Toaster ovens are the most versatile kitchen appliance. They can make all of your favorite dishes, from grilled cheese sandwiches to whole roasts, homemade pizza, and even french fries without the need for deep-frying.
As proof, I decided to put some of the most popular toaster ovens to the test with four of the most common food items. I settle on just the basic recipes because if the ovens can make them taste good, then elevated recipes can only get better from there. Here’s my list of the 5 toaster ovens to add to your cooking arsenal!
Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The first oven I want to talk about is an upgraded version of my go to oven for the past few years and also replaced its place in my kitchen, the Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer Toaster Oven. It is super easy to use with its simple dial controls for function, temperature, and time. However, its biggest strength is powerful, precise, and fast cooking.
Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The oven toasts bread in just 4 minutes without burning, thanks to its eight quartz heating elements. Plus, the slide-out tray makes clean-up a breeze.
With 1800 W of power, it bakes pizza perfectly—crispy crust, caramelized toppings, and moist dough. You can even use a ceramic-coated griddle for an extra heated surface.
I found the grill plate not ideal for whole roasts, instead air-frying a 3-lb chicken results in crispy skin and juicy meat in just 40 minutes. For frozen fries, the air fryer function also works wonders—crispy and golden in 15 minutes, no added oil needed, thanks to a strong convection fan.
The last thing I want to say about this oven (could have been the first) is that it does not only look good in any kitchen setting but also saves you a lot of cleaning labour with its polished stainless steel exterior and interior.
Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
My second recommendation is the Ninja DT201 Foodi XL Pro. This one is the best option for large feasts with a cooking chamber that easily handles a 12-lb turkey in addition to its 2-level even cooking feature.
Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Utilizing the four rack levels, the distinctive '2-level' button offers, on the LCD, the optimal rack position for cooking two trays of food simultaneously. This even allows you to simultaneously roast a tray of meat and a tray of veggies. Considering the Ninja has both types of heating elements—1 large nichrome one and 5 quartz one, it both heats up fast and caramelizes savory dishes well.
The Ninja's control panel is anything but basic, yet the digital display shows all the information in an aesthetically uncomplicated manner. In addition, its buttons are really intuitive.
This oven makes the most out of its capabilities by how each function employs a certain convection level and a set number of heating elements. Just choose the function, temperature, and time corresponding to your recipe before sitting back and relaxing just like I did during testing.
Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Toaster Oven
When it comes to small toaster ovens, the Breville BOV450XL Mini has the highest build quality of material on top of some unique features at a reasonable price. Its cooking chamber has a non-toxic non-stick coating and its accessories are ceramic-coated to ease your cleaning process.
Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Toaster Oven
Surprisingly, it has the fastest cooking time for toast among the toaster ovens I’ve tested. I just wish it could have a fan, or better yet, a top-mounted one like the Cuisinart TOA-70 for more even heat distribution.
It’s also one of the rare small units that can fit a 3-lb whole chicken. It’s worth mentioning since it passed my test of roasting 10 wings with flying golden brown colors. Moreover, it was one of the few whose baked fries was acceptable.
The digital display along with the function dial made it simple to readjust the cooking setting during operation. Some nice extra features are presets cookies, pizza, reheating, and a Temperature Conversion Button. Unfortunately, the FROZEN FOODS and A BIT MORE buttons proved otherwise.
Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P Digital
Next up is the Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P is a small digital toaster oven so powerful it can reduce your cooking time while saving electricity. It also has a high build quality to justify its price.
Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P Digital
It holds the record in the amount of time required to bake a pizza. Sadly, like the Breville, it could really use a convection fan.
The oven has unique design features including an auto-pull rack and preset cooking functions which can be considered a signature for Japanese cooking appliances. It also has an interior light that the Breville lacks.
Unfortunately, while the auto-pull rack was a convenient feature, it effectively reduced the available cooking space.
Black+Decker CTO6335S Large Convection
Lastly, the Black+Decker CTO6335S Large Convection Toaster Oven. For its price, this oven offers everything you need in a good oven at a shockingly low price — it’s sturdy, easy to operate and has convection.
B&D CTO6335S Large Convection Toaster Oven
The oven does have a small weakness of low wattage. You can get around that by tinkering with the temperature (I always crank the temperature to max for frozen foods) and always employing convection for your savory dishes.
It features a durable stainless steel exterior, an easy-to-clean interior coating, and user-friendly control with an LCD and 13 buttons. Highlights include quartz elements and a baking pan with a broiling rack. However, the door and buttons can be a bit unreliable.
Overall Verdict
My final takeaway is that your toaster oven of choice comes down to your needs. If you just want something that cooks food exactly to your liking and can probably last forever, the Cuisinart TOA-70 is my best bet. Go for the Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201 to save the fuss of multiple trays during meal prep; the Black+Decker CTO6335S if you’re on a budget; and the Breville BOV450XL or the Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P if you’re low on space.
If you want to take a look at other toaster ovens (maybe to see why they didn’t make this list), feel free to check out ShouldIt’s best toaster ovens — tested in a lab and used in our kitchen on a daily basis to ensure our recommendations can stand the test of time.
Luna Regina
Writer, Author