Here’s Why You Should Buy a Toaster Oven for Your Kitchen Counter

Some would consider the toaster oven to be the best kitchen invention since sliced bread. And, really, it’s quite easy to agree with them. A toaster oven is capable of many things, including toasting, baking and reheating. Some models are even combined with more than one kitchen appliance, like an air fryer, giving you the ability to toast and more.

One of the greatest and most noticeable benefits of a toaster oven is the space that you can save with one in your kitchen. If you’re looking for an appliance that can bake but isn’t a full-size oven, this is your answer. With only a small area of countertop required, you can simply plug in a toaster oven and start cooking with your compact, multipurpose kitchen king.

As with everything, it’s important to know why you’re investing in a new toaster oven. Here are some key benefits of these countertop appliances.

• Cleaning – Cleaning a standard oven is one of the most awful chores there is. Cleaning a toaster oven is as easy as wiping it down with a damp cloth each time you use it.
• Energy – Convection, rotisserie, infrared and combination are the best and most popular options for energy sources in toaster ovens. Depending on the type of oven you have in your home, a toaster oven may use less energy.
• Preheat – Due to the compact size of a toaster oven compared to a regular over, they preheat much faster. 
• Overheating – Regular ovens are well known for heating things up in the kitchen. But, if you can’t handle the heat, then a toaster oven is the best solution for you. They’ll heat up your food without heating up your house. 
• Overflow – if you love using your regular oven but also love hosting dinner parties, a toaster oven offers you an extra cooking zone that is always required come Thanksgiving or Christmas. 
• Racks – This is the one disadvantage a toaster oven has when compared to a regular oven (other than the fact that toaster ovens are much smaller). Toaster ovens are usually designed with two or three racks inside. Two racks can toast up to four slices of bread, while triple racks can handle six to eight slices.

It’s hard to find a reason why you wouldn’t want to have a toaster oven in your kitchen. It seems like there’s a plus side to owning one for every type of cook. We’ve selected the best toaster ovens from Amazon to help you choose your future countertop appliance.

1. Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven and Air Fryer

BEST OVERALL

Sometimes simple is best, and the Cuisinart TOA-60 toaster oven is definitely a testament to that. It has a large non-stick interior, which is big enough to toast six slices of bread, looks super sleek and boasts an oven light so you can always see what you’re doing. The toaster oven operates at 1800 Watts with seven functions, including air fry, bake and toast.

2. Calphalon Performance Air Fry Countertop Toaster

BEST AIR FRYER TOASTER 

Good things *do* come in big packages, especially when it’s Calphalon’s air fryer, convection oven, and toaster combo that particularly excels in the air fryer category. Not only is the design sleek and sturdy, it can fit a 12-inch pizza (which, frankly, is reason alone to make this your next big investment). It also dehydrates, broils, and roasts, making it the versatile, all-in-one machine that will put most of your other countertop appliances to shame. 

 

3. Hamilton Beach Toaster

BEST UNDER $50

At only $30, this Hamilton Beach model is affordable and effective. Its extra-wide slots accommodate the thickest of breads, including Texas toast and bagels. There is also a defrosting feature for frozen waffles and pancakes and a high-lift toast boost to retrieve smaller food items without burning your fingers. Is it really any surprise that this sits pretty on Amazon’s Best-Sellers list with literally thousands of rave reviews? No, not so much, and we can essentially guarantee that you’ll be writing something positive about it yourself. 

 

4. Dash Mini Toaster

BEST SMALL-SIZED

We never thought we’d call a toaster adorable, but Dash’s line of minis, available in four pastel colors, has us saying “awww.” But don’t discredit its toasting capabilities. At 550 watts, it can heat up any small serving of your favorite meals, like paninis and soft pretzels, while boasting an automatic shut-off feature to prevent overheating. Gift this to a newlywed and it’s pretty much a guarantee that he or she will gush as soon as they turn its knob. 

5. Nostalgia Toaster

BEST RETRO

Though we’re not necessarily craving the breakfasts of years past (like deviled ham pancakes and boxed omelettes), we can certainly appreciate the appliances that made them. Throw it back with Nostalgia’s wonderful aqua blue toaster, complete with the chrome and curves you’d find on any toaster in an old diner. This classic beauty not only conjures nostalgia, but it performs well, too. Lighted control buttons allow you to defrost and program cooking times for specific starches, while users can pick from five browning levels to achieve the perfect crunch. 

