We often get questions about cooking in small spaces. While recommending another appliance might not seem like the logical answer, a counter-top oven is actually a great solution for energy-conscious, small-space cooking.
Let me count the ways...
I've been playing with the Breville Smart Oven, which yes, makes toast, but is so much more than a toaster oven. It's just big enough to bake a pie, even a 13" round pizza. It gets hot quickly and has some neat features like a magnetic rack that pulls out when the door is opened. This particular unit would be a really good choice for kitchens without ovens (I see this more than you might expect in NYC apartments) or for anyone trying to cut back on wasteful energy. Why heat up a big gas oven to bake a potato?
Here are a few of the things I use my toaster oven for. Tell us in the comments how you use yours.
- Warm plates before serving. Many large ovens only go down to 200°F which can be too high. A counter-top oven goes lower. I like heating plates for 5 minutes at 170°F.
- Toast nuts. Arrange in a single layer on included pan or a sheet of aluminum foil. 350°F for 10-15 minutes, agitating to turn nuts every 5 minutes.
- Make small batches of cookies, muffins, individual cakes
- Cook side dishes (like stuffing) while the main oven is occupied with something bigger (the turkey).
- Roast small batches of meat: a whole roaster chicken, quartered, fits easily, as does a pork tenderloin, a few pounds of ribs, etc.
- Re-heat left-overs.
- Defrost frozen ingredients.
- Bake potatoes.
- Melt cheese on top of French Onion Soup.
- Anything you'd use the broiler for with the added bonus of using less energy and having more control: your broiled food will be at counter-height with a see-through window.
The big argument that is always made about toaster ovens is that they don't make toast well. This is partly true, although it does vary from model to model. The Breville does a good job, although in more time than a traditional toaster. Forget toast though, this is about cooking (entirely if you choose) with a counter-top oven. Goodbye gas bill.
Those with an eye toward replacing a traditional oven should shy away from cheap counter-top toaster ovens. Look for a counter-top oven with convection and at least 1500watts of power.
So go ahead, tell us why you love your counter-top oven, and be sure to tell us which one you have.
• Check out the Breville Smart Oven at Amazon ($247.99) and Williams-Sonoma ($249.95)
Related: Could You Live Without an Oven?
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This just brought back memories. Before the microwave, my sister and I used to put almost everything in the toaster oven. Now that I think about it, the food came out better than it does from the microwave. For a fraction of the cost, this is a great, hardworking appliance. You may have to wait a little longer, but the result is worth it. Thanks for the tip on plate warming!!
I use my toaster oven WAY more than my range... especially in the summer. It's larger than most & has a convection feature (Europro). It's on nightly dinner duty: baking bread/rolls, small sides (gratins, anything w/cheese on top), cobblers, cookies, etc. It's my great non-microwave-multi-tasker. AND it does toast pretty well, too! (7 out of 10)
I have to disagree with a good portion of these suggestions.
cookies: I can't imagine them coming out well in a toaster oven... the temperature isn't remotely similar between the front and back of the oven... and the cookies would be close to the coils!
heating up plates: a dinner plate wouldn't fit in my toaster oven....
Stuffing: I've lived in several apartments, and the stuffing has always fit in the oven next to the turkey....
roasting ribs: can't imagine a couple lbs fitting in a toaster oven... but I can imagine the grease fire that may be created!
toasting nuts: I find easiest in a dry cast iron skillet...
most leftovers are best heated up in the microwave...
And the microwaves strong point is its autodefrost feature ;-)
On the flipside, I've used the toaster oven for years to do simple things like:
heat up frozen bagels
toast bread / bagels
bake potatoes
make an oven version of grilled cheese
I would happily switch to a toaster oven exclusively in my tiny texas apartment. My full size oven heats up the apartment to an ungodly degree from April-October (I just turned it on again yesterday for the first time in months ).
I've been dying to have a full size oven out on a balcony or something, so I could still bake pies and cakes without having to worry about the a/c bill. But having a toaster oven in the kitchen would be a nice compromise, so I wouldn't have to run outside to make gratin in the chilly part of winter.
"most leftovers are best heated up in the microwave..."
Oh, I have to disagree.
I've lived without a microwave for years, and IMO leftovers that come out of the oven are both toastier and tastier than microwave food...
...and I'm not standing there wondering if something's gonna explode - a couple extra minutes in the oven are no big deal, but in the microwave you could have a huge mess!
During my bachelor days it was perfect for portion control. I could only cook as much as the little Toaster Oven could hold, which was perfect for two meals. It now is reserved for reheating leftovers that need that nice crunch (fries, lasagna, etc...)
