What To Know Before Buying Air Fryer Toaster Ovens
A good air fryer toaster oven fits more food than a single-function air fryer, but your food may not turn out as crispy.
Toaster ovens can handle a whole range of tasks, from toasting four or more slices of toast to broiling, baking, and reheating. Toaster oven air fryers expand on that versatility.
Adding an air fry function gives you the abilities of a pop-up toaster, toaster oven, and more in one appliance. Some models can also roast on a rotisserie, slow cook, or dehydrate, making them even more useful.
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Other Features And Accessories To Note
Most of these ovens come standard with a baking tray, wire racks and mesh air fry basket. The air fry basket is meant to allow the circulating hot air to hit food at all angles and save you from having to turn it. These are great for fries and certain veggies, but beware that fatty foods, including chicken wings, will drip through as they cook and it aint pretty. I always use parchment paper when cooking things of that sort.
All but two of the ovens I tested the Crux and the Calphalon have an internal light, which is nice when you need it but not necessary by any means.
Every oven on this list has a digital interface with dials, buttons or both to control it, although some were much better than others. The Brevilles was the most complex, a result of all its many functions and cooking presets, while the Cuisinart interface was the only one I truly did not like. It drove me batty, in fact.
| Breville BOV900BSSUSC |
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Other Options We Tested
- Emeril Lagasse Power AirFryer 360: A previous version of this roundup included the Emeril Lagasse countertop oven, which also features an air-frying function. The versatile appliance functions as a convection oven, rotisserie, food dehydrator, toaster, food warmer, slow cooker, and pizza maker. While it performed adequately, in the end, our reviewer felt that its noise level, difficulty in cleaning, and large size made it not worthy of its price tag. There are better options on our roundup with similar functionality.
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Can You Bake With A Toaster Oven
Like most people, you might wonder what more can be done in a toaster oven.
And what is the main difference with a traditional convection oven?
Well, the answer to this question is that the main difference between a traditional oven and a toaster oven is size.
A toaster oven is smaller, so if you value space in your kitchen, its ideal.
It takes up considerably less space than a toaster and microwave oven.
Also, a conventional built-in convection oven is a high-value kitchen item.
But a toaster oven is very affordable if you dont need all the features of a regular oven.
Thanks to its operation, your toaster oven can cook the same recipes as in a traditional oven.
It can handle chicken, lasagna, cakes, or any other type of recipe.
Not just toast!
You get great versatility for its size, as it fits in any kitchen.
And if you want to experiment with some new delicious recipes, youll find loads of YouTubers offering interesting video content, especially for toaster ovens.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
This oven is significantly more expensive than our runner-up pick, and we realize the cost may be prohibitive for some people. Heres our advice: If you have high demands for this appliance to be both your air fryer and a great toaster oven, and if you can afford it, we think youll be happiest with the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. But if you plan to air fry only every so often, or if you want to spend less money, we think the Cuisinart TOB-260N1s turbo fan speed achieves similar results for far less money. It just may take a bit longer to get your fries extra crispy.
Also, on the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pros super convection fan speed, the fan is noticeably louder than on the slower setting, but its still quieter than a hair dryer, and its not as noisy as some models we tested, like the Ninja DT201 Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fryer Toaster Oven. If you think the noise might bother you, wed recommend getting our runner-up pick, the Cuisinart Chefs Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1, which is very quiet on both its high and low settings.
The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro didnt toast bread quite as evenly as our runner-up pick, but it excelled at cooking just about everything else we prepared in it. We also prefer the Cuisinart TOB-260N1s ceramic pizza stone over the Brevilles nonstick pizza pan, since the coating will wear down over time .
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Review Of Two Best Oster Toaster Ovens: Affordable And Extra Fast
This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Are you looking for the best Oster toaster oven in the market?
Ive found two high-quality Oster toaster ovens that give excellent results, so you can choose the best-value model that best fits your family:
- The Oster Large Convection Toaster Oven TSSTTVMNDG, a flagship of the company
- The Oster Extra Large Convection Oven TSSTTVDGXL-SHP, a large oven that can easily replace your conventional one
These high-quality, stylish, easy-clean, stainless steel toaster ovens are the best products Oster has to offer.
But which toaster oven is the right option for you?
Lets find out.
How Do You Clean A Countertop Oven
After unplugging it and letting it cool completely, you clean a countertop oven in much the same way you’d clean a traditional oven: Remove any removable parts and rinse them in the sink, and wipe out the inside with a damp cloth or sponge. You should always check your particular user manual for full instructions, but few countertop ovens have dishwasher-safe parts soap and water is typically all you’ll need. No matter what, the whole oven should never be rinsed out or submerged in water: This will ruin its electronic parts. It’s also a bad idea to use oven cleanser or other harsh chemicals on a countertop oven. Stick to dish soap and plain water.
