What are toaster ovens good for? (Explained)

Although it may seem that a toaster oven can only be used for toast, it can be used for so much more than toasting. Today’s high-end toaster ovens come in a variety of sizes, from full-size to smaller models, excellent at toasting as well as roasting, baking, and cooking. 

To save counter space, toaster ovens are also available in smaller versions of full-size ovens. They can easily fit on the small counter, but that does not imply that it is too small; it’s large enough to bake a pie and even 13 inches round pizza can fit inside easily. 

Toaster ovens heat up faster than conventional ovens, consume less energy, and are ideal for small or regular quick meals. The biggest advantage is that it preheats faster, though not as quickly as your microwave, but far faster than a full-size oven. 

Whatever sort of toaster oven you select, it is highly useful for all types of cooking purposes. If you want to save electricity and counter space, a toaster oven is a better option than a regular oven. Check below to learn more about the use of a toaster oven in detail. 

Why is a toaster oven used for?

Toaster ovens are mostly used for toasting bread, making breakfast easier, but these ovens are quite versatile. You may have purchased a toaster oven in order to make toast, but it is capable of much more than just toasting bread. Toaster ovens are like small versions of your conventional or regular ovens as they work like that, but a toaster oven uses less energy than any other big conventional oven.

Toaster ovens cook faster and can be used for baking, toasting, broiling, reheating, and defrosting small amounts of food. It is conceivable to use your toaster oven as a regular oven, however, not all toaster ovens are up to the task. 

Does a toaster oven make good toast?

Toaster ovens are intended to make perfect toast, but they are far more versatile. A good toaster oven can certainly make good toast. To make perfect toast, you’ll need a good quality toaster oven, as well as an understanding of how to use the device. 

You can easily make the perfect toast if you know the right setting, but if you don’t, you might end up with a burned one. However, using a toaster oven may take longer, but both sides of the toast are evenly toasted and the result is a good toast.

What are toaster ovens good for?

Toaster ovens are great for making perfect toast, but they can also be used for a variety of other cooking tasks that would normally be done in a standard oven. Toaster ovens are useful for baking small batches of cookies and muffins, roasting meat, broiling, and reheating leftovers.

Are toaster ovens good for toast?

Compared to pop-up toasters, toaster ovens are much better than toasters for making toast, and you can make more slices of toast at the same time. Moreover, a toaster only makes dry, plain toast, whereas in a toaster oven you can toast your bread with cheese, thick bagels, buttery garlic, and so on.

Furthermore, most toaster ovens seem to have a power range of 900 to 1500 watts, allowing them to make a great toast at the right temperature in less time. So, we can say toaster ovens are really good for making perfect toast.

Are toaster ovens good for baking?

Yes, a toaster oven can perform impressively in the baking sector. Toaster ovens are capable of baking both savory and sweet items. You can bake cookies, muffins, and small cakes with your toaster oven.

The best toaster ovens are even better than some wall ovens when it comes to temperature control. According to the ATK report, sugar cookies are baked in toaster ovens with convection, which use a fan to circulate hot air, bake faster and more evenly.

Are toaster ovens good for sublimation?

Sublimation is usually done through the use of a heat press, but an oven can also be used as an alternative. Sublimation in the oven is much easier and more accessible than heat pressing. You can sublimate using a toaster oven, and the results are incredible.

To achieve a perfect result, all you have to do is choose the right toaster oven and follow the required steps for sublimation. To get a better result in sublimation, you can use the BLACK + DECKER TO2050S Convection Countertop Toaster oven, Oster French countertop and toaster oven, and Hamilton Beach Countertop Rotisserie Convection toaster oven.

Why should you use a toaster oven?

If you can make toast with your regular toaster then why should you use a toaster oven? It’s a good question and the answer is, a toaster oven is performing better than a toaster and it is a versatile oven. Here, we highlighted some reasons that show you why you should use a toaster oven.

1. Make a Variety of Toast

Pop-up toasters can only toast basic, dry meals that fit into the slots, whereas a toaster oven can bake pastries with sticky frosting, thick bagels, buttery garlic bread, among other things. So, a toaster oven is far superior to a pop-up toaster. 

2. Reheating

Toaster ovens can be used to reheat leftovers. It heats up quickly, though not as quickly as a microwave, but significantly faster than a full-size conventional oven and saves energy.

