What to look for in a toaster oven, according to experts
Considered a kitchen workhorse, this gadget can help you make various foods.
This affordable toaster oven is highly rated with a 4.4-star average from over 9,650 reviews on Amazon. It’s extra-wide, and according to the brand it can fit up to eight pieces of toast, a 9-by-13-inch pan or 12-inch pizza, and it uses convection heating to cook food at up to 450 degrees. The model includes baking, broiling, toasting, warming features and a 60-minute timer. It also has baking and broiling pans, so you don’t have to worry about your existing kitchenware fitting the appliance.
The Breville Oven Pro has different heating options, including toasting, baking, roasting, reheating, warming and slow-cooking. It also has special buttons for bagels, pizza and cookies. According to the brand, it’s slightly more compact than the Black+Decker model and can fit up to six slices of toast. The model has an interior light to help monitor cooking, an LCD screen that shows the cook and heat settings and a timer. The interior is coated in nonstick material for easy cleaning, according to Black+Decker. It has a 4.6-star average rating from over 9,000 reviews on Amazon.
“When it comes to toasting, I love that you can choose between a light, medium and dark setting,” says Mili Godio, updates editor at NBC Select. “I never have to guess how my toast is going to turn out.” Along with toasting, this oven can also air fry, warm, broil, bake and grill. It is big enough to toast up to six slices of bread or bake a 12-inch pizza, according to the brand. It also has a 60-minute timer and auto-shutoff.
Our Place makes one of NBC Select editors’ favorite pans — the Always Pan. Its toaster oven is equally as great. I don’t have much counter space, so I love that this is more compact than most toaster ovens on the market. Not only that, it comes in unique colors like charcoal gray and blue salt that look great sitting out on your countertop. But this kitchen gadget doesn’t just look good: It can toast, air fry, bake and broil. I’ve made a four-pound roast chicken in it, cookies, pizza and more.
This toaster oven doesn’t have the bells and whistles some others on the list do, but it can get the job done. It will fit up to six slices of bread, a 9- x 11-inch pan or a 12-inch pizza, according to the brand. It can be set to bake, broil or toast and has two rack positions. This toaster oven has a timer function and a removable crumb tray, and it has a 4.5-star average from over 7,300 reviews on Amazon.
On the other end of the spectrum, this toaster oven from Cosori has 12 functions — including air fry, toast, roast, broil, convection, dehydrate, warming and more. This toaster oven is also taller than the others on the list, allowing you to stack two racks inside for more cooking space. It can fit up to 12 slices of toast, a five-pound chicken, a 12-inch pizza and more, according to the brand. This toaster oven has a 4.4-star average from over 7,600 reviews on Amazon.
Ninja makes some of NBC Select staff’s favorite kitchen gadgets. Beyond browning bread, this toaster oven can broil, air fry, roast and reheat your food. Between uses, it can be stored vertically to take up less space on your countertop. It also has a removable crumb tray and can be opened from the back for easier cleaning, according to the brand. This appliance has a 4.6-star average from over 27,900 reviews on Amazon.
While a toaster oven can certainly toast bread, most models can also do several other things. Think of it as a smaller version of your big oven — most toaster ovens also have settings that allow you to broil, bake and more, says Lin. Newer models also tend to have an air fryer setting.
Toaster ovens are typically much larger than pop-up toasters and so they require more countertop space. Shoppers should think about what they want to cook — if you are looking for a complete replacement for your standard oven, you’ll need a much larger toaster oven, says Lin. To determine how big of a toaster oven you should purchase, consider what you'll want to cook in it and how many people are in your household. A smaller model will likely work if it’s just you or you and a partner. But if you want to be able to bake an entire chicken or make a sheet-pan meal, consider a larger model.
Beyond different types of heat settings, consider looking for self-adjusting technology to ensure your bread toasts evenly, a “keep warm” setting to keep toast from getting cold, says Holly Gleason, an appliance merchant for Lowe’s. She recommended looking for a toaster with an automatic shutoff option to eliminate the worry of the appliance overheating or damaging your countertop.
Lin and Gleason recommend looking for a toaster oven with a removable crumb tray. This allows you to easily remove crumbs and bits of spilled food so they don’t burn as you cook things in your toaster oven. To clean it, just pull out the crumb tray and wipe it with a damp cloth. Avoid using harsh cleaners, which can leave a residue that could burn and smoke the next time you turn on your appliance. To make cleanup even easier, consider purchasing a toaster oven liner. These non-stick liners are placed on the crumb tray to catch spills and can be quickly wiped down between uses.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I'm a contributor at NBC Select and a journalist who regularly covers beauty, home and lifestyle.
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