Toasters. They’re one of the most common kitchen appliances, invented long before the microwave. We can credit the first electric toaster creation to Maddy Kennedy back in 1872. Since that time, innovations in materials and technology have kept toaster products moving at the same speed as the rest of our technology. It’s not just about two little slices of toast anymore. Modern-day toasters can also perform as convection ovens, microwaves, broilers, and rotisseries with finely tuned digital precision and finesse.
Traditional Toasters Vs. Toaster Ovens
When shopping for a toaster, you’ll notice that the majority of toaster product variations fall into two general categories: regular toasters (y’know, the ones where bread pops up once it’s done) or toaster ovens (those miniature ovens on the countertop with flat trays instead of vertical).
A traditional toaster is the most cost-effective option, while a toaster oven will provide you with more versatility in the kitchen. The best way to determine which one would suit your needs best is to think about what you’d use a toaster for. Chances are, if you’re a fan of toast, bagels, and English muffins every day for breakfast, you’ll gravitate more towards a traditional toaster. It’s easier to adjust the browning settings to get the perfect slice of toast every time. But if you’re an occasional toast eater with a greater desire to cook small portions in the oven frequently (toasting pine nuts, melting cheese, or reheating leftovers), a good quality toaster oven will be more your style.
What To Look For
Adjustable settings are a must, whether it be a Light to Dark dial or a temperature control knob. Automatic settings can only take you so far, since you may find that you prefer something different than what’s automatically programmed.
Bagel settings are great for toasting just one side of the pastry so that the finished product is chewy on the bottom and crisp on top, just like you’d order it from your favorite deli.
A “lift” feature is also nice, since piping-hot pieces of small toast can be hard to grab out of the toaster slots — and for safety reasons, you don’t want to stick your fingers in the machine or pry the bread out with metal tongs. Toasters that lift will raise the bread high enough so that you don’t have to do any of the aforementioned electrocution-friendly tasks.
Digital toasters and toaster ovens are preferable since they’re more precise, not to mention most are programmable with timed settings and a “keep warm” function.
Size matters. Know where you want to store your toaster, and shop for a size that’ll make the best use of the space you’re given. Also, keep in mind the kinds of food you’d like to cook. For example, you might be craving a frozen personal pizza or a grilled panini on long bread, but a small toaster oven might not accommodate them.
Products
For a basic, no-fuss traditional toaster, see the Cuisinart Cool Touch 4-Slice CPT-140. This toaster’s namesake stems from its surface, cool to the touch so you (or your kids) don’t have to worry about accidentally getting burnt hands on the sides of the appliance.
A different look for the traditional toaster is the “tandem” design, as seen with the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Tandem Toaster. It’s a 4-slice model as well, but it’ll accommodate longer items like Texas toast and thin hoagie rolls.
For toasters that function on an industrial, mass-production level, take a look at the DeLonghi Extra Long Toaster. This fully automatic toaster can hold up to 12 slices at a time, keeping them warm after they pop up in case the kitchen’s too busy for you to remove the slices immediately.
If your preference is a toaster oven, why not look for one that can do as much as possible? A great example is the George Foreman 8-in-1 Toaster. In addition to a toaster oven, this machine is a rotisserie, broiler, bun warmer, griddle, and convection oven capable of baking and roasting. Another great option for tech-savvy cooks is the Sharp Convection Toaster, a sleek and modern toaster oven that’s also a convection oven, grill, and microwave.
Minimal counter space may lead you to the Sanyo Automatic Toaster Oven, a small appliance that only needs one square foot of space to function. It won’t hold as much as the others, but its double-decker design fits more than you’d think at first glance.
Read all of our Toaster & Toaster Oven reviews below:
This Black & Decker 4-slice Toast-R-Oven is a frequent best-seller due to its relatively low retail price -- and the fact that it's pretty easy to find on sale. If you look around long enough, you should be able to find this toaster oven for under 30 ...
"You get what you pay for" is a saying I've often used to reinforce any purchase that I didn't happen to find on a clearance shelf. If something's dirt cheap and it breaks, I don't feel so bad about any poor investment skills -- it's all about the bargain shopping ...
One way to get a healthy, filling breakfast each morning is to get up early and cook all your proteins and breads from scratch. But while that may be the best-tasting way to go about your morning, chances are it's not the most feasible thing to do day ...
If you're like me, you crave every extra minute that you get to sleep in. Snooze alarms are used multiple times in the morning. Everything you need for your day is set out the night before, so when that dreaded 10th snooze alarm goes off, the only thing ...
Sharp has really raised the bar with this full-featured oven. If you are searching for a true all-in-one solution to countertop cooking, then this may be just the thing to meet your needs.
The Sharp R-820JS looks to be a sophisticated microwave oven at first glance. The controls are ...
