Working from home due to the pandemic has definitely provided us lots of time to experiment with new baking recipes. The hours saved on commuting are spent on reading baking blogs or watching youtube videos for new baking recipes.
As a busy working mum, I just need versatile and efficient appliances for my kitchen that can help me prepare delicious baking recipes for my hungry minions(referring to my kids 7 and 5 years old) easy and fast. And of course, it is supposed to look nice.
My previous one has limited functions, looks ugly, and takes ages to make a simple recipe. It makes me so pissed off I went on a mission to test and research more than 29 different models to come out with the best one I bought which has this feature that makes any existing ovens in my kitchen redundant. This is the Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven that I will share with you shortly.
The best countertop ovens for baking are designed to help you cook the tastiest meals without having to worry about installing a heavyweight or extremely expensive oven. During this process, I have also jotted down some key factors before you shop for your next new countertop oven, so keep on reading.
Best Countertop Ovens for Baking & Cooking Table Comparison
The models we reviewed look compact but are packed with useful features that will definitely elevate your cooking experience. Check out our top picks.
- Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
- Circulates heated air throughout for even roasting and baking with no hot spots
- Convection can be used in roast or bake mode with a single button reducing cooking time by up to 25%
- Offers 7 cooking modes including Bake, Roast, Broil, Warm, Proof, Bagel and Toast
- Integrated temperature probe which allows precise internal temperature when cooking meat
- 2 easy-glide oven racks, baking pan with a broiling rack insert to start cooking or baking off the bat
- Halogen light adds visibility to the oven's interior
- High-Performance Temperature Control
- Spring-loaded door with seal prevents heat loss and provides gentle opening and closing
- Two Knob Color Options
- Size can be huge for a small kitchen but the functions can replace several existing ones
- Oster Convection Oven, 8-in-1 Countertop Toaster Oven
- Large capacity for big families.
- Energy-efficient design.
- Several cooking settings for more flexibility.
- Halogen light adds visibility to the oven's interior
- High-Performance Temperature Control
- Spring-loaded door with seal prevents heat loss and provides gentle opening and closing
- Two Knob Color Options
- Opening the two doors can be a little tricky.
- BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
- Affordable and compact oven.
- Dual rack positions.
- One-touch buttons with 8 preset settings.
- Halogen light adds visibility to the oven's interior
- High-Performance Temperature Control
- Spring-loaded door with seal prevents heat loss and provides gentle opening and closing
- Two Knob Color Options
- The control buttons get too hot when the oven is used.
- The labels on the buttons are difficult to see.
- Hamilton BeachToaster Oven, Convection Oven
- Convenient oven for smaller kitchens.
- Easy to access top door.
- Contoured knobs to set the temperature, function, and timing.
- Halogen light adds visibility to the oven's interior
- High-Performance Temperature Control
- Spring-loaded door with seal prevents heat loss and provides gentle opening and closing
- Two Knob Color Options
- Heavyweight oven given its overall cooking capacity.
- The maximum time limit is 30 minutes.
- Cuisinart Chef's Convection Toaster Oven
- Large capacity for bigger families.
- Non-stick interior and built-in light.
- Can use two temperatures at the same time.
- Halogen light adds visibility to the oven's interior
- High-Performance Temperature Control
- Spring-loaded door with seal prevents heat loss and provides gentle opening and closing
- Two Knob Color Options
- The oven is heavy and not easy to move around.
- The ink on the buttons tends to wear off fast.
- KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven
- Elegant oven.
- 12 present cooking functions.
- Built-in temperature probe.
- Elegant oven with 12 preset cooking settings.
- Smart design to cook your food 20% faster.
- Built-in thermometer probe to give you control over your cooking.
- Intuitive to use digital display.
- The position of the rack can't be changed.
- The chrome trim is easy to scratch.
- Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven
- Compact oven with a wide range of cooking tasks.
- Precise temperature and time settings.
- Six automatic settings for more flexibility.
- Easy to use oven.
- Compact design.
- Infrared heating elements at the front and back.
- Tray attached to the door for more safety.
- Easy cleaning.
- Does not have many cooking modes
- Mueller 4 Slice Toaster Oven
- Budget-friendly oven.
- Easy to use.
- Suitable for smaller kitchens and countertops.
- Budget-friendly oven.
- Easy to use timer and temperature knobs.
- Lightweight oven with three built-in settings.
- Rack can be adjusted into two different positions.
- The timer switches off after 30 minutes.
