The 5 Best Toaster Ovens

Top Picks Summary

1. Cuisinart Exact Heat Toaster Oven
2. Breville Smart Oven
3. Oster Digital Large Capacity Toaster Oven
4. Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Toaster Oven
5. Breville Compact Smart Oven

Toaster ovens are great small appliances that serve a variety of purposes. While the primary function is still to toast bread, most toaster ovens also have bake and broil functions, allowing them to serve as small electric ovens. Toaster ovens may not toast bread as evenly as traditional toasters or have the large carrying capacity of regular ovens, but their versatility make them worth a spot on your kitchen countertop. From baking pizza to roasting chicken, toaster ovens have proven themselves to be great multi-taskers. (See also: Shopping Calendar: The Best Time to Buy Anything)

What Is a Toaster Oven?

Like traditional toasters, toaster ovens are electric heating appliances that heat food with two heating elements on either side of the food. The basic difference is that a toaster oven keeps its heating elements farther away from the food, allowing larger items to be cooked. This usually means it takes longer to prepare toast than traditional toasters. However, its size also means that it cooks more quickly and consumes less energy than conventional, full-size ovens.

Best 5 Toaster Ovens

Cuisinart TOB-195 Exact Heat Toaster Oven 

Considered the best-priced convection toaster oven, users agree that the Cuisinart Exact Heat Toaster Oven is excellent at toasting, baking, and broiling, and it serves as a great alternative to a conventional oven. Its spacious interior can accommodate up to six slices of toast, a 12-inch pizza, or even an entire chicken. One minor complaint is that the crumb tray slides out from the back rather than the front, which is inconvenient. Currently $172.75 on Amazon.

Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven

Highly rated by both Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping, the Breville Smart Oven is the go-to toaster oven for those that are willing to make an investment. Aside from excelling at all the cooking functions we now expect of a toaster oven, the Smart Oven sets itself apart with all of its special features. With an auto-eject rack, nine preset cooking functions, a digital display, and an internal sensor to maintain consistent heating temperatures, this Breville is designed for ease-of-use and exceptional performance. Currently $249.95 on Amazon.

Oster TSSTTVMNDG Digital Large Capacity Toaster Oven

Another recommended toaster oven from Consumer Reports, this Oster Digital Large Capacity Toaster Oven is one of the more affordable models that still has a convection feature. This model carries a number of cooking features and simple time and temperature controls. It doesn't perform quite as well as other toaster ovens that are available, but users agree that it does what it needs to do, and does it well. Currently $79.50 on Amazon.

Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Toaster Oven

Another good-value convection toaster oven, this Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Toaster Oven performs admirably without breaking the bank. With a large interior that can hold a seven-pound chicken or a 12-inch pizza, it stacks up against the higher model toaster ovens in terms of size. It also comes with a meat probe that allows you to ensure precise cooking temperatures. Currently $82.98 on Amazon.

Breville BOV650XL Compact Smart Oven

Also well-reviewed by Consumer Reports, the Breville Compact Smart Oven is priced a lot less than its top-of-the-line counterpart, but performs just as well in many regards. Its rack can only fit four slices of toast as opposed to the six that many others can accommodate, but it can still hold a four-pound chicken. Its compact size also frees up more countertop space than other models. Currently $179.95 on Amazon.