I have never owned or used a toaster oven. I guess they could be useful but just seems like a waste of money and space to me. Especially since most of them seem so cheaply built.

I use both for different things. :) I like my toast and my son's toaster strudel ACK! I know...toaster strudel in a toaster. I warm buns, bagels, little pizzas or anything I don't want to fire up the big oven for.

I probably would have never had a toaster oven but I got one for a wedding gift and so I put it to use.

toaster ovens by far - not only do they toast bread, but they can hold any shape/ size of bread and they bake and broil as well. its a great money-saver in terms of not having to turn on the oven and heat up such a large space every time you want to bake something - from a tuna melt to 6 cookies to homemade mac and cheese, brownies, bread pudding - you name it, i use my toaster oven for it!

I 'inherited' my roommate's toaster oven after she graduated and love it to bits. Being a two-person household, it gets used to make dinner fairly frequently, saving the trouble of heating up the entire oven for a couple of pork chops, a tray of fries or even zucchini bread. Keeps the kitchen from getting too hot in summer too.

we could not live without our toaster oven. it keeps pancakes warm, does toast, pizza, small roasts & casseroles, cookies, croutons, dehydrated veg/herbs--i even made s'mores using the broiler recently. the only problem we have is when we need it more than once in prepping a meal: my husband stood around recently waiting for tomatoes to roast before he could heat up the pizza stone (yeah, we have a tiny one that fits) for flatbread.

toaster bit the dust several years ago, couldn't see the point in replacing it.

If what you have fits into a toaster and won't melt, then a toaster. Generally they work faster and more consistently, and do a better job of holding the finished product at the end of the cycle (less likely to continue to toast/burn the food if you don't take it out right away). For all other things, toaster oven. If space and money weren't factors, I'd want to have both available.

Growing up my parents always had a toaster oven, and I used to beg them to buy a conventional toaster. I'm not sure why I felt so strongly about it, other than because I was enamored with the Dualit toasters in the Williams-Sonoma catalog.

Now that I have my own kitchen, I have a regular (not Dualit) two-slice toaster and there are definitely times when I wish I had a toaster oven, like when I want to bake a single-serving of homemade pot pie. Maybe someday, when I have more counter space!

I haven't had a toaster oven for years but remember liking it. I've just got a toaster now and would be reluctant to give up any real estate to a messy toaster oven. I just use my microwave for anything the toaster doesn't cover - I know, I know, not the same, but still. Now, if someone gave me a toaster oven, I might reconsider...

Toaster! I have never seen a cute toaster oven and they take up too much counter anyway. If I need something melted I would heat up the stove - gas only for me - and it does the job fast without preheating.
A friend of mine has some weird combo toaster/toaster oven and likes it but has tons more space in her kitchen.

A former roommate left a toaster at my place. I don't use it: it's a uni-tasker. I love my toaster oven. I really don't mind taking it in & out of the cupboard -- it's really not that heavy.

Toaster oven's are a must have. Microwaved leftover pizza is gross, but you can warm it up in the toaster oven in like 3 minutes and it is as good as new.

Definitely toaster oven. We are limited on counter space so we chose toaster oven over microwave, there was just no room for both. With a small toaster and no microwave, reheating would be quite difficult.

Currently, I have neither. And don't really miss it. I've been using the oven's broiler if I wanted toasted bread.

Toaster oven, all the way. We use it for all kinds of things to add crispyness instead of making it soggy in the microwave. Our toaster oven is not that heavy. It doesn't toast bread as evenly as a toaster but I am not picky about toast so it's good enough for me.

We do live in a hot climate so yes, not having to turn on the oven just to reheat some pizza is a huge plus. And it saves electricity.

Neither -- I use the broiler. I don't have the space and I can think of many other cool gadgets that I could fill the little space I do have. Broiler = toaster!

Toaster oven. I got a Cuisinart model at Costco for about $120. Totally worth it - it takes up little counter space, I use it to toast (of course) but also to bake, broil, reheat, and warm plates. I use it so often that it took the place of my microwave, which is currently sitting on top of the dryer in my pantry. It's also exceptionally easy to clean; I simply pull out the crumb tray from the back and wash. Toasters are much better for toasting but I'm not a fan of appliances with only one purpose.