- Less power than other ovens.
Highlighted Features:
It is not a difficult decision to choose the Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven especially for someone that bakes and cooks frequently for my family. Unlike my previous oven, the circulated heated air ensures that there are no hot spots when I am roasting meat or baking.
And I just love the fact that at a press of the button, the roast or bake mode reduces your cooking time drastically so you spent less time explaining to any hungry monsters in the house.
With 7 cooking modes, this is the feature that basically eliminates or reduces the use of my other appliances sitting in the kitchen. Oh ya! They are still there just because I have an emotional attachment to all the things in the kitchen. Why do you still need so many appliances when you can bake, roast, broil, warm, proof, bagel, and toast within an ultimate machine?
Anyway, if you are a carnivore and loves to cook your meat to a precise internal temperature like a pro, remember to utilize the integrated temperature probe. Together with the 2 easy-glide oven racks and baking pan with a broiling rack insert, you are just ready to rock and roll!!
If you are within a tight budget, you may like to check out the Oster French Convection Countertop and Toaster Oven with limited features but still get the simple things done.
Highlighted Features:
For larger families and busy households, this Oster Toaster Oven have a large capacity of 1.5 cubic feet, allowing you to bake two 16-inch pizzas or up to 18 slices of bread at the same time. Still, the oven is designed to use 50% less energy than wall ovens or oven-stove combinations.
The Oster toaster oven is easy to use, with different digital settings for baking, toasting, heating, broiling, and defrosting. There's also a special feature for warming the food while the rest of your meals cook, or you can use the special pizza function for cooking your pizza to perfection.
There are two racks that you can use alone or together to finish cooking for your family. The timer can be set for up to 6 hours, but for maximum safety, the timer shuts off after 90 minutes. The interior light allows you to see the food without opening the door. The power output is 1525 watts.
Unlike other ovens, this one has two doors that open with a single pull. The digital controls allow for more precise control and minimize guessing while you're cooking, even if you're a novice. Because the heat is evenly distributed, the food is cooked from all sides at the same time, and even browns for a crispy finish and delicious taste.
However, you need to be careful when you open the two doors. If they don't click, they might accidentally close while you're trying to get the food out of the oven. If you have children, then it makes more sense to consider my #3 review F.BLUMLEIN Steam Convection Oven which have a child safety lock
Highlighted Features:
This affordable BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven is compact yet big enough to fit your snacks, a 12-inch pizza, and a whole chicken for your family. With two rack positions, you have the freedom to place your dishes closer or further away from the heating element to guarantee the best cooking result.
Cooking your food has never been easier, thanks to the one-touch preset settings. The oven has 8 different settings for baking, toasting, broiling, as well as bagels, pizza, potatoes, cookies, and frozen snacks.
When you activate the convection baking mode, the internal fan will circulate the hot air to cook your food evenly while reserving the heat to save energy and time. Unlike other ovens, the fan operates silently.
The timer can be set up to 2 hours, allowing you to cook a variety of food. This oven has a power output of 1500 watts and weighs 15 pounds.
Cleaning this oven is extremely easy, as the drip tray slides easily, keeping the rest of your oven clean. Although button controls are super easy to adjust, they're made of metal and will get too hot when you're using the oven. The labels on the buttons can also be hard to see in low light conditions.
Highlighted Features:
This Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven is easy to access with a roll-top door that moves up and down, keeping your hand safe from the hot metal, even if you have poor culinary skills. The door also makes cleaning very easy as it minimizes spills and drips.
The rack can be positioned in two different positions allowing you to bake, broil, and toast several types of food. This is a compact and affordable oven that can be used to prepare snacks and side dishes, as it's big enough to accommodate a 12-inch pizza or six slices of bread.
Despite its compact size, this oven has a power of 1400 watts. It has two heating elements at the top and two at the bottom for even heat distribution to cook your food evenly. The contoured knobs are easy to maneuver and safe to use. The timer knob has a stop spot to keep it at the right timing, so it won't turn off accidentally.
Cleaning up is extremely easy because crumbs and drippings won't accumulate where you can't reach them. All you have to do is to open the door and remove the crumb tray, and the oven will be ready for your next meal.
When you select the convection function, you turn the internal fan on to circulate the hot air inside the oven. This will save energy and reduce the cooking time by 25%.
This countertop has a capacity of 0.6 cubic feet, so it won't work for larger families. Despite its smaller size, it weighs 11.5 pounds, so it's not that easy to move around. Moreover, the maximum timer setting is 30 minutes, so you will have to keep an eye on the oven if your dish takes more time to cook.
