton Beach 2-in-1 Countertop Oven

This space-saving toaster oven declutters your kitchen countertop’s space as it features many cooking functions. As such, it replaces other kitchen appliances since it performs the functions of many kitchen appliances.

You can be sure to toast, bake, and broil with your Hamilton toaster oven since it features efficient heating elements that guarantee crisp food.

In reality, this is a 2-in-1 unit since it also features a pop up toaster that cooks 40% faster, thus saving energy. And when toasting your slices of bread, you can use the toast shade selector to get the crisp your heart desires.

You only need to turn the toast control button, and you will have well-toasted bread.

The cooking chamber is spacious enough to fit a 9-inch pizza. So, you want to consider having a smaller pizza stone to reheat your pizza with this toaster oven.

The interior also has two racks for toast baked muffins, and potatoes. You can also cook casseroles and more, making this unit a versatile toaster oven.

Of course, the material of choice for toaster ovens is stainless steel due to its durability. And this model, together with yet another incredible model – the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach – also share the same excellent and highly durable stainless steel.

Many toaster ovens also perform the function of air fryers, but not this one. And this is a downside. You have a knob for selecting a 60-minute timer.

If the baking process goes beyond this time, the stay-on function will come in handy. With all these features, this Hamilton is another best toaster oven to purchase.

Pros	Cons
Removable and easy-to-clean accessories.	It only has three cooking programs.
Wide viewing window.	The heating elements are not very durable.
Spacious interior.
Best Toaster Oven Reviews

What To Consider Before Buying Any Toaster Oven

You will want to look at a few features closely before buying any toaster oven to increase your chances of picking the best unit. Keeping a closer eye on the features below also ensures you get value for money.

It is only after considering these features that you should proceed to buy a unit. As such, be sure to consider the features below every time you go shopping for toaster ovens:

The Build Quality

When buying a toaster oven, you want a unit that will last you many years besides performing incredibly well. As such, you should consider the build quality.

Toaster ovens use different materials for body construction. Stainless steel is a material of choice given its impressive stain resistance that makes cleaning a total breeze.

Also, stainless steel is incredibly durable. And that means toaster ovens featuring this durable material serve their users for many years. Therefore, consider picking toaster ovens that feature this material in their body construction.

You can also pick units featuring other materials if those materials are also highly durable.

Wattage Rating

Your toaster oven uses electrical power to function. This electrical power controls the functioning of essential toaster oven components such as convection fans and heating elements. But a toaster oven requires a certain amount of electrical power to function.

You can know this electrical power requirement by checking your unit’s wattage rating. A unit that has a 1500-Watt rating, for example, requires the exact watts of electricity to function in one hour.

That means cooking for less than an hour requires less electrical energy (less than 1500 Watts).

At the same time, cooking for more than an hour requires more than 1500 Watts of power. You also want to check the wattage rating since you can tell how powerful a unit is powerful by checking the wattage rating.

A unit with more watts uses more electricity for sure, but it is also more powerful. And that means it produces more heat. So, if you require a more powerful unit, pick a toaster oven with a high wattage rating.

The Temperature Range

Besides looking for cooking power, you should also check the temperature range of your preferred unit before picking it. A unit that gives you a wide temperature range is ideal for cooking various foods.

And that’s because foods have specific temperature requirements, and a unit with a high temperature range meets those requirements. As such, you want to pick a toaster oven with a wide temperature range.

You should pick a toaster oven that heats up to 450°F. A unit that heats from 150°F – 450°F is an ideal choice since it cooks any food excellently.

Whether you need to bake at 300°F or 450°F, such a unit will come in handy. Therefore, always pick toaster ovens with a wide temperature range.

Cooking Programs

Toaster ovens have cooking programs such as toast, warm, bake and broil. But toaster ovens feature different cooking functions, with many featuring up to ten such functions or programs. That means you can find toaster ovens with more cooking programs.

A toaster oven with many cooking programs is more versatile. It can cook pretty much any food you slide inside it. As such, look for toaster ovens with many cooking functions. Of course, many cooking functions drive the price up, but it is worth the investment given the versatility.