6. Smeg Retro-Style Toaster

BEST CLASSIC

While the aforementioned Nostalgia toaster is stuck in the world of retro (which is fine, just specific!), the Smeg retro-style toaster has officially proven to be a timeless classic. All kitchens — young, old, modern, traditional — are enhanced with the purchase of this beloved contraption, making it one of the most sought-after appliances of all time (much like a Kitchenaid stand mixer). And it lives up to the hype. Though the contraption itself is pretty no-frills, it’s sturdy, reliable and backed by a two-year warranty. 

7. BLACK+DECKER Toaster

BEST DESIGN

Go big and go chrome. This sleek two-slot toaster is adorned with a wrap-around stainless steel-esque panel to coordinate with any modern kitchen. Its slide-out crumb tray and hidden cord wrap also make it feel less like an appliance and more like a decorative item, so you can toast English muffins with flair.

8. Luby Convection Toaster Oven

BEST NOVELTY 

Don’t let the striking red exterior of this Luby Toaster Oven make you think it’s not up to the challenge. Although fun in appearance, this toaster oven means business when it comes to heating your six slices of bread or 10-inch pizza. It’s very user friendly and easy to use with its three knob controls and loud ready bell to let you know when grub’s up.

9. Mueller Multi-Function Stainless Steel Toaster Oven

BEST VALUE

For the best toast at the best value, look no further than this Mueller Toaster Oven. With even toast technology and an interior designed especially for even toasting, some would consider the price tag on this oven to be too good to be true. But, toasting bread isn’t this oven’s only skill. You can also count on it for any baking, broiling or warming that you need, too.

10. BLACK+DECKER Silver Countertop Convection Toaster Oven

BEST DUAL RACK

This BLACK+DECKER silver countertop toaster oven is engineered to cook 20% faster than a standard oven. By using convection technology, the optimized heat circulation provides improved speed and consistency. However, this might mean that you’ll need to adjust some of your family recipes to be prepared properly in this toaster oven. It also comes with a bake pan and broil rack to suit the dual rack inside.

11. Hamilton Beach 2-in-1 Countertop Oven and Long Slot Toaster

BEST LONG SLOT

Get your bread warm and crispy quickly with this two-in-one oven and slot toaster combo. It has a spacious interior with two rack positions, is large enough for a nine-inch pizza and has a slot toaster ready to brown two slices at a time. Complete with a 60-minute timer, you can set this toaster oven to cook with peace of mind that it’ll shut off once your selected time has been reached.

12. KBS 8-in-1 Cool Touch Stainless Steel Digital Toaster Oven

BEST TOUCH SCREEN

Cool Touch is the future of buttons, and KBS has smoothly installed them into the stainless steel design of this eight-in-one multi-function digital toaster oven. The 360-degree natural convection technology and dual NTC thermostats are designed to circulate warm air and enable 40% faster cooking. Plus, the three-layer glass window keeps the outside of the oven up to 75% cooler so you can have peace of mind when putting your finger on the button.

13. Panasonic FlashXpress Compact Double Infrared Toaster Oven

BEST INFRARED

The double-infrared, high-efficiency heating quartz and ceramic heating elements are positioned at the front and back of this Panasonic toaster oven to ensure an even toast, bake or reheat. At the front of the oven, the element focuses on perfectly cooking the outside of foods, while the back element cooks inside the food for total heating. Plus, for precise control of the temperature, there’s a convenient, manual, touch-button control sensor.

14. Aobosi 10-in-1 Convection Toaster Oven

BEST MULTI-FUNCTION TOASTER OVEN

Despite the compact size of this Aobosi toaster oven, it has a surprisingly large capacity inside and can roast a four-pound chicken. It has a triple rack set up and 10 versatile modes already programmed. That means this toaster oven is ready for you to use right out of the box. Plus, the visible, digital LED display and glass window give you a clear view of how your cooking’s coming along.

15. Breville Compact Smart Toaster Oven

BEST SMART HEAT

We want our gadgets to be as smart as possible these days, and when it comes to the best toaster oven, we shouldn’t think any differently. This Breville Compact Toaster Oven utilizes smart element IQ to transfer heat across four quartz elements for accurate cooking and perfect results, every time. Complete with eight cooking modes to ensure you get the desired finish, this Breville toaster oven figures out all the difficult calculations after you simply select the relevant function. As an added bonus, the walls and racks of this toaster oven are non-stick for easy cleaning.

16. Balmuda Black Steam Toaster Oven

BEST SPLURGE

Available in both black and white, the Balmuda Steam Toaster is definitely leading the way when it comes to technologically advanced and stylish toaster ovens. By utilizing steam technology, heat control and its five different modes, this toaster oven can bring out the best in any kind of bread. Steam heats more rapidly than air and allows a thin layer to surround each slice while lightly toasting the bread’s surface. This steam toaster oven does all this without letting any moisture or flavor escape.

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