toaster ovens

[cas]

My DeLongi toaster oven just died after only 2 1/2 years. Has anyone bought one recently that they could recommend, mainly used for toasting and frozen pizzas, french fries. Thanks for your help, I need one badly!

[Lillith]

The only definite thing I would recommend is that whatever brand you buy, be sure it has a removeable crumb tray. It's such a pleasure to remove the tray and wash it rather than turn the whole toaster oven upside down over the sink (like I had to do w/my old one) to shake out the crumbs.

[Miss Giggles]

I have a black and decker one that was bought at Sams Club for about 30.00

Has a removable crumb tray.

[MISSINDI]

I have a Black & Decker one also, but the under-the-counter kind. Was $79 a few years ago, comes with mounting hood. Hope this helps!

[ChristyMarie]

We have a basic Black & Decker one (maybe $40?) - works well but it takes a LONG time to toast, well, toast. Other than that it works great but if you are using it as your main toaster as well you may want a more powerful one.

[Barrie]

I have a Cuisinart that I love. I got it several months ago at Linens & Things (used a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond). We use it constantly with a toddler in the house, for heating fish sticks, mini pizza bagels, etc. and needed something that could take a workout. According to the box and the literature, it's big enough to roast a whole chicken or bake a pie (although I haven't done either of these things!).

[Gail]

I'm into either my third or fourth toaster oven. Have had a Toastmaster (LONG ago), and one or two Black and Deckers-- all of which I liked. I'd gone back to the store to purchase a new B & D, but was really disappointed in the style and quality of the newer models. Maybe they'll be fine for your purposes and the price is right. I just didn't like the looks or new controls and thought it looked flimsier than they'd been in the past.

I think I've got the same Cuisinart that Barrie has. LOVE it! Styling looks really nice and solid, it's big, I like the controls, and it's easier to clean-- inside and out-- than any of my past toaster ovens. The down side: mucho dinero-- more than double the cost of the Black and Deckers.

If you don't use your toaster oven much and the styling is to your liking, you'd likely be fine with the B & D. We use the toaster oven a LOT in this household (besides toast, I use it for warming up leftovers and frozen things like my son's fish sticks; for baking potatoes, for roasting chiles, for browning the cheese on things like onion soup.) Can't say I'll ever be making a chicken in my toaster oven, but then again it's nice to know that if I ever need a third oven when entertaining at Christmastime or other, I can always put a casserole in there to bake.)

[MISSINDI]

Just out of curiousity... for those that are using their toaster oven a lot for reheating things, do you also have a microwave? I never think to use the toaster oven for reheating - I just use the microwave. I use it to just toast things. I actually used it for the first time to bake something last weekend, because the regular oven was already full. I think sometimes when reheating things in the microwave, they get too hot (for our toddler to eat anyway); wonder if the toaster might be better for that.

[jphilg]

I would steer you away from the Krups ProChef line and others of that size. We got one as a wedding present 4 years ago, and I just have never been happy with it as a toaster. It is great if you want to reheat stuff, because it is big, and I've been known to broil fish in it (with only moderate success). But a toaster oven needs to make toast, too, and because this is so big, it takes like 10 minutes to get reasonable toast out of it.

I am thinking of getting a pop-up toaster, and just using my oven to reheat when the microwave won't do.

[Gail]

I have a microwave. In my opinion, the microwave is fine for steaming veggies, warming up liquids, reheating things which have gotten cold and some leftovers-- depending upon what they are. Otherwise, I prefer waiting for what I feel to be superior results I get from my toaster oven, where things properly crisp and brown and don't taste quite so... homogenized. I use it for toasting nuts and seeds, blistering chiles, heating up pizza slices... I could go on and on. I often use the toaster oven for small baking or roasting jobs, rather than using one of my full-sized ovens. It heats faster (you really don't need to preheat) and on hot days it doesn't heat up my kitchen.

