Recommend a Toaster Oven

[DallasGuy]

I recently purchased a toaster oven after reading many reviews online. Many toaster ovens had horrible reviews and I wondered if I even wanted one after reading them. The one I ended up buying was the Black and Decker convection toaster oven TRO4070 at Walmart for about $38. It actually had pretty good reviews and so far I like it.

Walmart.com: Black & Decker - Toast-R-Oven TRO4070: Appliances

 

[Sue J]

UPDATE!!

We had been using the Cuisinart toaster oven on it's surge protector/power strip since I posted. A few weeks ago the Bake setting stopped working, not that big of a deal as we mostly used the thing for toasting. Then Thursday I was making toast and never heard the chime go off telling me it was done. I looked at the surge protector/power strip and, silly me, I realized I must not have turned the power on. So I turned on the power and hit the toast button again. After it toasted for a while I heard a click and the surge protector had tripped instead of the "toast done" chime. This was obviously not a good sign! Thursday is our trash night so our toaster oven/accidental fire waiting to happen went directly into the trash.

On Friday I toasted a blueberry bagel in a frying pan on the stove and then went to Target after work and bought a simple Black and Decker TRO490W. On sale for $24.99. It will be a disposable appliance, the first time it has any kind of glitch it will be replaced. It's still on the surge protector/power strip and everyone here is trained to turn off the power when not in use.

 

[bright eyed]

I have this one Stootsi Store : Cuisinart TOB-195 Convection Toaster Oven Cuisinart TOB-195

I used to go with the cheapies at targey or costco but am totally a convert. This one is bigger, but that means you can cook a decent sized personal pizza. It says you can cook a whole chicken, but haven't tried that either. There's a convection setting, regular toast, regular oven and pizza settings. We hardly use the oven now and use the microwave a lot less too.

It toasts to perfection.

Many of the larger, typically expensive items are on sale now so that's another reason I went for it, when i got it i think i got at least 50% off...

 

[Momcpa]

Reviving this discussion---------in the market for a good/great toaster oven and am looking for comments from retirees: models, how often it's used, pros, cons, regrets, price range, etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Badger]

Like you, I am one of those who does not use a toaster oven. There is always the potential fire hazard, which worries me, too. But more than that, it is just one more appliance on the countertop and I really don't have the room for it.

I do unplug all of my countertop appliances when not in use, except for the microwave.

I have a toaster, an oven, and a microwave to perform the functions of a toaster oven, if needed.

+1 We tried a couple of the more expensive brands of toaster ovens some years ago and in both cases they failed to make it through the first year with minimal use so we gave up on toaster ovens. We don't need to spend any more money on them when they don't provide enough convenience for us to justify the potential risks and financial drain regardless of our ability to afford any of them.



Cheers!

 

[kcowan]

We are regular users of toaster ovens. In Mexico, the power is not consistent enough and the timing is longer at certain times of day. In Vancouver it works great. Baking potatoes, yams and beets without heating up the whole kitchen.

 

[Chuckanut]

When I want to heat up something or bake a small item on a hot day, I put my toaster oven out on the patio and let it heat up the great outdoors instead of my home.

 

[swakyaby]

When I want to heat up something or bake a small item on a hot day, I put my toaster oven out on the patio and let it heat up the great outdoors instead of my home.

That's what I like doing too! I splurged 8 years ago and bought the Breville Smart convection toaster oven. Really happy with its performance and continues to run without problems. I had a microwave oven rolling cart, got rid of the (2nd) microwave, placed the toaster oven on top and have been using it to bake and roast items for the 2 of us. Rarely use the wall oven anymore except at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas.

 

[pacergal]

We got rid of our microwave and bought a "Cuisinart deluxe toaster oven broiler" at Costco. We use it daily and I rarely use my regular wall oven anymore, also.

 

[SumDay]

Mine also spends lots of time outdoors this time of year.

I have an Oster CONVECTION toaster oven. Crisps up fries very nicely, and does a great job on pies. I got it from Amazon. Comes in handy for holiday dinners. The top exterior gets warm enough you can set rolls or something lighter on it as a warming tray:

http://a.co/6p8xHtD

Full disclosure: The broil feature leaves something to be desired for meat. I'd still buy it again.

 

[MBAustin]

I also splurged on the Breville a few years back and so glad I did. Use it much more than the big ovens, especially in the summer. It’s also a good toaster and a decent broiler for top browning (haven’t tried broiling meats)

 

[Pellice]

I just have the Costco Oster model which is great. I do not have a microwave, as the toaster oven is more versatile. It makes fine toast when set for 3 minutes. I'm usually just cooking for 1, so it heats up leftovers in 15 minutes - the time it takes me to get in the door, shove the food into the toaster oven, and then take care of getting clothes hung up, cat greeted, making salad, etc. If I need to cook, it does a pretty good job, even pretty good baking with a biscuit pan or loaf pan or 9 x 9 pan.

I may have the same model as SumDay - the broil function isn't perfect, but it works for melting some cheese on top, delicate fish, etc. I'd get it again too.

 

[Music Lover]

I just bought a Black and Decker for $50 and it works just fine as far as I can tell. I use it to bake or cook small items when I don't want to heat up the house. I also never leave it plugged in...when I'm done using it, it gets stored in a cupboard.

