Toaster Ovens: Expert and User Reviews

Our AssessmentCook's Illustrated magazine compares 10 toaster ovens and rates them on a scale of 1 to 3 for toasting, cooking, design, accuracy and cleanup. The most expensive model is praised on all four criteria. Testers confirm the usefulness of toaster ovens, noting that "even the slowest model in our lineup took half the time of a full-size oven" and that "a toaster oven also uses roughly half the energy of a full-size oven."

Our AssessmentElderGadget.com is a blog that reviews products and assesses them for senior-friendly features. They review eight toaster ovens based on actual use and provide a short summary, including a list of features and drawbacks. The reviews include pictures of the models, a few of which are now discontinued. This article provides good insight into ease of use, which is relevant to children and adults, not just the elderly. Recommended features include simple controls, good hand clearance or an auto-eject rack, a crumb tray that pulls out from the front and automatic shutoff after an hour or less. The article doesn't comment on cooking performance, however.

Our AssessmentFood & Wine magazine editors test convection toaster ovens along with eight other kitchen appliances. Their methodology isn't described, and we don't know how many of the 76 counter appliances tested are toaster ovens. The Krups FBC4 (now discontinued) is named the winner, and the runner-up is the Dualit Mini Oven. The Dualit "aced every test" but lacks a simple toast setting. Instead, you must set a temperature and time. The Hamilton Beach 31180 (now discontinued) and Cuisinart Exact Heat Convection Toaster Oven Broiler TOB-195 get honorable mention for having "superquiet" convention cooking, but editors say the touchpad controls may be too complex for some.

Our AssessmentFive top toaster ovens are recommended and a brief description of each is provided. It's not clear whether the author has personally tested each model.

Our AssessmentReal Simple magazine editors pick winners and runners-up in three categories. The Krups 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven FBC2 is the overall winner. The Hamilton Beach Toastation Toaster & Oven 22703H, named a runner-up, "toasts and broils almost as well as top-end models." The other four picks are now discontinued. Editors don't explain their testing methodology or discuss models that didn't make the grade.

Our AssessmentThe Hamilton Beach Countertop Oven with Convection has earned the most positive feedback here, accumulating more than 690 reviews with an overall average of 4.5 stars out of 5. Owners say the price is unbeatable for this large-capacity oven. The Oster Extra-Large Convection Toaster Oven receives an average rating of 4.6 stars from more than 130 owners, who say it's a great alternative to using a conventional oven. Oster's smaller version, the Oster Convection Toaster Oven receives an overall score of 4.5 stars from more than 70 owners, who say it works well and that they love the compact size.

Our AssessmentA few toaster ovens receive dozens of reviews at Cooking.com, making this site a useful source of user opinion. The T-fal Avanté Glass Top Convection Oven OT8085002 receives an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 from nearly 55 consumers. Owners agree it has a large capacity and is easy to clean. The Cuisinart Toaster Oven Broiler TOB-30BW receives 4.4 stars from more than 50 owners, who say it doesn't take up too much space and makes good toast. The Krups FBC2 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven receives a 4.6 rating from more than 35 owners.

Our AssessmentMacys.com sells about two dozen models of toaster ovens, including higher-end models. Many newer models haven't received any reviews. Ratings aren't displayed on the search results page, so users must click through to individual products, making this site a bit more difficult to navigate. The Black & Decker TRO480 4-Slice Toaster Oven is heavily reviewed, earning an average of 4.5 stars out of 5 in nearly 90 owner-written reviews. The Cuisinart Exact Heat Toaster Oven Broiler TOB-155 receives 4.9 stars (out of 5) in about 40 reviews, and the Breville The Smart Oven BOV800XL also earns a high average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 in about 30 owner-written reviews.

Our AssessmentThis guide to 22 toaster ovens is organized into four price categories. Most are short summaries of advantages and disadvantages that appear to be written by one individual. Most helpful are three reviews that are based on actual use and include pictures showing the results. The Sanyo Space Saving Two Level Super Toasty Oven makes excellent toast, editors say, although each rack only fits a single slice of bread. Baking a cookie is a complete failure, since it's guesswork without oven temperature settings. The T-fal Avanté Glass Top Convection Oven OT8085002 is "hit or miss on toasting," but sails through the cookie-baking test. This site makes it easy to learn about models in a particular price range, but it's not readily apparent which choices are the best. An explanation of convection heat and differences in wattage is also provided. Several models shown here have been discontinued.

Our AssessmentThis video review site allows owners to post reviews of products they own. There are dozens of reviews for toaster ovens here, with most models receiving only one review. The reviews lack specific model numbers, and it can be difficult to tell which oven the consumer is reviewing. Still, a chance to see some toaster ovens in action might be useful.