Chickens that didn’t fit, cheese that didn’t melt, cookies that randomly browned, and other disasters we encountered in our tests.
Want more details? View the full report of our toaster oven testing.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
More than 30 chickens and 90 lemons later, we found that when it comes to great roast chicken, nothing beats a little squirt.
Episode: Two Roast Chickens Season 5
This best-selling ringbound cookbook, now revised and updated with an all-new 50-page cookware buying guide, delivers more than 1,200 foolproof recipes for classic American family fare in a clear, accessible style. With the addition of our Guide to Kitchen Equipment and the America's Test Kitchen Buying Guide, this cookbook is even more timely and valuable.
Have you considered testing the “Space Saver” models?
Hi Jennifer,
We haven’t tested any toaster ovens specifically designed as “Space Savers” except for the Hamilton Beach Toastation http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/products/toasters-toastation-toaster–oven.html
It’s a combination toaster/toaster oven. We liked it, but it’s pretty shrimpy — the “oven” part doesn’t even fit a whole slice of leftover pizza for reheating without bending the edges. If you’re only going to make toast or melt a little cheese on a sandwich, etc. it’s not a bad option, but it doesn’t really function as a “countertop oven” like the ones we tested. On the plus side, after testing the Toastation in mid-2007, we put one in a kitchenette for (non-Test Kitchen) staffers who use it every day, with typical office-kitchen levels of neglect, and it’s still working just fine, so it’s one tough little appliance.
Hi and thanks for the great review. Just two follow-up question. (1) Was the Breville model tested BOV800XL, the Smart oven? And (2), any thoughts on the smaller unit, BOV650XL?
Hi gammadog, the winning Breville model is the BOV800 XL. For more information on the toaster oven testing: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=27450
Hi….I really appreciate all your work on the equipment reviews. The KitchenAid Toaster Oven has not appeared on any of the reviews. Has it been tested? What are your thoughts about it? It is about $89-99 in Rapid City. I won’t buy until I hear from you. Thank you.
Did you test the Cuisinart TOB-155? How did it compare? Also, I can’t find the $99 set & forget. It says it’s $289 on Amazon? Thanks.
The Hamilton Beach toaster oven (model 31230) we tested is now $119 on
http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/products/all-ovens-set–forget-toaster-oven-with-convection-cooking-31230.html
We didn’t test the Cuisinart TOB-155 toaster oven, but we did test similar ones in 2007 and 2011 and we didn’t care for them either time. We do not recommend the Cuisinart TOB-195 from our latest testing: “Toast turned out light when we wanted it medium or dark, plus it always colored unevenly. Cookies, pizza, and tuna melts also came out with darker patches where they’d been under the elements. Chicken cooked well but made a smoky, greasy mess. Its controls (with 16 buttons!) required multiple steps.”
Got my toaster oven from Amazon about two weeks ago an it has worked great. I am so satisfied with the purchase that I want to share the discount that I received off of my Toaster Oven from Amazon: http://amzn.to/ZKoBte – They have many to choose from.