3. Baking

Toaster ovens are very useful for baking small batches of cookies, muffins, small cakes, and pizzas in an instant. You can also bake potatoes and soggy french fries in a toaster oven. 

4. Cook multi-course meal

Toaster ovens are versatile ovens that can be used for toasting bread as well as cooking a variety of dishes. It can also be used to make side dishes.

5. Energy-Efficient

Ovens, in general, use a lot of energy. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, are compact, heat up quickly, and use less energy than a full-size conventional oven.

Can you use a toaster oven like a regular oven?

A toaster oven is a multipurpose appliance that can be used especially for toast bread, baking, or reheating food. So, you can use a toaster oven as a regular oven but you have to keep in mind that not all toaster ovens are feasible for all tasks that regular ovens do.

A toaster oven can accommodate all types of food but before swapping your conventional oven to a toaster you must consider that a toaster oven has poor temperature control and the size of the oven. However, there are newer toaster ovens that offer more advanced technology that is as effective as a conventional oven.

Is a toaster oven better than a toaster? 

Toasters toast bread more evenly and consistently, but toaster ovens melt cheese sandwiches, prepare pizza, broil hamburgers, and roast a 4-pound chicken, making them a multifunctional device.

The toaster oven can be used instead of regular ovens though it tends to cook foods unevenly. So, if you only want to have crispy brown toasted bread you should go for a toaster.

All things considered, toaster ovens are indeed better than toasters because toasters can only toast plain, dry foods that only fit into the slots. Also, toaster ovens can preheat quickly and give you crisp results where the microwave might turn things wet and soft.

Most popular & Affordable toaster ovens you should BUY

Toaster ovens are very popular these days, and they are very helpful kitchen appliances to have on hand. There are various toaster ovens on the market nowadays.

We’ve compiled some of the most popular and affordable toaster ovens to help you choose the right and best one.

Panasonic FlashXpress Infrared Dual Heated Toaster Oven:

The Panasonic FlashXpress Infrared Dual Heated Toaster Oven is a stainless steel toaster oven that is compact and easy to operate.  It can be used to make perfect toast, bake, coffee, and reheat.

The oven has two infrared heating elements, one in the front and one in the back, for optimal performance.

Six-in-one touch controls let you set different preset cooking functions such as reheating, defrosting, and more. It also came with an inner tray, and the rack is attached to the oven door.

Furthermore, the auto shut-off functions prevent food from burning and overcooking, ensuring the safety of your cooking.

Breville stainless steel Smart Air Oven:

The Breville Smart Air Oven is a stainless steel oven with a color brushed finish. The 2-speed convection fan allows for more precise cooking control, while super convection delivers a larger volume of air for quick and equal heat distribution.

The oven can accommodate a 13-inch pizza, a 9-slice toaster, a 12-inch muffin pan, and a 14-pound turkey. It comes with a 2 year warranty and includes a 13 x 9-inch enameled baking pan, a 13-inch nonstick pizza pan, heavy-duty oven racks, a stainless steel broiler rack, and a mesh air fryer.

Breville compact toaster oven:

The smart and compact oven from Breville is built of brushed stainless steel. It features 1800W of power and can quickly preheat your meals. The Element IQ intelligently distributes heat over four quartz elements, providing accurate and steady heat exactly where you need it for consistently great results.

It features eight pre-programmed cooking functions: toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, and reheat. The oven can accommodate a 4 slice toaster and a 12-inch pizza and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Hamilton Beach countertop Toaster Oven:

The Hamilton Toaster Oven has a curved front and a gleaming stainless steel exterior. It consumes 75% less energy and reheats 28% faster than other ovens. It has a 30-minute timer with an automated shutdown. 

It features five cooking functions: broil, bake, keep warm, toast, and bagel. A 9 “pizza and  4 slices of toast can easily fit in this oven and the oven comes with a rack, a baking pan, and a removable crumb tray.

Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven:

This oven has a dual cooking mode that allows you to cook two different things at the same time at two different temperatures. The unit’s 5 quartz heating elements are calibrated to the appropriate settings for each purpose due to programmable cooking capabilities and an accurate heat sensor.

It has 15 different cooking modes, including toast, waffle, baking, bagels, pizza, broil, roast, leftovers, and defrosts. This oven also has a convection setting that allows you to cook without preheating.