Highlighted Features:
This is a durable Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven with 15 different preset cooking functions, so you can prepare different varieties of food. With a capacity of 0.95 cubic feet, this oven is big enough to fit a 13-inch pizza, 9 slices of toast, 4 pounds of ribs, or a 5-pound chicken, so it's a decent choice for bigger families. It provides a power of 1800 watts.
The digital controls are easy to adjust, and you can read the numbers on the blue-lit LCD display. Thanks to the slide-out rack, using and cleaning this oven will be a piece of cake. To prepare a nice family dinner, you'll be able to use the two racks at the same time. There are 4 interior rack positions to suit different recipes.
You can cook and brown using two different temperatures at the same time. The convection baking reduces the time needed to have your dishes cooked and will also save the energy used. There are two convection speeds for maximum versatility, and you can turn the feature on or off while using any other preset cooking setting.
Opening the door to inspect your food isn't necessary as the interior light allows you to see everything clearly. The non-stick interior makes the cleaning process easy. It also comes with a drip pan and a crumb tray.
The oven weighs 32.4 pounds, so it's not easy to move around. The ink on the buttons tends to wear off.
Highlighted Features:
This versatile KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Toaster Oven is an excellent investment because it can accommodate up to two 3.6-pound chickens. With 12 preset cooking functions, you will be able to do everything from baking to dough proofing, in addition to finishing your pizza and preparing delicious cookies.
Due to the smart design of the oven, it will cook your food 20% faster. It features an interior light that allows you to keep an eye on your food without having to open the door. It's a robust oven that weighs 34.4 pounds and has the power of 1800 watts.
The internal fans circulate the hot air inside the oven to cook your food evenly. With a timer for up to 120 minutes, you will be able to prepare amazing recipes.
It features a built-in temperature probe to have more control over the baking process, even if you're not an experienced chef. The digital display is intuitive to use, allowing you to pick the right temperature and timing to cook your dishes to perfection.
After you're done cooking, the oven will be easy to clean because the interior is non-stick. With a capacity of 0.72 cubic feet, you will be able to prepare lots of delicious food in this oven. It even comes with a baking tray, so you can immediately start preparing food for your family.
However, the rack can only be placed in one position. Although this oven looks elegant, the chrome trim scratches easily, so you need to be careful while using the oven.
Highlighted Features:
The Panasonic FlashXpress Compact Toaster Oven can complete a wide range of simple cooking tasks, from baking bread, cakes and cookies to preparing a delicious dinner for the family effortlessly.
It’s a compact model that works for a smaller kitchen like mine but can accommodate four pieces of bread, a pizza that measures 9 inches in diameter, or a small baking tray. It has a capacity of 0.9 cubic feet and weighs 7.5 pounds.
Using this oven is a piece of cake, as the dials are easy to see and use. There are six auto cook programs for toast, waffles, bread, pizza, reheat rolls, and cooking frozen hash brown.
The double infrared heating elements are positioned in the front and back for even toasting and baking, so you can guarantee that your dishes are evenly cooked. The oven has a power of 1300 watts.
Thanks to the precise temperature control, your plates won’t be overheated or overcooked, even if you’re a novice. The see-through door allows you to check on your food without having to open the door. Once you open the door, the baking rack moves towards you smoothly, so you won’t have to put your hand into the hot oven for maximum safety.
Cleaning the oven is relatively easy, as it comes with a special tray for the crumbs and drippings. It doesn’t brown the food unless there’s butter on top and in that case. It might burn food too fast, so you have to wrap it in foil.
Highlighted Features:
Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can get a trustworthy and reliable countertop oven to prepare the most delicious meals for your family. The Mueller Toaster 4 Slice Oven is compact for smaller kitchens and dorm rooms and is designed to fit a 9-inch pizza or four slices of bread.
You can use this oven for baking, roasting, broiling, or keeping the food warm with adjustable time and temperature settings. Featuring dial knobs to control time and temperature, this is an easy oven for novice users. You will also receive a recipe book to prepare delicious dishes.
The natural convection design circulates the air to guarantee that your food is cooked. There are two positions for the rack, depending on the food you want to cook, and an indicator light that lets you know that the oven is on. It has 1100 watts of power.
The large glass door allows you to keep an eye on your food while it’s cooking without having to open the door and losing the trapped heat. This oven weighs 2.2 pounds, so it’s lightweight and portable, so you can easily pack it to a friend’s house if they need extra help.
