Do you have spare space in your kitchen counter and thinking about replacing your humble pop-up toaster with something more capable and more feature? Then, you might consider trading up for a toaster oven. Modern toaster ovens are a lot more versatile with many new features and cook modes to make your breakfasts more enjoyable and convenient. They’ve become faster and even better at toasting than they used to be.
Apart from toasting bread and bagels, a toaster oven can now reheat leftovers and frozen pizzas. Also, it can defrost frozen food items, bake cakes, casseroles, and even fry vegetables and chicken wings. Some high-end toaster ovens have convection settings allowing you to broil salmon and roast chicken.
Through our testing, we’ve found the title for the best toaster oven for baking belongs to the pricey Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro (available at Amazon for $279.95). Once you use it, we can assure you won’t look back at your old convection oven again. Overall, the Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro is worth the investment. Its closest contender happens to be the Hamilton Beach 31126 Toaster Oven with Convection. It is an excellent and inexpensive oven that performs well.
Here are our top picks for the best toaster ovens ranked, in order –
- Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro
- Hamilton Beach 31126 Toaster Oven with Convection
- Ninja SP101 Foodi Digital Fry Convection Oven
- Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
- BLACK & DECKER CTO6335S Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
- Oster TSSTTVMNDG Convection Toaster Oven
- Panasonic NB-G110P FlashXpress Toaster Oven
1. Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro
The Breville Smart Oven Pro is a stunning, stainless steel energy-efficient oven with incredible even and consistent toasting capabilities. Besides, toasting, this Breville oven also provides consistent results when heating a frozen pizza, broiling chicken breasts, or baking refrigerated biscuits. The Breville was the only toaster oven we tested where the chicken breasts are well-broiled that they looked like they have been grilled outdoors.
The oven’s LCD screen has cook modes or presets for toast, bake, bagel, roast, broil, cookies, pizza, reheat, warm, and slow cook options. The dial can be turned to select the preferred cooking mode, temperature, and time. For starters, operating this oven may appear slightly more complicated, but you’ll be up to speed in no time. The oven has an automatic preheat feature, and an interior light to monitor your food. The Breville can also cook slowly, which works flawlessly in case you want tender meat and veggies.
The Breville Smart Oven Pro comes with useful accessories, including a porcelain-coated pan for broiling and baking, a pizza pan, and a crumb tray.
Pros
- Amazing even toasting and baking
- Great slow cooking
- Convection capable
- Functional LCD screen
- Low energy consumption
- Intuitive, versatile controls
- Durable
- Easy to clean and use
Cons
- No recipes included in the manual
- Pricey
- The exterior gets hot during use
2. Hamilton Beach 31126 Easy Reach Oven with Convection
Unlike other expensive toaster ovens, The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Oven with Convection is a compact toaster oven that won’t take much space in your counter. This oven delivers excellent baking and toasting. Besides, the door rolls back, making it easy to put and take out the food.
The Hamilton Beach 31126, when compared to other models, is one of the fastest at toasting bread. If you like baking, this toaster is worth the investment as it bakes faster than other competing models. The biscuits we tried out came out flaky and golden as if we baked them in the oven.
While you sure can broil a chicken in the Easy Reach Oven, we like to remind you that this unit doesn’t brown food evenly. After all, this is an inexpensive model that lacks electronic controls. Instead, all we have here is a turning turn mechanical timer. To get your food cooking, simply decide on a setting and turn the mechanical timer. The cooking times of this oven isn’t that precise, but it still shows the remaining time. You can adjust the timer up to 30 minutes, but if you want your food to cook much longer, choose the “Stay On” option. Remember to turn off the oven when your food is done. No need to fetch a baking pan as a lightweight aluminum baking pan is included with the oven.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Convection capable
- Convenient roll-back door
- Can toast quickly
- Easy operation
Cons
- Lacks electronic controls
- Doesn’t brown food evenly
- The door gets too hot to touch
- Accessories aren’t dishwasher-safe
- Ineffective broiler
- Exterior gets hot
3. Ninja SP101 Foodi Digital Fry Convection Oven
The Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Convection Oven has dimensions that are somewhat unusual as it’s broader and shorter than other typical toaster ovens. Before you pick this up, make sure you’ve enough counter space to accommodate it. The oven is wider than usual, and you can toast nine slices of bread at once effortlessly. There is also a big nonstick sheet pan where you can cook a large chicken as well as beef, shrimps, and vegetables for four people in about 30 minutes. But, if you’re thinking about roasting a chicken, look elsewhere as it’s not tall enough.