@modern - seriously, I wouldn't suggest cookies if they weren't FANTASTIC in my toaster oven. We pop them in while we're eating dinner.
Again, mine is a larger oven w/a convection feature (easily fits a large dinner plate)... big difference from my old Black & Decker from the college days. I only choose to cook in it when the gas oven isn't already on. My big oven kinda sucks & really overheats my entire kitchen.
I love my after dinner toaster oven cookies. Since I only make two, I can't overeat!
i agree with the above: cookies have tendency to burn on the bottom, even on a thick cookie sheet with a silpat. Too close to the heating element!
However, it's great for finishing things under the broiler: the skillet handle may poke out, but I get a great crust/nicely melted cheese/etc. with my toaster oven.
I also like using it for low heat operations: toasting and warming tortillas is taken care of while you fuss over the main event!
I think it depends on the size of your toaster oven. My cheap Wally World toaster ovens did not cook the cookies well. However, my new Delonghi cooks everything perfectly!! From cookies to an 9" pan of cornbread. The cookies come out chewy in the center and crispy on the outside. Yummm
@modern -- you must have a really tiny/old model -- I use my toaster oven for everything. I've turned on my regular oven 3 times in the last year -- cookies, muffins, coffee cake, casseroles, manicotti, quiche, pie, chicken, steak, meatloaf, appetizers, nuts (sometimes I don't have an extra burner or the attention to spare for stove top toasting) -- all turned out wonderful.
I'll also set plates on top of the oven while dinner is cooking inside, so they both warm up together. I've also used my microwave about as often as I use my big oven -- the toaster oven is my most valuable appliance -- hands down.
two words: shrinky dinks.
anyone else?
Once you've reheated leftover pizza in a toaster oven, you'll never want to nuke it again.
One of my favorite things to do with a toaster oven is to toast whole sandwiches. I'll pile the cheese and meat on the bread and stick the whole thing in. Toaster ovens aren't good at making toast because the heat is uneven but I sort of like that for this purpose: the cheese melts but the edges of everything get crisp and the center remains a little soft.
I admittedly do have a small toaster oven.... and a very nice microwave ;-) In our home, virtually anything can be revived to it's original consistency and taste if defrosted and heated in our microwave. Re-heating in an oven tends to dry things out... Wouldn't want to re-heat rice or buttered pasta in the toaster oven ;-)
I can see how you could possibly get away with baking in a toaster oven if it has a convection feature.... barring that, I'll stand firm on my "no baking" policy for the toaster oven.
Judging by these responses, some of you have a toaster oven that is at least the size of a large microwave.... So I guess it would perform more like a full-sized oven...
In my mind, a toaster oven is for tiny things... If I'm cooking a meal, the real oven is used. why else is it there?
I don't own a microwave by but my toaster oven I use quit a bit.
I agree with some of the comments about baking cookies, warming plates and so on.
Great for sandwiches, warming up pizza, toasting pecans and pinenuts, helps in thawing or anything single portion that needs to be reheated. I make burritos and wrap them in foil to heat and cook and melting cheese over tortilla chips.
@modern on long island:
Well in your mind then everything you said makes sense.
But for others of a different mind with a different oven the modern toaster oven is a fast and more economical way to do anything we might do in a large oven.
I used to use my toaster oven all the time. However, after I moved in with my husband, we bought what we thought was a good one and it ended up being totally unreliable. Heating unevenly, not being able to have a long enough time setting, having the heating element too close or too far away. It was then that I realized that I used my oven or microwave more often. Once I realized that it was valuable counterspace for an appliance that I used once a month, we got rid of it. That was six months ago and I haven't missed it once.
@modern -- my toaster oven is about 2/3 the size of my small microwave -- but it does have a convection feature, but it's nothing fancy -- only about 65 bucks new (I got it on sale for 40), and it keeps my sweltering Texas kitchen cool, saves on my power bills, and cooks everything really well.
definitely have to agree that some things reheated require a toaster oven- pizza is almost returned to fresh by 30 seconds in the microwave followed by a few minutes in the toaster oven
Beat me to it! Iz knows the best way to get pizza ready for eating again. I'm glad someone else cares about their pizza enough to use this two device reheating technique.
I agree with lz and wanderingfoodie about the pizza. I like to use microwave and then toaster oven for lasagna, pizza and basically anything that I'd like crisped on the outside but moist on the inside.