In my experience toaster ovens don't toast or oven well

I think it depends on what kind of toaster oven you have. Last year I got that beautiful Breville Smart Oven posted above and it does everything a full size oven does, in smaller size. Actually since our full size oven isn't convection, that's the reason I wanted one. If you have one that is fairly small and uses older heating elements it's probably a unitasker.

In mine I bake pies, roast chickens, roast beef tenderloins, make pizza, bake cookies, roast garlic, make nachos, it reheats, defrosts, broils, etc. and of course it does toast, up to 6 slices as opposed to a toaster's max of 4. It even has preset setting for toast and bagels that never fail. It has been a fantastic 2nd oven for holidays and great to not heat up a full oven when a smaller baking pan is used. Though it fits 12" pizzas, 9x13 baking pans, and quarter sheet pans with ease so the size has really been useful.

We only had a toaster growing up, not until I went to college did I learn all the wonders of toaster oven snacks!

I'd say if you are in the market for one, the Breville Smart Oven is so much more than just a "toaster oven."

Toaster oven!

Now that I've stuffed the microwave in the recesses of a closet, I use the toaster oven to reheat single serving meals.

The one at my house uses lamps (think, Easy Bake Oven!) - http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-NB-G100P-7-2-Quart-1300-Watt-Infrared/dp/B000063UZV

And you don't have to worry about your loved ones fishing toasted bread items out of the toaster with forks and knives.

We love, love, love our Breville toaster oven - I gave our toaster away. Right now I am baking cottage cheese custards in it; we toast in it, bake cakes, quick breads, casseroles in it; cookies, pizza, etc.; also bake chicken, fish, pork chops, etc. Only takes a few minutes to preheat and bakes very evenly. It also is the best toaster we have had.

When I have room for both, I will definitely get a toaster oven. Right now, we have a Cuisinart 4-slice toaster. After two years, it's already working poorly.

http://thesweetest3.com/

I vaguely remember my parents having a toaster oven in my early childhood, but after it broke they stuck to toasters - and still do.

When I moved out on my own I was soo pumped to get a toaster oven of my own! I like to use it as an alternate to the microwave as well as the conventional oven.

We own neither but if I had the counter space, would use a toaster oven as it isn't the one trick pony that the toaster is. During the 100 degree days that are the norm in Sacramento during the summer months, it's nice not to have to turn on the oven to do my cooking.

Toaster Oven! Never ever had one growing up but purchased after seeing one at my MnL's. With kids around it's great - I hardly ever use my oven or microwave for quick meals. It's good for chicken tenders, toasting bagels, bread, french fries, tater tots, re-heating pizza, reheating just about anything actually including take-out. I use it every day. You have to invest in a good one though. Never had good luck with a toaster.

I'm team toaster all the way. I bought a toaster oven many years ago and hated it. It took up too much of my limited counter space, made terrible toast and in general didn't perform well enough for me to want to use it much. I actually felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders when I replaced it with my current toaster...which I absolutely love and use very frequently.

That said, the Breville Smart Oven is a covetable appliance (I practically drooled over bobcatsteph3's post), but I wouldn't be able to justify that kind of expense (or use of counter space) when I have a perfectly good oven and toaster at my disposal.

Thanks for the reviews of the Breville, everyone! If our toaster oven ever breaks I'll know where to look next :)

I use my toaster oven for everything! I sometimes don't want to heat the whole apartment by using the regular oven (especially if I'm only baking a small portion of stuff), but mostly I use it to broil (our oven has no broiler)!

Team Toaster Oven!! I have had the same toaster oven for over ten years, and I love it. Wouldn't get rid of it for anything. I don't own a microwave, don't want to, and this little guy does everything I want it to. My favorite is baking two little balls of cookie dough and not having to wait for the entire oven to heat up. Try doing that in your toaster!

both! i have a (hamilton beach?) toaster/toaster oven combo and it is fantastic. if you made me choose, i'd go with the toaster oven, though. more versatile and saves you from having heat up the whole oven.

I am TOTALLY a toaster oven person. I had one all through college, and when I moved back home, my mom and I shared it. When I moved out, my mom tried to convince me to leave the toaster oven with her, but I was having none of that! She now has her own toaster oven as well. I love it for cooking dinner for myself and it still makes toast and pop-tarts, which is really all you can use the toaster for.

Living at home with my folks meant I always had a conventional oven, which was perfect for my everyday baking. Now that I'm studying overseas away from home, I wish I had a toaster oven to serve multiple purposes. It really doesn't take up that much more space than a regular toaster.

