Best Combo Blenders
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Microwave ovens have always been a controversial cooking tool since their beginning. As a tool of convenience, they’re looked at as irreplaceable and oftentimes potential issues are brushed to the side.
Whether you think microwaves are safe or not, there’s one thing that we can all agree on. Microwaved food taste like s!@#! Also, the biggest safety concern you should have is food safety, because of their inability to cook food evenly.
The problem is that intentional leftovers and meal-preps are part of most efficient cooking routines. When you’re used to a microwave to quickly and easily reheat those meals anyone can get some anxiety. Luckily, a toaster oven can be the answer to your problems.
Practice What We Preach
When we first went to a microwave-free kitchen it seemed like our guests were the ones that had the most issues with it. “Where do you make your microwave popcorn?” is the most common question we get to this day.
Now that we’ve been without a nuke-box for a few years, there’s nothing that we miss. No more “microwaved taste” or exploding-Tupperware mess to clean up. Also, we saved some space, too. Instead of a huge microwave mounted above the stove, we have a nice open area above the burners, with better ventilation.fonts.gstatic.com
Benefits Of Toaster Ovens
There are many benefits to cooking with a toaster oven, but here are the things that stand out to us:
- Food is cooked in a healthier way
- Heat food more evenly and safely
- Can reheat OR cook from scratch
- Most have traditional cooking methods like broil, bake, and toast, but some can even air fry and more
- More energy-efficient than conventional ovens (especially when preparing smaller portions)
The one drawback of toaster ovens versus microwaves is that they aren’t quite as fast, but it’s a small sacrifice for the many benefits we’ve already listed. When it comes down to it, toaster ovens are still pretty fast at cooking/reheating. Also, the end product is much more appetizing than nuking the crap out of your leftovers.
Just like most appliances and other gadgets, not everyone uses them the same. That’s why we also categorized our top picks by “style-of-use.” If you’re looking for a specific cooking function, I guarantee at least one of these toaster ovens can make that happen. Choose wisely and good luck with your new kitchen upgrade!
1. Breville Smart Oven Pro
Best Overall
Exterior Dimensions: 18.5"L x 14.50"W x 11"H
Capacity: 24 Qt. (0.8 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,800 Watts
- Slow cook, toast, bake, roast, broil, and keep warm
- 6-Slice or 13″ pizza rack size
- 120° – 500° F temperature range
- 10-Hour timer
- Includes 13″ non-stick pizza pan in accessory bundle
- Element iQ smart temperature regulating
- Large 24 Qt capacity (.8 cubic feet)
- 3-Rack positions
- 2-Year warranty
Cons:
- No air frying feature (unless you get the Smart Oven Air model)
- Minimum temperature is only 120° F
Conclusion
With 1,800 Watts and a temperature range of up to 500° F, the Breville Smart Oven Pro is extremely powerful for its size. This is the same reason it made it to the top of our list.
It doesn’t have as many cooking functions as some of the other toaster ovens on our list, but the functions it DOES have are the best in the biz. The Element iQ system perfectly regulates the temperature so you can get efficient usage and evenly cooked food.
The overall build quality and design make it super easy to cook, clean, and store the accessories. The one thing that I wish came included with the accessories was a pizza stone, but the 13″ non-stick pizza pan that comes with it does a pretty good job, too. The Breville Smart Oven Pro is the perfect replacement for microwaves AND traditional ovens.
2. Cuisinart Chef's Toaster Oven
Best For Pizza
Exterior Dimensions: 21"L x 17"W x 11.5"H
Capacity: 28 Qt. (0.95 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,800 Watts
- Toast, bake, broil, and keep warm
- 9-Slice or 13″ pizza rack size
- Pizza stone included in accessory set
- Dual-rack baking
- 2-Hour+ digital timer
- Dual-cook feature for different temperature stages
- Speed convection mode (no pre-heating needed)
- Huge 28 Qt. capacity (0.95 cubic feet)
Cons:
- No air frying feature
- No extended slow cooking feature like the Breville
Conclusion
The Cuisinart Chef’s Toaster Oven is very similar to the Breville Smart Oven Pro. Even though it doesn’t have the Element iQ feature, the quartz heating elements do a fantastic job of heating efficiently and evenly. The build quality is also on par with Breville, but the pizza stone that comes included is the icing on the cake.
If you’ve never cooked with a pizza stone, you’re in for a treat. It takes a little extra time because you want the stone hot before you place the pizza in the oven, but the perfectly-crispy crust is worth the wait. The deeper interior also makes it perfect for larger pizzas and cookie sheets.