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What About Using A Full
For the record, you can get similar air-fried results when cooking food in a full-size oven with convection. But because a full-size oven is so much larger than a toaster oven or an air fryer, it takes much longer to preheat and can take longer to cook food. The Cuisinart TOB-260N1 toaster oven preheats almost immediately, making it the better choice if speed is part of what appeals to you about an air fryer.
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How To Use The Adjustable Broil Mode
With the broiling method, food is arranged on the baking pan.
Close the door to the first notch, leaving a small gap at the top. This will ensure adequate airflow during broiling
Choose the broil mode.
Set desired temperature and timer.
Once timer is set, the top heating element will begin operating.
Halfway through the cooking cycle, turn the food over for better cooking and browning.
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Can You Use Foil In An Oster Toaster Oven
Many of todays toaster ovens from top brands have a glass door and cool-touch handle.
They are very energy efficient and you can cook almost any food item in your oven without any worries.
In addition, you can put aluminum foil in the toaster oven so it will get much less dirty.
If you use the oven for baking, it keeps the crusts nice and flaky and edges crispy.
Extra Large Digital Countertop Oven 2165 X 192 X 1291 Stainless Steel
- TOAST, BAKE, BROIL, PIZZA, WARM, and DEFROST functions.
- Extra-Large capacity fits two large take and bake pizzas.
- Turbo convection heat technology cooks food faster and browns more evenly.
- 150-450° temperature range.
- 90-minute timer with auto shut off.
- Two rack positions.
- Removable crumb tray, two oven racks and durable baking pan included.
- Stainless steel housing and finish.
- Chamber dimensions: width: 15.75″, depth: 16.36″ lower rack to upper heater: 6.85″.
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An Overview On Toaster Ovens
If youve never used a toaster oven, the first thing you need to know is that its not a toaster. Mind you, you can make toast with it, but thats hardly its only use or even the primary one. Depending on the household, it can fill a surprisingly wide gap between the microwave and a traditional oven. Need your snacks warmed up quickly, but hate that microwave sogginess? Need your potatoes, pies or side dishes baked while your main course is taking up the oven? The toaster oven is a perfect solution, and it does all that while using less power.
Depending on the size of the toaster oven, it can even be used to cook those main dishes. Many models have modes tailored to pizza, for instance. The same goes for baked goods like cookies, cupcakes and bread, which toaster ovens are particularly good at in small batches. And finally, theyre a life-saver when foods need thawing out quickly.
How does it do all this? The heating methods vary depending on the model. Like traditional ovens, many toaster ovens use convection heating or at least offer it as an option for baking. That essentially means theres a fan inside the oven to circulate the heat, and while its not as crucial in a small area as it is with a full-size oven, convection does generally mean things will cook more evenly. Other models make up for the lack of convection with multiple heating elements placed around the oven.
Should You Buy An Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Air fryer toaster ovens tend to look like larger versions of your classic toaster oven, but come with all the functionality of a toaster oven, air fryer and even roaster combined. If your countertop already houses a toaster oven and youre wishing you had space for an air fryer, consider this the ideal more-than-2-for-1 upgrade.
For one thing, the shape is sleek and angular, meaning it will fit more easily into a corner and sit flush against your backsplash. And most of these combo machines are stainless steel making them very durable, while many solo air fryers are shiny plastic that can feel like its a bit of a cheaper design. Another pro? The air fryer-toaster ovens are designed to hold more food. Many of these models can fit a 12-inch pizza, four-plus slices of bread and a whole chicken. No more batch cooking necessary, which means you can get dinner on the table for your whole family faster.
Jill Novatt
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Best Stainless Steel Small Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven 31323
Convection Air Circulating This compact air fryer toaster oven fits 6 bread slices at once and uses air frying convection for cooking. This type of technology circulates air to deliver uniform cooking. Without using a lot of oil, you will get to prepare crispy food that will be evenly browned.
Stylish Exterior The Hamilton Beach toaster oven air fryer can even fit a 12-inch pizza inside. The glass door is large and curved, allowing you to easily access the food inside. The stainless steel material gives the unit a sleek look and gives a stylish accent to any kitchen space. An indicator light turns red when the power is on.
User-Friendly The temperature dial can be used to set the oven temperature up to 450°F. The timer dial can be set up to 30 minutes, featuring settings for lighter and darker toast shades. For longer cooking, you can also choose the stay-on feature on this stainless steel toaster oven.