Toaster oven all the way! We had both off and on growing up and everything you oculd do with a toaster you could do in the same or less time with a toaster oven and more. Both are fine, but I just think toaster oven is more useful. And about the same price as a decent toaster.

I use mine to keep things warm like bread while dinner finishes cooking, or just for 2 people its perfect for any baked dinner without having to heat up your whole stove. It also has the unbelievably good ability to heat up super fast and make just a couple cookies (if you freeze and save dough) and want one all of a sudden.

I have a Cuisinart with a convection fan in it which I'd never seen before and I just love. Everyone knows convection ovens are the way to go and since I can't get a full size right now, this is great for smaller scale things.

I am a toaster person myself, but my boyfriend is a toaster oven type guy. I don't quite understand them...why can't he just use the real oven!?!

At the same time, he does these awesome sandwiches in there where everything is all melted together...mmmmmmmm yummy. Those sandwiches put my toaster to shame.

http://www.abbeycatchat.com

Never owned a toaster. I love the toaster oven, and use it to melt cheese on things, reheat pizza, etc. in addition to making toast.

The real question: Why can't anyone design a really great toaster oven? Not a huge fancy one to replace my real oven; something small and simple that makes good toast, doesn't tick while it's working, and doesn't give up the ghost after two years.

Definitely toaster oven! Not only can it make toast, but you can melt things ON your toast, like cheese. You can bake or roast small amounts of stuff in it when you don't want to turn on the oven. It seems like a waste to fire up the oven for just a single serving of nachos, for example. In the summer, I manage to keep my place cool without an A/C or even a fan...turning on the oven would definitely make it much hotter in my apartment! So I try to stick to the toaster oven when possible.

I've always had simple Black and Decker toaster ovens, and I've never had one break on me.

Why choose? I have a toaster/toaster oven and love it! http://ow.ly/1dWqk

I have both, but I love my Muncy toaster oven. It doesn't have a thermostat or timer---plug it in to turn it on. It's not for everyone (the careless or easily distracted), but I grew up with a Muncy and never want to be without one.

I really like the retro look of toasters, but when it comes down to it I'm all about the multi-use toaster oven. As others have said, toaster ovens are indispensable for heating small things up with the same results as a full oven, but without all the wasted energy and excess heat. Plus our full-size oven takes forever to heat up, so the toaster oven is just much quicker. I really can't imagine using a toaster instead (or using both, since I think toaster ovens do a good job with toast - although maybe I have low toast standards!)

Our toaster oven is pretty small (it's about 10-15 years old, so came out before these new monstrosities came onto the scene), so takes up minimal counter space. We don't own a microwave, so mostly use it for heating up leftovers, which we store in little pyrex tupperware - fridge to toaster oven, and ten minutes later you have lunch! I also make and freeze a lot of slice and bake cookie dough, so if we want to eat just a couple of cookies we don't have to heat up the entire gas oven just to do it.

To me, a toaster is a large counter/cabinet space investment for a unitasking device. I miss my toaster oven dearly....moved from a 2 bdrm in CO to a teeny studio in Seattle...no room.

I loved it bc it was so much faster than preheating our large oven. Other perks- You can SEE your food toasting/baking, eliminating the 'crap I burned the toast' dilemma; melting cheese is a cinch, and dinners for one were power saving (and heat saving in the summers!)

I will say if you're going to buy a toaster oven it can't be a cheapie. They will only toast one side of the bread and that is freaking annoying, and are likely to burn out quickly.

I wouldn't have room to put a toaster oven without getting rid of my microwave - though I have to say that just about the only thing I use the microwave for these days is reheating rice and cups of tea.

I have both - the boyfriend eats toasts and bagel all the time and we recently got a Dualit of Ebay. I have a cheapo Black and Decker oven toaster that reheats one person sandwiches, fries, garlic bread and gratins fairly easily. Can't live without both.

Toaster oven. It's our microwave and toaster in one. Especially after I managed to make a new bottle of balsamic vinegar explode into our nice toaster. I like making grilled cheese for my girls without having to use the stove or butter to get it crispy. :)

I've actually never owned a toaster. I'm toaster oven all the way, for many of the reasons people have articulated above. The oven just seems more versatile.

Oooh, I wish you'd done this as a survey so we could see instant percentages!

