Toaster Oven recommendations?

I am tired, tired tired of my el cheapo toaster ovens at both home locations. Poorly designed to toast OR roast OR grill, well-designed to heat my kitchen and burn my hands, I've had it with these devices.

But I really do use the damn things: sitting right there on the countertop, they do all sorts of useful things.

So, I'm resolved to buy new ones, good ones, in fact, Really Good Ones, if such exist. Don't really need the convection oven, unless that's what has to be bought in order to get a good one.

So. I betcha that some LTHers know what I need, eh? TIA for your advice!


Geo

My personal experience with the bottom of the line Black and Decker models has been nothing but great! My original model (circa 1983) is still going strong. Dad uses it in his camper 6 months out of the year (and he *loves* his AM toast!).

My new(er) model is nothing fancy but it toasts AND bakes just fine. I think I picked it up at Target for ~$30. I use it for toast (duh!) and top broiling (like french onion soup gratinee). Used it for creme brulee finishing before a friend gave me my handy-dandy kitchen torch (but that's another show). Have used the oven feature for some frozen canapes and it heated them to HOT. It does a fine job, from my perspective. It's not a fashion statement but then again, I don't care about it's looks.

Rave review???

Edited to add link to one I currently own. It's not available on Amazon.com but thought the information would be helpful.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-%26-Decker/dp/B00006IUW6/sr=1-27/qid=1154464035/ref=sr_1_27/102-0239486-0608142?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen

This one looks similar and am posting here because I don't recall which model I have.....the reviews are mixed; I've not experienced the negative behavior indicated by the reviewers.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-%26-Decker-CTO9000/dp/B000063XH5/sr=1-18/qid=1154464153/ref=sr_1_18/102-0239486-0608142?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen

I second the Black and Decker recommendation.

I've bought 3 of the ~30$ Toast 'R Ovens (or whatever they're called now) over the last 20 years. Years and years of dripping cheese on the elements never seemed to harm it. The only reason I buy new ones is because it ends up "looking" worn out (i.e. filthy from cheese and grease).

MJ

If you're looking to go really high end, check out the listings at ABT. If you lived in Chicago, you could actually go there and check them out in person.

We've got one of these at the office and it is AWESOME. It's super consistant and makes fantastic baked sandwiches

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-NB-G100 ... 22?ie=UTF8

I've used a really old Black and Decker at the office and it was fine, but the owner of it said the newer ones weren't nearly as good.

I had a Krups unit at home and it was AWFUL. Set it on fire because the dial made me think the opposite end was pointing to my temperature - very hard to tell what it was pointing to.

Replaced it with a DeLonghi convection toaster oven with digital display. We LOVE it.

I can't believe you're not interested in convection, it is SO great! Best/easiest way to roast peppers (or other veggies).

I make tacquitos where I just fried the tortilla for a few seconds, rolled and froze, the convection heats them up and perfectly crisps the tortilla, no need for deep frying!

I would miss that convection so much if I replaced this unit with a standard unit.

Still, I'd say most important is:

Easy to use - very easy to see what temperature you are using.

Acceptable temperature range.

Auto shut-off (but they probably all have that by now).

Size - bigger will take more space and more time to heat, but you can do more in it... A medium sized one is probably fine though.

Frankly, I bought mine online. Much local research had prompted that Krups buy (which was so horrible, and died before the warranty ended but was so horrible we didn't even want it fixed under warranty).

Seems most best kitchen stuff I have I researched and bought online.

Good luck!

Nancy

I may have had a lemon, but our B&D cheapo was awful from day one and got worse over time. When we finally abandoned it, it needed about 2.5 cycles on the darkest setting to brown a piece of bread. As far as I can tell, the setting dial never made much difference in any position.

We replaced it with a Cuisineart. Can't recall specific model but it retails for about $99. Not convection. Nothing extra-fancy, but really does the job.

Extra note: we took a chance on a factory refurbished one from SmartBargains on-line and so far it's worked out well. Saved about 40-50% over best retail price I'd seen. Shipped and arrived quickly in good cond. Looked brand new and close to a year later has had no problems. Also got an icecream maker from them and a coffee maker. All have been trouble-free so far.

If you want to inspect a decent assortment, it always seems to me that Linens N Things stocks a fair number.

I've had a Delonghi toaster/convection oven/broiler that looks a lot like this for mebbe 4-5 years now. Wouldn't do without it! Not only does it make reasonably good toast [for a toaster oven]* but I do an awful lot of baking in it as well. It's large enough to hold a chicken, a small roast, a 9x9 baking pan, a ceramic roaster holding a fruit cobbler, a cast iron roaster filled with potatoes & rosemary, 11 muffins in silicone molds [not QUITE big enough to hold a 4x3 muffin pan].... but not all at once, of course. It holds temperature well enough to bake remarkably well.

Not all Delonghi toaster ovens are made equal, apparently. Bloomingdale's had one on sale over the weekend that I almost ran out and bought [just to have a back-up ], but happily I looked around a little for reviews and realized that it wasn't like the gem I have now. So: due dillgence recommended.

