Buyer’s Guideīefore we dive into our top picks, let’s go over a few convection toaster oven basics. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a better idea of what a convection oven is, what to look for when shopping for one, and which convection toaster ovens stand out from the rest as exceptional products.
We’re going to help you find the convection oven of your dreams. If you’re in the market for a more affordable, more convenient, and more reliable kitchen appliance for your favorite lasagnas, pizzas, roasts, and baked goods, then you’ve come to the right place. But there’s a solution: Convection ovens. From uneven heating and difficult cleanup to large electric or gas bills, a conventional oven can really let you down when you need it most. We found this feature to be very useful, and were also pleased with toaster ovens that had large, glass doors for the easiest viewing.Conventional ovens are great-until they’re not. Some toaster ovens come with an air frying basket/rack, others with pizza stones or rotisseries spits, and many include an interior light, which helps you see inside without opening the door. Being able to toss them in the dishwasher is also very important: Dishwasher-safe parts help with toaster oven maintenance by preventing smoking from caked on gunk and keeping things looking new and shiny. Most toaster ovens now come with a removable crumb tray that is dishwasher safe too. ✔️ Accessories and additional features: Most toaster ovens come with at least one rack and a baking/broiling pan (note: a heavier baking pan means less warping over time). As a general rule of thumb, the uppermost positions are used for broiling, while the middle are used for toasting bread and baking, and the bottom is used for cooking large roasts or pizzas.
The added rack position allows for even more cooking versatility and usable space, especially for air frying or dehydrating. ✔️ Rack positions: Most toaster ovens have two rack positions, but the largest have three. Digital toaster ovens with stainless steel housing are typically sleeker and more modern looking than their mechanical counterparts. ✔️ Design: Since your toaster oven will most likely live on your counter, aesthetics are important. If space is an issue, there are many compact ovens on the market, like the Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp, that can still fit six slices of bread at one time, or a 13-inch frozen pizza. If space is not an issue, dream big: Ovens like the Breville Smart Oven Air and the June Oven can fit a small turkey. ✔️ Space: Consider how much room you have as well as what you want to use the oven for. Scroll to the bottom of this article for more information on how we test in the meantime, here are our top picks for the best toaster ovens you can buy in 2022 based on testing: Our top picks: We've tested about 60 in the past ten years. In the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances Lab, we test toaster ovens to see which ones can produce the most even, golden brown toast in the shortest amount of time. They're also energy efficient and use as little as half the energy of a conventional oven. Since most toaster ovens don’t require preheating, they’re great for the summer months when you don’t want to heat up your entire kitchen with your full-size oven. In addition to toasting bread and bagels, they can cook whole chickens and roast vegetables.
Toaster ovens deserve respect: They take up minimal space, can replace several kitchen appliances (like your toaster and air fryer - heck some are already air fryer toaster ovens) and shorten cooking times, especially when you use the convection setting. We updated this article in May 2022 to ensure all picks previously tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab were in stock and reflected current pricing.