Toaster ovens make a great option for those who don’t have the room or the budget for a dedicated oven. Beyond space or cost savings, though, there is a lot more this simple household appliance can do.

Coming in many sizes and power possibilities, it’s no wonder that a toaster oven has become a key staple in the modern kitchen. Quickly cooking anything from toast and bagels to frozen pizzas and full meals, owners can avoid the hassle of preheating and start cooking their favorite foods almost immediately.

This article highlights our choices for the top five toaster ovens, which run the gamut in terms of price, style, and possibilities. We’ll break down each and go over what you need to know to pick the best toaster oven for your kitchen.

  • Element IQ cooking technology
  • Great accessories for pizzas and broiling
  • 3 rack positions
  • 1 year warranty

  • Small size and lightweight design
  • Simple timer and temperature knobs
  • Accessories included
  • 1-year warranty

  • Combination of infrared and convection technology
  • FlashXpress technology
  • Internal light lets you keep an eye on what’s cooking
  • 1 year parts and labor warranty

  • High-speed convection can be adjusted for baking and broiling
  • Dedicated reheat and defrost functionality increases usability
  • Included accessories can bake or broil most foods
  • Includes a 3 year warranty

  • Multilevel cooking
  • Clear digital controls
  • Defrost setting
  • 1-year warranty


Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL toaster oven

The Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL comes right out of the gate with the best of convection ovens married with the toasting capability of the standard toaster oven. It uses an Element IQ system to offset the natural weakness of a convection oven when cooking toast.

Having the option to turn the convection fans on or off, sometimes even automatically, means you can make sure that whatever you cook is using the best setting possible. We also appreciate the fair size of this oven, which manages to offer lots of internal space without claiming valuable counter space in your kitchen.

At over 20 pounds, this unit is best served as a permanent fixture of your kitchen rather than a portable option, but considering the 9 presets, 3 accessories, and auto-eject rack, this product more than earns a permanent space in your kitchen. We highly recommend the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL for overall functionality and seriously smart cooking. And should the cost seem a bit daunting, the Breville Smart Oven BOV650XL is a more affordable alternative with many of the same features.

Pros

  • Adjustable convection technology
  • Great size
  • Sturdy handle
  • Accessories included
  • Auto-eject rack
  • Lots of effective presets

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Somewhat expensive


Dash Compact DCTO100GBRD04 toaster oven

A stark contrast to the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL, the Dash Compact DCTO100GBRD04 is tailor-made for those who only need a toaster oven for short, simple occasions. This model is our smallest toaster oven by footprint, thereby making it easy to store when not in use.

Baking seems to be the major focus from the manufacturer, as this appliance comes with a dedicated baking pan and uses knobs to quickly turn the unit on.

Simple or not, the low wattage of this product can be a bit of a problem. Lower wattage means less heating capability, so allowing this unit to preheat is a good idea. While more space would also have been preferable, the price is certainly right for this bold and bright unit. We recommend the Dash Compact DCTO100GBRD04 for budget-seekers and cookie bakers.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Lightweight
  • Accessories included
  • Color customizable
  • Great for baking
  • Intuitive controls

Cons

  • Low wattage
  • Small internal capacity
  • Cooking can be uneven

Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P toaster oven

The Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P is the only toaster oven on our list to feature infrared cooking technology. Thanks to a combination of convection and infrared technologies, this model can preheat in under a second. The FlashXpress feature specifically relies on infrared technology which uses radiation to cook food and get the food started while the convection fans warm up.

The result is an oven that can hold its own against even the most expensive ovens on our list without breaking its two-figure price tag. To get to this level, however, a few sacrifices seem to have been made. Minimal LED displays, large, strange push-button controls, and a lower wattage all seem to stem from the main feature.

Still, infrared cooking, while somewhat inconsistent, is preferred by many for speed. For speed and price, you cannot ask for much better than the Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Infrared technology
  • Cooks fast
  • Internal light
  • Great convection built-in

Cons

  • Can cook unevenly
  • Low wattage
  • Strange controls
  • Weak LED display

Cuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60 toaster oven

The Cuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60 is a toaster oven capable of also being used as an air dryer that comes in a unique industrial design that looks like a shrunken down version of a conventional oven. This design allows for a dedicated internal light, but the real star of the show here is the air frying capability.

