Tested by Experts, these are the Best Toasters of 2022
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Make sure you purchase a toaster oven that has the functions you need if you are replacing several kitchen appliances with one. In order to help us grade and review these toasters, we look at and consider the following primary factors:
-Size
-Overall Performance
-Price
-Crumb Trays
-Bread slots (if applicable)
-Cleanup time
Toaster oven Testing
Over the last decade, we have tested about 60 toasters in the GHI Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab.
Over 500 slices of bread were toasted to see if a toaster oven can roast multiple slices of bread evenly.
Also, we test whether open-faced sandwiches can be broiler-grilled and cheese is melted evenly.
A toaster oven equipped with an air fryer is tested on how quickly and evenly it crisps chicken wings and frozen French fries. In addition to design quality, we evaluate toaster ovens for their user manuals, control panels, ease of use, rack positions, interior visibility, audible alerts, and cleanability.
Toaster oven buying guide
It is important to consider how much space you have, as well as what you plan to cook in the oven. Dream big if space is not an issue. Breville Smart Oven Air and June Oven can accommodate a small turkey. There are plenty of compact ovens on the market that fit six slices of bread, or a frozen pie, at once, if space is an issue.
It is important to consider aesthetics because your toaster oven will most likely be situated on your counter. Stainless steel toaster ovens tend to look slimmer and more modern than their analog counterparts.
It’s not uncommon for toaster ovens to have three rack positions, but the largest have more rack positions, allowing for even more versatility and usable space, particularly when air frying or dehydrating. Generally, broilers use the uppermost position, while toasters and bakers use the middle position. Large roasts and pizzas are typically cooked in the bottom position.
A toaster oven usually comes with a rack and a baking/broiling pan. (Note: heavier baking pans will last longer.) Most toaster ovens now include a removable crumb tray that can be cleaned in a dishwasher. Dishwasher-safe parts are very important for toaster oven maintenance: By preventing caked-on gunk from developing, dishwasher-safe parts help keep toaster ovens clean.
Many toaster ovens are equipped with air frying baskets/racks, pizza stones, or rotisserie spits, and have an interior light to allow you to see inside without opening the door. In addition, we found toaster ovens with large, glass doors to be the most easy to view.
The settings and functions of toasters vary greatly. There are many types of ovens. Some may have only a few settings, like toast, bagel, bake, broil, pizza, and reheat, but the June Oven has over 200 options, such as air fry, dehydrate, grill, slow cook, proof, roast, and heat. Make sure you purchase a toaster oven that has the functions you need if you are replacing several kitchen appliances with one.
Toaster Oven vs. Microwave: what’s better?
It is possible to use microwaves and toasters interchangeably in the kitchen for tasks such as reheating leftovers or melting butter. Both are small appliances that can live on your countertop as a fixture.
In a toaster oven, the food is brown and toasted using a heating element. Microwaves work by heating water molecules using electromagnetic waves, cooking it from the inside out. They do not brown food like a toaster oven does, however they are usually faster. As a result, the two perform very different functions and produce very different results.
Microwaves are ideal if you are cooking a lot of popcorn, steaming vegetables quickly, or defrosting ingredients. In contrast, a toaster oven is a good choice for baking golden cakes, toasting multiple slices of bread at once, and broiling steak for lunch. Many people keep both kitchen appliances in their home because of their different strengths.
Compact Smart Oven
Pros
- Ensures even and rapid heating of food
- Cleaning and using is easy
Cons
- In comparison to other models, this model fits fewer slices of bread
The link to purchase a Breville Smart Oven from Amazon can be found here
Review
The Breville Compact Smart Oven makes baking bread, pizza (up to an 11-inch pie ) simple thanks to its electronic controls and preprogrammed cooking programs. We tested it on toast, a beautiful cake, potatoes, and chicken, and it delivered great results. Keeping your kitchen clean is a breeze thanks to a nonstick coating. The stainless steel design feels sturdy, and the control panel is very intuitive. This toaster oven has a four-star rating from others as well.From over 4,000 Amazon reviews, this book received a 6-star rating.
Compared to the toaster ovens we tested with six to nine slices, this one fits only four slices of bread. Alternatively, the Breville Smart Toaster Oven Air, a model that can hold nine slices of bread or a Dutch oven, performed well in our tests if you want a larger capacity.
The link to purchase a Breville Smart Oven from Walmart can be found here
Sure-Crisp Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Pros
- Functions of an air fryer are great
- A frozen pizza measuring 13 inches will fit inside
The link to purchase a Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fryer Countertop Toaster Oven from Amazon can be found here
Cons
- 30 minutes are the maximum duration of the timer
The link to purchase a Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fryer Countertop Toaster oven from Walmart can be found here
Review
The Hamilton Beach Super-Crisp is simple, but it bakes pizza and toasts bread evenly in a short amount of time, and it has easy-to-use controls. As a result, the unit won’t take up too much space on your counter and is still large enough to hold six slices of bread and a frozen pizza up to 13 inches in diameter, so you won’t have to compromise on either size or convenience. Our biggest surprise was its ability to fry wings and fries without drying out during our testing. The longest timeframe you can program this toaster oven for is 30 minutes. If you need to cook something longer, you will need to reset the timer.
