Like the Panasonic, this toaster oven was one of the fastest at preheating to 350 °F in our tests. Since this model is so large (it measures roughly 20.5 by 13.25 by 11.25 inches), we recommend it for households with ample countertop space. Although the Cuisinart is not marketed as such, it can also be used to air-fry food (pod-shaped air fryers are simply mini convection ovens). However, if you plan to air fry on the regular, you may want to consider getting our upgrade pick, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which has a slightly more powerful fan for air frying. Its convection fan has two speeds, like the Cuisinart’s, but the high speed is slightly more powerful and can crisp up food faster.
This is a normal occurrence, especially if the bread is particularly moist. 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.
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. Plus, the wide interior and two adjustable cooking racks provide double the space for cooking multiple foods at once. 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.
The crumb tray caught most of the mess, and the walls wiped clean with no fuss, thanks to the nonstick coating inside the oven. A black pan can be used for roasting, baking, or catching drippings when using the rotisserie. A smaller silver hamilton beach counter oven pan and a coordinating broiler rack can be used for roasting small foods as well as for baking. It’s billed as being able to accommodate two 12-inch pizzas, two 9 x 13-inch casseroles, or two cake pans, and I found that to be true.
Hooks on the door help eject the toaster’s wire rack, so you don’t have to reach your hand as far into the oven cavity to retrieve your food. You won’t find a design like the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Toaster Oven with Roll-Top Door anywhere else. And since the hamilton beach toaster door opens above the oven, it frees up your countertop space in front. Best of all, it’s easy to keep clean because food can’t spill on the door. Contoured dials are easy to grip and turn, making it simple to switch between bake, broil and toast settings.
After I was done testing the unit, my daughter knocked it down around four times, but none of them did anything that slows down the unit’s ability to deliver. Overall, the Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven would be a great addition to your kitchen if you need something affordable and toasts food quickly. It has a large capacity and won’t take lots of space on your counter. hamilton beach counter oven The line indicating the maximum height of the oven cavity is only 1¾ inches from the top of the oven rack, so you can’t even fit a small, 3-pound chicken in it. The Cuisinart TOB-135 toasted bread unevenly, and its temperature control was less consistent, so we dismissed it. It’s common for most toasters to release steam while toasting, so don’t be alarmed.
It has adjustable racks with dual positions, and it comes with a baking pan to help you get started with the unit. The Calphalon Quartz Heat Countertop Toaster Ovendidn’t toast as well as our picks and it didn’t evenly melt the cheese on bagel bites. It also had a very noisy convection fan that sounded like it was struggling to operate with every rotation. We’ve read some user reviews regarding food catching fire in this oven. Though we never experienced this in over two years of long-term testing, always be sure to place food at least an inch from the heating element. Also, clean the heating element and the bottom of the unit before operating.