The oven comes with 2 oven racks, a baking pan, a broiling pan, a removable crumb tray, and a recipe booklet. 

Which toaster oven makes the best toast (from the above list)

Almost all of the ovens described above are high-quality items and provide a good cooking experience. The Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven is inexpensive and excels at making toast, cookies, and frozen snacks; the Breville Smart Air Oven also receives a good rating; the Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven toasts bread better than any other oven in this price range, and the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven also very high rating oven.

However, from research and based on consumer rating we see that the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven is the ideal choice for making the best toast. It has almost all of the features of a full-size oven, can heat up to nine slices of bread evenly. You can get this excellent oven for a very affordable price of $248-$280 and it comes with a 3-year warranty.

Toaster ovens vs Regular oven: which oven should you choose?

Toaster ovens can bake anything if the size and quantity of the food are suitable for it, whereas regular ovens are featured for baking without considering the size and quantity of the food.

Toaster ovens can cook faster because they are smaller but regular ovens are better insulated and hold heat well.

Toaster ovens use less energy than a regular oven which makes it the greener choice. But it does not mean a toaster oven can cook a large meal as a regular oven does.

A toaster oven is less expensive than a regular oven but can cook most things properly which makes it the better choice for many people.

Pros and cons of toaster ovens:

To provide you with quick and concise information, we have listed the pros and cons of toaster ovens.

When you shouldn’t use a toaster oven?

Toaster ovens are a very versatile appliance that can cook many surprising foods. However, when you might be tempted to make a big frozen pizza, you should avoid the toaster oven because too much food will increase the overall temperature which may cause it to burst.

Nowadays many frozen foods say not to cook in a toaster oven because the food container is heavy paper and may catch fire in a toaster oven. Items made from Paper, Cardboard, Styrofoam shouldn’t be used in a toaster oven.

How long should a toaster oven hold its value?

A good toaster oven is a great energy-conscious kitchen tool that can cook your food in a very short time. It is a popular appliance that is used by single professionals, young couples, students, occasional cooks, and retirees.

Toaster ovens are less expensive than conventional ovens and can be used for up to five years. It can last for many years if you clean it regularly and use it properly. Toaster ovens are small appliances that can have plenty of problems due to excess use.

Is a toaster oven really worth it?

Toaster ovens are less expensive than regular or conventional ovens but work as regular ovens due to their versatility. Toaster ovens can make a wide variety of toast and cook faster than regular ovens, saving energy as well as your time in the kitchen.

Also, toaster ovens come with a 2–5 year warranty, which is pretty long.

If you use your toaster oven with proper maintenance and clean it after each use, it could last for more than 5 years. If a $150 to $400 toaster oven can give a multi-functional cooking experience and last for more than 5-6 years, it is absolutely worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are air fryer toaster ovens good?

Air fryer toaster ovens combine the greatest features of both air fryers and toaster ovens. They are truly multifunction appliances, capable of baking, roasting, and broiling in addition to air frying to produce ultra-crispy food with less oil and faster than standard frying methods.

Air fryer toaster ovens are small and angular in shape, allowing them to fit more comfortably into a countertop corner. Furthermore, most of the air fryer toaster oven machines are built of stainless steel and can accommodate a 12-inch pizza, four or more slices of bread, and even a whole chicken.

Are oster toaster ovens good?

The Oster toaster oven has a large capacity and a 6-portion toaster oven with convection technology for faster and more consistent cooking. It also allows you to grill, toast, roast, and more with its convection bake that circulates hot air for crispy rock layers, crisper edges, and even browning in less time.

Its two rack configurations can handle a wide range of dishes, from thin pizzas to thick roasts, and it allows broiling at any temperature for perfect cooking and melting.

Are black and decker toaster ovens good?

Black and Decker is one of the most reputable brands of toaster ovens. If you want a compact, multifunctional toaster oven with an affordable budget, you can go for a black and decker toaster oven. This oven makes great toast and is also ideal for baking, reheating, and broiling. 

It also comes with a timer, making it safer for cooking and also heats up very quickly. It also offers 1500W to 1800W of power and a temperature range of 150°F to 450°F, as well as uses less energy.

Are hamilton beach toaster ovens good?

