The baking pan doesn’t fit into the guide rails and has to on top of the rack. This may prevent the full use of the oven’s capacity and lead to some inconveniences during cooking. Unfortunately, the 31127D doesn’t have any interior features worth mentioning, not even internal lighting or a convection system like the Cuisinart TOA-60. These heating elements are made of quartz which uses infrared light to cook foods faster than the more common nichrome counterparts.
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.
The bake and broil functions will be all you need if you know your way around the kitchen. The temperature knob also includes a Min setting which, at 100°F, can act as a ‘keep warm’ option. However, the chicken’s hamilton beach toaster oven internal temperature was 185°F-192°F, higher than the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F. When we slid the pan in, the top of the chicken breast grazed the upper heating element’s guard and was seared.
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.
Some ovens’ results weren’t dark enough; others were overdone or unevenly cooked. This was also one of the only models in this price range that could bake chicken thighs with a golden brown, crispy skin. Up against bigger, more expensive toaster ovens, the FlashXpress more than held its own. Similar to many other small toaster ovens, including the Comfee CFO-BB101, the Mueller lacks a convection fan and an interior light. In addition, it only has two heating elements which can usually lead to uneven heat distribution compared to four or more heating elements. However, you won’t get the stellar performance and extra features that you find on the more expensive models.
Inside the box are also a user manual and a simple recipe booklet. Nonetheless, our chef decided to stop the roasting as the color wouldn’t improve anyway and to avoid overcooking the meat. This cooking time was the equivalent of a 6/10 according to our data. It’s important to think about both the internal and external size of any toaster oven you’re considering. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space.
It also comes with an air fry/dehydrate basket rack and a broiling rack that fits inside its enamel roasting pan. But we still prefer the Cuisinart’s ceramic pizza stone over the Breville’s nonstick pizza pan (though Breville does sell a pizza stone separately for around $30). For the past two years, two Wirecutter employees have used the Hamilton Beach for basic tasks like making toast, reheating pizza, and baking frozen snacks. One of our testers initially tried toasting bread in the baking pan, which only browned the top of the bread. As with all models, you want to remove the pan and toast bread directly on the oven rack.
Quartz heating elements also cool down faster, are more energy-efficient and easier to clean but not as durable. Both units only have analog control dials and no internal lighting so there was nothing particularly convenient about them. The Hamilton does offer more cooking space though, fitting 6 slices of toast despite being a medium size. You can buy hamilton beach air fryers starting at $30 to $60. Some higher-end Hamilton Beach toaster ovens have a roll-top door. This opens upward and rolls over the top of the unit rather than opening outward and potentially getting in your way or taking up counter space.
The toaster oven is a perfect solution, and it does all that while using less power. The 2-in-1 combination oven and toaster allows you to do more in less space. Bake, broil and toast by switching cooking modes easily with the slide of a lever. We also see a place for the Easy Reach in an adventure van or other type of RV. It takes up little space and is lightweight, simple to use and to clean. When we combine its lower price with its ability to compete with higher-priced models, we feel the Easy Reach is a great buy.
Also look for handy features like toaster slots or a roll-top door. Roll-top door lifts up for easy access and removal of hot food. Works as an air fryer to quickly brown and crisp foods even from frozen. The feature we liked the hamilton beach toaster oven most was the oven’s roll-top opening which not only frees up counter space, but also gives the Easy Reach its name. Most toaster ovens either swing open to the side, like a microwave, or swing down, like a conventional oven.