Toaster Ovens

Best toaster ovens

Although you can't expect top-notch performance from a $30 toaster, testers at Real Simple magazine like the retro styling of the Proctor Silex 31115 (*est. $30) and its "surprising facility with frozen foods." It has some features such as auto shutoff and a "broil" setting that some expensive toasters lack. It also boasts a 2-year warranty (one year is the industry standard) and 4-slice capacity. Owners posting to Amazon.com give it just average scores. The complaints we read center on the 15-minute timer, whose ticking annoys some owners.

Although it's not included in professional reviews, the Sanyo SK-VF7S Digital Convection Oven (*est. $75) earns 4 stars (out of 5) in 90 owner-written reviews posted to Amazon. At a little less than 16” wide, it's at least an inch narrower than most of its competitors, including the Avanté Elite. The SK-VF7S has a shorter timer than the Avanté Elite (45 minutes to the Elite's 90 minutes), and it lacks a broil setting. Owners say that it's sturdy, and many praise the automatic shut-off safety feature. Some owners wish this oven had a temperature-selector knob rather than presets that are set to temperatures that don't correspond to American recipes, such as 180, 320, and 470 degrees Fahrenheit. Several others wish it had a "broil" function, but most owners are happy with the Sanyo SK-VF7S. Many like its retro design and the majority say it makes evenly browned toast quickly and easily.

With their wide footprints, most toaster ovens take up a lot of countertop real estate. Sanyo has attempted to overcome this problem with its vertically-oriented Space Saving Toasty Oven SK-7 (*est. $50) , which has a 10" by 10" footprint. Although it isn't included in professional tests, the Toasty receives 4 stars (out of 5) in about 50 write-ups at Amazon.com. Owners say that the compact Sanyo toaster oven does a good job with bread, frozen waffles, and single-serving frozen pizzas. Its timer is limited to 15 minutes and it lacks a "broil" function, so the Toasty can't roast chicken or broil a steak. The Toasty also lacks a temperature setting, but you can set the control to "light," "medium" or "dark." You can't fit more than two slices of sandwich bread in the Toasty at one time (on the top and bottom racks). Although it has a removable crumb tray, the deeper reaches of the Toasty can trap crumbs, making it somewhat difficult to clean. Owners note that the Toasty requires some babysitting, as food cooks faster on the top rack than on the bottom. The Toasty comes in silver (SK-7S) or white (SK-7W).

With bake, toast, broil, and convection settings, today's toaster ovens are giving full-size ovens a run for their money. Convection cooking uses a small fan to circulate hot air. Experts agree that convection is superior to coil heating when it comes to even cooking. In a convection oven, both sides of the food cook at the same rate, so you don't have to flip foods during cooking.

In Good Housekeeping's 2004 review, the T-Fal Avanté Elite Toaster Oven with Convection (*est. $100) is the overall winner. Contributors to Amazon.com say the T-Fal is a good value, and they award it an average of 4 stars (out of 5) in 182 customer reviews. The Avanté Elite has two cooking racks, a 90-minute timer, a broiler setting, and a warming compartment for rolls. The self-cleaning interior accommodates an 11” pizza or six slices of sandwich bread. Owners like the automatic shutoff feature and the stay-cool sides. The majority of owners are satisfied with this toaster oven's performance, and many say its rounded black housing is attractive. A few owners complain that it takes too long to toast, and some say that the convection fan is noisy – a common complaint among owners of convection models. Another plus is that the T-Fal toaster oven includes a warming compartment on top of the unit, handy for warming bread or buns.

The Krups FBC2 Digital Convection Toaster Oven (*est. $160) fares well in two professional reviews. Food writer Melissa Clark calls it a "workhorse" and notes that its big buttons make it easy to toast a bagel "before you even drink your coffee." Real Simple likes its "fast-acting" heating elements and heavy racks. This toaster oven has digital timer with readout, which many owners prefer to a ticker. Owners posting to Amazon award the FBC2 toaster oven an average of 4 stars (out of 5) in nearly 100 reviews. But, it costs more than the T-Fal Avanté Elite toaster oven.

The Krups FBC2 and T-Fal Avanté Elite toaster ovens share many of the same features: both have 90-minute timers, broil settings and auto shutoff. An additional $45 buys you a removable crumb tray and a roomier interior (the FBC2 is both longer and deeper than the Avanté Elite). Although most owners are pleased with the Krups FBC2, a few say that it beeps loudly when timed cooking ends.

Krups also makes a slightly larger, heavier model, the FBC4 (*est. $200) , which took top honors in tests at Cook's Illustrated. Of the eight ovens editors tested, the FBC4 toaster oven was deemed the easiest to use. Editors said that it made good toast that remained moist even on the "dark" setting. Like the Krups FBC2, this model receives 4 stars (out of 5) from a couple dozen owners posting to Amazon.com. Cook's Illustrated's editors report that the coating on the nonstick baking pan flaked in a few spots, however. The Krups FBC4 costs $20 more than the FBC2, mainly because it includes six temperature presets and nine levels for toasting, but we're not sure those features are worth an extra $40. Both receive very good professional and consumer reviews, but the similar T-Fal is less expensive than both.

