Can / will you recommend your toaster oven?

Another first world problem: which one to buy.  Reviews of less expensive models [<$50] suggest more problems with exploding glass doors, excessive lost heat, etc.   But i'm not anxious to spend >$100 for a toaster oven...  Recommendations greatly appreciated

TIA


i got the cheapest I could find about 25 years ago..but the door doesn't close good.  doubt they make that model anymore.


I bought many cheap ones over the years and they all had cords that got so hot I thought they would explode into flames. Finally, as a gift, I received a Breville oven and it's been fantastic.  I can toast in it and cook in it and I think it does other things too--I have to read the manual.  Very useful.


Consumer Reports loves the Breville; all the top-rated models are theirs. I think it's crazy expensive and don't think the actual user reviews are all that great ... but on the other hand, the $40 Black and Decker I had wasn't working so well in general and was reaching the point where the little ticking timer wasn't ticking or moving some of the time, which feels like a fire hazard to me -- and since it was never that good at toasting English muffins, I didn't really want to go that route again. 

So, I finally decided to go ahead and get the Breville -- a re-manufactured version of the $180 model, the 650XL, for $122 on Amazon -- along with a $10 four-year extended warranty, which you can get during the checkout process. I never buy those things, but the reviews made it seem like there were reliability issues, so I figured for $135 or so I could have a nice toaster with essentially a 4 year guarantee. 

So far so good,  about three days of use in. 


kenboy said:
Consumer Reports loves the Breville; all the top-rated models are theirs. I think it's crazy expensive and don't think the actual user reviews are all that great ... but on the other hand, the $40 Black and Decker I had wasn't working so well in general and was reaching the point where the little ticking timer wasn't ticking or moving some of the time, which feels like a fire hazard to me -- and since it was never that good at toasting English muffins, I didn't really want to go that route again. 
So, I finally decided to go ahead and get the Breville -- a re-manufactured version of the $180 model, the 650XL, for $122 on Amazon -- along with a $10 four-year extended warranty, which you can get during the checkout process. I never buy those things, but the reviews made it seem like there were reliability issues, so I figured for $135 or so I could have a nice toaster with essentially a 4 year guarantee. 
So far so good,  about three days of use in. 

 This is exactly the problem.  There seems to be no middle ground on toaster ovens.  You either risk a fire with a cheap one or pay out the nose for the Breville, which toasts the same as the Black & Decker, but just does not burn your house down (or make you worry about that).  The re-manufactured version sounds like the best strategy available now.  


I don't have a toaster oven, but one of the favorite kitchen tools we have is our panini press (which is a Breville) and we use it as a sort of pseudo toaster oven by using the height setting to leave a gap between the two plates.

So depending on your toaster oven needs, since we can get most of the toaster oven functionality out of our panini press, but you don't get any panini press functionality out of a toaster oven. (And having both would just be too much counter clutter for us.)

But we probably use that panini press more than we use our stovetop, and definitely more than we use the oven.



We've had a Cuisinart (TOB 60N) for about eight years.  Happy with it and no problems.  It's a "toaster oven broiler with convection", extra deep so can fit a 12-inch pizza.  Back then we paid $80 ($100 at Bed Bath Beyond, used 20% off coupon).  


you have to decide what you are using the TO for-making toast and light heating of stuff or more?

I have a Breville that I spent about $250 (non-convection) 4+ years ago.  Very happy with light heating up, cooking bacon and muffins, etc.

Not sure I would start with raw chicken to cook-the chicken would cook, just not as well as an oven and would take longer.  I also am adverse to TO grease cleaning 

I'm not a happy camper when it comes to toasting bread.  One side is always darker than the other.  

Overall I am happy with it


My Black and Decker is about 25 years old.  No problems.  Don't know the model number.  I assume they don't make them like they used to.


I bought this Breville toaster oven in December. Got it for $199. I wanted a serious TO so I wouldn't have to use the big oven as much in the summer because it heats up the house. So far I've used it mostly for toast, broiling, heating up pizza, reheating, etc. It's been great. Very easy to figure out how to use. My previous unit had a confusing interface. Several times I thought it was off and realized it was still on several hours later. I was happy to put that one in the trash. Sadly, I can't remember the brand.

In my weekend house I have an ancient Black and Decker that is still going strong. 


I often heat things in a cast iron skillet with a cover on top.


Agree with several comments about the Black and Decker model.  I bought the newer model, was dissatisfied, and ultimately wound up exchanging the new model with someone who agreed to swap for the old model.  Satisfied now.



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