Did you know that the toaster oven is one of the few small appliances that Alice Waters approves of? If you do a lot of cooking for one, then you will agree that a good toaster oven is a kitchen necessity. The key is to purchase a decent model, one that really functions as an oven as well as a toaster. Then you can do everything from roast a small chicken (or my favorite, chicken thighs!) to baking off a small tray of cookies to making your cinnamon toast in the morning.
One of most popular assumptions is that a toaster oven is more efficient than heating up a regular oven when cooking small amounts. Is this really true? Yes it is, according to Adria Vasil of Now:
"A typical electric oven runs on 2,500 to 5,000 watts (depending on the model, age and mode it's in) and set to 350° uses an average 2 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy for 60 minutes of cooking time. A 1,200-watt toaster oven set to 450° for 50 minutes uses only 0.9 kWh, according to BC Hydro."
Of course, a microwave uses even less energy but is limited in how it cooks food. You cannot successfully roast a small chicken a microwave, for instance, while a good toaster oven will perform this task quite beautifully, especially if you have a convection setting which will help to cook the bird faster and promote a crispy brown skin.
What makes a good toaster oven?
The toaster oven needs to accomplish two distinct tasks: to function like a toaster to produce a proper piece of toast while at the same time offering enough oomph to broil a piece of meat or bake a lasagne. Here's what I look for in a good toaster oven:
1) Heats properly. In order for a toaster oven to truly live up to it's multi-tasking promise, it must be able to both toast bread and and bake, roast and broil food. This is not always the case, so read the reviews before purchasing. A bad toaster oven will dry out bread before toasting it or not produce enough 'oven power' to properly cook food. Adding a convection mode only increases its potential to cook foods quickly and efficiently, and more and more ovens are adding this feature.
2) Easy to Use Dials. Sometimes the front of a toaster oven more closely resembles an airplane cockpit than a household appliance. While a toaster oven is a multi-tasker, it should also function as simply as possible, with easy to use dials and displays.
3) Built-in Timer. I don't know about you, but in my household a toaster oven without a timer would be a disaster. I cannot count the number of times I have been saved by my toaster oven's ping!
4) Easy to Keep Clean. In general, toaster ovens are easy to clean as most models come with removable crumb trays and racks. But if you do a lot of proper cooking in your toaster oven, you will want to be able to wipe down the inside with relative ease.
Do you love your toaster oven? What kind do you have? How do you use it?
• My Essential Appliance: Breville Smart Oven
• Can you Recommend a Good Small Toaster Oven?
• Toaster or toaster Oven: Which Do You Prefer?
• How Do I Clean Grease Out of the Toaster Oven?
• 10 Best Uses for Your Toaster Oven
(Image: Breville)
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I love my toaster-oven - the third one in many years and a better one than the last two - this one has a bump in the back on the middle grill that will hold my small iron pan or a regular pizza pan. I don't have a microwave - never have. Guess I'm a luddite!
Japan has this technology figured out.
In 2002, I bought a combination microwave, toaster, oven, and broiler. It even had a button for toast, and it came out perfectly golden brown every time. I even cooked a whole chicken in that thing once.
I can't wait to go back and get another one!!
I know this post's talks about a roster oven being an essential kitchen appliance for solo kitchens, but it's also extremely useful for a couple or a small family. My husband and I LOVE to eat pizza, meats, and pastas warmed back up in the toaster oven. Reheating things like this in a microwave results in rubbery bread and tough dry meat. I've even baked cookies for company in my toaster oven. It's the best!
I have the Breville Smart Oven that's in the picture above. I love it. It's perfect for cooking for one or two so I can have leftovers for my lunch. I rarely use my bigger oven anymore. When you are cooking for just one person, a toaster oven is a much better option (for this single gal anyway!).
We're the same as FoodGirl, no microwave for us since we cook popcorn on the stovetop (that's all people use a microwave for, right?). But when we began baking bread, it seemed foolish to heat a big oven just for one or two loaves, so a couple of years ago we bought a quality convection toaster-oven. We rarely use the stove's oven, but use the toaster-oven daily for reheating leftovers, cooking small casserole sides, making toast and, of course, baking the family bread. It has saved on the utility bills most definitely. Next range, though, will have a double-oven, one large and one small, both convection, and we'll regain some much needed counter space after the toaster oven finds a new home.
While great for cooking for one, that Breville toaster oven shown above is awesome for everyone!! It's one of my favorite, and most recommended, kitchen items.
It's great as an additional cooking space on holidays, the convection feature makes cheesecakes that don't crack, it reheats fried foods back to crispy, great for baked potatoes. It has toast and bagel settings, a setting for frozen items. It's one of the largest available toaster ovens, easily cooking pizzas, baking bread and pies, roasting chickens, it can hold a 9 x 13 baking pan.
I just can't say enough about it, the price is a bit steep, but in 3 years I haven't had one issue with it, and if it broke tomorrow, would buy another one. Also, paying $250 for a convection baker was a lot cheaper than replacing our whole oven.
Who's Alice Waters?
I cvould care less what Alice Waters approves of. I do not need celebity snobbery in my kitchen.