We read mixed reviews of the Cuisinart TOB-175BC (*est. $180) . Sam Gugino of Wine Spectator magazine says it also roasted a four-pound chicken to perfection and excelled at baking frozen fries and pizza. Owners posting to Amazon.com award the TOB-175BC toaster oven 4.5 stars in over 200 reviews. Many like the TOB-175BC's defrost/toast feature, which allows you to defrost a frozen bagel and toast it in a single cycle. This model also has a "broil" function and a convection setting that allows you to bake a potato in about 45 minutes. Its 3-year warranty trumps the 1-year guarantee most other toaster ovens carry.

In experts testing at Cook's Illustrated, however, the Cuisinart TOB-175BC browned toast unevenly on medium and burned toast when set to "dark." Its most serious flaw -- and a potential fire hazard -- is its timer, which beeps but doesn't actually turn the oven off. It goes on beeping and only shuts off automatically after four hours. Professional testers report that the TOB-175BC toaster oven doesn't live up to its claim of accommodating a 12" pizza or six slices of toast, and they complain that the toaster oven's pans are hard to clean. The Cuisinart TOB-175BC requires about 20” x 17” of counter space and its crumb tray must be emptied from the back.

The Cuisinart TOB-30BC (*est. $100) is roughly the same size as the TOB-175BC toaster oven, but it lacks a convection fan. Like its fancier sibling, the Cuisinart TOB-30BC has a broil function and a 3-year warranty. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities end. Owners say that the TOB-30BC's performance can't compete with that of the TOB-175BC toaster oven. Although the TOB-30BC is not included in any professional reviews, owners posting to Amazon award it just average ratings. Some owners say that the TOB-30BC toaster oven works well and feels solid, but others complain of burned food, malfunctioning thermostats, and total failure after just months. Reviews indicate that the T-Fal Avanté Elite and Sanyo SK-VF7S Digital Convection toaster ovens offer better performance at a lower price.

The Hamilton Beach 31197 (*est. $100) is one of a handful of toasters ovens capable of rotisserie cooking. Although this model has not been professionally reviewed, it earns good scores in owner-written reviews. At nearly 19" wide and 15" tall, it's bulky, but it's also capable of cooking two 12" pizzas at the same time – a rare feat for a toaster oven. Owners say the Hamilton Beach 31197 toaster oven cooks quickly and they like its versatility. A few complain that the door does not seal properly and the instruction book is vague. Some owners report uneven heating and reliability problems, but if you're looking for a large-capacity toaster oven that's capable of roasting a whole chicken, the Hamilton Beach toaster oven is worth a look.

Important Features: Toaster ovens

Here's what the experts about buying a toaster oven.

• Consider the alternatives. The most credible reviews say that if all you want is evenly browned toast, you're better off buying a toaster and using your full-size oven for tasks like roasting chicken or toasting nuts. See our toasters report for further information. Note that you can buy single-slot toasters that accommodate long slices of artisan-style bread.

• Measure your counter space. Toaster ovens usually require three or four inches of clearance in the back for heat dispersal and some have crumb trays that must be emptied from the back, requiring even more square footage.

• Decide whether you need a broil setting. You'll generally find this in mid-range and premium toaster ovens, but not in less expensive models. Of the models included in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, only the Sanyo Toasty lacks a broil function.

• Look for removable, adjustable toasting racks. The Krups FBC2, T-Fal Avanté Elite, and Sanyo Toasty each have two racks, while the Hamilton Beach has one. Neither the Sanyo nor the Hamilton Beach's racks are adjustable.

• Removable (rather than hinged) crumb trays are easier to clean. Crumb trays that can be removed from the front are more convenient than those that must be removed from the back. All four models in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers have removable crumb trays.

• A nonstick or continuous-clean interior also speeds cleanup. Many models have a self-cleaning interior, which causes food particles to disintegrate. The T-Fal has self-cleaning walls, while the Krups has nonstick walls. The Sanyo and Proctor Silex have neither nonstick nor self-cleaning interiors.

• Look for safety features. These include auto shutoff and a timer that shuts the oven off when timed cooking ends (and not just after a certain number of hours).

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with Retailer Links)	Details from Amazon.com
2	Krups FBC2 (*est. $160)	details
2	T-Fal Avanté Elite (*est. $100)	details
2	Krups Pro Chef (discontinued)	-
1 each	Krups FBC- 4, Ginny's Brand, DeLonghi XR640, DeLonghi EO1251 , DeLonghi Retro, Kenmore KETS8, Toastmaster TLWT0B6, Toastmaster TOV211, Cuisinart TOB-165 , Cuisinart TOB-175BC , GE 4-slice toaster oven, Hamilton Beach 31175 , Proctor Silex 31115

We found the best, most recent top ratings for Krups toaster ovens, even though they are more expensive than others. The T-Fal Avanté Elite is included in only one professional review, but we read positive owner feedback about this model, and it costs less than the Krups toaster oven. As for basic toaster ovens, these aren't often included in professional testing, but we found decent owner-written ratings for the Space Saving Toasty Oven SK-7 (*est. $50) and the Sanyo SK-VF7S Digital Convection Oven (*est. $75).

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