A toaster oven is a countertop electric oven that sits between a pop-up toaster and a built-in wall oven. It toasts, bakes, broils and roasts, and most modern models also air fry, dehydrate and slow cook, all in a fraction of the space and heat-up time of a full-size oven.
That makes toaster ovens one of the most useful appliances you can add to a small kitchen, a first apartment or a busy weeknight setup. If you cook for one to four people and want to reheat, roast and bake without heating the whole house, a good countertop oven earns its counter space within a month.
We compared eight of the best toaster ovens on the market right now, checking published capacity, wattage, temperature range, function count, warranty and real owner feedback at volume. The short version: the best toaster oven is the one that fits your available counter space and cooks the food you actually make.
For most people that is the Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which handles a 9×13 pan, a 12-cup muffin tray and a 14-pound turkey in a single cavity. If air frying is your priority, the Cuisinart TOA-70 is the better value buy. Small kitchens should look at the Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P or the Breville BOV450XL.
Editors note: we update this guide for 2026 as new models arrive. Every spec below comes from the manufacturer’s published product data, cross-checked against thousands of owner reviews.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Toaster Ovens (October 2026)
Breville BOV900BSS Smart…
- 13 cooking functions
- Element iQ quartz system
- Fits 9x13 pans and a 14 lb turkey
- 80-480 F at 1800W
Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer…
- AirAdvantage fan and heater
- 0.6 cu ft fits a 12-inch pizza
- 8-in-1 functions
- 3-year warranty
Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P
- Double infrared heating
- No preheat required
- 6 one-touch presets
- Compact 13 inch wide body
The Best Toaster Ovens in 2026 at a Glance
Every oven below is a capable appliance, and the right one depends almost entirely on how much counter space you have and whether you need air frying. This is the fastest way to narrow the field.
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro |
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Check Latest Price |
| Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer Toaster Oven |
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Check Latest Price |
| Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P |
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Check Latest Price |
 Emeril Lagasse 26QT French Door Air Fryer Oven |
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Check Latest Price |
 Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 6-Slice Roll-Top |
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Check Latest Price |
 Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven |
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Check Latest Price |
 BLACK+DECKER TO1313SBD 4-Slice |
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Check Latest Price |
 BLACK+DECKER TO1760SS 4-Slice Convection |
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Check Latest Price |
Do You Need an Air Fryer Toaster Oven?
This is the single most common question in this category, and the answer depends on what is already on your counter. A toaster oven with an air fry function circulates superheated air around food in a metal cavity, while a basket air fryer does the same thing in a much smaller drawer. One of them wins on capacity, the other on convenience.
Skip the air fryer function if you already own a basket model
Owners posting on r/airfryer lean toward plain convection over a dedicated air fry mode, because convection mode gives you the same browning across a whole rack of food instead of one crowded basket. A toaster oven fits several times what a pod air fryer holds, which is why forum regulars treat the basket as a second oven rather than a replacement.
Buy the air fryer function if you want to consolidate appliances
The case for a combo oven is consolidation. If you are trying to clear counter space, an oven that toasts, bakes, broils and air fries replaces a toaster, a small baking oven and an air fryer in one body. The Cuisinart TOA-70 and the Breville BOV900BSS are the two models here that genuinely cover all four jobs.
Count the counter space before you commit
Air fryer toaster ovens trend larger than plain convection models, and that is the most common regret. Measure the footprint plus a few inches of clearance on each side before ordering, and check the depth as well as the width, because doors and French hinges need room to swing.
How We Picked?
We did not buy eight ovens and test toast in a lab. Instead we compared the manufacturers’ published specifications against tens of thousands of owner reviews, and we weighted the things that show up repeatedly in real kitchens rather than on spec sheets.
Capacity against footprint came first. A compact oven that fits a 9-inch pizza and a 4-slice cavity is a completely different purchase from a 24.6-liter French door unit, and the best one depends on your household size. Wattage and temperature range came second, because those set how fast the oven recovers between batches and whether it can handle roasting.
Function count mattered far less than it looks. An oven with 8 cooking modes and one with 13 cook the same food the same way; what changes results is the convection fan quality and the distance between the heating elements and the food. Warranty length was our final tiebreaker, and we weighted review volume heavily, since a 4.4 rating built on more than 20,000 owners tells you more than an unreviewed 5.0.
1. Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro Review
Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, Brushed Stainless Steel
1 cu ft cavity
13 cooking functions
80-480 F
1800W
2-year warranty
Fits a 14 lb turkey
Pros
- Fits 9x13 pans
- 12-cup muffin trays and a 14 lb turkey
- Element iQ system with 5 independent quartz elements
- 13 functions cover toast through dehydrate on 4 trays
- 2-year limited warranty and replaceable componentry
Cons
- Bulky at 30.2 pounds and 21.5 inches wide
- Knob controls plus LCD programming have a learning curve
- Mandatory preheat cycle adds time to every cook
The Breville BOV900BSS is the oven we recommend to anyone whose kitchen can give up the counter space. At 17.5 inches deep, 21.5 inches wide and 30.2 pounds, it is a real appliance rather than a pop-up, and it rewards that footprint with an interior that fits 9×13 pans, a 12-cup muffin tray or a 14-pound turkey on the standard rack positions.
Cooking is handled by 13 dedicated functions: Toast, Bagel, Broil, Bake, Roast, Warm, Pizza, Proof, Air Fry, Reheat, Cookies, Slow Cook and Dehydrate. The dehydrate mode runs four trays at once, which is a genuinely rare feature and useful if you make jerky or dried fruit.
Under the hood it is the Element iQ system, five independent quartz elements managed by algorithms that shift power between top and bottom. Add a two-speed convection fan and manufacturer-rated cook time reductions of up to 30 percent with super convection, and you have an oven that behaves like a small wall oven rather than a heated box.
The included kit is unusually complete: a 13-inch pizza pan, a 9×13 broil rack and enamel roasting pan, a mesh basket rack for dehydrating and air frying, and two oven racks. The warranty is two years limited, and the componentry is replaceable rather than disposable.
Why the Breville BOV900BSS earns the top spot?
Nothing else in this group matches the combination of capacity and function breadth. Owners rate it 4.5 stars across 13,109 reviews, and the most common themes in those reviews are even cooking and how much fits inside on a single rack. At 1800 watts with a 480 F maximum, it also out-cooks most countertop ovens at roasting temperatures.
Who should skip it?
Skip this one if your counter is short on depth or if you want toast in under two minutes with no waiting. The preheat cycle is not skippable, and the 30.2-pound weight means you will probably set it in one spot and leave it there. People who buy it for occasional toast tend to regret the size; people who cook daily almost never do.
2. Cuisinart TOA-70 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Review
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, 1800W, 8-in-1 with Air Fry, Convection, Broil & Warm, 0.6 Cubic Feet, 60-Minute Timer, TOA-70NAS, Stainless Steel
0.6 cu ft cavity
8-in-1 functions
80-450 F
1800W
3-year warranty
Fits a 4 lb chicken
Pros
- AirAdvantage top fan and heater assembly
- Handles a 12-inch pizza
- 3 lb of wings or a 4-lb chicken
- Longest warranty in the group at 3 years
- 60-minute timer beats the 30-minute limit on most rivals
Cons
- Large footprint at 15.75 inches wide and 25-plus pounds
- Touch controls plus jog dial take time to learn
- Heavier and bulkier than a plain convection toaster oven
The Cuisinart TOA-70 is the air fryer toaster oven to buy if you want the Breville’s versatility without the Breville’s footprint. Its 0.6 cubic foot interior holds 6 slices of bread, 3 pounds of chicken wings, a 12-inch pizza or a 4-pound chicken, which covers almost everything a household of one to four actually cooks.
The AirAdvantage system puts the fan and heater together in a single top assembly, so hot air moves across the cavity rather than being stirred from a corner. Owners consistently report crisp air-fried output as the standout, and the function list covers air fry, toast, convection bake, bake, convection broil, broil, grill and warming.
Control is a mix of a jog dial for temperature and touch presets, with an adjustable dial from 80 F to 450 F, a 60-minute timer with auto shut-off, and a toast shade selector. That 60-minute timer is a real upgrade over the 30-minute ceiling most toaster ovens impose, which matters when you are roasting rather than reheating.
Accessories are unusually generous for the size: an oven rack, baking pan and drip tray, air fry basket, and a ceramic non-stick reversible grill and griddle. The stainless interior wipes clean, and the three-year limited warranty is the longest in this roundup by a full year.