Now let’s talk about the toasting capability of this oven. Whether you like plain white bread or a doughy, scrumptious bagel, the Ninja Foodi will toast them beautifully. If you like baking biscuits, this thing will bake them evenly and nicely. Thinking about broiling a few chicken breasts, the Ninja has you covered. This oven will bake and cook any food just like any other countertop or full-size oven. It can also air fry veggies, so you don’t need to invest in a large appliance.
The Ninja Foodi Convection Oven features digital controls with a dial that is intuitive and easy to read and navigate. We like the Ninja’s one-minute preheat function, how quietly it runs when on, and the light inside to keep tabs on your food during cooking. When not in use, you can flip it over in an upright position at the countertop. Cleaning the interior of this oven is easy as the back opens up.
Pros
- Comes with a sizeable nonstick sheet pan
- Easy to read digital controls
- Intuitive controls
- Easy to clean
- Has air fry capability
Cons
- Too short
- Too wide for some countertops
- Takes up a lot of counter space
4. Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
The Cuisinart Chef’s Toaster Oven is one large, handsome convection oven that everyone should have in their countertop. If you’re a serious or a passionate cook, you might looking for this oven. Not because it makes the best well-browned toast than other competing convection toaster ovens, but it broils and bakes exceptionally well. This toaster oven even comes with two racks allowing you to bake two layers of cake at once.
The Chef’s Toaster Oven features more than ten cooking categories that are displayed on the unit’s LCD screen. You can also program in two different cooking times and temperatures. You can bake a lasagna and then brown it at once if you want it, for example. We also found this oven makes perfectly roasted potatoes—just using the provided “Roast” option. However, some users will find themselves occasionally stumped as the numerous cooking programs can be somewhat confusing.
The LCD screen displays the cooking time, and there is an oven light to check on your food. Included accessories are a heavy, porcelain-coated broiling pan and a pizza stone. The manufacturer was also generous in providing a manual with an exciting collection of recipes.
Pros
- Superb even toasting
- Excellent baking, and broiling capabilities
- Convection capable
- Customizable functions
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Automatic sliding rack
Cons
- Somewhat confusing cooking programming
- Oversized
- Exterior gets hot
- Expensive
5. BLACK & DECKER CTO6335S Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
What we love about the BLACK & DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven is its convention capability. The convection heating fan of this oven circulates hot air throughout the oven for faster and even and consistent baking. The oven’s optimized heat circulation ensures uniform cooking as it was engineered to cook your pizza 20% faster than by other convection toaster ovens.
This BLACK & DECKER convection toaster oven has a sleek and compact appearance, given its stainless steel exterior. Despite its super stylish looks, the interior is extra deep and slightly curved. This makes it ideal for cooking a 12-inch pizza or a standard 9 by an 11-inch baking pan to bake cakes and biscuits. The nonstick interior makes it easy to clean after cooking. The oven comes with a dual position rack. So, if you aren’t baking a big cake, you can have two full trays of toast.
We found the BLACK & DECKER CTO6335S incredibly easy to use, thanks to the inclusion of intuitive digital controls for setting the temperature ((up to 400 degrees maximum) and time. In addition to digital control, there are 8 function settings: bake, broil, toast, frozen snacks, potatoes, bagel, pizza, and cookies. There is also a 120-minute automatic turnoff feature. It comes with a broil rack, a baking pan, and a crumb tray.
Pros
- Convection oven for even heating and baking
- Dual-position rack
- Eight function settings
- Automatic turnoff feature
- Comes with 3 rack positions model
Cons
- The digital display is not backlit
6. Oster TSSTTVMNDG Convection Toaster Oven
We love the Oster Convection Toaster Oven primarily for its convection technology and wide temperature range. The temperature can vary from 150 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit enabling you to cook with the convenience of a built-in oven. The convection fan of this oven effectively circulates hot air inside the oven for faster cooking and even browning.
The Oster Convection Toaster Oven is also great for baking as it bakes cakes and biscuits with flakier crusts and crispier edges. The oven has a spacious interior and includes dual position racks meaning you can fit in a variety of tins and pans. Want to reheat or bake a 12-inch pizza? Don’t worry; the Oster toaster oven has you covered.
