And although the June is larger than most toaster ovens, its capacity is still limited compared with that of a full-size oven, especially if you plan to prepare food for four or more people. The exorbitantly priced Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven produced the most evenly browned toast of any model we tested. That said, it took about 7 minutes to get those unparalleled results. To be fair, it’s a countertop oven, not a toaster oven, so a slower cooking time is to be expected. It took up a lot of counter space and beeped loudly as well. We think it’s best for people who don’t have space for a full-size oven in their home, or for those who have a lot of counter space and need an additional oven.
It’s nice to be able to adjust the rack position in your toaster oven to accommodate cookware of different sizes and make adjustments depending on what you’re cooking. The rack should be in the center when toasting, for instance, because heat comes from the top and bottom, but when hamilton beach counter oven broiling, you want to position the rack closer to the top heating element. When baking, you might need to set the rack lower to fit tall foods or deeper dishes. You’ll want to think carefully before buying your new toaster oven to make sure it has all the features you need.
They may use less energy, but if you’re buying with sustainability as a top priority, and you have the counter space, you should probably consider getting a toaster oven instead of a slot toaster. We’ve learned through research done by The Ohio State University that slot toasters aren’t built to last (you can read more about OSU’s in-depth work in our blog post). Since most modern slot toasters aren’t repairable, they’re destined for a landfill once they give out. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, typically last longer, which may be in part because the heating elements are enclosed or better protected by metal guards to prevent damage. They’re also not moved or banged around as much as slot toasters, making their electrical components less susceptible to failure.
With that in mind, let’s get into it and look at the different features that will make you wish you had invested in this masterpiece years earlier. As you can tell from the product’s image above, it also retails with a toasting slot at the top. If you’re a fan of toasties as well, then this means that you won’t need to invest in a separate two-slice toaster, something that would have consumed precious space in your kitchen. Do not let the fact that the slot has been added to a toaster oven fool you into thinking that it cannot deliver as well as some of the best regular toasters out there. I tested it myself and to say that it delivered some of the most delicious bagels would be an understatement. Both slices came out brown and crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside.
Some brands will advertise the material of their toaster oven’s heating elements, and generally, ovens using quartz or ceramic will cost more than those using Calrod. But in all our research and testing, we didn’t see consistent correlations between element type and either price or performance. For instance, our budget pick, the Hamilton Beach, has the same quartz elements as the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven, which costs more than $200. And the Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven we tested, which normally costs over $700, uses Calrod elements, which are typically found in cheaper models. So, it’s not always worth paying more for certain elements, as performance varies with every oven.
One disappointing thing about the Breville, especially at this price, is that it comes with a two-year warranty, whereas the Cuisinart has a three-year warranty. To learn even more about the Breville Air Fryer Pro, see our guide to the best air fryer toaster ovens. We think it’s a great choice for people who are looking for a traditional toaster oven primarily to toast all kinds of bread, heat frozen pizzas, and air fry chicken nuggets or frozen fries for the kids. It’s not the model for anyone who is looking for a replacement for their full size oven. It’s much cheaper than any other toaster oven we tested — considerably less so than our winning toaster oven, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. However, the performance is a little hit and miss, so be prepared for compromise.
The Panasonic FlashXpress is equipped with a bright light, which turns on periodically while the toaster is operating. The toast shade control on the Panasonic FlashXpress was very accurate, giving us even results on the medium setting. The knowledge gained from hundreds of hours of testing since 2013 has helped us identify hamilton beach toaster the most promising models to test each year. In spite of the fact that they needed 18 minutes to cook to a medium doneness, the burgers were more gray than brown, although they were moist and juicy. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
We also looked at smart toaster ovens, such as the exorbitantly priced June Oven; it boasts an HD camera , carbon fiber heating elements, and two convection fans. We recognize that for some, a level of automation could prove helpful, so we’ll continue to test smart ovens. But we haven’t yet tested one where the features feel worth the investment for most people.
A standard quarter-sheet tray (and if you put a quarter-sheet tray on each of its two racks, that’s equal to a standard half sheet pan you’d use in a full-size oven). It can also fit a 12-cup muffin tin (ours measured 14 by 10.75 inches) or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan . The Cuisinart has four slots for the racks, with metal hooks that pull out the middle rack when the door is opened. It was one of the fastest models to preheat to 350 °F, taking just over three minutes.
Surface browning begins at a much lower temperature than the 320 °F indicated above. And at 428 °F, toast would be burning, not beginning to brown (on a medium setting, the toaster didn’t even reach 428 °F). We noticed that crumbs tended to accumulate on the inner ledge at the base of the oven’s door. However, we found it easy to brush them onto the crumb tray using a pastry brush or a paper towel. The FlashXpress’s one annoying quirk is that you can’t add time or change the temperature midway through a preset cooking cycle . This means you have to turn the Panasonic off and back on again to adjust it.