Back to Basics Egg & Muffin 2 Slice Toaster, TEM500
35 Stores $25 - $50
Toaster Oven Buying Guide
Toaster ovens have long been a mainstay for making frozen pizzas and reheating properly sized leftovers. Today’s toaster ovens closely mirror the function of your full-sized oven, but with faster pre-heat and cook times and less than a third of the energy consumption. Toaster ovens can brown, broil and bake and some use advanced heating technology. Whether you’re heating up blueberry muffins or retiring your range, Pronto’s Toaster Oven Buying Guide will help you choose the toaster oven, features and functionality that are right for you. Also check Pronto’s Toaster Buying Guide for your bread-warming needs.
More »
the five
What are the five key points I need to look at?
Size and capacity
Consider the amount of counter space you have for your new toaster oven. Add clearance behind the toaster oven for venting heat. If you intend to use your toaster oven for small foods, fixed racks are fine. Look for adjustable or removable racks for larger foods.
Heating
Traditional toaster oven coiled heating elements may produce unevenly cooked foods, particularly if the elements are too close to the food. Convection toaster ovens include fans that circulate the heat to promote more even cooking and are the best choice for most households. For cooks looking to save every minute possible, infrared toaster ovens preheat and cook even faster than convection heat.
Controls and settings
Digital controls are best for setting precise temperatures and cook times, but preset controls are fine for simple heating and reheating. Look for auto-shutoff that turns off the heat when cook time is complete.
Additional features
If you’ll be baking, be sure the toaster oven comes with its own baking sheet. Warming racks can be a nice bonus. Separate toasting settings seem silly but are the only way for a toaster oven to produce perfect toast.
Cleaning and maintenance
Look for a toaster oven with a removable crumb tray, not just a hinged crumb tray. Try to find a toaster oven with a non-stick or continuous-clean interior. Plain aluminum interiors are the least expensive, but also the most difficult to clean.
pronto pick
What product do we recommend?
The Hamilton Beach 31175 Convection Toaster Oven is our pick for delivering the most useful features and functions at a solid price. This convection toaster oven comes with toasting, baking and broiling settings and turns off automatically when your cook time has ended. A continuous-clean interior and removable crumb tray make it easy to clean; its baking pan and broil grid make it an exceptional value.
experts say
Cooks Illustrated – Krups 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven – “Easiest to use of all the ovens, with clear instructions and digital controls. Display counts down cook time. Dark toast was ‘beautiful deep brown, still moist inside.’ Cooked quickly, cleaned up easily.”Source: Cooks Illustrated
Consumer Guide – Oster Counterfroms Toaster Oven 6292 – “In fact, we'd be surprised if there is a function the 6292 can't handle. The convection bake feature circulates the air so foods cook faster and more evenly. The pizza function combines the convection fan with a higher temperature for a crisp crust. Defrost and dehydrate also incorporate the convection fan into their cycles (using a lower temperature) to maximize the defrosting and air-drying effects.”Source: Consumer Guide
Good Housekeeping – Hamilton Beach Convection Oven 31175 – “If counter space is at a premium in your kitchen, consider the Hamilton Beach Convection Oven. It's the smallest of our top picks, but it can still roast a three-pound chicken.”Source: Good Housekeeping
Real Simple – Krup’s FBC2 Six-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven – “With fast-acting heating elements and a convection setting, this do-it-all bakes, broils, and toasts on two heavy racks.”Source: Real Simple Magazine
Popular Mechanics – Black & Decker InfraWave Speed Cooking Oven – “…it's an excellent pizza re-animator, and a superior alternative to a toaster oven.”Source: Popular Mechanics Gadget of the Week Blog
hot buzz
What's the latest in the world of toaster ovens?
If you’re looking for the hot gift to give for the holidays, a wedding or a birthday, an infrared toaster oven should be at the top of your list. Although the technology, which uses infrared light to cook foods up to 40% faster, has been around for a few years, most people are just finding out about it and retailers are having a tough time keeping up with demand. Panasonic’s Flash Xpress Infrared Toaster is a popular choice at an attractive price, and Toastmaster has introduced an infrared for under a $100.
Wallet Impact
What can I expect in my price range?
| Price | Description | Good Pick (see all Toaster Ovens) |
| $ | Entry-level toaster ovens run from $20-$50. These are simple machines with few settings, analog dial controls and aluminum interiors. Look for a thermostat and a removable crumb tray to get the best value. | |
| $$ | You can go infrared at prices between $50 and $150, but the best choice in this range is a traditional thermal toaster oven. Features pile on for these mid-priced models, so expect digital temperature and time controls, continuous-clean interiors, multiple settings and automatic shutoff. |
Compare prices at 2 stores $98.95 |
| $$$ | At prices over $150, you’ll find better infrared toaster ovens and fully loaded convection models with multiple built-in cooking modes, fully customizable digital controls and extras such as warming trays and baking sheets. Sizes get larger as you spend more, making these toaster ovens a good choice for those who do a lot of cooking. |
Compare prices at 2 stores $199.99 |
shop talk
What are the terms and definitions I need to know about?
Broil setting
A toaster oven setting that uses only the top heating element for broiling and browning.
Capacity
A measurement of the interior cooking space of a toaster oven. Note that hinged or fixed racks in a toaster oven can reduce its usable capacity, while removable racks will allow you full access to the cooking space.
Convection toaster oven
A toaster oven that features traditional toaster oven coil heating elements combined with a fan that circulates the heat and promotes even cooking.
Continuous-clean interior
A toaster oven finish that prevents food from sticking, allowing it to break down as the toaster oven is used. The food breaks eventually becomes ash, which is easily swept out of the toaster oven.
Crumb tray
A basin that catches food particles shed inside a toaster oven. The crumb tray can take two forms: a removable tray that catches food and can be pulled out to dump crumbs, or a hinged door at the bottom of a toaster oven that requires you to shake the toaster oven over a trash can.
Infrared toaster oven
A toaster oven that uses infrared light instead of coil heating elements. These toaster ovens cook much faster and eliminate preheating times and the need to defrost frozen foods.
guide tools
top brands
Toasters
Research Central
We've compiled this group of information links to help you further your research