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This Must-Have Toaster Oven Can Cook A 9-Inch Pizza — Plus 3 More That Can Toast, Roast, & Broil

by Ileana Morales Valentine

A toaster oven combines the best qualities of microwaves and standard ovens — speed and the capability to crisp and brown food — while still fitting on your countertop. Most boast several standard-oven-like functions while heating more efficiently for small-scale cooking. Here's what you need to know to help you choose the best rated toaster oven.

To consider capacity, think in terms of slices of toast. Larger options can hold as many as nine slices of bread, or a 13-inch pizza, or a whole 5-pound chicken. Smaller ovens can hold two, four, or six slices of toast. Looking to preserve counter space? A compact pick can also get the job done as some have enough space to cook a 9-inch personal pizza.

More powerful toaster ovens will have greater maximum wattage, which tends to come with a higher temperature range up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Conventional toaster ovens are heated by an element (like standard ovens) while a convection oven has a fan for quickly and evenly cooking food. Infrared toaster ovens similarly heat quickly, but tend to be more expensive when you take capacity into account. For true cooking rather than just reheating, choose convection or infrared for evener heat distribution.

Oven safety features, like automatic shut-off, drip trays, and racks that automatically extend when the door is opened, may be important for you to consider depending on your household.

Keep scrolling to shop for the best toaster oven for your kitchen; some go far beyond baking and toasting.

1

The Overall Best: A Large Toaster Oven That's Also As An Air Fryer

The Cuisinart Chef's Convection Toaster Oven is powerful with 1875 watts and enough room for a 13-inch pizza, two 9-inch by 13-inch baking pans, nine slices of toast, a 5-pound whole chicken, or 4 pounds of ribs. It's highly rated with more than 600 reviews. This oven boasts 15 presets and cooking functions, including dual cook for combining functions, toast, broil, waffle, defrost, and speed convection for instant heat. With its powerful convection heating up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, it's also a great air fryer. Reviewers love how quiet this unit is and they find it functions as well as their ovens.

Other features to love: speed convection, a digital control panel with LED buttons and backlit blue display, a nonstick interior, four interior rack positions with two oven racks, a baking/drip pan, a broiling pan, a removable crumb tray, a 13-inch pizza stone, and a recipe booklet.

Fans say: “This is the best toaster oven I have ever owned. It bakes better than the oven in my stove due to the convection feature and is suitable for preparing frozen or room temperature foods. The display is bright and easy to read...Over the years I have owned about 5-6 different toaster ovens, this is by far the best and the only one that does not blacken the bottom sides of the toast.”

2

A Space-Saving, 2-in-1 Toaster Oven Under $100

You no longer have to decide between a traditional slot toaster and a toaster oven; this 2-in-1 toaster oven does both in a single compact appliance that measures 12.1 by 17.8 by 10.2 inches. This conventional toaster oven can bake and broil food in the oven, or just slide a lever to the toast setting and place two slices of bread in the extra-wide slots. It toasts bread up to 40% faster than conventional toasters, and it even has a shade selector for your desired toast color. The oven temperature range is 200 to 450 degrees with a maximum wattage of 1450 watts.

The roomy interior fits a 9-inch pizza and is also great for baking muffins, potatoes, or casseroles. The oven comes with a rack that can be placed in two positions, a removable crumb tray, and a bake pan. There's a stay-on setting for making multiple batches, and a 60-minute timer with automatic shutoff. This oven is available in black, red, or stainless steel to match your kitchen decor.

Fans say: “I've had this toaster oven for about a month. I use it practically every night and have been very happy with it. The controls are simple, it heats quickly and cooks well. Most surprisingly, it makes great toast! The toaster slot on the top is unique, as far as I know, and results in perfectly even, browned toast. Finally someone figured out how to do this! Highly recommend!”

3

The Best Affordable Toaster Oven

The best affordable toaster oven is spacious enough to toast four slices of bread or cook a 9-inch pizza. The 1100-watt convection oven can heat from 150 to 450 degrees, and it can bake, broil, toast, or keep food warm.

This stainless steel budget pick even has some bonus features you'd find in more expensive models, including a "removable crumb tray," a baking pan, a baking rack, an indicator light, a stay-on setting, and a 30-minute timer with settings for toast color precision. With more than 1,500 reviews, shoppers rave about its size, simplicity, and ease of use.

Fans say: “A good solid product, at an affordable price. I was very pleased with this item. Great for toasting anything, cooking a pizza, toasting a sandwich. I’ve even used it for making a dessert. I love that there’s a timer and broiler option. Super easy to clean tray.”

4

The Best Infrared Toaster Oven That's Also Compact

A little bit smaller than our space-saving pick at 13.9 by 10.3 by 7.8 inches, this infrared toaster oven is highly rated with more than 2,000 reviews, but it's also the best compact toaster oven. The 1300-watt oven heats almost instantly that to its "high-efficiency quartz and ceramic infrared heating elements" with a range from 250 to 500 degrees.

The interior fits four slices of bread or a 9-inch pizza, and it has six presets: toast, quick reheat, frozen pizza, frozen waffles, frozen hashbrowns, and reheat rolls. There's also a setting for controlling toast color, and an on/off light. The compact design is available in black, silver, or white and reviewers repeatedly note this oven's small footprint, and its rapid heating has been enough to totally change the way some shoppers cook.

Fans say: “This is the best toaster oven I've ever owned. Period. And over the course of 30 years I've owned just about every imaginable kind of toaster oven - and toaster oven combo (usually with convection feature). As I've gotten older I've really gravitated toward the pricey ones that aren't "just" a toaster...One other thing? It's a slightly different shape than a traditional toaster over -- square shaped instead of long and boxy. The shape seems more logical for some reason, fits much better on our counter, and the toast seems easier to get to.”

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