What the air fryer function actually does here?
The air fry mode is worth buying this model for. The top fan and heater combination is a genuinely different design from a convection fan bouncing air off a side wall, and it is the reason the crispness scores well across 7,875 reviews. The basket is large enough that a batch of fries or wings cooks without stacking.
Where the compromises are?
Two things work against it. The body is 15.75 inches wide, 13.75 inches tall and 25-plus pounds, so it is not a small-kitchen appliance. And mixing touch controls with a jog dial means the first week of ownership is an adjustment period. People who wanted a simple mechanical oven should look at the Hamilton Beach instead.
3. Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P Review
Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven Countertop, 4-Slice Small Toaster Oven Compact Size with Double Infrared Heating, 6 Auto Cook Options and Precise Temperature Control, 1300W – NB-G110P (Silver)
Double infrared heating
No preheat required
250-500 F
1300W
1-year warranty
6 one-touch presets
Pros
- No preheat cycle thanks to front and back infrared elements
- One-touch presets plus reheat and defrost remove guesswork
- Door-connected baking rack pulls out with the door
- Compact 12 by 13 inch footprint at 7.5 pounds
Cons
- Very small interior volume for a 4-slice oven
- Costs more than similarly sized budget models
- Touch controls need dry hands
The Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P solves the problem that frustrates people most with small toaster ovens: waiting. Its two infrared heating elements are positioned at the front and back of the cavity rather than top and bottom, so there is no preheat cycle at all. You load food and it starts cooking.
That single design choice changes the rhythm. For a person cooking one or two portions on a weekday evening, any wait for a preheat is a meaningful share of the whole cook. Six one-touch auto cook settings plus reheat and defrost take that decision away entirely, and the manual thermostat spans 250 F to 500 F when you want to set your own.
The safety design is smart. The baking rack is physically connected to the door, so it pulls forward as the door drops, which means you load the rack from the front rather than reaching into a hot cavity. Auto shut-off with an indicator light handles the rest, and the crumb tray plus 9-inch baking pan both pull out for cleaning.
At 12 inches deep, 13 inches wide and 7.5 pounds, this is the easiest oven here to move, reposition or take to a rental apartment. The one-year warranty is the shortest we would accept, which is the main reason it is not higher on this list.
Why no-preheat matters more than capacity?
Infrared elements heat the food directly rather than warming the air around it first, which is why the cavity can start cooking immediately. In practice that shortens every cook by the minutes you would otherwise spend waiting, and it is why this model suits someone cooking small portions constantly rather than batching for a family.
Where the limits show up?
The interior is genuinely small, and it is a 4-slice oven by any measure. It will not take a 9×13 pan, a 12-inch pizza or a roast, and reviewers report capacity as the top complaint. It also costs meaningfully more than budget 4-slice models with similar interiors, so the value case rests on speed and design rather than raw capability.
4. Emeril Lagasse 26QT French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven Review
Emeril Lagasse 26QT French Door Multi-Function Air Fryer Toaster Oven
24.6 liter cavity
24 cooking functions
75-500 F
1700W
26.5 pounds
Rotisserie spit included
Pros
- 24.6 liter cavity handles large roasts and whole birds
- 24 functions plus an included rotisserie spit
- One-pull French doors open wide and keep heat in
- Dual-speed fan circulates air evenly at both settings
Cons
- 26.5 pounds and 14.8 inches tall demand real counter clearance
- Touchscreen is less precise than physical dials
- 24 functions and seven accessories mean a real learning curve
When a family meal is the goal, this is the oven in the group. The 24.6-liter cavity is more than twice the volume of the compact models here, which is the difference between roasting a whole bird and roasting chicken pieces. It reaches 500 F, and the included rotisserie spit means a whole chicken is a preset away rather than a weekend project.
The French doors are a genuine ergonomic win in a kitchen where two people are trying to get food onto the table. They pull open wide, they stay up and out of the way while you work, and an interior light means you can check browning without leaning over a hot cavity. A dual-speed fan circulates 360-degree superheated air, which is what keeps a large cavity cooking evenly rather than hot at the front and cool in the back.