Owners can use the air fry basket for cooking fries, chicken, and other household favorites without worrying about fats and oils. Likewise, the high wattage combined with a smaller capacity makes preheating practically nonexistent with this model. While the size specifically leaves something to be desired, this product aims for specialization rather than general use. Because of that, we specifically recommend the Cuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60 for lovers of fried and dried foods.

Pros

  • Great air frying functionality
  • Accessories included
  • Simple knob controls
  • Quick heating
  • Powerful convection

Cons

  • Somewhat small internal capacity
  • Low clearance for tall items

Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP toaster oven

The Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP aims for a no-frills, ultra-wide toaster oven. It may not have a name that rolls off of the tongue, but when it comes to operation, the product could not be simpler. Taking clear inspiration from the classic microwave design, setting temperature and running the toaster is simple, and you can even turn the turbo convection setting on and off as needed.

Multi-level cooking means that two pizzas can go in at the same time without fear of spotty cooking, and this toaster oven has the largest capacity out of any on our list. With little discernible drawbacks aside from wattage and lack of accessories, we find it easy to recommend the Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP for anyone that needs to get a lot cooked and doesn’t want to cook in batches.

Pros

  • Great capacity
  • Simple controls
  • Clean design
  • Adjustable convection
  • Easy-clean interior

Cons

  • Lower wattage than expected
  • Bulky
  • Heavy
  • No included accessories

Comparison Chart

FEATURESBreville Smart Oven BOV800XLDash Compact DCTO100GBRD04Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110PCuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60Oster TSSTTVDGXL-SHP
CategoryConvectionToasterInfraredConvectionConvection
Capacity0.8 cu. ft0.4 cu. ft0.6 cu. ft0.6 cu. ft1.3 cu. ft
Wattage1800W1100W1300W1800W1525W
Pizza PanXXXX
Crumb TrayXX
Defrost SettingXXX
Weight22 lbs8.4 lbs11.25 lbs21 lbs26 lbs
Dimensions18.5 X 15.75 X 1111.8 X 10.7 X 8.712 X 13 X 10.215.5 X 16 X 1424 X 21.5 X 16.7

Buyer’s Guide:

Toaster Oven

These five toaster ovens each cook a great meal with the right ingredients and settings, but not each toaster oven deserves to take a place in your home. While many owners simply want a miniature oven, we recommend considering the sum total of all possibilities before settling on the right option for you. That’s why we recommend considering the following:

One of the most important considerations in your decision-making process is the style of toaster oven you’d like to have. There are three major types: standard toaster ovens, convection ovens, and infrared toaster ovens.

Standard toaster ovens, as the name implies, combine the heating elements of toasters within an oven design. Large wires of metal or other elements are heated, which in turn increases the temperature of the oven chamber and cooks food.

Convection ovens rely on similar methods but have an extra trick up their sleeve. Instead of waiting for the heating apparatus to spread warm air throughout the chamber, convection ovens use fans to blow hot air across the food within the oven. This usually results in a louder but more efficient cooking option.

The infrared oven, similar to a microwave, uses waves to cook food. Don’t mistake this appliance, though, for your average countertop microwave. Infrared light waves are able to cook food more thoroughly, but tend to suffer from spotty cooking and is best only for flatter surfaces, such as pizzas. That’s why infrared ovens tend to be paired with a convection fan for better and more consistent cooking.

For quick reference to the major options available to you, consider the following:

 ProsCons
Toaster Ovens
  • Usually the most affordable
  • Best for toasting food
  • Easier maintenance overall
  • Cooking can be spotty
  • May leave hot spots within the oven
  • Can take a while to heat up
Convection Ovens
  • Typically cooks the most thoroughly
  • Best for larger meals
  • Holds its temperature the most consistently
  • Best for baking
  • Least energy efficient
  • Fans can be loud
  • May time a while to heat up
  • Maintenance can be difficult
  • Not very space efficient
Infrared Toaster Ovens
  • Reaches desired temperature quickly
  • Best for flat products like pizza
  • Most energy efficient
  • Most space efficient
  • Can be expensive
  • Cooking may be spotty
  • Does not hold temperature well
  • Not optimal for baking

Both the benefit and the detriment of a toaster oven is the smaller capacity. Toaster ovens can cook faster and more efficiently than conventional options in large part due to the small size. While preheating may be a thing of the past for your toaster oven, though, so too may be your ability to cook larger foods.