TOA-65 Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven
Pros
- Powerful and quick cook
- Temps and times are pre-set for cooking
The link to purchase a TOA-65 Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven from Amazon can be found here
Cons
- You may not realize how quickly it is cooking if you do not keep an eye on it.
The link to purchase a TOA-65 Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven from Walmart can be found here
Review
Having an air fryer that air fries quickly and does not require additional preheating is one of the reasons this is our best overall air fryer. Besides making chicken wings super crispy, it also made fries exceptionally crispy in just 20 minutes. There are no free-standing air fryers that can compare with this. Powerful and comparable to the best of them. First time experimenters should keep an eye on their food to avoid burning themselves. Using a basket on top of a broiling pan, it prevents grease from dripping and makes cleanup easier.
Toasted bread was evenly and well-toasted when this device was used as a traditional toaster oven. Just a small dome needed trimming after a cake baked quickly. As with broiled steak, frozen pizza was ready in no time. Additionally, the oven has more than ten settings, five of which are specifically for air frying. It comes with a user guide that is filled with cooking charts and recipes. Using dual cooking makes the oven capable of cooking two different foods at once: it allows you to start those foods at high temperatures and then reduce the temperature to finish cooking them.
FlashXpress Compact Toaster Oven
Pros
- When you open the door, the tray automatically comes out
- Burn-out prevention with automatic shut-off
Cons
- Rusting and hard cleaning can make cook pans difficult to maintain
The link to purchase a FlashXpress Compact Toaster Oven from Amazon can be found here
Review
It has more than 6,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, but we have not tested it in our Lab. With a compact design that fits a 9-inch pizza, it’s ideal for small kitchens or large ones with limited counter space! Preset cooking times are available for toast, waffles, rolls, and frozen foods such as pizza and hash browns. The rack pulls forward automatically when you open the oven because it is attached to the door. In addition, the toaster oven has an auto-shutoff feature that prevents burning after the cooking period has expired.
The link to purchase a FlashXpress Compact Toaster Oven from Walmart can be found here
Cooking frozen foods in it requires 25 minutes of heating. Longer bakes will need to be restarted. The pan is hard to clean and rusts easily, so you should cover it with foil before putting food in it.
KCO211 Digital Countertop Oven
Pros
- A user-friendly interface
The link to purchase a KCO211 Digital Countertop Oven from Amazon can be found here
Cons
- It’s quiet on the preheating alert
Review
In addition to being sleek and space-efficient, this KitchenAid toaster oven is capable of holding nine slices (although the brand only recommends six slices of bread). You don’t have to worry about temperatures or times if you don’t want to, since it has functions like cookies, roast, pizza, bagel, toast, bake, broil, reheat and keep warm. This model roasted steaks evenly, which were juicy with nice browning around the edges.
The link to purchase a KCO211 Digital Countertop Oven from Walmart can be found here
One of the great things about this product is its simply design with just two basic dials and two buttons for start and cancel (one of the underrated features because you can stop or reselect the cooking cycle with just a few buttons).
This model will be replaced in the future by the KitchenAid Digital Countertop Oven with Air Fry, which does air frying as well.
The June Oven
Pros
- Adjusts cook time automatically based on food detection
- Large batches are easily handled with the spacious interior
Cons
- It is costly
The link to purchase a June Oven from Walmart can be found here
Review
It is an innovative toaster oven. A camera detects the food and suggests a cooking method based on what it is. If you would like to alter the cooking method, either press the override button or press the Start Cooking button. As fast as an iPhone’s touchpad and as clean and easy to use as an iPad. It has a spacious interior that is easy to clean and is big and solid. The bread toasted rather evenly and baked a very nice cake when placed on one of the shelves. The bottom of the pizza was lightly crisped and the cheese evenly melted.
In Conclusion
You have to consider how much space you have, as well as what you plan to cook, when considering one of these ovens. Dream big if space is not an issue. It is important to consider the look as well because your toaster oven will most likely be situated on your counter, plain-sight. Stainless steel toaster ovens tend to look slim and modern compared to their analog counterparts. The Breville Smart Oven Air and June Oven are great examples of ovens that can accommodate a small turkey. There are plenty of compact ovens on the market that fit six slices of bread, or a frozen pie, at once, if space is an issue. This all is important to consider when shopping these ovens, which is all explained in the review above.
Commonly asked Questions and their Answers
What is often considered the best brand?
-Breville
What features should you be looking for in a toaster?
-Size
-Overall Performance
-Price
-Crumb Trays
-Bread slots (if applicable)
-Cleanup time
Do toasters weaken/age over time?
-Yes, just like any electronic kitchen appliance, over time, they become prone to breakage due to build up. This is why cleanup is a very important factor to consider when purchasing a new toaster oven.