The toaster oven is a great device for small jobs and handy as all get out. My roommate has a thing for cheese toast made in it and then putting the two pieces of bread together. He, who disdains healthy eating, brags about his low fat "grilled" cheese. My favorite is single servings of baked salmon done right on the serving plate.
My toaster oven is the only thing that gets me through hot Los Angeles summers without air conditioning.
My absolute favorite use for our toaster oven is to bake a small ciabatta loaf. Make the dough the night before (300g flour, 5g salt, 2g yeast, 260ml water, mix well), pour/scrape onto a parchment-lined pizza pan, bake at 450°F, convection, for 25 minutes. It's especially fun to watch it rise and shape itself as it bakes.
All you need to take from this post is that you need to go out right now and buy the Breville Smart Oven that's pictured above. It's by far one of the best appliances you can buy and certainly the best oven you can buy.
We also have the Breville Smart Oven and love it! We use it way more than our big oven. It's great in the summer when I don't want to heat up the entire house. Also, perfect for making small batches of cookies since it's just the two of us.
People getting snarky over a mention of Alice Waters? Really? The woman is hardly a celebrity snob, but instead one of the most hard-working champions of bringing healthy food into people's lives.
I must say, I am converted. I used to dislike toaster ovens but they have grown on me as they are more useful than a regular toaster and quicker than a full sized oven.
That being said however... they cannot be left unattended! They are a fire hazard. Almost every toaster oven I have seen in someones kitchen has smoke stains on/around it.
I use my little convection toaster oven more often than the microwave, and almost as often as my regular oven. If had had known how handy it would be, I would have splurged on a nicer, bigger model. Next time!
I use mine all the time - I don't have a microwave and with the toaster oven I don't feel like I need one.
Buy the Breville w/convection. Just do it. The design, function, features are so far beyond other cheap versions. Got mine at Bed, Bath, Beyond w/20% off coupon - best $200 for any appliance I ever spent. Used it every day for 3+ years - absolutely reliable. Great design (crumb tray removes front side - magnets interior front of door slide out mid-level shelf, no little metal hooks to break off) I live in hot humid south so big oven is out of the question 6 months each year. Use it multiple times each day - often for major items, chicken, pork roast, biscuits, cakes, bread, casseroles. Auxillary oven when cooking for a crowd. Beats every other model i could find. Really worth the $$. I also have small microwave, small U shaped kitchen, use a 2 level cart for those 2 w/storage underneath.
Just a really well-thought out 'tool'. Breville items are seriously well designed and made and worth the $$ - if you cook, this is the one.
One more thing - they have built in timer for each function - you set function, temperature and time. It gives 3 beeps when time out, then TURNS ITSELF OFF. And the manual is in three languages. Company is clearly selling to a large global marketing - its Australian I thin. Go Aussie! and thanks. I'm up next for B. immersion blender
Can anyone recommend a small toaster oven that is not as expensive as the Breville? I'm looking for something around $100.
Who's Alice Waters?
Seriously, what is AW's problem with blenders? Your basic toaster? Surely she doesn't think we should toss our Kitchenaid mixers. And I wouldn't trade my hand blender for all the organic hand-picked arugula in Berkeley.
Not that I have anything against toaster ovens, I'm just peeved that I'm supposed to feel bad about owning appliances. But living as close as I do to Berkeley, I feel peeved a lot.
Could not live without the toaster oven! Our family of three uses it every day. Love it for baking small things without heating up the whole kitchen. In addition to regular toasting, I've broil fish, baked quiche, pies, cookies and small casseroles. Have a Breville now and will definitely spring for the convection next time. Had a hard time paying so much for a toaster - but the toast is fabulous!
@Kalena, you don't reheat pizza in a microwave. You reheat it in a frying pan with a lid on top of the stove.
Don't know who Alice Waters is and have no idea why I'm supposed to care about what kitchen appliances she thinks I should or shouldn't have.
I just gave my almost new toaster oven to my parents to replace the one they've been using for about six years. I realized I wasn't using mine at all (they use theirs almost every day), and it was taking up too much counter space. I'm not against them by any means, but I do most of my cooking and reheating on the stove top and when I bake or broil, I'd rather just use the oven.
I also don't have a microwave or any desire to have one, but then like UnoakedChardonnay I also make my popcorn on the stovetop. Yum yum.
If you have a regular oven, why would you want a toaster oven?
I might be a bit of a weirdo, but even though I cook for one, I don't mind cooking meals that are geared for 3-4 people. Why? Because I take the leftovers and have them for food for the rest of the week (usually lunch at work, while dinner is things like a bowl of cereal or quick sandwich or something).
I was failed by the Cuisinart and in a spirit of OhWellWhatTheHell got the el cheapo Black and Decker no frills one with a timer... ACE. I have no kitchen... artists loft, you know the drill,,, two hotplates (Best Chef, again the el cheapo one is the best!) And to my surprise, I was gifted with one of those turkey roasters (Hamilton Beach) by my brother who had discovered its greatness ina Thanksgiving emergency, than which nothing could feel tinnier, and it works GREAT too.
Go figger.
you and Sonja Morgan.
http://sonjamorganonline.sonjaproductions.com/category/toaster-oven-recipes/
The Cuisinart Compact Toaster Oven Broiler TOB 100 is $85 at BB&B after coupon