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. Whether you’re making some yummy banana cake or reheating some mini pizzas, a toaster oven is super essential and a must-have in your kitchen. A toaster oven lets your bake chicken, broil vegetables, and keep food warm for serving. Look through a variety of toaster ovens with features like time and temperature controls to make cooking fast and easy. Find a collection of convection toaster ovens and countertop ovens made from sturdy stainless steel that will also look attractive on your kitchen counter.
Just keep in mind that the pods tend to cook a little less evenly, and in most cases you’ll only be able to make a couple servings at a time. The nonstick coating in the baskets of pod-shaped air fryers are also likely to wear off within a few years, so you’ll need to replace either the basket or your entire machine. hamilton beach toaster oven If you want to use this oven as an air fryer (because pod-shaped air fryers are simply tiny convection ovens), we’ve found that the high setting works better, since it cooks food a little faster. The exorbitantly priced Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven produced the most evenly browned toast of any model we tested.
However, for the best results, we’d still recommend waiting a couple of minutes for the unit to preheat. However, in our research, we’ve found that toaster ovens have a longer life expectancy than slot toasters. If you don’t have room for both appliances in your kitchen, we’d recommend getting a toaster oven instead. A. Some people may still be wondering why you’d choose a toaster oven when you could buy a standard pop-up toaster.
For my next attempt (I like chicken), I used heatproof, waterproof barbecue gloves for more secure chicken extraction. The Cuisinart TOB-135 toasted bread unevenly, and its temperature control was less consistent, so we dismissed it. When we selected models to test, we didn’t consider convection to be a must-have feature. None of the parts are coated with a nonstick finish and hand washing is recommended. The aluminum baking pan became quite stained and we weren’t able to get it completely clean. Although it can toast 6 slices at once, in our tests, it didn’t brown the slices in the front as evenly as the ones in the back.
Without wasting any more of your time, let’s skip to the main section of the content and look at the 7 best hamilton beach toasters money can buy today. With that in mind, I decided to go out there myself and created a shortlist of the best toaster oven models from arguably the best toaster ovens brand available today. While wiping it clean was easy, I’d suggest being careful to not slop water or food into the convection fan’s vent holes in the oven. Since most of the crevices and protrusions are rounded, it’s easier to clean than sharp corners. The back corners are the hardest bits to clean, but they’re also the least likely places food would spatter.
We’ve learned through research done by The Ohio State University that slot toasters aren’t built to last (you can read more about OSU’s in-depth work in our blog post). Since most modern slot toasters aren’t repairable, they’re destined for a landfill once they give out. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, typically last longer, which may be in part because the heating elements are enclosed or better protected by metal guards to prevent damage. They’re also not moved or banged around as much as slot toasters, making their electrical components less susceptible to failure. For the past two years, two Wirecutter employees have used the Hamilton Beach for basic tasks like making toast, reheating pizza, and baking frozen snacks. One of our testers initially tried toasting bread in the baking pan, which only browned the top of the bread.
Since most of the door is glass, I suggest not slamming it in either direction and making it a point to close it gently. At 15 inches high, 23.4 inches wide, and 18 inches hamilton beach toaster deep, this is a fairly large oven that eats quite a bit of countertop space. Fortunately, it’s not an unattractive piece, so it could sit out if it’s used every day.
If you have your eye on a recipe written specifically for a pod-shaped air fryer (as most are) but want to prepare it in a convection toaster oven, you can get good results with some minor adjustments. We also like that the FlashXpress beeps when the cycle has finished and turns itself off automatically (as does our other pick, the Cuisinart). This model also has an oven light, which is rare for toaster ovens at this price level.