But before going for many cooking programs, ensure your preferred toaster oven has the cooking programs you need. Only then can you look for a unit that features additional cooking programs.

Cooking Capacity

The dimensions of the cooking chambers allow you to know how much food your unit can hold. Some units can bake a 9-inch pizza, while some can fit an 11-inch pizza excellently.

At the same time, some units toast only four slices of bread while some can handle more. Therefore, consider how much food a unit can handle before buying it.

Ease of Use

You also require a toaster oven that is easy to use besides checking for other features. Toaster ovens have straightforward controls. They usually feature three controls for temperature, cooking program, and time. And this makes them easy to use.

Usually, toaster ovens feature control knobs for controlling the three functions: temperature, cooking program, and time. But some units feature digital controls for manipulating the same functions.

Some users love the lever-type control knobs, while some favor the one-touch digital buttons.

These control types work efficiently, and you should base your choice on convenience and ergonomics. If you feel the control knobs are more ergonomic and easier to use, you can pick a toaster oven with these control types.

But if digital controls serve you better, be sure to buy toaster ovens with one-touch digital buttons.

Wide Viewing Window

If you’re looking to monitor the crisp on your chicken wings or other foods, your toaster oven should have a glass door. But the glass door should have an extra-wide viewing window for monitoring the cooking progress.

First, such a wide window gives you an unblocked view of the cooked food inside the cooking chamber. Second, a wide viewing window is beautiful to watch. Therefore, consider picking a toaster oven with a large viewing window for monitoring the food inside your unit.

Safety Features

The auto shut-off initiates an automatic shutdown of your toaster oven once the countdown is complete. And this not only saves the unit from potential damages, but it also saves the user – you in this case!

Therefore, consider picking a toaster oven with an auto shut-off for safety.

A cool-touch handle is another safety feature you should look for in these kitchen appliances. The last thing you need is a burnt hand when using a toaster oven. So, why not pick a model with a cool-touch handle?

FAQs

Can I place items on top of my toaster oven?

No, you should avoid placing items on top of your toaster oven. First, your unit radiates sufficient heat that could melt items you’ve placed on top of the toaster oven. Second, some things could exert weight on your item, thereby potentially damaging it.

Can my toaster oven burst into flames?

It is unlikely, but your toaster oven could catch fire if food and crumbs build up around the heating element. As such, you should ensure the area around the heating elements is clean at all times. Therefore, cleaning your unit properly after use is a noble idea.

How much food can my toaster oven cook?

It depends on the dimensions of the internal chamber of the toaster oven. If the measurements are comprehensive, your toaster oven could even fit an 11-inch pizza.

But if the cooking chamber is not as extensive, your toaster oven can only handle 9-inch pizza (or less). Therefore, the cooking capacity depends on the measurements of the cooking chamber.

What is the best material for a toaster oven?

There is no set standard for the best body construction material for a toaster oven. But stainless steel carries the day, given its impressive durability and ease of cleaning.

Toaster ovens featuring stainless steel serve users for many years while maintaining elegance for the same period. Therefore, you could pick units featuring this elegant and durable material.

How much heat does a toaster oven generate?

It depends on the temperature setting you have selected. But toaster ovens can only heat up to a given temperature. Many models produce heat of up to 450°F, but some models can only come close to this impressive heat temperature.

If you’re picking a toaster oven, buy one that produces sufficient heat for excellently cooked food.

Wrap Up

Toaster ovens are space-saving while performing the functions of more than one kitchen appliance. And this makes them only save on more space.

What’s more, they are versatile with many cooking functions. You can be sure to toast, bake, broil, and keep any food warm. Therefore, you should consider buying a toaster oven.

But finding the best deal relies on keeping a closer eye on specific features. Fortunately, you have this guide to turn to for help with purchasing decisions.

We have also rounded a few toaster ovens that we think might suit you best. Even if you haven’t found one that works best for you, there is still hope in finding the best one using our buyer’s guide.

Invest in the best toaster oven and treat your family to excellently cooked food.