Small Toaster Oven Reviews

Many of us including myself have the wrong perception about toaster ovens,as they seem to be a strange element in a kitchen : a toaster? a microwave?Oven?. In fact they have elements from all these three but can truly save you time and money as long as you write down what are your needs.

This kind of appliance will allow you a quick, easy, energy efficient way to cook meals, snacks and everything in between without sacrificing a lot of space and money. Best yet, if you want a way to cook without heating up the kitchen on a hot summer day using the stove , a toaster oven provides a great option.

If you think a counter top oven is too small to cook a meal , think again as nowadays these come in a variety of different sizes to meet different needs and lifestyles, not to mention they can truly save you time.

After some research browsing customers reviews at amazon and reading the specs of small toaster ovens I gathered what I think are the five best options for you, whether you live alone or need to prepare meals for a family of four.

The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is an 1800 watt stainless steel toaster oven that can automatically adjust the heating temperature you need to ensure precise cooking. This quality convection toaster oven can speed up cooking time by as much as 30% while perfectly cooking roasts, steaks, chicken, pizza, cookies, cakes and much, much more.

One of its coolest features are the nine menu functions which will provide you with the temperature settings you need at the touch of a button.

If you make adjustments the “Smart Oven” will even remember the settings that you choose for the next time. It also features a convenient backlit LCD panel for easy viewing which turns from blue to orange to alert you when it is preheated.

Finally it`s three adjustable rack positions, auto eject wire rack, removable crumb tray and the broil rack and baking/ pizza pan are very good extras at this price range.

Specs:

• 1800-watt
• Nine pre-set functions
• Blue back-lit LCD screen
• Three rack positions
• pizza pan and baking pan

For:

-easy to clean

-great price/quality

-large door handle easy to grab while it stays cool: your hand is safe from burns

-finish and assembly is far superior from what price may suggest

-cools down very fast

Against:

-you really need to have enough counter space to accommodate the unit as it heats a lot

-cord is on the shorter side ( around 2 feet)

-It consumes a considerable amount of energy when operating at full heat

- thermal fuse tends to blow after a couple of years

-customer service from Breville is not world class

This toaster oven works a bit differently from the others as it uses infrared heating to cook food , which it does very quickly and efficiently I must add!

While the size is small, don’t let that fool you a it is mighty!

This toaster oven is a great choice for single people, couples, or college students that don’t require a lot of cooking space yet need something, quick, powerful and convenient. If you want a quick and easy way to reheat foods, cook frozen foods or heat up convenience foods in a flash then the Panasonic is the one for you thanks to its powerful double infrared cooking and a small space saving design.

Specs:

• Double Infrared Light for faster cooking
• Control panel with six menu illustrated presets including pizza and frozen foods
• Compact design ideal for counterto (13.5 x 14.5 x 13.5 inches)
• Nonstick interior for easier cleaning

For:

-doesn`t require pre heating

-very easy to clean thanks to the front pullout tray

-great aesthetics: will look great at any kitchen

-cooking and toasting is very fast

-you get a lot for what you pay

Against:

-It is not possible to adjust the time while cooking

-a bit small :can´t accommodate a normal sized pizza

-uneven cooking: tends to overcook at the back end

- you can`t adjust the rack height, therefore its almost impossible to make a good toast

This unit is not your average small toaster oven despite being listed here- in fact this extra-large unit is big enough to cook full dinners for your family -. The Oster TSSTTVXLDG Extra Large is the perfect convection toaster for families that allows you to cook everything from a roast to a cake with less energy than your traditional oven and in far less time.

If you need to cook for a crowd and want a counter top oven that will save you time and money then you will want to seriously consider this one. When compared to the other options, this stainless steel unit packs a lot of great features like its sleek interior design that makes it super easy to clean, digital controls, baking pan, broil rack, auto shut off, or the 90 minute timer.

However all of this comes at the expense of its size:it measures an impressive 21” in width x 14” in Depth by 12 ¾” in Height, so make sure you have room for this beast!