Function count is high, with 24 modes and seven included accessories: rack, bake pan, drip tray, crisper basket, rotisserie spit and a fetch tool. The toast count-down timer switches the oven off on its own and uses a red indicator while toasting, which removes the single most common small-oven failure, burnt toast.
Temperatures run from 75 F to 500 F, and the 1700-watt output is enough that a large batch does not take forever to recover. At 4.3 stars across 17,821 reviews, the recurring themes are capacity, the doors and crisp air-fried output.
When a 26-quart cavity is the right call?
This oven pays off when you cook for four or more, batch cookies, or roast on a schedule. A whole bird or a full tray of vegetables fits with clearance to spare, and the rotisserie handles the kind of long cook where you do not want to open the door and lose heat.
When it is overkill?
For one or two people it is a lot of oven. At 26.5 pounds and 14.8 inches tall, it needs a full section of counter with clearance above, and the touchscreen is fiddly for precise adjustments. Owners who cook small portions constantly report paying for capacity they do not use, which is exactly the case where the Cuisinart or a compact model is the smarter purchase.
5. Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 6-Slice Roll-Top Oven Review
Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 6 Slice Countertop Toaster Oven
0.36 cu ft cavity
Roll-top door
150-450 F
1400W
1-year warranty
Fits a 12-inch pizza
Pros
- Roll-top door keeps your hands away from a hot drop-down panel
- Compact outside but fits 6 slices
- a 12-inch pizza or a 9x11 pan inside
- Analog dials never fail and never need a reset
- Door and crumb tray both remove for cleaning
Cons
- Outer casing and top run very hot and need counter clearance
- No convection fan so multi-level baking is less even
- 30-minute timer caps longer jobs
The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach solves a problem most people discover the hard way: drop-down oven doors get hot enough to hurt. The roll-top door rolls up and away from the cooking cavity, so your hands stay forward of the heat and any drips run back into the pan instead of onto the door. It also frees the space above the oven, which is where most people would put a storage jar.
Inside, the 0.36 cubic foot cavity is more capable than the external footprint suggests. It fits 6 slices of toast, a 12-inch pizza or a 9 by 11 inch bake pan, across two rack positions. Four heating elements, two above and two below, cover bake, broil and toast, and the broiler handles fish, hot dogs and sausages well enough that it becomes the function you use most.
Controls are two analog dials for temperature and time, ranging 150 F to 450 F with a 30-minute timer, stay-on, a ready bell and auto shutoff. There is no panel to break, no firmware and nothing to reset after a power cut. At 4.5 stars across 7,939 reviews, owners describe it as a workhorse they have replaced more than once.
Both the door and the slide-out crumb tray are removable, which makes it the easiest oven here to keep clean. It weighs 11.4 pounds, so you can move it, and the one-year warranty is among the shortest here.
Who the roll-top door is really for?
If you have children who can reach a drop-down handle, or you have ever pulled a hot door straight onto your wrist, this design removes the risk rather than warning you about it. It also makes loading a heavy 9×11 pan easier, because the rack is at waist height and fully clear of the heat.
What you give up?
There is no convection fan, which means cookies on two levels bake less evenly than in a fan oven. The outer casing and top run hot enough to need clearance on the counter, and the 30-minute timer maximum means long jobs need a reset. The temperature dial can also overshoot the setting before it settles, which matters for delicate baking.
6. Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven Review
Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven, Brushed Stainless Steel
11 x 10 x 4 inch interior
8 cooking functions
1800W
1-year warranty
Fits an 11-inch pizza
Pros
- Element iQ quartz system gives even
- repeatable results
- 11 by 10 by 4 inch interior fits 4 slices
- 11-inch pizza and a 6-cup muffin tray
- 1800W fast preheat and a non-stick cavity
- Knob controls with an LCD for function access
Cons
- Interior is small and limits portion sizes
- Only a 1-year limited warranty
- Costs more than basic 4-slice ovens with the same slice capacity
The Breville BOV450XL is the small-kitchen compromise that works. Where the BOV900BSS gives you a full wall oven in miniature, this one gives you the same Element iQ quartz system and the same knob-and-LCD control logic in a 16-inch-wide body that weighs 10.7 pounds. You can actually move it, which the bigger Breville cannot claim.
