Toaster Oven Review

Evaluating toaster ovens

We found the most credible toaster oven reviews at Cook's Illustrated, Consumer Reports, Real Simple and Food & Wine magazines, plus Consumer magazine, an Australian publication. Testers at Consumer Reports evaluate toaster ovens for their performance in roasting, baking and toasting, and also consider ease of use and capacity. The Cook's Illustrated editorial team browned toast on light and dark settings, baked potatoes and cookies, and cooked frozen pizzas, among other tasks. They tested temperature controls for accuracy and ease of use and evaluated how easily models clean up. As usual, Cook's Illustrated impressed us with its thoroughness. Unfortunately, the toaster ovens themselves did not: only one of the eight toaster ovens they tested is recommended without reservations. Consumer magazine, an independent nonprofit consumer organization based in New Zealand, was also very disappointed in the toaster ovens they tested, reporting that temperature fluctuated wildly and the exterior surfaces became dangerously hot.

We also found good reviews in The New York Times and Wired magazine, and evaluated owner-written toaster oven reviews posted to Amazon.com, Epinions.com and Target.com. Unlike most professional testers, owners can comment on long-term reliability, an important consideration for toaster ovens. For almost every model of toaster oven, we found some negative consumer-written reviews complaining of durability issues, hot exterior surfaces, or lack of even and consistent toasting ability.

Reviews say that toaster ovens are great for smaller kitchens, especially during summer months when you don't want to turn on your full-size oven. Unlike microwaves, toaster ovens can brown food. They heat up quickly and consume less energy than regular ovens. Toaster ovens with a broiler feature can even turn out crunchy garlic bread and leftover lasagna with a crusty top. Keep in mind, however, that no toaster oven delivers consistent, even toast like a regular slot-style toaster. (See our separate report on toasters.)

With slots for upright toasting and horizontal baking racks, the Hamilton Beach 22708 Toastation Toaster and Oven (*Est. $40) aims to combine the functions of a traditional toaster and toaster oven. This toaster oven gets good scores in one professional test, but plenty of owners posting to Amazon.com think that Hamilton Beach should go back to the drawing board. Some owners say that toast jams inside or falls through to the oven section. Others feel that the oven is smaller than most and tends to burn food quickly. While some owners appreciate its overall looks and smaller footprint, many complain that it can't do the most basic of tasks: brown toast evenly.

Despite high marks in professional reviews, and very good user reviews, a handful of owners of the T-Fal Avante Elite Toaster Oven OT8085002 (*Est. $130) report that the glass top exploded. All of these reports appear to be for ovens that were bought before 2008. We haven't seen any reports of this happening with ovens purchased recently. Likewise, several owners posting to Target.com complain that the Black & Decker Toast-R-Oven Classic Countertop TRO490W (*Est. $40) caught fire while they were using it. At Amazon.com, a small handful of owners give it low scores for durability, particularly noting that the knobs and handle became loose.

Although Real Simple deems the KitchenAid Countertop Oven KCO1005 (*Est. $130) "best for big jobs," owners posting to Amazon.com and Epinions.com aren't as sure. Although some like its looks, several say that the finish is poor, the handle gets dangerously hot, it toasts too slowly and it can dry out food. It also doesn't have a simple on/off setting; instead, you have to set the timer, which has a maximum time of 30 minutes.

If all you want is a horizontal box for heating up pizza and toasting bagels, you can find a model that costs $40 or less. But beware: Experts and owners alike say the cheapest models can be more trouble than they're worth. Without a nonstick interior or a continuous clean finish (which causes stuck-on food to disintegrate), gooey cheese is hard to remove. Many cheaper toaster ovens lack a broil feature, and others have a hinged crumb tray that's messy and awkward. The cheapest toaster ovens don't even have a thermostat.