Would a toaster oven be worth the kitchen space and price?

CooCooPuff
CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
edited February 2017 in Recipes
The oven our home came with is an older model. By the end of the month, using it will make the house uncomfortably warm.

I typically just bake desserts but would definitely want to bake a bigger variety. I know the device would get hot, but would it heat up the house anymore than the stove top?

And what would be a good brand?
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Replies

  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited February 2017
    I use my toaster oven (both as a toaster and a mini oven) all the time and I haven't noticed it heating up the kitchen or the house the way my regular oven does. In fact, I haven't noticed it at all.

    One of the great benefits of a toaster oven is the reduced pre-heating time compared to a normal oven. It also give you more flexibility in the kitchen because you can roast or bake two things at different temperatures at the same time. Definitely worth the price, IMO.

    Mine's a Breville and after six years, it still looks and works like new.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    For my household, yes. I use it to toast nuts/seeds, make toast, roast garlic, do individual servings of roasted vegetables. My husband uses it to heat up pizza, warm up chips for nachos, and bake cookies.

    It's especially great for when you don't want to heat up the entire kitchen. If the rest of my meal is cold and I just want some toasted nuts or garlic, I love it. Mine doesn't seem to heat up the kitchen at all.

    I have a Black and Decker. I've had it for about a year, so I can't really speak to durability yet.
  • 4rita
    4rita Posts: 20 Member
    We use a toaster oven instead of the oven all summer long so as to not heat up the house. As CafeRacer808 stated there are some great benefits to getting a toaster oven.

    Our old one just died after 15 years and that one was a Delonghi. We just got a Breville Smart Oven as a replacement and really like it. We did some research before purchasing this one and it has some great review and we really do like it.

    When looking for one - just be sure to check out what the interior dimensions are going to be so you know exactly what will fit inside of it. (such as, if you are planning on putting a whole chicken in there - just be sure to get one that will accommodate a chicken) I recently saw that Wolfgang Puck has a Pressure Oven that will fit a 14 pound turkey in it and comes in a Rotisserie model if you are into that. That one has a 1 cubic foot of interior space. Our Breville Smart oven has .8 cubic feet of interior space. There are also smaller ones available as well. Prices vary as well from site to site so be sure to comparison shop when making your purchase.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    Well darn, I might actually be able to bake in the summer?? I really need to pick one up.

    I'm thinking of waiting for Prime Day and buckling down on a Breville. I remember seeing good things about that brand a few years ago but the price tag....
  • geckospot
    geckospot Posts: 56 Member
    I love my toaster oven! Use it all the time.
  • CafeRacer808
    CafeRacer808 Posts: 2,396 Member
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    Well darn, I might actually be able to bake in the summer?? I really need to pick one up.

    I'm thinking of waiting for Prime Day and buckling down on a Breville. I remember seeing good things about that brand a few years ago but the price tag....

    You get what you pay for. After going through 3 cheap toaster ovens (and countless other less expensive products, for that matter), I finally started to embrace the notion of "buy once, cry once". I think you'll love the Breville.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    We use ours all the time. It's just a cheap Kenmore or something and it's been going for 6 years.

    That being said, food is closer to the heating elements so it burns more easily... so I don't typically bake cakes, cinnamon rolls, bread etc in it. But it's great to reheat quiche, pizza, make grilled sandwiches, and obviously toast stuff.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
    Are you guys talking about a standard toaster oven (size of a breadbox), or a stand-alone second oven (size of a microwave)? Not clear from the context.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    TmacMMM wrote: »
    Are you guys talking about a standard toaster oven (size of a breadbox), or a stand-alone second oven (size of a microwave)? Not clear from the context.
    Second oven I think. I'd want to make meals and even desserts.
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    Well darn, I might actually be able to bake in the summer?? I really need to pick one up.

    I'm thinking of waiting for Prime Day and buckling down on a Breville. I remember seeing good things about that brand a few years ago but the price tag....

    You get what you pay for. After going through 3 cheap toaster ovens (and countless other less expensive products, for that matter), I finally started to embrace the notion of "buy once, cry once". I think you'll love the Breville.
    True!