[gertdog]

We have a Cuisinart toaster oven that we received as a wedding gift in 2002 and I love it. We use it for toast and bagels, reheating stuff (pizza), toasting nuts and breadcrumbs, baking potatoes, cooking veggie burgers etc.

We do also have a microwave, but I pretty much ditto what Gail said about how we use it. I think my number one uses for the microwave are softening butter and steaming broccoli. Sometimes I reheat a serving of a casserole or pasta for lunch. That's about it!

[Canice]

I just bought a new DeLonghi yesterday, so it's a little early for me to comment but I found these toaster oven threads (http://community.cookinglight.com/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=650361&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending) threads helpful.

[MrsReber]

This is a timely thread for me. DH and I were just discussing this. Our toaster oven works fine, but our crumb tray broke off! It's a B&D, too- my third one. The tray wasn't removable, it just sort of folded down. DH picked out this model after our last one caught on fire (whoops).

DH wants a separate toaster. He doesn't want a toaster oven. I want a toaster oven because I use it all the time for most of the reasons mentioned here.

I wonder if he'd like the Cuisinart one. I'm not really sure why he wants a regular toaster. Maybe he just likes having to risk his life shoving a fork in the toaster to remove an english muffin?

[Barrie]

Here's the Cuisinart that I have:
http://www.cuisinart.com/product_img/TOB-160_b.jpg

It's definitely pricey, but as I said, it gets a workout in my house and I took that into consideration when buying it. I picked it out based mostly on the rave reviews it got here in prior threads. It also comes in a (even pricier) model that has the convection oven feature (mine doesn't have that). Consumer Reports rated toaster ovens in 11/04 and this model is their top-rated, fwiw.

[mbrogier]

I call those B&D toaster ovens "disposable. They are hard to clean, and they start looking awful in a year or two, so you want to replace it. I saw one at Homegoods--I don't remember the brand--that has a removable liner that was dishwasher safe. I thought Delonghi was a really good company. I'm surprised your toaster oven didn't last longer. Maybe you should call the company and see if they'll replace it.

I need to get a pop-up toaster because my husband loves toast every morning, and they are so much faster than a toaster oven.

[Gail]

Originally posted by Barrie
Here's the Cuisinart that I have...

It's definitely pricey, but as I said, it gets a workout in my house and I took that into consideration when buying it. I picked it out based mostly on the rave reviews it got here in prior threads. It also comes in a (even pricier) model that has the convection oven feature (mine doesn't have that). Consumer Reports rated toaster ovens in 11/04 and this model is their top-rated, fwiw.

Okay, so we DON'T have the same one. Mine is black-- textured on the outside and has the controls to the right-- non digital controls.
I still love it. :)

[Gail]

Originally posted by mbrogier
...I need to get a pop-up toaster because my husband loves toast every morning, and they are so much faster than a toaster oven.

Really? I never noticed it took any longer in the toaster oven... I think one of the reasons I like toast from the toaster oven is that I like my butter melted. With the toaster oven, I can sort-of butter the bread, then pop it back in to melt the butter.

...sounds good. I haven't had a piece of buttered toast in months.

[Barrie]

Originally posted by Gail
With the toaster oven, I can sort-of butter the bread, then pop it back in to melt the butter.


You're not the only one who does that! I like to put my English muffins back in to get the butter all melty. :)

[Robyncz]

I've had two different Cuisinarts (the white one someone posted a picture of above and the black one Gail is talking about). I like them both. I tried a bunch of them, and in my opinion, the Cuisinarts are the only ones that can actually make toast. I had the black one for a couple of years and I just passed it on to a friend because I really wanted the white one (it looks better in my kitchen, you know!)

I prefer the white Cuisinart because it has a timer, which the black one didn't have. I got a great price on it at Amazon a couple of weeks ago. The shipping was free and Amazon was also giving $25 off a purchase of $100 or more. As much as I use my toaster oven (probably twice a day--it's great for kids' snacks!), I couldn't pass that up!