Until someone comes up with a radical new technology for toasting bread, we will be choosing our favorite device from small slotted boxes with spring plungers, little changed in a lifetime. All the while cursing the heavens for burnt or underdone toast. Into the fray comes this ...
This convection toaster oven from Krups offers sophisticated electronic controls along with innovative quartz heating. All meant to elevate the experience beyond what you would expect from a countertop appliance.
The oven has an interior capacity of .59 cubic feet, which is roomier than most toaster ovens in this category according ...
For the many small jobs a pop-up toaster can't handle -- like open-faced sandwiches with cheese -- a full-sized oven does not make good economic sense, wasting watts on a snack-sized item that could as easily be spent on a turkey. The Sanyo Space Saving Toaster Oven fits neatly in that ...
The Oster 6297 Convection Toaster Oven offers a wide temperature range, thoughtful design, and timed cooking up to 60 minutes. Pick an oven recipe that fits its range and you'll get good results; for a countertop oven, it's very capable.
One of the nice perks of the Oster Toaster is the ...
The Oster Toaster oven is available in a fire-engine red color and features a convection cooking system and uncomplicated controls meant to provide versatility and space-saving convenience on the kitchen counter.
This model has a decidedly retro appearance with rotary dials, and an industrial-style metal casing with venting slots on the sides. ...
My first toaster oven was a hot mess. There was no good way to clean it, so the stains accumulated until it became unsightly. Black & Decker has attempted to ensure that I will never again have to be ashamed to leave my oven out on the counter, thanks to the ...
I have never been able to get bread or pizza crust to come out as lovely, brown and chewy, crisp and crunchy, as when I use a baking stone. I never thought about using one before visiting one of those fantastic Chicago pizza places and tasting their creations baked on stone ...
Cuisinart, the company that began with the food processor, now has quite an extensive line of toasters. Their offerings range from high-end stainless steel to the colorful Cool Touch models.
This toaster is meant to be used where counter space is at a premium, and is very compact for a 4-slice model. ...
For the price of one appliance, you can have this eight-in-one oven, capable of baking, broiling, roasting, grilling, toasting and designed for use as a griddle, bun warmer and rotisserie oven. It is like a smaller version of your regular oven, plus it can do many things your oven can't. As ...
For the price of one appliance, you can have this eight in one oven, capable of baking, broiling, roasting, grilling, toasting and designed for use as a griddle, bun warmer and rotisserie oven. It is like a smaller version of your regular oven, plus it can do many things your ...
The Sunbeam Heritage Series toaster combines an old look with new functions. The toaster has a cool touch exterior. It holds two slices and the slots are extra wide and extra deep to fit thicker breads. The unit not only toasts, it reheats and warms for heating without drying. Selection buttons ...
Cuisinart has designed a neat way to get brick oven results from a countertop appliance. Genuine brick inserts are built into the oven sides and a removable baking stone is included to surround your food with the special quality of heat that stone can produce. The oven may take a bit ...
Several important design improvements built into this classic KitchenAid 2-Slice Toaster help to ensure even toasting every time. Cheaper toasters have wire heating elements that change position as they heat and cool, making the toast color control a real gamble. In this toaster, the heavy heating elements are held ...
Calphalon, well known as a manufacturer of anodized aluminum cookware, continues to expand their offerings to include this convection toaster oven for the kitchen counter.
Wrapped in a brushed stainless steel shell and featuring a nonstick interior, this compact oven features convection cooking via an internal fan that circulates the heat to ...
What makes the Proctor-Silex 4-Slice Toaster Oven/Broiler different from all the other toaster ovens out there? Several things--some of which may be seen as bonuses, others of which may be seen as shortcomings. It all depends on your perspective.
The Proctor-Silex 4-Slice Toaster Oven/Broiler is just that: a toaster oven/broiler. ...
Black & Decker have revamped their popular Spacemaker line of under-cabinet kitchen appliances in a black color scheme with stainless steel accents. This toaster oven promises to free up counter space by its innovative mounting option.
This toaster oven, part of the Spacemaker quartet of appliances, is a compact unit ...
The truth is I don't believe in toasters. In fact, I don't believe in any kitchen appliance that takes up so much space and only serves one function. I just don't have enough room in my kitchen for a one-trick pony.
No, I believe in toaster ovens. They're not much bigger ...
With the Hamilton Beach Counter Top Rotisserie Oven, you can bake or broil, enjoy convection and rotisserie functions. The interior is a roomy 1.1 cubic feet, large enough for a five pound chicken or two twelve inch pizzas. The oven includes two racks, two baking pans, a broiling rack, rotisserie skewer and ...
I love versatility. Especially in a kitchen appliance. And Cuisinart's new Convection Toaster Oven has versatility written all over it. You can use it to bake, broil, toast, defrost, reheat; it does it all. And it looks good, too.
