If you have four kids who all eat toast most mornings, a bigger model will save you from having to cook in batches. If it’s just you or one other house member, a smaller toaster model might be the better pick. While traditional toaster ovens were large and bulky, the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Convection Toaster Oven is only 11” x 17” x 20”. 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 FlashXpress also had the most accurately calibrated settings. The light setting delivered barely-there toasting while the dark setting produced proper dark pieces of toast without burning them. The Breville and Balmuda also nailed the light and dark toast cycles when I put them through their paces.
How well the toasters or toaster ovens produced a range of light to dark toast. I really liked the FlashXpress’ simple display and big buttons, and its easily-removable crumb tray. This toaster is also unusually light, weighing just 7.5 pounds. hamilton beach toaster oven Most of the other best toaster ovens of this size are double the weight. 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.
I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the standards of my beloved Toastation, but I’m happy to report that Hamilton Beach’s newest toaster and oven combo lives up to its predecessor. The roll-top feature allows the user to access items by reaching down to them, making it much easier to adjust or remove food without bumping into the oven or burning your hands. Many toaster ovens have very little space between the racks and the interior sides of the oven, making it challenging to adjust or remove food. We also liked the fact that the Easy Reach’s door is completely clear, which allowed us to monitor all of our food in one glance. We also love that the entire door can be removed for easy cleaning. At the top of the pile are super tech-heavy toaster ovens also known as “smart ovens.” These are the priciest of the bunch, and models from names such as Tovala and Brava can cost over $1,200.
In fact, it received higher scores than some bigger, fancier models with double or triple the price tag. This is an authentic manufacturer-sourced part which is specially designed for use with Hamilton Beach countertop ovens. It is an identical replacement for a missing or damaged rotisserie rod/fork that was included with a new unit. Please make sure to check the owners manual for the correct application of this component.
There are large countertop ovens that can fit a whole chicken and itty-bitty models best for bread and the odd frozen waffle or personal pizza. At $299 (and currently on sale for just $99), it’s less expensive than most smart ovens but has fewer features and cooking modes. From there, the smart oven automates the entire cooking process. I liked it and found it simple to operate, but would say it’s really only worth the money if you plan to buy a subscription for the Tovala meals it’s engineered to cook. Those run about $9 a pop and range from outstanding to just OK. Read CNET’s full review of an earlier-gen Tovala Smart Oven for a breakdown.
In truth, I don’t find toaster oven cooking programs very helpful, and I rarely use them. Since every brand, be it frozen pizza, waffles or mozzarella sticks, vary in size and density, it’s generally best to follow the instructions on the box. I toasted four slices of white bread on medium to test how evenly each toaster cooks and the calibration of its doneness setting. Traditional toaster ovens were designed with a single heating element. You can buy Hamilton Beach toaster ovens starting at $30 to $60.
If I had known then what I know now about counter-top appliances like toaster ovens, I could have saved myself a lot of time, energy, and cuss words. The controls are easy to understand, with knobs to set the cooking method, temperature, and time. Depending on the lighting, sometimes it was difficult to read the settings since they are printed with silver ink on a shiny black surface. At 15 inches high, 23.4 inches wide, and 18 inches deep, this is a fairly large oven that eats quite a bit of countertop space.