Best Toaster Ovens of 2026 | Performance Tests & Expert Buying Guide

If you live in a small apartment or a college dorm room, then a toaster oven is almost essential. Or maybe you just don't like to use the oven in your home all that often. Maybe you'd like to save on your energy bill by using a toaster oven to cook a small pizza instead of using the conventional oven.

No matter what the reason may be, owning a toaster oven will not only help you to save money, time and space but it will also deliver delicious food every time. Owning one of these is so convenient it could change your life forever.

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The Best Overall Toaster Oven

BREVILLE BOV650XL the Compact Smart Oven (Rating: 9.5/10)

Out of 2,000 reviews, all customers have loved this appliance. It is easy to use and easy to clean. You may have to pay a little more than most other models but the lifetime warranty is the huge plus. A large toaster oven that is safe and fast to cook food in properly.

Features & Benefits

• 8 different cooking options available
• Large cooking surface area
• Easy to read backlit LCD display
• Nonstick cavity coating
• Lifetime warranty

Pros

• The machine has 8 different pre-set cooking methods for ease of use.
• Comes with a lifetime warranty to protect it.
• Has a non-stick coating on the inside cavity for easy cleaning.

Cons

• While there is a warranty, you do have to pay more than you would for any other model.

Editorial Review

You want the best, you got the best. This is the king of toaster ovens, in the sense that it can do just about everything. There are 8 different preset cooking options available such as toast, bagel, roast, bake, broil, cookies, reheat and pizza. It also has an option to double as an air fryer if you want a healthy option to make food without using a fryer.

The insides of the walls are non-stick, so that makes cleaning up very easy. The oven also comes with two small racks, a tray and a bottom catch-all tray for easy cleaning. There are several different settings for timers and alerts, which makes it very user friendly. But above all, it is able to cook anything you put in it to perfection. It is covered by a lifetime warranty, just in case anything happens.

What Others Are Saying

Positive:I've had this toaster oven for 7 years and it performed wonderfully this model was top rated by Consumer Reports and so I took a chance and purchased it and glad I did! It fits nicely on my very limited counter space.

Negative: There really are not a lot of complaints about this appliance, but the ones there are generally have the same few criticisms. Sometimes people report an error code on the LCD screen, which in turn will not turn on. Most reviewers were able to return the oven or get their money back.

Best Mid-Priced Toaster Oven

Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven Easy Reach (Rating: 9/10)

This toaster oven is very easy to use and won't overcomplicate things. The manual controls are user friendly and to the point. If you use this machine properly and take care of it, then it will last a lifetime.

Features & Benefits

• Bake, broil and toast cooking options
• Easy to use and easy to clean
• 30-minute timer with automatic shutoff
• Large cooking surface area

Pros

• The oven is equipped with a 30-minute timer and an automatic shutoff.
• Has three different cooking option available: broil, toast and bake.
• The handles and knobs are heat-resistant and easy to clean.

Cons

• The temperature may be a little hotter than what the oven indicates.

Editorial Review

This toaster oven is one of the best manual models available. It is also made by a well-known home brand, Hamilton Beach. The appliance has a nice, sleek look to it and is able to fit on most countertops despite the large cooking surface area within the cavity.

The knobs and handles are all heat-resistant and are manual use only. There is a 30-minute timer with an alarm and automatic shutoff. It comes with one single rack for cooking food on and one food sheet tray. There is also a pull-out food catching tray to make cleaning up easy.

What Others Are Saying

Positive: This little oven is so easy to use and to keep clean! I love the roll-top door that makes it safe and simple to take out hot things without burning myself. No bells and whistles, no convection option. It just toasts, warms, bakes and broils. Perfect for someone cooking for one or two!

Negative: There's one typical complaint that honestly could be avoided. Reviewers say that the temperature that the oven is cooking at is much higher than what it indicates. This could be the preheating function, though, much like an oven works.

Best Budget Toaster Oven

Mueller Austria Toaster Oven (Rating: 8.5/10)

This machine is one of the cheapest models available. It does have its ups and downs, but it is better than any other cheap model on the market. As long as you take care of it, it should get the job done well.

Features & Benefits

• Able to toast 4 slices of bread or a 9" pizza
• Built in 30-minute timer
• Four different cooking options available
• Easy to use and easy to clean

Pros

• Has a 30-minute built in timer with an alarm to let you know when dinner is done.
• Comes equipped with a removeable crumb tray to make cleaning up easy.
• Is able to cook food with 4 different methods from 150 to 450 degrees.

Cons

• Does have a tendency to overheat if not properly used.

Editorial Review

This mini oven is able to cook foods quickly and precisely every time it is used. It is able to heat food at temperatures ranging from 150 to 450 degrees. It also has 4 different cooking options, such as toasting, baking, roasting and warming food.

There is a 30-minute timer with an alarm to let you know when dinner is ready. It is also very easy to clean with its removeable crumb tray. It comes with 2 wire racks and a small sheet tray for cooking foods on.

What Others Are Saying

Positive: I have tried other toaster ovens in the past and they usually got returned for one reason or another, but this one is a keeper." I like that it's pretty simple to use. No complicated, overly technical stuff. Basic functions. We use ours every day."