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I use my toaster oven almost everyday. I have one where you can get a device to screw into the underside of your cupboard, so that the oven attaches and hangs from it, rather than take up space on the counter - darned if I can remember the name of it, but it wasnt a really pricey option.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
  • nataliemarie413
    nataliemarie413 Posts: 1 Member
    I never need to use the microwave now that I have a toaster oven, and food tastes so much better this way! Ours is a small cheap one that does the job, it comes in handy when I need to bake multiple foods at different temps too! I don't know how I lived without one before..
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
    Honestly, with something like this, I'd be too scared to use Goodwill. I do frequent Goodwill for books (seriously better than Half Priced Books) and baubles.

    I mean, I saw a Soda Stream a while back. It was 50 compared to the 60 from Amazon with no possibility for a refund.

  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    I gave my toaster oven away when I moved into a smaller house six months ago and haven't missed it. A big oven does everything a toaster oven can do, even make toast. I never used the toaster oven for baking because everything came out unevenly cooked and a long bake is the only time my big oven heated up the house. Maybe if I had counter space to spare like in my old house I would have one because it is slightly more convenient to make toast or broil things at counter height. I cook multiple times a day and have never needed to use two ovens at once. Not even on Thanksgiving. I do miss having a microwave though. That is number one on my home improvement list.
    cross2bear wrote: »
    I use my toaster oven almost everyday. I have one where you can get a device to screw into the underside of your cupboard, so that the oven attaches and hangs from it, rather than take up space on the counter - darned if I can remember the name of it, but it wasnt a really pricey option.

    That is a fire hazard! Don't ever put a combustion appliance under a cabinet in case it overheats or flares up.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    Mine was a ten year old Krups convection oven the size of a countertop microwave. It was high end when I got it, but never baked well. I'm not sure if they have improved over the years.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I gave my toaster oven away when I moved into a smaller house six months ago and haven't missed it. A big oven does everything a toaster oven can do, even make toast.
    Honestly, I would love to just use the big oven throughout the year. I am jealous of my older sister. She can crank her oven on everyday but just buys a lot of frozen and prepared foods for her family.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    We use ours often. It does not heat up the house like a full sized oven, but it's probably about the same as using a single burner on the stove top.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    We use ours all the time. It's just a cheap Kenmore or something and it's been going for 6 years.

    That being said, food is closer to the heating elements so it burns more easily... so I don't typically bake cakes, cinnamon rolls, bread etc in it. But it's great to reheat quiche, pizza, make grilled sandwiches, and obviously toast stuff.

    It isn't something I do frequently, but I've baked cakes, pies, cookies in my 8-10yr old Breville without it being a problem though the cook time is a guessing game the first go around. It allows you to adjust the rack height to prevent burning. For me, the biggest thing to remember is to always use the convection setting and turn the temp down 25F (if the recipe does not call for convection). It helps even out the hot spots.

    I use mine all of the time to roast veggies, bake frozen meals, bake chicken breasts and thighs, etc. I'm usually only cooking for myself so the smaller volume is great. I reserve my proper oven for whole chickens, high temp cooking (fresh pizza dough, soft pretzels from scratch), and items extremely sensitive to temperature like souffle or delicate custards.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
    Honestly, with something like this, I'd be too scared to use Goodwill. I do frequent Goodwill for books (seriously better than Half Priced Books) and baubles.

    I mean, I saw a Soda Stream a while back. It was 50 compared to the 60 from Amazon with no possibility for a refund.

    What is there to be scared of? They only sell electronics that work. The Goodwill in our area has a return policy.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    lorrpb wrote: »
    Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
    Honestly, with something like this, I'd be too scared to use Goodwill. I do frequent Goodwill for books (seriously better than Half Priced Books) and baubles.

    I mean, I saw a Soda Stream a while back. It was 50 compared to the 60 from Amazon with no possibility for a refund.

    What is there to be scared of? They only sell electronics that work. The Goodwill in our area has a return policy.
    The Goodwills I've been to don't. Electronics all come with a sticker saying there's no guarantee it will work and ineligible for returns.