Breville The Smart Oven BOV800XL
Breville The Smart Oven BOV800XL

Luxury convection toaster oven

*Est. $250
Estimated Price

If you use a toaster oven for more than just toasting, the top-of-the-line Breville The Smart Oven earns rave reviews from experts and owners for its even heating and user-friendly features. It has a sensor to ensure a consistent internal temperature, nine preset cooking programs, an auto-eject rack, backlit digital display and 13-inch pizza pan. Even though some lower-priced models deliver the same cooking performance, user reviews for this model are through the roof, with many saying the feature-packed, attractive oven is worth its price. Another bonus: A memory feature recalls your personal preferences based on your last setting for each cycle. The Smart Oven has a stainless-steel exterior and is backed by a one-year warranty.

Cuisinart TOB-195 Convection Toaster Oven
Cuisinart TOB-195 Convection Toaster Oven

Best-value convection toaster oven

*Est. $180
Estimated Price

The Cuisinart Exact Heat Convection Toaster Oven Broiler excels at everything you expect a toaster oven to do: toast, broil and bake. It also has bagel, reheat and defrost settings. Reviewers say its convection fan is quiet and does an excellent job of evenly browning and baking food. The Cuisinart's spacious interior can accommodate up to six slices of toast or a whole chicken. Many users appreciate its automatic safety shutoff function, but warn the handle can get too hot and that the crumb tray inconveniently slides out from the back rather than the front. The warranty period of three years surpasses those of other manufacturers.

Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 31230
Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 31230

Budget convection toaster oven

*Est. $95
Estimated Price

If you don't want to spend more than $100 but still want a toaster oven with convection heating, the Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 31230 fares very well in professional reviews. In addition to baking and broiling, it can accommodate up to a 7-pound chicken or a 12-inch pizza, and it includes a meat probe to ensure precise cooking temperatures. It's newer to the market than our other best reviewed picks, so there aren't as many user reviews to analyze but most owners appreciate its large capacity, even cooking and multiple functions. It is covered by a one-year warranty.

Hamilton Beach Toastation 22703H
Hamilton Beach Toastation 22703H

Toaster/toaster oven combo

*Est. $40
Estimated Price

The Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster & Oven is a dual-duty appliance that functions as both a toaster and toaster oven. It features a slot in the top for toasting two slices of bread, just like a traditional toaster, and an oven on the bottom that's wide enough to fit a 9-inch pizza. Experts say it makes excellent toast, but doesn't broil, so it's limited to reheating and crisping frozen foods like pizza and french fries that fit in the oven's narrow height clearance. Owners agree this toaster oven is a great value, but wish it had a timer. This model is red, but it's also available in black with either one slot (22708) or two slots (24708). It is backed by a one-year warranty.

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Toaster ovens do more than brown bread

Toaster ovens are handy for heating sandwiches, reheating leftovers and crisping frozen foods after they've been thawed in the microwave. Many models also work like miniature ovens -- baking, broiling and roasting small amounts of food. Experts and users say toaster ovens heat up fast, don't consume as much energy as a conventional oven or heat up the kitchen during the hot summer months. Pricier models with convection heating have a fan that circulates heated air throughout the oven to cook food faster and more evenly.

Ironically, expert reviews reveal that most toaster ovens are just average at toasting bread. That said, some people like the ability to keep an eye on the bread through the glass door while it browns, which isn't possible with slotted toasters. Larger toaster ovens are also capable of toasting six slices of bread, while most slotted toasters hold only two or four slices. If your main objective is toasting bread, our separate report on toasters discusses highly rated models, which take up less counter space than a toaster oven.

Overall, we found the most credible toaster oven reviews at ConsumerReports.org, where editors evaluate 23 toaster ovens for their performance in even toasting, baking and broiling. Testers also consider user-friendly features, how well each toaster oven performs when toasting or baking a full batch and subsequent batches.

Cook's Illustrated magazine also conducts thorough testing of 10 toaster ovens in a recent roundup. Editors evaluate on toasting ability, first by toasting several consecutive slices on a "medium" setting and then by trying out each oven's "dark" setting. A full batch (six slices) is also toasted, which editors say provides insight into heat distribution. Finally, editors test each toaster oven's full range of claimed baking and broiling capabilities by melting cheese on tuna sandwiches, heating up frozen pizza and macaroni and cheese. Of the 10 toaster ovens tested, two earn recommendations, but only one model excels on all criteria.

Editors at Fine Cooking magazine test 14 medium-size toaster ovens in an older review. These are all basic models without convection heating or touchpad controls. In addition to toasting bread, testers also brown nuts, broil a burger and roast sweet potato fries. The toaster ovens are evaluated for evenness of browning, cooking speed, heat control, construction, size, function and safety. Of the three top models, all but one have been discontinued, although thorough testing methodology and feedback on still-current models makes this review useful.

ElderGadget.com is a blog that provides reviews on products related to the special needs of senior citizens. Editors evaluate eight toaster ovens for elder-friendly features like simple controls, good hand clearance or an auto-eject rack, a crumb tray that pulls out from the front, and automatic shutoff. Although the reviews are based on actual usage, there isn't any information on cooking performance. A few models covered in this 2009 review have been discontinued.

The Washington Post, Food & Wine magazine, Real Simple magazine and the Good Housekeeping Research Institute also review toaster ovens. The Washington Post compares four toaster ovens and ranks them in order of preference. Editors at the three magazines name winners and runners-up, but don't disclose the testing methodology or which models didn't make the cut. Some of the recommended models in these reviews are now discontinued.

A few websites provide insightful reviews of a single model of toaster oven. At the foodie website BiteOfTheBest.com, Bonnie Tandy Leblang and her two sons provide short reviews of the Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster & Oven based on their own use. ExpoTV.com offers videos of owners using their toaster ovens.

User reviews at Amazon.com and Walmart.com offer the best insight into long-term durability. We found fewer owner-written reviews at Cooking.com, Viewpoints.com, Target.com, Macys.com and Kenmore.com. Although some models hold up better than others, most toaster ovens get extremely hot on exterior surfaces and have trouble producing decent toast.

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