Small toaster oven recommendation

[buckytom]

The toaster oven in our kitchen smells bad every time you use it (stuff got burned in it that can't be cleaned out), so for Christmas, DW asked for a new, small toaster oven.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy as we pretty much only use it for making toast, melting cheese on sandwiches, and occasionally making frozen things like pizza or French fries.

I've started researching them and the price range is huge, from $30 to over $400.
I've read about quartz elements, and digital controls, convection heating and so on. I really don't need anything spectacular, but I don't mind spending the money if the quality is there. It just has to be fairly small (DW's only request).

Does anyone have a recommendation for one they have and really like, or one they'd like to have.

TIA.

 

[tenspeed]

The Breville is on my "like to have" list. Friends have one, and they highly recommend it. They come in a couple of different sizes, but you'll need the largest one for pizza, though. If you go to Breville's web site they have many remanufactured models at a discount.

We have a Thermador dual wall oven. Cooling fans are kind of noisy, and it takes at least 15 minutes to heat up. For most things it's far bigger than what the two of us need. I'm looking at the Breville as a more energy efficient faster (and quieter) supplement to the wall oven.

Since I retired I've been replacing and upgrading cooking equipment, so I need to space out my purchases to avoid objections. I tell my wife that she should be happy that I have a relatively inexpensive hobby that she gets some benefit from. I could take up golf again, or even worse, fishing. Equipment, bait, boat, slip, winter storage, insurance, and fuel is way more expensive!

 

[Andy M.]

I've already lined up the Breville for my next TO. However we're had a small Cuisinart for some time and it works great. I've had really good luck with Cuisinart appliances and don't hesitate to recommend their TOs.

 

[Dawgluver]

I love my little Breville. I got the small one, without the convection feature as I didn't think I had room for the bigger one. Now I kind of wish I'd gotten the bigger one with convection as I could have moved things around for more room.

I definitely use it much more than my conventional oven. It's big enough to hold a large casserole dish, a small pizza, and has a lot of settings. Maybe a bit more spendy than other brands, but for two or three people, it's great.

 

[roadfix]

The run of the mill $30 TO's have always given us good service.

 

[CraigC]

The run of the mill $30 TO's have always given us good service.

Same here. We had a basic B&D for years. Now we don't have enough counter space or under cabinet space until we remodel the kitchen.

 

[Zagut]

The run of the mill $30 TO's have always given us good service.

Same here. We had a basic B&D for years. Now we don't have enough counter space or under cabinet space until we remodel the kitchen.

I'll have to agree here too.




I've got an under cabinet mounted B&D that is at least 24 years old since I've been here that long. But it's probably over 30 years old.
I only use it for toast and melting cheese on sammies.
I'm going to be sad the day it stops working.
I'll replace it with another cheapie but it's hard to say goodbye to an old friend.

I couldn't imagine spending $400 on a toaster.
If you want the oven function they by all means look at the higher priced models.
IMO look for the basic's. "Bell's and Whistle's" only mean another call to the repairman.

I've also looks at the countertop ovens vs. my regular oven.
My calculations tell my I'm not gonna save much energy wise so I haven't seen a need to justify the expense vs. savings.

Best of luck with your decision and I'm sure you'll love it no matter what you decide to buy.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I've had a Cuisinart toaster-oven-broiler-convection unit for at least a decade, probably longer. I toast, I bake quick bread loaves, I've done 5# chickens and smaller beef roasts. I have broiled a couple of times, but it's a pill to clean the interior. I do pretty much anything I've done in a full-size oven, just so long as the pan fits. Gonna miss her when she's gone. I think they don't make this model anymore.

 

[msmofet]

I've had a Cuisinart toaster-oven-broiler-convection unit for at least a decade, probably longer. I toast, I bake quick bread loaves, I've done 5# chickens and smaller beef roasts. I have broiled a couple of times, but it's a pill to clean the interior. I do pretty much anything I've done in a full-size oven, just so long as the pan fits. Gonna miss her when she's gone. I think they don't make this model anymore.

I'm glad you are happy and have no problems with it.

I had the same unit and loved it till the paint started chipping off. But while it lasted I loved it.

 

[buckytom]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I think I'm going to go look at the $30 to $50 ones since we don't need all of the bells and whistles, and it's more important that it toasts quickly rather than can make a roast or such.

Also, the engineer in me applauds Zagut's point (thanks Zag) about having extra features you don't necessarily need is just extra stuff that can break. That is always in the back of my mind.

It's gotten so much more difficult to believe any of the posted ratings and reviews nowadays. Half of them are advertisements or just straight up spam.

 

[CharlieD]

we bought one in Target 17 years ago, still works.

 

[jennyema]

I've got a $25 or $30 from Target. had it for 5 years. Use it just like you use yours. I've got better and cooler things to spend my kitchen money on.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...it's more important that it toasts quickly rather than can make a roast or such...

Then buy a toaster. ☺ Our niece has one, works great, and has a great trajectory. You have to stand about four feet back from it and catch the ejected toast, but it toasts perfectly. ?

 

[CraigC]

Then buy a toaster. ☺ Our niece has one, works great, and has a great trajectory. You have to stand about four feet back from it and catch the ejected toast, but it toasts perfectly. ?

