The cheese topping on Bagel Bites didn’t melt as evenly in these models as our picks, and the bottoms were burned. Also, the wide gaps on either side of the oven racks allowed bread to slip through the slots and onto the bottom of the oven cavity. A standard quarter-sheet tray (and if you put a quarter-sheet tray on each of its two racks, that’s equal to a standard half sheet pan you’d use in a full-size oven). It can also fit a 12-cup muffin tin (ours measured 14 by 10.75 inches) or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (without handles).
We measured the cooking chamber volume to be around 12.81 liters, slightly different than the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 11.67 liters. Different from most other toaster ovens, the Mueller’s Bake function only uses the lower heating elements as opposed to lower and upper. For our Toast test, we started off by trying the Medium Toast setting which was around 3 minutes 5 seconds on the timer. The four pieces of bread on the upper tray level came out only lightly toasted on top except for one golden brown piece. We then cranked it up to the Dark Toast setting—around 4 minutes 50 seconds on the timer—which, unfortunately, burnt the toast a bit. In terms of design score, the two toaster ovens are quite equal.
They’re also not moved or banged around as much as slot toasters, making their electrical components less susceptible to failure. It’s nice to be able to adjust the rack position in your toaster oven to accommodate cookware of different sizes and make adjustments depending on what you’re cooking. The rack should be in the center when toasting, for instance, because heat comes from the top and bottom, but when broiling, you want to position the rack closer to the top heating element. When baking, you might need to set the rack lower to fit tall foods or deeper dishes. Capacious size can toast 6 slices of bread, a 12-inch pizza, or a whole chicken. I had the same toaster oven for about 13 years, and I loved it.
Convection mode uses a fan to circulate air during baking or roasting. It’s exactly 15.75 inches wide, 11 inches deep and 9 inches tall. The rack can be repositioned depending on what you’d like to do with your oven. The larger opening is attributed to the aforementioned roll-top door. If you’re anything like me, sometimes you will leave the house in a hurry and wonder for the rest of the day if you turned off whatever appliance you were using.
After the first 40 minutes, we flipped the chicken to find out that parts of the skin on the back got stuck to the baking pan. Then, when we reinsert the pan, the same problem with the breast happened to the back. The tray in the bottom of a collects crumbs and other food debris to help prevent mess. You should empty this once every week or two depending on how frequently you use the appliance. If you want a simple toaster oven with a couple of nice conveniences, consider this compact model.
We also like that the FlashXpress beeps when the cycle has finished and turns itself off automatically (as does our other pick, the Cuisinart). This model also has an oven light, which is rare for toaster ovens at this price level. However, for the best results, we’d still recommend waiting a couple of minutes for the unit to preheat. What’s convenient about 100% analog toaster ovens is that it’s very simple to adjust time and temperature during cooking. When the timer runs out, a bell will sound and the oven will shut off. Afterward, you can freely leave it plugged in and not worry about power consumption as it has no digital display.
A large toaster oven that also works as an easy-to-clean rotisserie oven; earns our expert’s approval. While a yellow cake baked up moist and tender in the recommended time, it didn’t rise very high and the top crust was quite dark and unevenly colored. If dual functionality, hamilton beach air fryer space-saving design and ease of use are your top criteria for countertop appliances, then take a look at this combination mini oven and toaster. Toaster ovens by Hamilton Beach only take up a small amount of counter space and have a variety of uses.
For this metric, we gave the Easy Reach its highest marks for ease of cleaning. Likewise, cleaning out the oven’s interior is a breeze — another benefit of the roll-top door. When open, the oven is completely accessible, both visually and spatially, which allows fingers, rags or scrubbers to easily find their way into every corner. The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4-Slice is able to do most basic cooking tasks well and does so at a great price. You can’t fit huge portions in this compact oven, but what does fit inside will be cooked or baked consistently better than what you’d expect from such an inexpensive oven.
It was the Hamilton Beach Toastation, a combination mini-oven and toaster. What made the Toastation unique is that it had a slot on top like a standard toaster but it was also a small oven that could bake or broil. It was easy to use, cooked evenly and quickly, saved on precious countertop space and it was a cute red color, so it added a little extra personality to my kitchen. Then one day that switch that flipped it from oven to toaster broke. The Toastation had a long life and served us well, so I didn’t feel like it owed me anything. However, they did have a new version of a mini-oven and toaster combo.
But if you’re looking to do a lot of air frying in your toaster oven, you may want to check out our separate guide to air fryer toaster ovens. High-end Hamilton Beach toaster ovens are priced between $100 and $170. These ovens are way more than just toaster ovens (though they can toast too), with options for convection cooking, air frying, and more, plus quality features like digital controls. It’s not the model for anyone who is looking for a replacement for their full size oven.