The unit measures 17 1/2 x 13 1/2 x ...
If you're looking for versatility and affordability, look no further than Cuisinart's Classic 6-Slice Toaster Oven. The Toaster Oven offers 1/2 cubic foot cooking capacity which means you can use it to bake a chicken, broil meat for the whole family, or toast 6 slices of bread (or 6 thick ...
Toasters are so yesterday. I mean all they do is toast and take up counter space. Breville's CT70XL is 8 inches high, 5 inches long, and has a depth of 11 inches. That's a fair amount of counter space for an appliance that only does one thing.
To be fair, ...
The DeLonghi model DO400 Toaster Oven is a slick looking thing, very modern in its lines, in black with chrome accents. The one third cubic foot capacity offers fourteen hundred watts of power to bake, broil, toast or warm food items. The controls are digital and very user friendly, with ...
The Krups Toaster Oven has a clean, professional look and uses quartz convection technology (two sets of three quartz heating elements) to produce its even heat. With one half cubic foot of capacity and sixteen hundred watts of power, it can do everything from toast to bake or broil. Every part ...
In the Sanyo Convection Oven, two quartz heaters run the full width of the oven, top and bottom. This pair of twin convection inlets provide fast and even heating. Harnessing the power of 1350 watts, the oven will cook, reheat, bake and toast up to four slices of bread or items ...
This is a very smart little oven for your kitchen counter from DeLonghi in Italy. It has a very quick heat up time and simple digital controls, with a large easy to read display.
I really don't know why manufacturers still refer to these as toaster ovens. I don't know anyone who ...
Get ready to test the culinary limits of your toaster oven! This set is the perfect size for toaster ovens. So it's perfect for dorm-room chefs, RV and boat gourmands, and other space-challenged cooks. We could use one at my office come to think of it.
These three bakeware items are very ...
This is a fully automatic toaster from DeLonghi. That means you just set the bread into the slots and the toaster activates, lowers the bread and toasts it to the preset darkness, and raises it back up with a beep to alert you that its ready.
Believe it or not, the fully ...
Something about the DeLonghi design lends itself to imitation. There are a few brands on the market now that share the look of this model. In the case of this Esclusivo Toaster, the look is so distinctive as to be more suited to a laboratory than a kitchen. My first ...
Let's face it: One of the benefits of life in the twenty first century has got to be the astounding selection of high-tech devices all designed to make a slice of bread hot and crunchy. Ah, the future.
This model, the Esclusivo Pro-Metal 4-slice Toaster, certainly satisfies the desire of those ...
The CPT-120 comes with an astonishing nine browning levels in addition to the touchpad controls for reheat, defrost, bagel, and cancel settings. It works with both fresh and frozen toastable items. Inch and a half wide slots are roomy enough for larger items such as bagels and muffins.
LED indicator lights denote ...
The Cuisinart TAN 4 is a two slot toaster which can hold up to four regular slices or two longer items for toasting. Each slot is an inch and a half wide to accommodate thick breadgoods and an extra lift carriage lever helps you to remove smaller pieces after toasting. Settings ...
This two slice version Cuisinart has inch and a half wide slots for ease in placing and retrieving even larger, thicker toastable items. At nine hundred watts, the CPT-160 Classic's functions include defrost and bagel buttons with LED indicators, reheat, and a six setting browning dial. The toaster shuts off automatically at ...
The Cuisinart CPT-180 BCH Classic is a four slice toaster made with slots an inch and a half in width to suit the thickest of breads. An extra lift lever allows you to raise toasted items to a higher level to retrieve them or you can choose to leave them deeper ...
The Cuisinart Countdown toaster offers two slots, each an inch and a half wide, which are made to fit even bagels and muffins. Choose from six browning levels and specific bagel, reheat, and defrost options. Make a mistake? A cancel button will stop the process.
The functions have LED indicators and an LCD ...
The lowly Toaster Oven has really matured over the years. I remember mine in college, a lowly metal box, good only for melting cheese on toast and the formica counter beneath it. Today's models can replace your standard oven quite practically, for all but the largest baking and roasting needs.
Case in point, ...
Cuisinart has made a more versatile and functional update to the old toaster ovens we used to know. This one can double as a second oven. Skip heating your larger oven as you bake an entire chicken, broil fish, even cook a twelve inch pizza on your countertop. The large capacity Cuisinart ...
The modern lifestyle is a busy one: You're up early, there's never enough time. Fast food is not a pleasant option, but what choice do you have? The Back to Basics Toaster/Poacher serves up a hot meal in minutes in one appliance. No pans to face when ...
Even a toaster isn't just a toaster anymore. The Krups FEM2B will also defrost and act as a warmer, has a special function for bagels and eight levels of browning. Consumer Reports has a few ideas about what makes a good toaster. The Krups model has several of ...
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