Specs:

• High quality stainless steel finish
• 90 minutes timer with automatic shut off
• Spacious interior ( 23.9 x 20.8 x 16.4 inches)

For:

-digital settings very easy to use

-at under $100 you hardly find anything better

- holds full size pizzas well

- 2 racks

-convection bake function works great

-Best choice for big families

Against:

-takes up a lot of counter space : measure well your space before you buy one

-lots of customers complains about glass door shattered as it lands sharply on the counter top

-it gets extremely hot in the outside

-lowest bake temperature is 200 F which can be too much for some types of food

This top of the line oven toaster offers convection cooking that will allow you to perfectly cook your meat each and every time thanks to its convenient built in meat probe. If you have been searching for a counter top oven that will allow you to cook chicken, steaks, roast, baked goods, pre-cooked foods, convenience foods and many other things then the Hamilton Beach 31230 Set & Forget is a great choice.

The HAmilton beach has a digital touchpad, non-stick interior for easy cleaning , and a very cool feature as it will shift to warming mode when the desired time limit or temperature has been reached. This toaster oven is large enough to cook up to a 7 pound chicken, 6 slices of toast or a 12” pizza; which makes it a great choice for families who want an efficient and effective counter top toaster to speed up cooking time and save on energy costs.

Specs:

• Temperature probe senses to avoid overcooking
• Large interior
• Air moves continuously around food for better uniform results
• LED display with digital touchpad
• Nonstick interior makes monitoring food and cleaning easy

For:

-oven remembers and will go back to the last temperatures you set

-crumb pan easily removable

-in 10 minutes you can cook a medium sized pizza

-alongside with the Oster Large Oven Toaster, you`ll struggle to find anything better for under $100

-good for families

Against:

-no interior light

- not so great as a broiler: too much time to cook

-control panel feels cheap

-top gets too hot while operating

If you want a counter top oven that will essentially replace your stove and oven then the Cuisinart TOB-40 is an excellent option that will toast quickly, cook baked potatoes, broil and bake. While this small unit is far from the biggest contenders on the market,don`t let size fool you as it can easily hold up to six slices of toast, or a 12” pizza. The Cuisinart TOB-40 is not a fully stainless steel toaster oven nevertheless it does feature a stainless steel front panel and easy to use dials that allow you to make quick adjustments during operation.

This oven toaster by Cuisinart features 1800 watts of power and has an easy to remove slide out rack, automatic safety shut off, easy to clean non-stick interior wall, removable crumb tray for easy cleaning and comes complete with a baking pan, wire rack, broiling rack instruction booklet.

All in all, if you want a small toaster oven that packs plenty of power, check out the Cuisinart TOB-40 oven toaster you wont regret it!

Specs:

• 1800 Watts power
• Rubberized easy grip dials
• cool touch handle
• easy to clean non stick interior
• good size for countertop: 15.9 x 11.8 x 7.9 inches

For:

- Cleaning is very easy as crumb catch tray slides out

-small footprint at your Kitchen: its discrete and the right size for your counter space

-heats up very quickly

-very user friendly with simple controls

-price is great

Against:

-no timer

-toaster is tricky to adjust

-small: you can hardly make anything much larger than toast

-bottom rods are cheap and tend to bend

As you can see you have plenty of options when it comes to choosing the right oven toaster for your home. Each of these five models listed above offer unique features that make them stand out from the crowd.

At the end of the day it all depends on the needs of you and your family. Whether you want a high end black and decker toaster oven or one made by Cuisinart is entirely up to your budget and needs. My advice is for you to determine the cooking capacity, budget and features that you need in a counter top oven to help you narrow down you choices from the hundreds of models out there for sale to a top 5.

Another thing to consider is whether or not you would prefer countertop convection ovens that use convection cooking or if you would prefer a counter top oven that uses infrared cooking technology.

Each of the above oven toasters offers unique benefits and innovative features that make them unique. Check out all of these models of oven toasters; chances are you will find one that suits your needs.