We’d also prefer dial controls over the FlashXpress’s blister-push buttons, but they’re perfectly usable and not as glitchy or mushy as others we tested. The Panasonic was the only toaster we tested in this price range that could create an evenly golden brown chicken thigh with a crispy skin. We made pizza Bagel Bites in each toaster oven to see how evenly they melted cheese. This Cuisinart model provides impressively even cooking, a whopping nine-slice toast capacity, a three-year warranty, and some useful accessories.
The Zojirushi ET-WMC22 toasted so unevenly that the bread looked like someone with terrible aim had zapped it with a laser. Considering it’s such a cheap model, we were impressed by the Hamilton Beach’s ability to hamilton beach toaster toast evenly. Should you encounter any problems with the FlashXpress under its one-year warranty, contact Panasonic. Unlike our other picks, Panasonic sells replacement parts for many of the oven’s components .
When she runs out of room, she told us, she turns to the toaster oven to make gratins, lasagna, and sandwiches. Straight out of the box, the first thing that caught my eye about this masterpiece was its roll-top door. This implies that unlike most toaster oven models, Hamilton Beach 31127D Toaster Oven’s door will open up and out of the way to ensure you do not smear any foodstuff on it while retrieving your meals. The fact that the door will always be clean will not only leave the appliance looking elegant but also significantly reduce your work during cleaning sessions. To prep your toaster oven, you’ll need to run several cycles with the machine empty before using it to cook anything you plan to eat. This way, any industrial residues in the oven can burn off and won’t have a chance to get into your food.
Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016. Previously, he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in various facets of the food and restaurant industry for over a decade. We appreciated the compact size of the Breville Compact Smart Oven , but it didn’t do well in many of our tests.
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 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.
It also comes with an air fry/dehydrate basket rack and a broiling rack that fits inside its enamel roasting pan. But we still prefer the Cuisinart’s ceramic pizza stone over the Breville’s nonstick pizza pan (though Breville does sell a pizza stone separately for around $30). This convection toaster oven has a slightly more powerful fan for air frying than the Cuisinart, plus convenient markings on the door and the easiest-to-clean interior. It also has additional settings for proofing bread, slow cooking, and dehydrating. If you like the functionality of an old-school toaster but also want a mini oven for heating up leftovers and cooking smaller items, the 2-in-1 is perfect for that. I have teenagers, so the oven gets used a lot for cooking frozen pizza and entrees as well as breakfast fare like cinnamon bread and frozen waffles.
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.
Most models do have a crumb tray to catch all the cooking debris, but some can be easier to remove than others. As for the rest of the interior, non-stick stainless steel or similar materials are a plus. Something that gets this much use is going to see its share of stains. Unlike our upgrade pick, the Cuisinart lacks a handy rack-position key on the oven door. However, when you open the oven door, you’ll find the rack position numbers printed on the side of the oven. But you’ll still have to consult the user manual to know where the racks should be placed for each cooking function, which is a little inconvenient.
The Breville Smart Oven Pro is nearly identical to the Breville Smart Oven. The Pro does add a couple of minor features, like a slow-cook mode and an internal light. But the Bagel Bites we toasted between the door and the front of the oven’s rack were noticeably paler than those toasted in the middle and back of the oven. The Balmuda’s controls and capacity are also limited compared to our top picks. It offers just three temperature settings—350 °F, 400 °F, and 450 °F—plus four presets, and it can only fit two pieces of bread.