The reason you would want to pick the Cuisinart Chef’s Toaster Oven over the #1 pick is if you want to save a few bucks and an included pizza stone. Also, the dual-rack baking makes this the perfect choice if you’re looking to make cookies, cakes, pies, and other baked goods.
3. NUWAVE Brio 14 Qt.
Best Air Fryer and Accessory Bundle
Exterior Dimensions: 13"L x 15.4W" x 16.9"H
Capacity: 14 Qt. (0.47 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,800 Watts, 1,500 Watts, or 900 Watts (Adjustable for RV’s and other limited power sources)
- Air fry, rotisserie, dehydrate, toast, bake, broil, and keep warm
- 4-Slice or 9″ pizza rack size (3 trays total)
- 60° – 400° F temperature range
- 100 Programmed presets selections
- Decent 70-recipe book and app
- HUGE accessory pack
- Multi-rack cooking
Cons:
- Narrow interior dimensions
- Only 14 Qt. interior capacity
- Only goes up to 400° F
- Won’t fit under lower wall cabinets (16.9″ tall)
Conclusion
Even though it’s on the smaller side of the spectrum, the Nuwave Brio does everything. From air frying to dehydrating to rotisserie, it also comes with a very impressive accessory pack that includes:
- Baking pan
- Drip tray
- Rotisserie basket
- Rotisserie skewer
- Integrated digital temperature probe
- Grill plate
- Mesh tray
- 2 Mesh racks
- Roasting drum/popcorn maker
- 6 Silicone cupcake liners
It doesn’t have an official “toast” function, it still toasts, but this one is made for the air frying and rotisserie enthusiasts. Also, its ability to cook multiple trays at the same time gives you the ability to cook whole meals together. Even though it only has a 14 qt capacity, the multi-tray cooking helps you maximize the usage of the limited space.
The feature that makes the Nuwave Brio special is the adjustable Watt setting. This makes it perfect for your RV, cabin, fish house, and other locations that may have limited power sources. This is also where the compact size comes in handy. Only taking up a space of 13″ x 15.4″, it’s perfect for locations with limited counter space.
4. Cuisinart Rotisserie Toaster Oven
Best Rotisserie
Exterior Dimensions: 21"L x 16"W x 14"H
Capacity: 22.5 Qt. (0.75 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,875 Watts
- Rotisserie, toast, bake, broil, and keep warm
- 6-Slice or 12″ pizza rack size
- 200° – 450° F temperature range (500° F for broiling)
- 2-Hour+ digital timer
- Tall interior space for cooking
Cons:
- No air frying feature
- Hard to fit under wall cabinets because of height
Conclusion
There are some great stand-alone rotisserie ovens available but not everyone has room in their kitchen for one. Even if you plan on cooking a lot of rotisserie recipes, the Cuisinart Rotisserie Toaster Oven is the perfect tool.
Also, the rotisserie option would be the only reason you would pick this over the #2 Cuisinart Chef’s Toaster Oven. Other than that their features are almost exactly the same. The biggest difference is the interior dimensions are narrower and taller for better rotisserie clearance. That also means you can’t fit as big of a pizza in this model, so it comes down to a decision between pizza and rotisserie if you like the Cuisinart brand.
5. Ninja Foodi Digital Fry Toaster Oven
Best For Limited Counter Space
Exterior Dimensions: 19.7"L x 15"W x 7.6"H (or 19.7"L x 7.6"W x 15"H fold-up storage)
Capacity: 4lb Chicken (13"L x 13"W x 3"H above rack)
Pros:
- 1,800 Watts
- Air fry, air roast, air broil, dehydrate, toast, bake, and keep warm
- 9-Slice or 13″ pizza rack size
- Up to 450° F temperature range
- Cooking area is a spacious 13″L x 13″W
- Flip-up storage takes up less than 50% of your counter space
- Flip-open bottom door for easy cleaning access
Cons:
- Very short cooking area (3″ High)
- The minimum temperature in Dehydrate Mode is only 105° F (85° F is optimal)
- No rotisserie cooking function
Conclusion
First off, the Ninja Foodi Digital Fry checks all of the necessary boxes for a high-quality toaster oven. The best feature of this air frying beast has nothing to do with actually cooking food. It’s the flip-up storage that makes it special.