*Every Consumer Reports review of toaster ovens that I've read grouses about the quality of the toast. Go figure.

Giovanna

Last year one heating element died in our 20 or so year old Black and Decker. However, when we looked at the current production of that brand the quality looked poor and quality control even poorer.

We ended up with a Euro Pro without fancy features for IIRC around 50 dollars. There is no insulation that I can detect, but the same was true of every other toaster oven we looked at. The only good thing about this is that you can warm your plates while making toast. This one works fairly well although toasting action isn't up to our popup, particularly with respect to evenness on both sides. Of course, there are things that won't toast in a popup. We have the toaster oven out on an enclosed porch for the summer. It did a nice job making an open face toasted cheese sandwich for lunch today: smoked gouda on split Assyrian bread. Finish by putting the two faces together.

Tnx everyone for the great info. I also had a B & D for 20 yrs, finally threw it away, and replaced it with a new one--which is the one I'm complaining about in my first msg. It is NO WAY as good as the old one.

Here's my thought at this point. I discovered (duh!) that my brother has the Panasonic, which he decided on after lots of research. It's neat, and works well, but it's clearly too small for me. I just looked at the Cuisineart at Costco about an hour ago, and it looks pretty good.

But I must say that I've been swayed toward the Delonghi by the ringing endorsements you've given it; also, I've been swayed toward the convection feature's usefulness.

Soooo, when I get back to Montreal this weekend, I'm going to go over to Canadian Tire and see if they have the Delonghi. [They might have the Breville instead--but that would be a reliable substitute, methinks.]

Anyway, LTHers come through again! Thanks y'awl (or, as we say in Pittsburgh, "Thanks yinz!")

Geo

Giovanna wrote:Not all Delonghi toaster ovens are made equal, apparently. Bloomingdale's had one on sale over the weekend that I almost ran out and bought [just to have a back-up ], but happily I looked around a little for reviews and realized that it wasn't like the gem I have now. So: due dillgence recommended.

Bloomingdale's often has a Delonghi toaster oven on sale. Good to know it's not so hot. Can you note which exact model you have? It should say that somewhere on the back....

leek wrote:

Giovanna wrote:Not all Delonghi toaster ovens are made equal, apparently. Bloomingdale's had one on sale over the weekend that I almost ran out and bought [just to have a back-up ], but happily I looked around a little for reviews and realized that it wasn't like the gem I have now. So: due dillgence recommended.

Bloomingdale's often has a Delonghi toaster oven on sale. Good to know it's not so hot. Can you note which exact model you have? It should say that somewhere on the back....

It appears to be a model AS690. But as I say, it's 5-6 years old.

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:

leek wrote:Can you note which exact model you have? It should say that somewhere on the back....

It appears to be a model AS690. But as I say, it's 5-6 years old.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/103-507 ... 20DeLonghi

So I was just about to start a thread wondering about a GOOD toaster to replace my POS Black & Decker Toast'r Oven (or whatever it is called), when I found this. The B&D is terrible, and even more so if you try to put the 4 slices it can hold in. It only seems to brown the things that are directly in the middle of the oven, and loves to scorch the top.

I had read about the Panasonic mentioned above, but in the pictures it looks UGLY. Does it do better in person?? Also, is it really large like it appears?

These seem promising:

Cuisinart TOB-50 Classic Toaster Oven Broiler

Krups FBC2 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven

Any experiences with them?

Thanks-
Jamie

I got the Delongi at Target and it is a fine, fine oven. The convection feature is fab: cooks baked potatoes about 25% faster than my stove oven. And the toasting/broiling feature distributes the 'fire' evenly all across the broiler pan.

A really fine piece of work.

Geo

The 6 year old Black and Decker is finally giving out, so does anyone have any recommendations for a fairly inexpensive toaster oven? I dont need one that can rotisserie cook a turkey, just a basic toast, reheat pizza model.

Thanks, Will

I recently bought this guy at Costco and am extremely happy with it.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.as ... Desc1&Sp=C


Website says $119. I could have sworn we paid only $99. Either way, it's great, but I'm not sure what you consider "fairly inexpensive."
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As a birthday gift, I am getting a new fancy toaster oven - and I get to pick it out. I have a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond, so would prefer a model available there (unless another place has it for 20% or more less). I was thinking about the Breville, but would like to know if anyone has any other suggestions. I do, actually, make toast in my current model, but it is old and falling apart (the dogs pulling it down off the counter didn't help its integrity).

Thanks!

leek wrote:As a birthday gift, I am getting a new fancy toaster oven - and I get to pick it out. I have a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond, so would prefer a model available there (unless another place has it for 20% or more less). I was thinking about the Breville, but would like to know if anyone has any other suggestions. I do, actually, make toast in my current model, but it is old and falling apart (the dogs pulling it down off the counter didn't help its integrity).

Since you are interested in a new fancy toaster oven, I have to recommend the Krups 6 Slice Convection Toaster Oven. And bonus, it is available at Bed Bath & Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product ... U=13562741

Yeah, it's really expensive, I know, I know ($200.) But I love this thing. I reheat leftovers in it all the time, and it even (shock!) does a pretty good job of making toast. It gets really hot in just a few seconds, so it really beats the regular oven when it comes to heating/broiling/baking very small amounts of things.