But what about French bread pizza?

 

[tenspeed]

According to Consumer Reports, even the fastest toaster ovens take twice as long to toast bread than a conventional toaster, as toasting time is dependent upon volume. They also point out the fact that you need a toaster oven with a rack at least 12" deep for pizza. So what you need is a large capacity small footprint TO that toasts twice as fast as anything on the market. Sounds like a challenge for the cooker man!

 

[buckytom]

Then buy a toaster. ☺ Our niece has one, works great, and has a great trajectory. You have to stand about four feet back from it and catch the ejected toast, but it toasts perfectly. ��

But what about French bread pizza?

I mentioned that to DW, but she doesn't want to clutter the counter with a single use device like a toaster. And yes, the occasional pizza doesn't work out all that well when vertical.

According to Consumer Reports, even the fastest toaster ovens take twice as long to toast bread than a conventional toaster, as toasting time is dependent upon volume. They also point out the fact that you need a toaster oven with a rack at least 12" deep for pizza. So what you need is a large capacity small footprint TO that toasts twice as fast as anything on the market. Sounds like a challenge for the cooker man!

Question already launched.

 

[dragnlaw]

I had been using my toaster oven for toast for a long time as I really disliked the cheap toaster my brother bought as a replacement for the one that he dropped. It does not toast evenly or to a dark colour, just very pale medium is the max colour you get.

But I have now discovered that I prefer the "way" in which the toast gets toasted in the toaster. Toasty on the outside and soft in the middle; whereas the toaster oven seems to dry out the inside of the toast and usually one side is toasted and the other side hardly has any colour at all, worse than the regular toaster.

So for toasting my toast I will stick with the regular toaster instead of the toaster oven.
I will continue to use the toaster oven to melt cheese on my toast thou.

I wonder how many more times I can squeeze the word toast into the post on toast, toasters, toaster ovens.

 

[Katie H]

When Glenn and I married just over 7 years ago, we had a few duplicates of household goods. One of them was a toaster oven. His was a very small Black & Decker which served him well but was a bit small for two.

Mine, now nearly 15 years old, is a very large GE with a rotisserie feature that I used a lot, still do. His TO got bumped by mine and has, many times, been used instead of the stove oven, especially in the hotter months.

It toasts bread perfectly and can handle up to 8 normal slices of bread, a 2-quart casserole and a pretty large rectangular pan/baking dish. Not quite the 9- x 13-inch size but the next one down. Of course, not all at the same time. Yes, bucky, I know how you think and I just robbed you of a smarty-pants comment.

When we do have to replace our little trooper, a "must have" feature will be a rotisserie. It seems as though they are few and far between. Am looking at this Hamilton Beach one. It DOES accommodate a 9- x 13-inch pan and allows for 5-pound chicken on the rotisserie. Our current one has a 4-pound limit and it's almost impossible to find chickens that small in our markets. That'll be a help.

Another feature that appears to be unique with our GE is that the door opens with hinges on the left side. I really like that because the door can be moved totally out of the way of whatever vessel is being used. I'll miss that and don't look forward to cleaning the inevitable spills that will make their way onto a open-down door. No biggie. Can't have everything. I'll trade that for being able to cook a more readily-available chicken.

I'll have to learn about convection cooking. I know absolutely nothing about that and you can bet, when the time comes, I'll be asking questions and looking for answers from you folks.

Hope you find one that meets your needs/wants, bucky.

 

[roadfix]

But I have now discovered that I prefer the "way" in which the toast gets toasted in the toaster. Toasty on the outside and soft in the middle..

I also prefer a toaster for toasting sliced bread. It toasts hot and fast because the heating elements are right up against the bread.

 

[msmofet]

When Glenn and I married just over 7 years ago, we had a few duplicates of household goods. One of them was a toaster oven. His was a very small Black & Decker which served him well but was a bit small for two.

Mine, now nearly 15 years old, is a very large GE with a rotisserie feature that I used a lot, still do. His TO got bumped by mine and has, many times, been used instead of the stove oven, especially in the hotter months.

It toasts bread perfectly and can handle up to 8 normal slices of bread, a 2-quart casserole and a pretty large rectangular pan/baking dish. Not quite the 9- x 13-inch size but the next one down. Of course, not all at the same time. Yes, bucky, I know how you think and I just robbed you of a smarty-pants comment.

When we do have to replace our little trooper, a "must have" feature will be a rotisserie. It seems as though they are few and far between. Am looking at this Hamilton Beach one. It DOES accommodate a 9- x 13-inch pan and allows for 5-pound chicken on the rotisserie. Our current one has a 4-pound limit and it's almost impossible to find chickens that small in our markets. That'll be a help.

Another feature that appears to be unique with our GE is that the door opens with hinges on the left side. I really like that because the door can be moved totally out of the way of whatever vessel is being used. I'll miss that and don't look forward to cleaning the inevitable spills that will make their way onto a open-down door. No biggie. Can't have everything. I'll trade that for being able to cook a more readily-available chicken.

I'll have to learn about convection cooking. I know absolutely nothing about that and you can bet, when the time comes, I'll be asking questions and looking for answers from you folks.

Hope you find one that meets your needs/wants, bucky.

Can you please repost that HB link. It won't open for me. Thanks