Would a toaster oven be worth the kitchen space and price?
CooCooPuff
Posts: 4,374 Member
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?
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
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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.1 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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....0 -
I love my toaster oven! Use it all the time.0
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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.1 -
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.0 -
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.0
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Second oven I think. I'd want to make meals and even desserts.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.
True!CafeRacer808 wrote: »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.
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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.1
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Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.0
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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..1
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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.Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
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.
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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.0 -
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.0
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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.jennybearlv wrote: »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.0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
CooCooPuff wrote: »
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.Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
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.1 -
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.CooCooPuff wrote: »
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.Check out Goodwill for used ones for a few $.
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.
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My main issue with used is that it's really tough to clean them and I wouldn't trust the cleanness of a used appliance.0
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I adore mine! It's a higher end Kitchen Aid that can fit quite large things in it, but only takes up the footprint of a small microwave 14' x 10'. Extremely easy to clean, many features and no, it doesn't in any way heat up my teeny tiny studio apartment like the oven does. It is just over 8 years old and very well taken care of so it looks new still, I hate grubby kitchen items! It cooks evenly and has never let me down, and that's unfortunate that other models may be lacking that basic ability, bah!
Good luck with whatever you choose!0 -
I love mine...a black & decker space maker, so it's mounted under the cabinet...there is only a small amount of heat around it, definitely way less than using the big oven or even stovetop...about as much as a coffee pot...0
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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.
The Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven is featured on OpenSky right now for a really good price $119.99 https://www.opensky.com/premier-appliance/product/wolfgang-puck-pressure-oven-original-29-liter-stainless-steel-countertop-oven?gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJY51Ri7225zmcavC3jZAgFkHgpuyX0fTBcymwYsceIsxoC7RTw_wcB&max_discount=1&configurationId=576164514e3d6ffe578b4bc5&osky_origin=googlepla&osky_source=cse&osky_campaign=nonadvertiserproducts&ef_id=WK9oAwAAADXtDi9h:20170304184539:s If this link doesn't work, look up OpenSky and search Kitchen Appliances.0 -
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.
OpenSky has the Wolfgang Puck for $119.950 -
Being in the UK, I have no idea what a toaster oven is (either we don't have them or they're called something different, although I can't think what) but if your main oven is the issue, why not look for a new oven with two compartments? Mine has a larger oven compartment at the bottom and a smaller one at the top (which also has a grill element). Most of the time, I just use that top oven as I'm not cooking anything large enough for it to be worth heating the main one. Separate controls mean I can cook things at different temperatures - and I don't have another gadget on my worktop.0
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Thread is 3.5 years old. I certainly hope the OP has made a decision about her oven by now or she may be very, very hungry! 😂0
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I use an air fryer in the summer. It is so well insulated that it is not hot to the touch when running at highest temperature. It is great for cooking things like skin on chicken thighs and wings, skin on fish, baking frozen french fries, roast vegetables.
If you plan to bake, however, the air fryer is not a great choice. Top heat only. I have made banana bread in it but the top scorched. If you must bake cakes in the air fryer, cover the top of with foil. Also the fan of the air fryer is quite violent, so I need to weigh light objects down. I use a tightly fitting piece of silicon mesh (you can cut these to size with scissors) to hold down things like coconut flakes which I toast in the air fryer. For grilled cheese sandwiches I use the silicon mesh topped with a teaspoon to prevent my sandwich from blowing apart.
In the summer, when I don't want to turn on the oven to melt some cheese on toast I use a blow torch.0 -
I’ve used a toaster oven nearly every day for over 40 years. The first one lasted 35 years and I’ve been through several since 🤪0
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