Hamilton is a sleek and space-saving toaster oven with a larger cooking surface. For most meals, it can be a good substitute for a full-size oven. The oven is perfect for toasting, baking, and broiling.

The oven also has an automated shut-off feature and a 30-minute timer. You can make anything with three settings and a temperature dial, from cookies to chicken breasts, and it properly allocates heat throughout the meal.

Are Bella toaster ovens good?

The Bella toaster ovens earn a good rating from their consumers. These ovens use a quartz preheat element that ranges from 100 to 1800 watts, allowing them to heat up quickly. It can cook a 9-inch pizza, toast bagels, flatbreads, and finger foods evenly in just a few minutes.

For safe cooking, the oven has an automated shutdown feature with a 30-minute timer, and it uses less energy than a full-size oven. It also comes with a dishwasher-safe baking tray, a rack oven, and a crumb tray.

Are Breville toaster ovens good?

Breville toaster ovens are great for making crispy, perfect toast as well as baking cookies and muffins.  The Breville offers a convenient interface, and the convection function allows you to air-fry food with less oil.

The Breville features automatic adjusting heating elements that provide a precise cooking procedure, as well as element IQ technology that moves the heat where it is most needed. Moreover, the convection option offers fast cooking.

Are galanz toaster ovens good?

Galanz toaster ovens have a larger surface area, with better air circulation and faster toasting. The oven has a large display and an inside light, making it easy to check your food while it’s cooking.

It also features a temperature control; however, some models’ heat cannot be changed once the cooking process has begun.

The air fryer option is particularly interesting. The air fryer option provides healthier, crunchier food with little or no oil, and it is ideal for chicken, shrimp, wings, and French fries.

Are Toshiba toaster ovens good?

Toshiba is a world-renowned, diverse manufacturer that produces the greatest toaster ovens. The Toshiba convection toaster oven has a large interior that allows you to cook nearly anything.

The new digital toaster oven features a digital menu display that allows you to keep checking the time and temperature with precision. Toshiba toaster oven is a multifunctional oven with a nonstick interior that can hold 6 to 8 slices of bread, cooks faster, and is suitable for toasting, baking, bagels, pizza, broiling, and preheating meals.

Can you cook pizza in a toaster oven?

Toaster ovens are small in size, thus a large pizza may not fit in a toaster oven. The heating elements used in a toaster oven are too close to the food, so there’s a chance that some sections of your food will be exposed to significantly higher temperatures, causing the food to cook unevenly.

Moreover, pizza requires high temperatures, but toaster oven temperatures can be set to 350 degrees to 400 degrees, which is not suitable for perfect pizza baking. Pizza should be cooked in a hot oven or a regular oven, but because your toaster oven can be used as a regular oven, you can often cook a small pizza or frozen pizza in it, however the crust may not be as satisfying. 

Can you cook a hot dog in a toaster oven?

Since a toaster oven is a multipurpose appliance that can be used to bake, broil, and cook a variety of foods, a hot dog can be cooked in it in only a few minutes.

The toaster oven helps in making a hot dog crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. You can bake, broil, or grill your hot dog in a toaster oven, depending on your preference.

Today’s new models have rollers that are specifically built for cooking hot dogs. These rollers help to keep the hot dogs warm, so just toast your buns when you’re ready to have them. 

Related Articles:

1. What kind of oven is best for baking? (Checked)
2. Are Bosch ovens good? (better than others or not?)
3. Are Neff Ovens Good: Worth the Money? (Explained)
4. Are mini ovens any good: Worth the money? (Here’s why)

Conclusion

Toaster ovens are an ideal choice for making perfect toast in less time. It is a multipurpose kitchen appliance that can be used for multipurpose cooking instead of toasting.

Toaster ovens come in a variety of sizes, styles, and capacities, and they are both energy-efficient and cost-effective, so pick the right one as your preference.

Jean Kathryn

As an experienced home chef, I’m dedicated to helping others get creative in the kitchen. My blog is all about exploring reviews, tips, and tricks for kitchen appliances like ovens, stoves, and dishwashers. I’m passionate about using my almost decade-long experience in the culinary arts to help readers make informed decisions when it comes to their own kitchen set-ups. With a wealth of knowledge at my disposal, I can’t wait to share everything I know with anyone looking to level up their cooking!