I think they also have a slightly more expensive model that includes pre-programmed buttons for certain foods, but it didn't need to be that idiot-proof for us so we went with the more basic model.

I have that one too. If I recall correctly, it was the toaster recommended by Cooks Illustrated. It really does re-heat food very well. At first I didn't like the toast function because it took a long time and didn't toast all the way through, but then I learned that just baking the bread at 400 for a couple minutes does the trick. I definitely recommend this model if you can justify the price (in other words use it all time like we do).

We have this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-TOB-195 ... pd_sbs_k_1

that I purchased for $120 from Costco. It's great. Heats up fast with the conv turned on. I turn the conv off to do a regular bake then. Fits a 12" pizza and isn't too huge.

Hi- I have the Krups toaster oven, and I really like it. I bought it last year at Macy's, when they had all their toaster ovens 40% off, and they let me use an additional 15% off coupon, so it was about $110. The only thing I don't like about it is that it takes 4:15 to make toast, and it is a lot larger than my Black and Decker was. I was worried, because there have been a lot of bad reviews on Amazon about the Krups, Apparently people love it or hate it. There are quite a few reviews on Amazon from people who bought it, and then had it catch fire, or had the glass break while it was being used. So far I have not had anything like that happen to me though, thank god.

I had a Black and Decker for over 15 years, and it served me well, but when it quit working somebody gave me another Black and Decker for Christmas, and it was garbage. Three months after I got it, one of the dials broke, and they had to send me a new one. This one only lasted me three years before it started toasting only on one side, and I had to flip the bread over to get the other side toasted. Black and Decker is just not the quality product it used to be. Hope this helps, Nancy

I always thought a toaster oven was a waste of counter space. I'd like to hear more about what people have been using it for...other than toast.

razbry wrote:I always thought a toaster oven was a waste of counter space. I'd like to hear more about what people have been using it for...other than toast.

Baking/heating small amounts of things: those little frozen chicken/lemongrass cigars from Trader Joe's, one or two of leftover lasagna, a few slices of leftover pizza, a single naan (or two smaller naans), eggrolls that show up cold when Chinese delivery takes too long, leftover Honey1 rib tips from the LTH 5th Anniversary party...the list goes on and on.

As you can tell, other than making toast, our toaster oven is mostly used as a food reheater (that doesn't dry out or otherwise ruin food the way a microwave can)...we can heat up a couple servings, plate it up, and start eating in less time than it takes for our regular oven to preheat.

Hi- Besides using it to make toast, I also frequently use my toaster oven to bake potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash. I also use it to broil salmon burgers. I like the fact that it uses a lot less electricity to use than my regular oven does. I only cook for myself, so I find that I don't use my regular oven as much. I only use the regular oven to bake muffins and bread, and to make an occasional casserole, such as vegetarian shepherd's pie, or scalloped potatoes. Hope this helps, Nancy

Speaking of, our old Cuisinart, which served us well for the past seven years, has finally gotten so scuzzy that, despite my best cleaning efforts, it's become a smoky eyesore...so I just popped for the Krups 6-Slice Digital Convection Toaster Oven from Amazon.com after checking out its America's Test Kitchen review.

A big thanks to the folks to mentioned it upthread for bringing it to my attention!

Hi Rasbry -

Especially in the summer, the oven heats way too much of the room, so I use the toaster oven. I turn my regular oven on maybe once a month. I turn on my toaster oven many times during the week. I make a lot of small things.

razbry wrote:I always thought a toaster oven was a waste of counter space. I'd like to hear more about what people have been using it for...other than toast.

I made biscotti in mine...we also use it to control portion size when we bake: I've got an entire baking set just for this oven (mine is linked at the bottom of the blog post; it's cheap and not terribly solid but we've used it quite a lot in the last couple years) For instance, instead of making a double-batch of cookie dough into a double batch of cookies, we roll it into a log, freeze it, and make six at a time in the toaster oven. It's also great for reheating things like breads and pizza that come out badly in the microwave. While we kind of hate our micro/stove hood combo we loved that it allowed for room for the toaster oven (we have a pop-up toaster just for toast and waffles. Sad but true, especially if you've seen the size of my kitchen.)

I also use it extensively during Thanksgiving: a medium-large casserole dish fits in there just fine. I've done my stuffing in it, and kept other dishes warm. Even though it's tiny, it has surprisingly large capacity.

The one thing I find it does very badly is broil meat, which I've only tried twice: it just doesn't get up to the same temperatures as my gas oven, even with a pre-heat. YMMV with the other ovens.

I've got an Oster Convection 6-slice Toaster Oven, which I cook in. I use a toaster for toast.

I've got casserole dishes that fit it, so I can bake just fine. I always do my baked potatoes in it; mac 'n cheese, whatever. I use the broiler to finish off Spanish tortillas, melt cheese.

In short, it's a compact, very effective convection oven that I use 10x more than my range oven.

Geo

This has all be very interesting. You all may make me a convert yet! Thanks.