Anyway, I'm toaster oven all the way! I toast way too many kinds of things that wouldn't fit into a toaster . But people are right, toasters are way cuter and toaster ovens never are.

Plus I have a beef with toaster ovens getting bigger and more expensive all the time. It gets harder all the time to find a well-functioning basic model that doesn't eat up all my valuable counter space.

Do you remember the "microwave carts" from the 80s? I put my Breville SmartOven on a cart and now I have it all. Fantastic oven, counter space, storage space under, and the ability to move the oven out onto the deck in the hot summer.

Toaster Oven...can't see the point of a toaster. Toaster Oven's don't care what size the bread/bun/bagel happens to be.

we use our toaster oven regularly. they're far more flexible than a regular toaster, and when i want to bake something small for a one-person meal with no leftovers i can't justify turning on our gas oven.

Never seen a toaster oven - not sure we have them over here and I can't imagine where we would put something that large. We have a toaster plus a convection microwave which I guess would do the same oven-thing as a toaster oven if it ever occurred to me to use it.

Toaster.

The oven broiler and toaster oven both make terrible toast. With our smallish oven, I don't find the need for a toaster oven to supplement it.

Gotta say toaster oven,it is just so useful.Most uses have already been mentioned but here is one more:
My house has some heating problems and the kitchen is very cold in the mornings so while I am cooking I use the toaster oven to keep things warm while finish cooking.
Heat the plates up as well.

I own both. The toaster is just for bagels & bread. The toaster oven is for everything else.

I have a convection toaster oven with a rotisserie attachment and I use it every day. It bakes six cookies for the kids so they always have fresh warm chewy cookies anytime they want. I've used it to bake muffins for breakfast, roast turkey breast & potatoes for dinner. Made mini pizzas. Heck, I've even grilled burgers in it.

I have a Cuisinart Brick Oven toaster oven (the only I could find that went to 500 degrees). You can hardly call this thing a toaster oven. We are a family of two and I do most of my baking in it. It is fantastic for an 8 inch square pan or a quarter sheet, not to mention homemade pizza. It was not cheap but it is worth the money. I was so resistant to getting one but my husband pushed for it and I'm glad he did. Don't have to wait 20 minutes for the entire oven to heat up any more-- which then heats up the kitchen and the rest of the house.

Toasters are uni-taskers

Toaster ovens do just about everything

No brainer

I grew up with both a toaster and toaster oven in the house. However, since then I've lived with much more limited counter space. When the counter space is limited, although I prefer a toaster for actually toasting, I think it really makes sense to have only a toaster oven. Although it takes longer, it does toast, and the convenience factor for reheating things, making garlic bread, etc. is so nice over turning on the whole oven just for something small. And since I can stack it right on top of our microwave and not even take up any counter space, it doesn't make sense to have a toaster. Someday I'll have both again though!

Toasters. They at least brown the bread evenly, as opposed to the black lines produced by a toaster oven on one side while the other side is still lukewarm. Maybe I just have a bad toaster oven...

Never owned nor used a toaster oven. I mean, if I have a toaster and an oven, what's the need? Plus, you'd be hard pressed to find a toaster oven in a store where I live in Australia.

I have the world's worst toaster oven, but I still prefer them to toasters because they are multi-functional and more efficient than ovens for baking small items.

Toaster oven!

I was raised with a toaster only and was introduced to the toaster oven by a roommate in college - as so many who posted here appear to have been as well!

Right now, I own both but the toaster lives in its box in the cabinet under the counter. Toaster oven is used regularly for (yes) toasting, reheating (especially pizzas!) and mini-baking projects. I love my toaster oven sized pizza stone, too.

I'm still using my college roommate's hand-me-down toaster oven so am looking forward to checking out the models listed here when it's time for a replacement. :)

Bought a pricey Cuisinart toaster after doing a lot of research. One year into use, the spring on the arm broke... and repairing it was half the cost of replacing it!!! So I bought a small, EuroPro, toaster oven at Lowe's for about $40 and love it! I can do so much more with it... could almost go without a stove since it works so well.

Bake, cook, broil, toasts, brownies, cookies, reheat, cook a chicken, bbq do everything with toaster oven.
But since they come in many sizes and belong to different price ranges, remain easy and before buying, go through review sites
www.amazon.com/Ovens-Toasters-Small-Appliances
http://www.toasterovenguide.com

Sort down by keeping following factors in mind budget, Kitchen size, Electricity usage, variable temperature settings.