We Tested Toaster Ovens—These 6 Are Worth the Counter Space

Our Top Pick

Breville The Compact Smart Oven

$190 $170 at Amazon $271 at Walmart $190 at Wayfair

This model from Breville combines everything you could want in a toaster oven for a reasonable price, including a brushed stainless steel exterior, sleek construction, and intuitive controls. Don’t worry about it encroaching on your counter space either—the entire machine is just over 16 inches across and 11 inches high. Inside, you’ll find enough room for four slices of toast, a 6-cup muffin tray, or a 12-inch pizza. If you’re not sure how long to cook your food, there are eight preset functions to help you out: Toast, Bagel, Bake, Broil, Pizza, Roast, Cookies, and Reheat.

Allstar Aimee Broussard’s chocolate chip cookies came out perfectly crisp on the edges and soft in the centers thanks to the smart technology—which adjusted according to the preset cookie function. Although it’s a bit bulky, it delivers enough functionality and style to make up for it. “As someone who doesn't like a lot of ‘stuff’ on my counters, I appreciate that it looks higher end if you're going to have a toaster oven out and in view,” she says.

The only complaint she reported was the lack of an interior light, which could become an issue while cooking at night or for those with lower eyesight. 

The Details: 10.2 x 16.7 x 15.6 inches; fits 4 slices of toast or a 12-inch pizza; 120 to 450°F temperature range; includes 1 enamel baking pan and 1 enamel broiling rack

Best Under $100

Black+Decker Toaster Oven

$60 at Amazon $90 at Sears.com

It may not have any fancy extra features or digital displays, but the Black+Decker 4-Slice Toaster Oven still offers a lot of bang for your buck. For about $60, this 6.65-pound toaster oven is large enough to fit a 9-inch pizza or four slices of toast, plus it cooks evenly and thoroughly. 

According to Aimee, this toaster oven also heats up quickly. “There is no waiting for preheating, which is a bonus when the craving hits for homemade cookies,” she says. However, she wished the baking pan was a bit larger, as she could only fit four medium-sized cookies inside at once. Likewise, the analog timer only goes up to 30 minutes, and the knob makes it harder to determine baking settings. When it came to other classic toaster oven foods like frozen pizza and cheese toast, it produced a golden brown melty top. 

The Details: 11.18 x 15.47 x 8.3 inches; fits 4 slices of toast or a 9-inch pizza; warm to 450°F temperature range; includes 1 bake pan and 1 broil rack

Best Basic

Hamilton Beach 31401 Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker

$55 at Amazon $55 at Target $60 at Wayfair

Sometimes, you just need a basic appliance for occasional use (think: morning toast, baking a mini pizza, and reheating the occasional leftovers). That’s where the Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker comes in. The controls couldn’t be simpler; There’s a temperature knob, a timer knob, and a function knob that moves between broil and toast. It also has a keep warm function, an alarm, and auto-shutoff features. 

Although the brand advertises enough space for a 9-inch pizza, Allstar Amy Barnes says it was better suited for a 6-inch pizza. In tests, the shiny surface showed fingerprints easily, and the background color of the settings next to the knobs was a little too dark for her liking. However, it was easy to clean, and the stainless steel looked great on the countertop. Likewise, the lightweight, compact design makes it easy to store. “The small footprint makes this model a great option for dorms and small apartments,” she says.

The Details: 11.5 x 14.9 x 8.7 inches; fits 4 slices of toast or a 6-inch pizza; 150 to 450°F temperature range; includes 1 baking pan and 1 oven rack

Best Splurge

Cuisinart Chef's Convection Toaster Oven

$296 at Amazon $300 at Walmart $319 at Target

If you’re looking for the best of the best (and are willing to pay for it), the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven is the shining star of the toaster oven world. At nearly 20 inches wide, this 1800-watt model can easily replace your oven and offer a more compact alternative in tiny kitchens or kitchenettes. It can comfortably fit a 13-inch pizza, nine slices of toast, or even an entire 9x13-inch baking pan. In terms of features, it boasts an oven door sensor, a backlit display, an exact heat sensor, toast shade control, and dual cook technology.

In tests, pizza came out crispy from edge to edge, perfectly cooked in the middle, and topped with bubbling cheese. Amy loved that she could easily see inside the entire time, thanks to the clear glass door and interior light. And while it was the heaviest and bulkiest toaster oven she tested, the design is sleek and durable. The only downside she found was that it became hot to the touch—both on the door and exterior—when operating, though the handle remained cool. Once she figured out the timing, cookies also came out great. As a bonus safety feature, the oven stops cooking at the end of the cycle and shuts off. 

The Details: 16.93 x 20.87 x 11.42 inches; fits 9 slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza; 175 to 450°F temperature range for baking, up to 500°F for broiling; includes 13-inch pizza stone, 2 cooking racks, 9x13-inch enamel baking pan, and 1 broiling pan

Best Compact

Panasonic FlashXpress Compact Toaster Oven

$150 at Amazon $201 at Walmart $150 at Target

Short on space? The Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven is the best compact toaster oven we tested at just 13 x 12 x 10.25 inches. There are preset buttons for toast, frozen waffles, rolls, frozen pizza, frozen hash browns, and reheating leftovers. 

Although the temperature controls increased by 35°F, which Amy found a bit confusing, cookies and pizza cooked quickly and evenly during tests. The matte finish meant that there were no exterior smudges, and the buttons for the preset temperatures were easy to see. The adjustable interior light was an added bonus. Amy also appreciated the included safety features. “This one has the tray attached to the door and when you open the door it slides out,” she says. “A great feature to avoid burning your hands!”

The Details: 13 x 12 x 10.25 inches; fits 4 slices of toast or a 9-inch pizza; 250 to 500°F temperature range; includes attached baking rack and 1 baking pan

Best with Air Fryer

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

$350 at Amazon $350 at Target $350 at Williams Sonoma

Another great space-saving option is to combine two different appliances into one. We tested five different air fryer toaster ovens and found the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to perform the best—followed closely by the slightly less expensive Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fryer. The Breville takes the guesswork out of baking, toasting, reheating, and air frying with a choice of 11 separate cooking functions. It’s also built with the brand’s Element iQ System, which features smart algorithms to create ideal cooking environments and temperature control to eliminate cold spots for even cooking. 

Allstar Sarah Stone calls this toaster oven air fryer a “workhorse” and was impressed by the rapid cook time for frozen pizza, egg bites, and bacon. Even better, there were no splatters or spills inside after cooking, making cleanup a breeze. However, she did find herself having to supervise while toasting bread and moving the rack up halfway through to achieve a perfect golden brown.

The Details: 18.5 x 15.75 x 11 inches; fits 6 slices of toast or a 13-inch pizza; 120–450°F temperature range; includes 1 air fry basket, 1 enamel roasting pan, 13-inch nonstick pizza pan, 1 wire rack, and 1 broiling rack