Negative: There have been a few complaints about the appliance being made with flimsy or poor-quality materials, but it is one of the cheapest on the market and you do get what you pay for.

Best Value Toaster Oven

BLACK+DECKER Extra Wide Convection Toaster Oven (Rating: 8.5/10)

This oven is very inexpensive to purchase and could actually replace your oven if you wanted. Just make sure to take care of it and everything should be fine.

Features & Benefits

• Comes with baking pan, roasting pan and baking rack
• Able to cook food up to 450 degrees
• Large cooking surface area
• 60-minute timer with an alarm

Pros

• Comes equipped with a convection cooking option to speed up the process.
• Has a 60- minute timer with an alarm.
• Has a large cooking surface area big enough to cook a large pizza.
• Is able to roast, bake and toast food up to 450 degrees safely.

Cons

• May be made with poor quality materials and break easily if not used properly.

Editorial Review

The last toaster oven on our list is quite the bargain. It cost only a few more dollars than the Mueller Austria oven we reviewed, and it does just a little more. This unit comes with a wire rack, roasting pan and sheet tray for cooking food on. There is also a removeable crumb tray to dispose of any food that has dropped to the bottom, while cooking making cleanup very easy.

It has the same cooking options as most other toaster ovens baking, toasting, roasting and keeping warm but comes with a 60-minute timer with an alarm to alert you when the food is done. This is twice the length of most timers on mini ovens. It is also able to cook foods up to 450 degrees with ease.

With its sizeable cooking surface area, a large 12 pizza is no problem for this oven. There is even a convection mode to cook items faster with a hot air fan.

What Others Are Saying

Positive: Very large, fits 13X9 glass dish with room to spare. Pre-heated in 5 min. Saves me from using our large oven for the two of us it is a perfect size. Having used several this by far the best. It cooks on par with real ovens and will just fit a jelly roll pan perfectly.

Negative: Negative reviews are few and far between, but mainly echo typical complaints when it comes to toaster ovens. Some users found the temperatures are not exactly as they are supposed to be, the appliance is not as durable as it states and the knobs are hard to turn in the opposite direction.

Buyer's Guide to Toaster Ovens

How to Choose the Toaster Oven

Right off the bat, you want to find one with solid construction and good functionality to ensure it will last a lifetime. Make sure the materials that are used to construct the mini oven are of high quality; otherwise you may end up with a very heavy paper weight.

If for some reason the appliance does break during use or during the shipping process, it is wise to have a warranty to cover the model. This will protect it from anything that may happen down the road. Check all manufacturer warranties and guarantees to learn what's covered.

There are many different types of toaster ovens out there and some have different features available. Try to get one that is not only easy to use but also very easy to clean. There may be some parts of the oven, like the trays or racks, that can be placed in the dishwasher, but as for the actual oven, most have to be hand cleaned. Any kind of extra feature, such as pull out trays and self-cleaning systems, will help out a lot.

What to Look for When Purchasing a New Toaster Oven

You first want to figure out what you will be mainly using the appliance for. If this is going to be your primary kitchen appliance for cooking food (instead of the oven, grill or microwave), then you may want to go for a more top of the line model with a strong lifetime warranty. Since you will be using it a lot, you want to make sure the device will work every time. If it doesn't, it will be nice to know you can replace it easily at no extra cost.

You'll also want to determine how big you'd like your model to be. If it is just for yourself, then a smaller and more compact version may be best. Of course, you will not be able to feed a family of six with a single toaster oven, but some companies do make larger models with multiple racks so you can cook more than one item at once.

What you plan on cooking in the oven will determine how hot or strong a toaster oven you will need. If you are mostly heating up food and cooking an occasional pizza or two, then you might not need a very strong model. If you are cooking every day, then make sure to get one with a high wattage.

Construction and Design

For the most part, almost all toaster ovens have the same basic design. They are all shaped like a small box and are usually covered in stainless steel so they're easy to clean and also look nice on the kitchen counter.

They also have one or two small racks for placing small sheet trays or food directly on for cooking. There could be a heating element on the bottom, top or both. That's what cooks or warms up food items. There are also some models that have the ability to act as an air fryer, which is the new craze in ways to cook healthier food without the use of oilor fats.

Some of the models have manual dials, but the newer models will likely be digital. These have LED backlit displays that will have timers and alarms to alert you when the food is done. There are some that have special pre-set settings for items like garlic bread, pizzas and frozen items, in case you don't want to guess a particular time or heat setting. All in all, most come with a user manual and are very easy to operate.

How to Care for Your Toaster Oven

Without a doubt, you want to make sure that you are taking excellent care of your device. Often times, small bits of food will fall to the bottom of the unit and after time and use, the old pieces of food will burn up and end up sticking to the appliance. Sometimes they can give off bad odors and smoke, so make sure to keep the bottom of the unit clean.

A helpful trick is to line the bottom with aluminum foil so that you just have to pull it out and throw it away to clean it. Other models have pull out trays that catch all the crumbs.

There are also some models that have a non-stick coating all over the inside of the oven to make it easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth or towel. Either way, you want to occasionally clean the inner walls of the unit. Also clean the racks and trays after every use. The doors are generally glass and need to be cleaned as well so that the unit looks great and you are able to see inside the unit.