We recommend sticking with a toaster oven that has a capacity that meets your basic needs. It is important to keep in mind that while cubic feet is the clearest indication of size, it’s not the full picture. For instance, you will need 11-12 inches of horizontal clearance to fit a frozen pizza in your toaster oven. Not all of our picks offer this. Likewise, you will need vertical height to cook larger dishes, such as pies or lasagnas. Considering capacity will help make sure your new purchase is going to fit what you need—no more, and certainly no less.

We’ve taken care to list the weight and dimensions of each of our toaster oven picks to ensure that you and your kitchen are prepared for the extra burden. While many people plan to keep their toaster ovens on top of their countertops, they may not have considered the amount of space available to them.

Always measure and re-measure the amount of space available on a countertop to ensure that you have enough space for a few inches of ventilation on each side. Likewise, make sure that you also have enough space to open the door of the open and place items inside of it. If you plan to pull your toaster oven out of a closet for each use, then the weight of the product itself becomes more important. There is a fair amount of range in weight for each of our toaster oven picks, so be sure that the weight of the model you pick is one that you wouldn’t mind lifting a few times each week.

Finally, the features of each toaster oven ought to be considered to make sure you can maximize your investment. Some of our ovens feature timers, easy presets, clear LED lights, and bells to signal when food is finished, to help you better control the oven’s efficiency. Likewise, you should make sure the wattage of your unit is high enough to cook your meals.

  • Can I put aluminum foil in my toaster oven? What about a metal pan?
  • For all types of toaster ovens, from standard to infrared and convection, we recommend being careful with your use of aluminum foil or metal pans. Generally speaking, both are acceptable for use in a toaster oven, and both can be used to make some dishes even better. There are a few things, though, we’d recommend you keep in mind:

    Never allow aluminum foil or metal to touch the heating elements within the toaster oven itself. Likewise, do not cover the bottom of a dish or use a pan or foil that will completely cut off circulation within the unit. Doing so may pose a risk of fire or damage to the internal elements of the oven.

  • In what position should the rack be in for bagels? How about pizzas?
  • The position of the racks within your toaster oven is going to depend on the number of racks available to you. There are a few tips and tricks, though, that we can offer for the specific placing of your favorite foods. If you’re hoping to toast bread or bagels, keep your items as close to the heat source as possible and flip halfway through cooking. This will provide a more consistent toasting experience.

    For baking items, such as pizzas or TV dinners, we recommend the opposite. Place your dish on either the center or upper rack, whichever is further away from all sources of heat. For convection or infrared ovens, the center is usually the best.

  • Do I need to preheat my toaster oven?
  • That’s going to depend on a few factors. Namely, the size of your toaster oven, the wattage of the product itself, and the importance of a preheated oven for the item you’ve chosen to cook. While conventional ovens can take 15 to 45 minutes to preheat to a common cooking temperature such as 350 degrees Fahrenheit, toaster ovens can reach that temperature much faster.

    Generally speaking, if you’re hoping to heat up something frozen, such as a pizza, we would just set the oven for a minute or two longer than the baking time and keep a close eye on the product as it cooks. If you want to ensure you get the oven heated correctly, 3-5 minutes is a fair metric for most toaster ovens to hit the temperature you need to cook with.

Final Thoughts

Most of these ovens can tackle standard residential use for a toaster oven, such as bagel and pizza cooking. For those seeking a bit more nuance in their toaster oven options, we feel that the best option in our list is the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL, which blows the competition out of the water when it comes to design, functionality, and dependability.

The larger interior and great accessories make this toaster oven ready to tackle just about anything you can fit within it and is our favorite overall pick.

For budget-seekers, the Dash Compact unit is certainly one that could serve you well. Plus, with the additional color options, it shouldn’t be an issue getting your purchase to match with your home’s interior design.  If size is what you need, the Oster unit has more than enough room to space. It’s perfect for multiple pizzas, turkeys on Thanksgiving, and full hams for Christmastime.

And finally, if speed is your primary focus, then the Panasonic FlashXpress successfully leverages convection and infrared technology to make preheating a thing of the past.

No matter which toaster oven you choose, we hope that you realize just how valuable a strong toaster oven can be in complementing your current kitchen appliances. With features ranging from defrosting to instant cooking, we know that the right toaster oven will more than cover its cost over the years with some seriously great dishes.

Further Reading

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