Once you’re done cooking and enjoying your meal, Ninja makes cleanup simple. All you have to do is flip it up toward the wall and the Foodi conveniently sits back on a pivoting base bracket. On top of taking up less than half of the counter space, it also has a flip-open bottom door. This allows you to easily clean the interior without having to go elbow deep to reach the back.
Just like the rest of the Ninja Foodi family, it’s easy to use and built to last. Even though the short interior height can limit you slightly, it does a great job at cooking whatever can get in under the clearance.
6. Oster French Door Toaster Oven
Best For Large Families
Exterior Dimensions: 21.65"L x 16.7"W x 12.9"H
Capacity: 42 Qt. (1.4 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,525 Watts
- toasting, baking, broiling, keep warm, and more
- 16-Slice or 16″ pizza rack size (dual-rack setup)
- Fits almost any baking pan or tray, 16″ long or less
- 90-Minute timer
- Qual-rack cooking
Cons:
- No air frying feature
- Very large; takes up a lot of counter space
- Occasionally the french doors don’t stay open as they should
Conclusion
The Oster French Door Oven is the perfect toaster oven for large families. It’s also a great alternative to a traditional oven if you have a smaller kitchen or studio apartment. With 1,525 Watts and a huge interior, you can do things like cook two 16″ pizzas at once or bake a whole 17 lb turkey.
The biggest issue we found with it is that the main heating element is only on the top so things on the bottom rack tend to cook a little slower. On the other hand, you could use that to your advantage when cooking different items at the same time. For instance, you can put a roast on the top shelf and the more delicate cooked vegetables on the bottom shelf.
If you have the extra counter space and extra mouths to feed, then this is your best option.
7. Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake Series
Best On-A-Budget
7A. Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake Oven
Exterior Dimensions: 15.5"L x 11.5"W x 8.5"H
Capacity: ???
Pros:
- 1,150 Watts
- Air fry, toast, bake, broil, and keep warm
- 4-Slice or 9″ pizza rack size
- 150° to 450° F temperature range
- 60-Minute timer
- Very compact
- AVAILABLE UNDER $60
Cons:
- Only one shelf position
- Outside gets hotter than the average toaster oven
- Limited tray options and accessory pack
7B. Black+Decker EXTRA WIDE Crisp 'N Bake Oven
Exterior Dimensions: 21.5"L x 13.5"W x 11.5"H
Capacity: ???
Pros:
- 1,500 Watts
- Air fry, toast, bake, broil, and keep warm
- 8-Slice or 12″ pizza rack
- Fits 9″-13″ pans with handles
- Up to 450° F temperature range
- 60-Minute timer
- AVAILABLE UNDER $100
Cons:
- Outside gets hotter than the average toaster oven
- Limited tray options and accessory pack
Conclusion
If you want a solid toaster oven that can replace a microwave, save some space, and some money, then the Black+Decker Crisp ‘N Bake series is the best choice. Their smaller model is perfect for 1-2 people and their Extra Wide model is perfect for up to 4 people.
Both models have above-average specs AND below-average cost, so you’re not making many sacrifices. Plus, the icing on the cake is that both have the air frying feature, and they’re extremely easy to use. Which is good since they don’t come with many detailed instructions in the user manual or recipe book.
With prices under $100, both of these Black+Decker toaster ovens are, by far, the best value. Also, these are great choices for beginners, because they don’t cost much, but you get the full spectrum of typical toaster oven options.
8. Golux Toaster Oven
Best For Dehydrating
Exterior Dimensions: 19.2"L x 14.5"W x 11.9"H
Capacity: 27 Qt. (0.9 cubic feet)
Pros:
- 1,200 Watts
- Fits 8-slices or 12″ pizza per tray (5 trays total)
- 86° – 440° F cooking temperature range
- 86° – 150° dehydrating temperature range
- 28-hour timer
- 5 Shelf positions
- Huge 27 Qt. capacity (0.9 cubic feet)
Cons:
- No air frying feature
- Above-average exterior dimensions
Conclusion
Out of all of our top picks, the Golux Toaster Oven promotes the healthiest lifestyle. Besides an already impressive normal cooking temperature range of 86° to 440° F, you also a dehydration mode. With an extra sensitive adjustable temperature regulator, you get a range of 86° to 150° F. To top it off, it has 5 trays and a long 28-hour timer for low-temperature dehydrating.
It also gets away with running more efficiently than any of our other top picks. At only 1,200 Watts, it’s still able to cook a whole chicken up to 4.5 lbs. This is achievable because of the 6 heating bars and their strategic placement. This uber-even heating array is also what makes it the most efficient dehydrator.