However, you should understand the limitations of this oven. The 30-minutes timer means that you will have to switch it on and off one more if you’re cooking a recipe that takes more time to finish. Moreover, due to the power, you will need more time to finish some dishes.
Best Countertop Oven(Buying Guide)
Finding the right convection oven will make your life so much easier, allowing you to prepare multiple recipes fast and effortlessly. Here are a few things that you need to take into consideration.
Design
The first thing that you should consider is the design of the countertop oven. Is it suitable for the space you have available? Since there are multiple models to choose from, you’ll definitely find something that fits your needs.
You need to make sure that the door can be kept closed to retain the heat and guarantee that your food will be cooked evenly. Some doors are easier to use, especially when the oven gets hot, so your hands won’t get burned.
The dials, buttons, and knobs should be intuitive and well-made. You need to make sure that you’re able to get the precise setting and that the dials won’t move while you’re preparing your food. You also need to ensure that the buttons and knobs won’t get too hot while you’re using the oven for maximum safety.
Power
This will affect how fast and reliable the oven will be. An oven with a higher power output will be able to cook your food faster, and you can use multiple cooking functions to prepare a variety of recipes.
A good oven should have a minimum power of 1000 watts, so you can use it to prepare different dishes. If you use your oven more often, you might need to pick a device with more power.
Capacity
Do you live alone? Are you using the oven to prepare multiple dishes for your family? Bigger ovens will typically cost more because they can fit more dishes and larger quantities. However, you don’t need to spend your money on a big oven if you’re only using it to heat pizza and toast your bread.
Although bigger ovens are more versatile, they also tend to be heavier and more difficult to move around. If you have a small kitchen, you might want to stick to a medium-sized or small oven.
Preset Functions
Countertop Ovens are easy to use because you can adjust the cooking time and temperature based on the dish you’re preparing. Most of these models come with various preset functions that are effortless to use. All you have to do is to choose the desired cooking setting, and the oven will optimize the temperature and time needed.
Some ovens are even more flexible to use, so you can choose between dual convection speeds for more even cooking or adjust the cooking time based on how big the dish is. You need to look at the features available and see which ones you’re more likely to use in your kitchen.
Best Countertop Ovens Related FAQs
Can a countertop oven replace a regular oven?
Yes, it can. Countertop ovens are designed to do everything your regular oven can do, so you can bake, broil, toast, roast, and bake, as long as you’re sticking to the capacity of the oven. As a matter of fact, these appliances are extremely practical and versatile.
Are countertop ovens more efficient?
Countertop ovens are quite efficient at transforming electricity into heat energy. Due to their compact sizes, these ovens can cook your food more evenly and faster than traditional ovens.
What is the best cookware to use in a countertop oven?
When you’re picking a baking tray for the countertop oven, make sure that the edges aren’t too high. This will allow the hot air to circulate more efficiently and cook your food faster.
What is the best way to keep the countertop oven clean?
Countertop ovens aren’t that difficult to clean since most of them have non-stick surfaces. It’s also recommended to use a drip tray if your oven doesn’t come with one to catch any spills or drips for easy cleanup.
How often should you clean your countertop oven?
After you’re done cooking, it’s recommended to wipe the oven clean. This will prevent food particles and grease from sticking to the side and bottom of the oven, where they become more challenging to get rid of.
Every month, you can deep cleanse the oven by cutting a lemon in half and putting it in a bowl of water. Heat the oven to boil the water and let the steam break down the stuck particles. You can also use the lemon halves to scrub the interior of the oven.
What is the difference between a toaster and a countertop oven?
A toaster is simpler and usually more affordable. However, you shouldn’t depend on it for more complicated cooking tasks. A countertop oven can be used for baking, broiling, roasting, and everything a traditional oven can do.
How long will a countertop oven last?
A countertop oven will last anything between 5 and 15 years, depending on how often you clean and maintain it. As long as you move the food remains regularly, your oven will always be as good as new.
Wrap Up For Best Countertop Ovens
Investing in a practical countertop oven for baking will help you prepare multiple delicious dishes to prepare everyone.
We chose the Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven as our top choice because it’s reliable and practical with so many useful functions to retire most of the appliances in your kitchen. This is a huge blessing if you have a small kitchen like mine and have to frequently cook and bake for your family.
There are lots of other options on our list that suit other budgets and needs, so you will definitely find the right one for you.