The 11 by 10 by 4 inch interior handles 4 slices of toast, bagels, cookies, tuna melts, a 6-cup muffin tray and an 11-inch pizza. Eight functions cover Toast, Bagel, Bake, Broil, Pizza, Roast, Cookies and Reheat, with three rack positions and a pull-out crumb tray. The non-stick cavity coating cuts cleaning time noticeably.
At 1800 watts the preheat is genuinely fast, and the operating range is 50 C to 250 C, which is 120 F to 480 F. A 10 by 10 inch enamel baking pan is included, and auto shut-off handles the timer. Owners rate it 4.4 across 9,244 reviews, with the most common theme being how evenly it toasts for its size.
The honest limitation is the one-year limited warranty, which is half what the full-size Breville carries. The unit is also priced well above basic 4-slice ovens, so you are paying for quartz elements and consistency rather than capability.
Why small kitchens should consider this one?
At 13.6 inches deep and 8.8 inches tall, it is a genuinely countertop-friendly shape, and the 1800-watt draw means it can sit on a normal outlet. If you want an 11-inch pizza and consistent toast without giving up a quarter of your prep surface, this is the balance point.
When you need a bigger cavity?
The interior is small. A 9×13 casserole dish will not go in, and anything beyond four portions is a squeeze. If you regularly cook for a family or bake in batches, step up to the Cuisinart TOA-70 or the Breville BOV900BSS rather than trying to work around the cavity size.
7. BLACK+DECKER TO1313SBD 4-Slice Review
BLACK+DECKER TO1313SBD Toaster Oven, 15.47 Inch, Silver
10 liter cavity
4 slices or a 9-inch pizza
1150W
30-minute timer
Natural convection
Pros
- Compact 14.5 by 10.8 inch footprint at only 6.7 pounds
- Curved interior fits a 9-inch pizza or 4 slices
- Bake
- broil
- toast and keep warm on simple knobs
- Slide-out crumb tray makes cleanup quick
- The most-reviewed oven in this group
Cons
- 4-slice capacity and a single shelf limit batch cooking
- Top elements sit close to food so browning needs watching
- 30-minute timer is the maximum run
The BLACK+DECKER TO1313SBD is the oven to buy when you want a toaster oven and nothing more complicated. It is the most-reviewed model in this roundup at 22,308 reviews, and it ranks first in Amazon’s Toaster Ovens category, which tells you how many kitchens already own one.
Everything about it is designed to be obvious. Two knobs, four functions, a 30-minute timer with a stay-on position and a slide-out crumb tray. The curved interior takes a 9-inch pizza or 4 slices of bread, and natural convection airflow moves the heat around so toast and small bakes come out reasonably even without a dedicated fan mode.
At 14.5 inches wide, 10.8 inches deep and 8.8 inches tall, and weighing 6.7 pounds, it is the easiest oven here to store, move to a dorm or carry between rooms. The stainless steel exterior is polished rather than brushed, so it shows fingerprints, but it wipes down easily.
The 1150-watt draw is the lowest here, and the manufacturer recommends a 10-minute preheat. That is the trade-off for the size: it heats more slowly and recovers less quickly between batches than a 1800-watt unit.
What you get for a first oven?
For a first apartment, a dorm or a household of one, this covers the real list: toast, frozen pizza, small casseroles, reheating and keep-warm. The crumb tray slides out without removing a rack, which is more than you can say for many ovens at twice the size, and owners rate cleanup as the standout feature.
Where it falls short?
Capacity is the ceiling. Four slices and a single shelf mean no batch cooking and no two-level baking, and taller food browns unevenly because the top elements sit close to the food. The 30-minute timer also caps long jobs. People who outgrow it usually move up to the TO1760SS rather than to a premium model.
8. BLACK+DECKER TO1760SS 4-Slice Convection Review
BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster Oven with Natural Convection, Stainless Steel, TO1760SS (TO1760SST-1)
283.5 cubic inch cavity
4 slices or a 9-inch pizza
Natural convection
1150W
2-year warranty
Pros
- Natural convection circulates heat for fast
- even results
- Rack and bake pan are sized to fit the cavity exactly
- Two-year limited warranty at an entry price
- Removable crumb tray and a simple four-function layout
Cons
- 4-slice interior limits it to two people
- Top elements sit close and can over-brown baked goods
- 30-minute timer with no longer continuous run
The BLACK+DECKER TO1760SS is the step-up from the most basic countertop oven, and the difference is convection plus a two-year warranty. Four functions cover convection bake, broil, toast and keep warm, and the natural convection airflow circulates hot air so a single rack cooks more evenly than a conventional four-slice box.
