Whether you enjoy making toasts, or more tasking food like pizza, a toaster oven has got you completely covered. Unlike a toaster, a toaster oven is perfect for baking, roasting, broiling, and other cooking processes.
With so many toaster oven options available, it can be difficult to select the perfect one that suits your needs. For this reason, we have created a buying guide just to help narrow your search for the best toaster ovens.
What do you need to consider before buying a toaster oven?
Volume of Cooking
A very important factor to consider is the number of people you cook for and the types of food you’ll be cooking in your toaster oven. For instance, a busy bachelor will never cook half as much as a stay-at-home mom. A busy bachelor purchasing a mini toaster oven will save himself more money by sticking to a smaller unit.
Size of the Toaster Oven
This further buttresses the importance of knowing how much food you cook. Complex cooking tasks require large toaster ovens and vice-versa. The largest models of toaster ovens can serve as regular small ovens.
Size of Your Kitchen
It will be heartbreaking to purchase a large toaster oven and have no space for it. Ideally, a toaster oven should be placed near an electric outlet and in an uncontested space for proper ventilation. Some toaster ovens can be placed on countertops while some have to be mounted underneath a cabinet. Be sure to check the space available in your kitchen before making a purchase decision.
Heating Ability
The bottom line is you want your toaster oven to prepare great food. For that to happen, it needs to be able to heat quickly and evenly. Efficient toaster ovens require less preheating as their temperatures come up readily. A good heating quality signifies fast cooking speed.
Temperature Adjustments
Too much or too little heat can completely ruin the outcome of food. This is why the temperature of your toaster oven should be flexible.
Style
Whether your kitchen style is classic or contemporary, there is always the best toaster oven for you. Be sure to select a sleek one that gives your kitchen a beautiful, modern look.
Price
A wide range of prices is available for toaster ovens. Exceptional appliances are great investments so be sure to buy a toaster oven of good quality that would last you a long time.
Brand
The right brand of toaster ovens is made with superb heating elements like a combo of quartz and ceramic. It is best to select a brand with a good number of warranty years that insures your oven in case of a mishap.
Reviews
Reviews are so essential. After considering all the factors for the toaster oven you’re interested in, you need to check online reviews made by previous buyers.
What features should you look for?
Accessories
The best toaster ovens come with removable accessories like a baking tray, crumb tray, pizza stone, or more. If you’ll be doing much cooking like baking, accessories must be included in your toaster oven. This is because standard-sized cooking gear won’t fit into your toaster oven. Besides, it is beneficial for the accessories to be removable. It aids the cleanup process of your toaster oven. A baking tray that easily slides out makes it easier for you to clean out the toaster oven and the tray separately.
Heat Settings
This is a great feature to look out for as it specifically takes care of some cooking processes. Baking or broiling just got easier because you don’t need to set temperatures on your own.
Intuitive User Interface
While it is good to always go over the manual of your toaster oven, a complex display can be quite tasking. Your toaster oven display should be easy to understand. It is advisable to check the buttons and settings of the toaster oven before making a purchase.
Interior Light
Some toaster ovens have a bright light that turns on from the inside. This feature makes it easier for you to monitor food without opening the oven door and losing heat in the process.
Transparent Door
A toaster oven with a transparent glass door also helps to monitor cooking.
Timers/Alarms
A toaster oven ideally has a built-in timer for measuring time intervals. The best toaster oven models also include alarm features that blare when the timer is up.
Safety Features
Electrical appliances will always have safety hazards so your best bet is to find ways to avoid them. Features like trays that automatically pop out when the toaster oven door is opened, an automatic shut-off feature when you forget to turn off the toaster oven, designs that keep the toaster oven door out of your way while you retrieve food. Reading online reviews from previous toaster oven buyers will aid in deciphering the major safety issues of the product you’re interested in.
Benefits of a Toaster Oven
Ease of Use
The best toaster ovens are easy to use. With proper features installed, you’ll certainly be satisfied while using one.
Versatility
This is most likely what we love most about toaster ovens. Its versatile nature allows you to not just toast but also handle several other cooking tasks.
Portability
A toaster oven is smaller than a regular oven in size. It saves space and can be taken with you everywhere.
Toaster Oven FAQs
Q: What is the difference between a regular oven, toaster oven, and toaster?
A: A regular oven is a big oven that takes considerable space and may be found in an industrial setting. A toaster oven is similar to the regular one in some functions but is smaller in size. A toaster is used only for toasting a few items like bread and waffles.
Q: Does a toaster oven need preheating?
A: It depends on the one you purchase. The best toaster ovens take a lot less time to heat up and cool down.
Q: Is a toaster oven worth my money?
A: Absolutely! A good toaster oven is worth your money, and more. Not only will it last long, but your cooking capabilities will also improve.