Included Contents The function dial offers settings for bake, broil, toast, and air fry. To be able to use the oven for all of the versatile settings, a baking pan, a broil rack, and an air fry basket is included. If you set up the timer, a ready bell signal will alert you when cooking is done and the oven will turn off automatically.
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Which One Is The Best For You
While both ovens are the best ones Oster has to offer, the best one for you will depend on your needs.
Are you happy with your regular-sized oven but want a backup?
The Large Oster Toaster Oven TSSTTVMNDG is a great option.
It can toast multiple slices of bread, heat, and cook most foods.
With a large interior, great convection capabilities, and timeless stainless steel design, this flagship model is one of the best products on the market.
If you want the same experience in a more powerful oven, the Oster Extra Large Digital Countertop Oven is the right one for you.
It can replace a conventional one.
At about $30 more, you still get good value for your money.
It gives you far more space to toast or cook more items and more powerful convection heating.
It just needs some extra counter space.
If youre like me, you want your kitchen products to make your life easier.
They need to be easy to use, efficient, and last a long time.
You wont be disappointed with either of these toaster ovens from Oster.
Overall, they deserve the 4-5-star reviews they get.
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A Few Thoughts On The Hybrid Ovens That Didnt Make The Cut
The Cuisinart Digital Air Fryer Toaster Oven: This hybrid convection oven and air fryer wasnt terrible and it certainly had one of, if not the most powerful, air fry functions. That proved to be a blessing and curse since some of the food I cooked burned on the edges and cooked unevenly I think due in part to the high-octane super convection fan. This air fryer oven also had my least favorite interface, and I found myself mashing my fingers on the dials and buttons in frustration at times just hoping Id get to the right setting since it never seemed to do what I wanted with ease. Its also not cheap and thus not an oven Id recommend.
Calphalon Precision Air Fry Oven: The Calphalon scored high marks in the toast test with an even browning, but thats about where the accolades ended. This oven was slow to preheat, had trouble holding a consistent temperature and the air fry function was among the weakest. It also has no internal light, which most of them do. I admittedly do like the look of it and the interface is elegant and simple to use. This oven can also be had for about $150, so it is among the more budget-friendly options.
What’s The Difference Between A Toaster Oven And A Countertop Oven
There’s not exactly a hard line between the two, but a toaster oven is typically smaller, less powerful, less multifuctional, and less expensive than a countertop oven. As the name suggests, a toaster oven is designed for making toast or pretty quick-and-easy heating tasksreheating a slice or two of pizza or some leftover fried chicken, or baking frozen cookie dough or chicken fingers. It’s not large enough to cook a big meal, and it’s not usually built to hold a consistent temperature for long enough to do much serious baking or roasting. With a countertop oven, you trade a higher price for more interior space, more power, better temperature control, and more ability to do things like slow-cook and air fry. You can bake a whole from-scratch pizza rather than just re-crisp a couple slices.
The Spruce Eats / Renu Dhar
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Temperature Accuracy And Consistency Test
This is low-key one of the most important functions for any oven, especially if you plan to do some light baking in it. If an oven cant hold an accurate and consistent temperature, it makes following recipes far more difficult, and youll be forever adjusting and hawking your food to make sure it doesnt burn. I used thermocouples to read the internal temperature of the oven while it baked for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. I was able to get an average temp reading for the duration of the bake, but I also watched the thermometer in real time to see how much fluctuation happened during the cook.
The KitchenAid won this test with an average reading of 350 F on the nose and with very little fluctuation. The Ninja , Cuisinart and Breville also did well, although the Breville started off very hot and then came back down. The two last-place finishers were the Crux, which ran hot and the Calpahlon, which ran cold . Both were also the most inconsistent throughout the bakes.
Oster Extra Large Digital Countertop Convection Oven
- Countertop convection oven features convection technology for fast, even heating
- Digital settings for pizza, bake, broil, toast, and defrost
- Large interior fits 2 take and bake pizzas, a family sized chicken, or 18 slices of bread
- Easy clean interior and 90 minute timer with auto shut off feature
- Includes 2 oven racks, a baking pan, and an integrated broiling rack. Watts: 1500W
Are you looking for a large countertop oven that can do everything a regular-sized oven can do?
The Oster Extra Large Countertop Oven TSSTTVXLDG-001 is a great option.
This powerful Oster countertop toaster oven features a versatile design that fits just about anywhere.
It has multiple cooking options.
So this extra-large countertop oven from Oster is excellent if you want to cook a large volume of food, quickly.
Pros
- Very large capacity for a countertop oven
- Can definitely replace your regular oven
- Multiple settings
- 1-year limited warranty from the manufacturer
Cons
- Needs a large counter space
- Delicate front door
- Very hot exterior when cooking
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