The Oster is also easy to use—thanks to the digital control panel that lets you set the cooking temperature and time accordingly. There are 7 preset cook modes: toast, bake, broil, convection bake, warm, defrost, and pizza—to take the guesswork out of your cooking. Additionally, there is also an interior light which comes in handy to check how your pizza is doing without manually lowering the door down. Standard accessories such as a baking pan and a crumb tray are included.
Pros
- Convection oven for even heating and baking
- Large interior capacity
- 7 function settings
- Interior light
- Easy to use
- Accessories are easy to clean
Cons
- Does not come with automatic shutoff feature for added safety
7. Panasonic NB-G110P FlashXpress Toaster Oven
If you’ve less space on your counter and looking for a compact toaster oven, the Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven is the most compact one out there. This toaster oven has the ‘Double Infrared Heating’ technology, which is hugely popular among buyers. Not because it evenly browns bread superbly, it also does so record time than most other pop-up toasters or typical toaster ovens. Our only gripe is that we didn’t expect our toasts to be overly dark that it was supposed to be on the light setting.
The FlashXpress Toaster Oven also includes preset programs for convenience food items such as frozen pizzas and waffles. The reheating function also works pretty well. However, if you’re looking for a toaster oven to cook or bake, this isn’t the right one for you. The reason is this oven doesn’t offer higher standard temperature settings like 350°F, 375°F, and 450°F, which is a bummer.
When baking, you need to experiment with different temperatures and time, and it’s unfortunate that the FlashXpress toaster oven lack this important feature. Broiling isn’t an option on this oven, either. However, no preheat is required, and the tiny LED screen displays the remaining cook time in 30-second increments. There’s also a bright interior light for checking your food cook without opening the door. Standard accessories include an aluminum baking pan.
Pros
- Super-fast and even toasting
- Durable, compact size
- Bright interior light
- Easy to use and clean
Cons
- Not fit for baking and cooking
- Lacks broil function
- Toasts are darker than average on “light” setting
Tips Of Buying A Good Toaster Oven
Price is the first thing most people used to consider when shopping for any kitchen appliance, including toaster ovens. After all, we all want to get something that’s not only within our budget, but offers the best value for money. However, there’s no point in buying a ‘budget’ appliance; it doesn’t work well. In addition to looking for toasters that are easy to use and offer excellent cooking performance, it’s also necessary that your toasters are easy to clean and maintain.
Here is a list of the essential features to consider when choosing a toaster oven:
Price
Toasters ovens start from as low as $30 to as high as $1,000. Prices of toaster ovens also vary depending on brands and different feature sets. If you’re looking for a basic toaster to help with your breakfast—you don’t need to spend hundreds on something with advanced features. However, pricier toaster ovens tend to have convection settings and other fancy preset cooking modes. If you like to bake and want the latest and greatest toasting technology, but don’t mind spending a few extra hundreds, a high-end toaster oven may be a worthy investment.
Capacity and Size
The size of your toaster will dictate its food capacity and energy consumption and food capacity. Before you choose a toaster oven to think about how much food you’ll be able to fit inside the oven, and the amount of space you can spare in your kitchen counter. Usually, a toaster oven’s capacity and be measured by the number of toaster meals. For example, manufacturers will advertise the capacity of the oven like it can toast two pieces of toast or defrost 9-inches frozen pizzas.
For those who intend to use the oven to make toasts for one or two persons or do simple like baking a few cookies, a smaller unit is a sensible choice. However, if you’re going to use the oven extensively to bake or cook for the whole family or friends, you will need a larger oven that can handle 9-12-inch pizzas.
Cooking Features
Most toaster ovens come with different cooking modes, primarily toasting, reheating, defrosting, broiling, and baking. Each of these cooking modes is tuned for a specific cooking task, as described. Advanced models include additional cook modes that are for food-specific like for a bagel, or pizza, for example. High-end models include a convection feature, which improves cooking. Convection utilizes a fan and exhaust system that distributes hot air inside the toaster oven resulting in faster and more even cooking. Not essential, but still a nice feature to have.
Accessories
Most toaster oven models come with standard accessories – a crumb tray, oven rack, and baking pan. Some ovens have a lot more accessories, depending on its size and price. For example, high-end convection ovens include extra trays and baking pans. Said that, keep in mind that the accessories need cleaning after cooking. So, make sure you buy a unit with removable racks and trays to make the cleaning process more convenient.