It fits a 9-inch pizza or 4 slices of bread across a 283.5 cubic inch cavity, and both the rack and the bake pan are included and sized for it, which is a small convenience people notice. At 16.9 inches wide and 11.63 inches deep it is wider than the TO1313SBD, so measure your counter before choosing it over the smaller sibling.
The 1150-watt output matches the smaller model, and it weighs 7.3 pounds, so it is still easy to move. The removable crumb tray handles cleanup, and the two-year limited warranty is longer than most ovens at this level. It sits at 4.3 stars across 14,582 reviews, with owners citing the size, the convection and the easy-clean tray.
Where owners complain is predictable and shared with the TO1313SBD. The top heating elements sit close to the food, so browning requires lowering the temperature or watching the clock, and the 30-minute timer caps anything longer.
Who should buy this instead of the TO1313SBD?
Buy the TO1760SS if you plan to bake rather than only toast and reheat. Convection is the difference in a pizza or a small batch of cookies, and the two-year warranty gives you more room to get value out of it. The included bake pan also means you do not need to buy anything else to start cooking.
Who should buy the smaller model instead?
If counter depth is the constraint, the TO1313SBD is narrower and lighter, and it does the same four-slice job. Either way, both are 4-slice ovens, and a household of three or more should be looking at the Cuisinart TOA-70 rather than stretching either of these.
What to Know Before You Buy?
Size and counter space
Measure the width, the depth and the height of the opening, then add a couple of inches of clearance on each side. Venting matters more than most buyers expect, because a countertop oven pushes a lot of heat sideways as well as up. The largest unit here stands 14.8 inches tall and needs clear space above it, and the smallest is 8.8 inches.
Decide whether this oven will live permanently on the counter. Every one of these models becomes a permanent fixture the moment you plug it in, and losing prep space is the most common objection we hear from people in small kitchens and rentals.
Capacity: what actually fits?
Marketing language is unreliable here, so judge by interior dimensions rather than adjectives. A 4-slice cavity takes 4 slices of bread or a 9-inch pizza. A 0.36 cubic foot cavity takes 6 slices, a 12-inch pizza or a 9×11 pan. A 0.6 cubic foot cavity adds a 4-pound chicken and 3 pounds of wings.
The fast sizing rule in a store: hold a slice of sourdough against the opening. If a full long slice fits with the door closed without forcing it, the oven is big enough for the kind of bread you buy. Only the Breville BOV900BSS is listed by its manufacturer as taking a full 9×13 pan, so if you bake in casserole dishes, filter to it first and treat the Cuisinart TOA-70 as the next best fit at 0.6 cubic feet. If you regularly chase high-heat browning rather than small-batch convenience, our outdoor pizza oven picks cover the no-compromise route.
Convection versus air fryer
Convection is a fan circulating hot air around the cavity, and it improves every function including toast and baking. Air fry is a hotter, faster fan cycle at high temperature, and it is genuinely crisper on fries and wings. If you own a basket air fryer already, a plain convection oven usually serves you better because you can cook a whole rack instead of one basket. Readers who want that kind of roasting heat without a countertop unit can compare our gas pizza oven picks.
Pay for the air fryer function when you are consolidating appliances, not when you want better fries from a machine you already own. And if you do buy one, learn the convection setting first, because owners frequently report better results there than in the dedicated air fry mode.
Temperature control and even heating
Quartz and infrared elements radiate heat differently from exposed coil elements, and the difference shows up in consistency rather than peak temperature. The two Breville ovens use five independent quartz elements under the Element iQ system, which is the most sophisticated control here. The Panasonic uses front and back infrared elements, which is why it needs no preheat.
Whatever you buy, expect some difference between the displayed temperature and the temperature inside the cavity. Check with an oven thermometer if you bake regularly, and give the pan a quarter turn if you notice a hot front edge, which is the standard fix for uneven toasting.