[mbrogier]

Originally posted by Gail


Really? I never noticed it took any longer in the toaster oven... I think one of the reasons I like toast from the toaster oven is that I like my butter melted. With the toaster oven, I can sort-of butter the bread, then pop it back in to melt the butter.

My husband has the strange notion that you butter bread AFTER you toast it. :rolleyes: Maybe a lot of people do that, but I've never seen anyone do that. My cheap toaster oven takes forever. It takes more than one cycle to toast it well. You have to watch the bread really well or it will burn. I hate that.

[jellyben]

Originally posted by mbrogier


My husband has the strange notion that you butter bread AFTER you toast it. :rolleyes: Maybe a lot of people do that, but I've never seen anyone do that. My cheap toaster oven takes forever. It takes more than one cycle to toast it well. You have to watch the bread really well or it will burn. I hate that.

Happy childhood memory-when I would ask my dad to make me toast he would ask 'butter before or after?'. Before, of course!

[Gail]

Originally posted by jellyben


Happy childhood memory-when I would ask my dad to make me toast he would ask 'butter before or after?'. Before, of course!

Wait a sec. You mean you'd butter the untoasted bread and THEN toast it (so it only browns around the edges?)

Forgot that's actually another function of the toaster oven, which we've been known to utilize for what I call "quickie garlic bread," but I've never thought about doing that with toast.

...guess we're pretty much a boring, butter-it-after-toasting family. (and then put it back in to get "all melty" as Barrie put it. :) )

Originally posted by mbrogier



...It takes more than one cycle to toast it well. You have to watch the bread really well or it will burn. I hate that.

(heh, heh, heh...) Would you believe I sometimes PURPOSELY burn the toast? LOVE it that way, actually... Burnt toast with melted butter, yep, yep, yep...

Yeah, okay. My family looks at me that way, too.

[memartha]

I have never thought of buttering the bread before I toast it. I will have to give that a try!

[cas]

Thanks for everyone's recommendations. I think I will go with the cuisinart. Just one question for those of you that own the cuisinart is it the regular toaster oven or the one with convection? By the way, I never heard of buttering the bread before toasting, I'll have to give it a try!

[Miss Giggles]

we have a toaster oven at work too and almost every day someone makes garlic bread in it (which of course is one my favorite foods and then i want some too)

[mbrogier]

Buttering the bread first doesn't mean that it only toasts on the edges. You get blobs of butter and toasty bits all over. Remember how it is with buttering soft bread. :D

I guess we did that because we weren't really jelly people.

[jellyben]

Originally posted by Gail


Wait a sec. You mean you'd butter the untoasted bread and THEN toast it (so it only browns around the edges?)



Yep. I think the toaster had a Top Brown Only feature, and it would be absolutely delish! Hmm, I know what I'm having for breakfast.

[jellyben]

Originally posted by memartha
I have never thought of buttering the bread before I toast it. I will have to give that a try!

I would suggest you put the bread on a tray, otherwise the butter may drip down and start a fire(ask me how I know this!)

[Gail]

Originally posted by cas
Thanks for everyone's recommendations. I think I will go with the cuisinart. Just one question for those of you that own the cuisinart is it the regular toaster oven or the one with convection? By the way, I never heard of buttering the bread before toasting, I'll have to give it a try!

I can only tell you that neither Barrie nor I have the convection model.

[Gail]

Originally posted by jellyben


I would suggest you put the bread on a tray, otherwise the butter may drip down and start a fire(ask me how I know this!)

Tee hee.

My family was always amazed how blasé I'd be casually strolling over to the toaster oven, blowing out the fire and letting the toaster oven run till the butter eventually cooks away.

...and no, that isn't why I've been through so many toaster ovens... :p The door broke on the last one.

[Robyncz]

My new one is the convection model. My old one was the TOB-30.

For the price I got at Amazon, the convection feature was essentially free. It bakes great! I made a pan of butterscotch brownies in it last night, and they were perfect.