If you’ve never used a toaster oven, the first thing you need to know is that it’s not a toaster. Mind you, you can make toast with it, but that’s hardly its only use or even the primary one. Depending on the household, it can fill a surprisingly wide gap between the microwave and a traditional oven. Need your snacks warmed up quickly, but hate that microwave sogginess? Need your potatoes, pies or side dishes baked while your main course is taking up the oven?
Corner to corner, no other oven was as consistent (aside from the exorbitantly priced Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven). Similarly priced large toaster ovens (like ones from Breville and KitchenAid) concentrated heat in the center of the oven and had more significant fall-off of heat toward the edges. The FlashXpress made crispy-yet-melty Bagel Bites that were more consistently browned from one edge of the pan to the other.
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. It’s common for most toasters to release steam hamilton beach while toasting, so don’t be alarmed. This is a normal occurrence, especially if the bread is particularly moist.
The timer on our upgrade pick, the Breville Pro, also begins counting down once the oven is preheated. However, it will pause the timer when you open the oven door, whereas the Cuisinart doesn’t. However, after the chicken test, there hamilton beach were burnt bits stuck to the upper heating element’s guard and grease on the cooking chamber’s ceiling. There was ample space between the ceiling and the upper heating element, so we proceed to try every cleaning method possible.
Once your toaster is up and running, we recommend that you empty the crumb tray often. To keep grease from dripping on the lower heating element, use foil and a pan underneath whatever you’re cooking. We hamilton beach recognize that for some, a level of automation could prove helpful, so we’ll continue to test smart ovens. But we haven’t yet tested one where the features feel worth the investment for most people.