Only products that passed all the areas above with flying colors made it into this final list. Without wasting any more of your time, let’s skip to the main section of the content and look at the 7 best Hamilton Beach toaster ovens money can buy today. The oven’s door has a large, thick, wide handle that helps to keep hands away from the glass when the glass becomes hot from use, with enough space to wear an oven mitt when opening it. The door doesn’t close automatically until the door is a few inches from closing, and in fact, it can be left ajar when it’s about 2 inches from being closed. It can, however, free-fall downward when it’s open about 5 inches.
The Zojirushi ET-WMC22 toasted so unevenly that the bread looked like someone with terrible aim had zapped it with a laser. The power cord protrudes from the bottom of the oven which can create some inconvenient bends. Nonetheless, roughly 35″ is plenty of cord length for household use. However, the oven doesn’t have a storage place for the cord. Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 18.5″ x 15.56″ x 9.41″—marginally different from the manufacturer’s provided 18.74″ x 15.24″ x 9.41″. The crust had a golden color all the way through and the inside was still moist. If only the crust was a bit more crispy, it would’ve gotten higher than an 8/10.
However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains. Their performance scores, however, was an interesting upset, with the Mueller actually winning. The Mueller was better at toasting bread, baking pizza, and roasting whole chicken in spite of its lower power draw.
We found its performance and features to be comparable to those of larger and pricier toaster ovens. Its convection fan has two speeds, like the Cuisinart’s, but the high speed is slightly more powerful and can crisp up food faster. Just avoid using the lid if it has a non-metal knob that could be damaged by close contact with the heating elements (use foil to cover the pot instead). I got the Hamilton Beach 6 Slice Toaster Oven with the Broiler, because my over is broken and I needed something to replace it until get it fixed.
That said, the controls are clearly labeled and straightforward to use, so we’re willing to overlook this drawback. We’d also prefer dial controls over the FlashXpress’s blister-push buttons, but they’re perfectly usable and not as glitchy or mushy as others we tested. A toaster oven is a multipurpose appliance that lets you toast bread and bake or reheat food. It’s also great for use in a small rental with a tiny kitchen and an oven that doesn’t work well (or is missing altogether). If your kitchen is so active that the oven is often full, you can use the toaster oven as Martha Rose Shulman—chef and author of The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking—does.
This seemed odd to me at first, but with kids in the house, I’m glad to have the auto-shutoff safety feature. The oven also has a broiler which is nice if you’re looking to make crostinis or melt some cheese on a loaf of garlic bread. The 2-in-1 comes with a tray for baking and broiling and there’s a crumb tray on the bottom which is easy to remove and empty. It was not too expensive and it does a pretty good job at many things. I am able to toast bread pretty quick and it comes out looking golden brown and crispy. I have also been able to broil and bake many kinds of meats like chicken, beef and pork and the meats come out tasting juicy and delicious.
The Mueller has a detachable crumb tray for cleaning the interior while the Hamilton has a roll-top door that moves out of the way to bring food in and out of the oven more easily. Fits a 9-inch pizza or 4 slices of toast for dinner or breakfast. Features a 30-minute timer with auto shutoff and toast, bake, and broil settings. The large size and roll-top door of this convection toaster oven earn it approval from our cooking and baking expert. This model from Hamilton Beach is a great choice if you make toast often, heat up frozen pizzas, make breaded chicken for the kids, or perhaps only cook for one or two. If you’re looking for a second oven, it’s not the one to choose as it doesn’t do a good job on baked goods and can’t accommodate a whole chicken.
Traditional toaster ovens were designed with a single heating element. If I had to pick from the seven products above, I’d pick the Hamilton Beach 31127D model as my favorite hamilton beach toaster oven. Its retro style met my personal preferences and its ability to deliver satisfied everyone’s taste in my family. At the end of the day, all these best Hamilton Beach toaster ovens will effortlessly meet any home’s toasting needs, requirements, and personal preferences. With that in mind, I decided to go out there myself and created a shortlist of the best toaster oven models from arguably the best toaster ovens brand available today.
We’ve learned through research done by The Ohio State University that slot toasters aren’t built to last (you can read more about OSU’s in-depth work in our blog post). Since most modern slot toasters aren’t repairable, they’re destined for a landfill once they give out. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, typically last longer, which may be in part because the heating elements are enclosed or better protected by metal guards to prevent damage.
Although dials might seem a little outdated, they’re extremely simple to use and little can go wrong with them. Of course, touchpad controls have their benefits too, such as giving you more precise temperature control and being quick to use once you get the hang of them. You’ll want to think carefully before buying your new toaster oven to make sure it has all the features you need. In addition to cooking functions, you should consider size and capacity to make sure it’s large enough to cook what you want to cook but also fits on your countertop.