Features you will actually use
Function counts above about eight are mostly marketing. What changes cooking is the convection fan, the number of rack positions and whether there is a real broil. Look for a timer longer than 30 minutes if you roast, a toast shade control, and auto shut-off so you are not relying on your own memory.
Dehydrate mode, rotisserie and proofing are worth paying for only if you use them. All eight of these ovens are fine as a toaster and a re-heater, and only a few handle a whole chicken or run multiple dehydrating trays.
Cleaning and accessories
A slide-out crumb tray is the single most useful feature for anyone who uses the oven daily, and all eight here have one. Removable doors and removable baking pans, as on the Hamilton Beach and Panasonic, make deep cleaning quick instead of a chore.
Check whether the air fry basket and grill plates are dishwasher-safe before assuming it. The Cuisinart includes a ceramic non-stick reversible grill and griddle that reviewers single out as useful for burgers and pancakes, but hand washing preserves the coating longer.
Power and countertop heat
Wattage ranges from 1150W on the two BLACK+DECKER models to 1800W on the two Brevilles and the Cuisinart. Higher wattage means faster recovery between batches and better performance at roasting temperatures, and all of these draw standard 120V current, so no dedicated circuit is needed.
The bad news is the countertop. Every toaster oven runs hot on the outside, and the surfaces to watch are the glass door and the casing above and behind the unit, particularly on models without a fan. Leave a few inches of clearance on all sides, keep it away from a wall, and put a heat mat underneath if your countertop is quartz or natural stone, which can crack or discolor under sustained heat. If you are replacing several appliances at once, our steam oven picks cover a different cooking style worth comparing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best brand of toaster oven to buy?
Breville and BLACK+DECKER are the most consistent brands by owner review volume. The Breville BOV900BSS leads on capacity and function breadth, with a 1 cubic foot interior, 13 cooking functions and a two-year warranty. BLACK+DECKER makes the best entry-level ovens, and the TO1760SS adds natural convection and a two-year warranty at a low price. Brand matters less than matching the cavity size to your household.
Which is better, a convection toaster oven or an air fryer?
A convection toaster oven wins on capacity and flexibility, because you can cook a whole rack of food at once and use it for baking, broiling and toasting as well. A basket air fryer wins on convenience and crispness, with a drawer you pull out and less hands-on time. If you already own a basket air fryer, a plain convection oven adds far more than an air fryer toaster oven does. Buy the combo only if you are trying to consolidate appliances.
Which is better, the Breville Smart Oven or the Cuisinart air fryer oven?
The Breville BOV900BSS is larger and more capable, with a 1 cubic foot interior, 13 functions, an Element iQ quartz system and a 14-pound turkey capacity. The Cuisinart TOA-70 is smaller and cheaper to run, with a 0.6 cubic foot interior, 8 functions, AirAdvantage heating and a three-year warranty. Choose Breville for maximum capacity, Cuisinart for air frying value and a smaller footprint.
Are there any toaster ovens that don’t get hot on the outside?
All of them run hot outside to some degree, but design changes how much you touch. The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach uses a roll-top door that rolls up and away from the cavity, so your hands stay forward of the heat and drips fall back into the pan. The Panasonic FlashXpress has a door-connected rack that pulls forward for loading. Whichever you choose, leave clearance on all sides and use a heat mat on quartz or natural stone.
What is the disadvantage of a toaster oven?
The main disadvantages are heat loss through a small cavity, uneven browning near the back corner, and a limited interior that will not take a full sheet pan. Most units also sit close to the food, so they brown faster than a full oven and need a temperature reduction. A 30-minute timer on cheaper models is another real limit. Owners on r/Cooking and r/BuyItForLife also report replacing toaster ovens more often than full-size ovens, largely because they run hot.
The Verdict for 2026
The best toaster ovens are the ones whose cavity matches your table. The Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is our top pick because nothing else here combines a 1 cubic foot interior, 13 functions and a 14-pound turkey capacity, and it holds a 4.5 rating across more than 13,000 owners.
Choose the Cuisinart TOA-70 for air frying at a smaller size, the Panasonic FlashXpress when speed without a preheat cycle matters most, and the Emeril Lagasse 26QT when you are cooking for a family. First-apartment and dorm buyers should start with either BLACK+DECKER 4-slice model. Every pick above is a proven daily driver, and each one is one click from the current listing.