The toaster oven alone is great for heating up fried food (microwaving just makes it soggy) and for broiling to finish dishes - it's much easier for me to keep track of the broiling progress with the item at eye level.
At a popular restaurant in my area, I watched the appetizer chef using the same $60 Europro toaster oven that I have at home! He was using it for many of the dishes and said it worked as well as a salamander. So it works for high volume cooking too.
i don't own a microwave nor will i. i don't care for their power use or performance. i greatly prefer my toaster oven. i use it as the article describes - a small portion oven and broiler. the one we have isn't even a great one but the heat is pretty even and when i just want a couple of cookies i can raise the rack so they aren't as close to the element.
if you want to even out the heat in your toaster oven find a nice piece of stoneware or tile to put in the little thing and it works like a classic clay oven.
my parents have a really nice microwave that's also a convection oven. it's big enough for a moderately sized turkey and they like having a microwave. my experiences haven't been satisfactory with microwaves but others' vary, of course.
pizza only comes from ovens though :)
we had out kitchen renovated a few year ago and depended on our toaster oven! We cooked everything we could think of in it for 6 months!
I make cookies in the office toaster oven all the time, and they turn out great. I think I actually use it more to make/finish things off for lunch than my toaster oven at home. I've even gone so far as to marinate chicken tenders and do a quick roast in the toaster oven for lunch. Makes the whole office jealous :)
Although I'm completely ambulatory, as a person with Multiple Sclerosis heat REALLY effects me. Having the big oven on and staying in the kitchen was not working for me at all. I'd wilt to the point that I had to leave the kitchen and ask my husband to finish cooking dinner while I recovered.
SO, I replaced my old-style toaster oven (and passed it on to a friend with an even OLDER one) with a Cuisinart with the convection feature and a 10" capacity (back to front and side to side). I LOVE IT! In addition to the benefits mentioned by others, the temp can be reduced by 25 degrees and the cooking time shortened by about 10%. It does everything that my gas oven does, but in smaller batches. Sometimes that's frustrating but for the most part I could not be happier.
I've been roasting tomatoes, red bell peppers and garlic all summer. Broiling meat. Baking bread, cookies, muffins, potatoes, crisps and crumbles, casseroles. Boboli pizza.
Caveat 1: Standard casseroles (9x13) won't fit the new oven. I had to buy some other baking vessels so I took myself to Marshall's &got some wonderful Chantel pieces.
Caveat 2: only one dish in the toaster/convection oven at a time. Makes for creative organizing.
I would gladly ditch my microwave for a toaster oven, and plan to in my next apartment. I'm just waiting for a little bit more countertop real estate.
Only thing I would miss would be microwave popcorn. But I'm sure I could learn a stovetop version.
I don't have an oven. I make everything I need in my toaster oven, including cookies. I've made brownies and even little pies! Mine does a great job, but it is a higher end, larger model and does have a convection feature.
All the baking has turned out fine. I love it.
Chiming in: I love love love reheated pizza slices from my toaster oven. Mine is a hand-me-down that a friend gave me in 2000 or so when she moved. It's rusting, but still hanging in there. And when the temperature hit over 100 in July, I moved my toaster oven out on my deck (don't have a grill yet) and broiled eggplant slices. mmm.
Baking cookies in a non-convection toaster oven does not work at all!
Which would you have if you could only have one - a microwave or a toaster oven? I have neither, and only have room for one or the other ...
I have the Breville toaster oven and love it! I rarely use my big oven anymore. I had a Cuisinart before but it can't compare to this one. It was so small I couldn't roast a bunch of vegetables at one time and with the Breville I can. I also find the Breville makes far superior toast to most toaster ovens and even better than the toaster I had. Can you tell I love my Breville?! :)
My parents are facing a kitchen renovation and I just talked to my mother about how they're going to cook during the construction process.
Does anyone have a specific toaster oven that they love that is current enough that I could easily buy the same one for my parents?
Thank you in advance!
NOT taco shells. They catch fire. Don't ask me how I know.
the trick to heating taco shells is this: heat up the toaster oven empty - i put it on the highest toast setting. when it goes off then put the shells in. they heat up enough and stay warm enough with burning. which i used to do all. the. time.
@sciencegeek
This oven is amazing! Not a toaster oven but it works great as steam oven, convection oven AND microwave.
It can be on the counter or built in. We couldn't live without it!! (i know a bit pricey but sooooo worth it -we almost never use the "big" oven any more)
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-AX-1200S-SuperSteam-Multi-Purpose-Stainless/dp/B001QFYDRO/ref=pd_sbs_k_1
I do everything but toast in my toaster oven. Couldn't agree more for the great uses! One thing to add is roasting veggies of all kinds including tomatoes for a quick tomato soup.