I never make toast in a toaster over...a regular toaster is best for that.

 

[Bestwifeever]

My kids who research everything both have Brevilles and we have a cheaper Cuisinart. Use it every day.

If I was going to blow that dough I would buy a highly rated Wolf “countertop oven” for $549

 

[EastWest Gal]

Our toaster died. Our toaster oven was an old something or other we got as a wedding gift. We bought a Breville, and also a broiler pan to go with it. (actually, Bed Bath and Beyond said the pan came with it. It did not, and we contacted Breville, and they sent us one for free!)

This will replace both the toaster and the toaster oven. We use it for small, one person meals, toasted anything. We were happy not to buy a new toaster-those things are so messy. It has a tray at the bottom to collect crumbs and is a breeze to clean. I really like the product. It doesn't get hot on the outside, but to be careful, I put some loose tiles under the feet on top of the formica counter. It has a timer, so it shuts off when done-no risk of forgetting to stop it.

We've had it for 3-4 years and are very happy with it.

 

[Another Reader]

I have a digital control Black and Decker convection model that I picked up at Target for $35 several years ago. I think the item was mispriced, even on sale. The door is glass and you have to be careful opening it plus you need a potholder to rest the door on when the oven is hot.

It's really good for cooking fish filets and warming up pizza. It creates some heat, but not as much as a full size oven. A small batch of cookies works well, although they do not brown perfectly evenly, despite the convection feature. It does not toast well.

I never had a toaster oven before, so nothing to compare it to. For $35, it was a decent investment.

 

[Chuckanut]

I have an old Black and Decker four slice toaster oven that keep on going. The top got rather nasty looking with all sorts of very dark stains on it. I tried a dollop of stove top cleaner on the thing and it is now bright and shiny again.

 

[45th Birthday]

Another vote for Breville. We have them in both our places and use them when we can. Also got a pizza stone, which is fun for making small pizzas. The back of the oven bows out to fit it.

 

[Morricol61]

Sunbeam Pizza Bake and Grill.



I use it to cook casseroles, pies, cakes, brownies, roast vegetables, pizza, bacon, chops and grilled cheese on toast among other things.



No complaints, it does a good job. Food grills, browns, roasts or bakes evenly, it is easy to keep clean and doesn't heat up the kitchen like the gas oven does.

 

[Chuckanut]

Another vote for Breville. We have them in both our places and use them when we can. Also got a pizza stone, which is fun for making small pizzas. The back of the oven bows out to fit it.

When my toaster oven gives up the ghost, I will have to look into a Breville.

+1 on the pizza stone if one wants good crust on the pizza. I got a square one which I find is easier to work with than a round one. I also use a layer of parchment paper under the pizza since my skills with a pizza paddle are pathetic.

 

[tmm99]

That's what I like doing too! I splurged 8 years ago and bought the Breville Smart convection toaster oven.

That’s what we have (the biggest model) which isn’t cheap but it’s a convection oven and it’s like a regular oven but only smaller. It’s big enough for most things and we almost never have to use our big oven. We used to bake bread and pizza in it too and they came out beautifully.

I have to say though that we are on our second smart oven. We could have kept the first one but the convection fan started to make noise (grease build-up?) and it got too annoying. I could have kept on using it without the convection feature, but I was moving and had a 20% coupon from Bed, Bath&Beyond so I chucked the old one and bought a new one. We've had our current one for about 3 years. The last one started making noise maybe in the 5th year? (Not sure)

Next time we buy a range oven, I think we'll go for the double oven style, and chuck the toaster oven to save some counter space.

 

[jazz4cash]

I have a digital control Black and Decker convection model that I picked up at Target for $35 several years ago. I think the item was mispriced, even on sale. The door is glass and you have to be careful opening it plus you need a potholder to rest the door on when the oven is hot.

It's really good for cooking fish filets and warming up pizza. It creates some heat, but not as much as a full size oven. A small batch of cookies works well, although they do not brown perfectly evenly, despite the convection feature. It does not toast well.

I never had a toaster oven before, so nothing to compare it to. For $35, it was a decent investment.

Yeah. We have one. I can’t believe how easy it is to come in contact with the metal door strip. Does a good job for heating. Toaster function is slow and inconsistent. LED readout is too dim.

 

[RobbieB]

I have a small kitchen and I wanted to maximize space utilization so I bought this cool toaster / oven combo unit.

Works great! Makes toast fast and the oven works great for reheating pizza and other snacks w/o need of heating large oven. And since everyone needs a toaster anyway...

 

[HI Bill]

We found that our regular oven works better than any toaster oven and it saves us from wasting counter space on another appliance.

My wife and I have found that our Breville toaster oven works as well as, or better than, our regular oven, and it saves us from heating up the whole kitchen, saves us on time preheating, and it saves us on electricity. Where we live, electricity costs are among the highest in the nation.

I can fit a whole frozen pizza in our Breville, can do convection, bake, broil, reheat, warm, etc. Wouldn't do without it!!!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Our “toaster oven” is perfect for things like roasting vegetables for the two of us—hate using the regular oven for that especially in the summer. I will say it makes crappy toast—regular toasters (and the original and dangerous toaster ovens) were much better at that!