The toaster oven was the first present my then-boyfriend- now-husband ever bought me. We've been together ever since.
I really miss having a toaster oven, and feel so guilty every time I heat up the oven for one small thing. I used to make s'mores in the toaster oven...put a few marshmallows and chocolate chunks on a graham cracker, and the marshmallows melt/toast up perfectly!
I live alone and use my Cuisinart convection toaster oven for nearly every task that is small enough in size. It does a beautiful job, particularly, on a tray of roasted veggies. I do entire dinners for one regularly in the toaster oven. Anything which has a long cooking period should be rotated front to back from time to time, of course.
Anything with any degree of crispness or starchiness should not be reheated in a microwave, which is, essentially, an anti-toaster. The microwave is is best for reheating soup, , and for or an entire cauliflower, whole. And also, strangely, for making perfect bacon.
karandash: wow. expensive! I'm sure it is incredibly awesome though.
Thanks for the recommendation, but I'm looking for a temporary solution for during the renovation and that one is out of the budget range.
I was hoping for something in the less than $100 range - I probably should have mentioned that.
I too use my toaster oven for all kinds of crazy things, but my all time favorite use? Roasting garlic. I put a few cloves and some olive oil in a ramekin or even an entire head, top trimmed off, in the ramekin, set the oven to about 150 and keep an eye on it until deliciously roasted. Faster and more economical than the usual oven, so I can start snacking on it before the main dish is ready.
I use my Oster Toaster/Convection Oven all the live long day. It cooks everything (cookies, pizzas, roasts) evenly as would a full size oven and in less time. The biggest advantage: not heating up our entire apartment!
At around $70, it's definitely my best kitchen purchase.
hearthheart
Sorry, bad coding.
I use my toaster/convention for cooking pretty much anything oven related with the exception of lasagna.
I've made chinese style ribs, roasted chickens, baked cookies, mufins, quiche and casserole..
I do not use the toaster function except to make cheese toast.
It also have the rotisserie feature but I have not used that that.
You'll have to pry my toaster oven out of my stiff cold hands:D
I do a lot with my toaster oven. I don't use a microwave, as awesome as they are, I don't like the idea of radiating my food. Personal choice, that's all.
I love these pans! And look forward to cooking with my toaster oven. Even if it doesn't work out, 20 bucks is a small price to pay to experiment!
Toaster ovens will do everything that a big oven will do. I bake cookies, cornbread and muffins in mine--the key is to preheat for about 5 min and turn the cookie/muffin pan around about halfway thru to get even broiler contact. I make meatloaf in my toaster oven. I broil steaks, pork chops and chicken. It is used 5 times more often than my microwave. I pop in pizza rolls, frozen french fries, chicken nuggets,etc. And its great for warming up cold pizza. LOVE MY toaster oven. I have lived in my apartment for almost 3 years and my oven has been used maybe 4 times.
I didn't have an oven for over a year and my toaster oven that I got for my wedding came to my rescue, I had to bake everything in it. I made my recipes work in it I bought smaller dishes to fit in it as well, wonderful little guy!
How does one make muffins in a toaster oven? In ramekins? I've never seen a muffin tin that was small enough to fit in there.
A few times I have used a microwave, but never owned one. I was delighted with DeLonghi, went through three of them and became unhappy with them. I didn’t think I would be able to get another toaster oven, and then I saw the Breville.
I’ve used it for everything, even toast, not cookies, because I make two batches at a time; but cheesecakes, roast chicken, roasted veggies, potatoes, pizza, reheating…, and I think I saw small enough muffin tins at CB2. I rarely use my gas oven.
Aside from reheating things nicely, I'll use toaster ovens for a warm draftless place for dough to rise - works well even if I'm using the oven for other things.
I find that using earthenware, ovenproof bakeware really smooths out the heat, those elements are darn close to food, I get super results... gratin dauphinois anyone?
When I lived in an apartment with no oven, I used my toaster oven to make roasted chicken. A whole chicken, halved, fresh tarragon, tarragon vinegar, and olive oil. It came out perfectly crisp every time!
I love my Black and Decker toaster oven. It was only $35 bucks, and I did a lot of research before picking that one (even though it was at walmart). Now I use it for everything
soda bread, cake, brownies, chicken, steak, meatballs etc. etc.
The trick is to rotate your food once midcycle, and it turns out great. Keeps better heat then my apartment large stove.