There's a reason why toaster ovens are so popular. With generous multi-layered internal capacities and plenty of user-friendly settings, they act as a second oven in your kitchen and also eradicate the need for a dedicated toaster!
I recently gave my grandparents a toaster oven to make cooking for two more manageable and less physically demanding than bending over to use the oven. The ability to broil bacon, air fry potato wedges, and bake cakes all in a countertop appliance has made them feel so much more in control of their lives and diet.
The quick list
The Ninja Prestige Smart XL Oven is a super-powerful choice that can easily outperform your oven. This modern option from Ninja deserves the top spot desipite its higher price because it's just that good. It's got 10 settings for all sorts of meals, and we used it to roast, bake, toast and broil when we put it to the test.
This Cuisinart toaster oven offers a traditional, good-looking design. With analog controls, operation is intuitive, but it still has several modes including bake, broil, air fry and toast. It was great at roasting and toasting on test, but the accessories aren’t dishwasher safe.
This smart toaster oven is the rare 'smart' appliance to actually works. You can operate it from its display or from your phone, and it cooks a range of great food. It can also pair with a smart thermometer for perfectly cooked meat dishes.
This retro oven looks great on a countertop, and it has a whopping 33 presets to make cooking easier. Its steam modes mean that it's perfect for baking, too.
If you want a machine that looks great without compromising on performance, the Wonder Oven is a top choice. It's a little compact and the analog controls aren't the most accurate, but it handled a full range of recipes very well in testing.
With smart connectivity, you can monitor this Breville toaster oven from your phone — accessing recipes and receiving notifications. Plus, you can control settings and timers via Alexa or Google Assistant. 13 programs gives it immense versatility, and it was one of the best for frying chicken wings and frozen French fries.
The best toaster ovens you can buy today
You might note that the Ninja Prestige Smart XL Air Fryer & Countertop Oven is classed not as a toaster oven but a countertop oven, but it takes on the same role as your toaster oven and then some. It has an impressive 90-second preheat time and claims to cook your food 30% faster than the average oven, and in our testing, we could see why.
When reviewing this oven we cooked a range of proteins from chicken to salmon, and found that we had to watch out for how fast they cooked. It's an easy adjustment to make though, and one which will save you time. A harder adjustment could be the noise, because this toaster oven is notably noisier than many of the other models in this guide.
In our baking test we found that the 90-second preheat didn't quite hold true, and allocated a few extra minutes to make sure our cookies, which require quite precise timings, came out perfectly cooked. The oven did a great job of cooking a large batch, and across the two 9x9" trays we were able to get through a dozen in one go. However, the trays do have grooves around the sides, meaning the bases were a little wonky.
Read out full Ninja Prestige Smart XL Oven review.
Best budget toaster oven
An oldie but a goodie, the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven has been in this guide for years. What can we say, it's just that good. This is a reliable toaster oven that's continued to deliver every time we test and re-test it. Our latest set of tests took place in early 2025, and while you can find options that get rid of analog time and temperature controls and opt for smarter pre-set cooking modes, not everyone will want that, and we thought it did a great job regardless.
Reviewer Erin found that this oven is immensely easy to use. It's great for those who don't want to deal with complex and confusing settings. Like a classic oven, you can control the time and temperature using a simple dial. Our main complaint is that this feels less precise than using a more modern control panel. As for settings, you won't be missing out. You can air fry, roast & pizza, bake, keep warm, grill, panini & toasties, and toast with the Cuisinart.
We made everything from toast to chicken nuggets in this oven, and it was consistent across the air fry basket with no obvious hot spots. Our main warning is to be aware that this oven heats up fast, so be prepared to take a few minutes off your regular recipe cooking times to prevent burning.
Read our full Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven review.
Best smart toaster oven
This smart oven is no gimmick. Many 'smart' appliances use poorly designed apps that don't really work, but this has an integrated touchscreen that's easy to use. You can select preset programs, and tailor the temperature and runtime to your portion sizes.
If you prefer, you can control all this from your phone, but it's nice to have the choice. This oven is also compatible with the CHEF iQ Sense meat thermometer, which automatically adjusts to help you cook meat dishes at exactly the right temperature.
The smart features are nice, but this oven does the simple things well. It compresses a useful 0.85 cubic foot capacity into a compact appliance, so you can roast five-pound chickens, salmon, and more. The air frying mode is great for chicken nuggets and fish sticks, too.
However, all this functionality comes at a fairly high price. What's more, this oven is oddly weak at making toast, and the sides can get very hot. That said, it's a straightforward, compact, effective toaster oven.
Read our full CHEF iQ toaster oven review.
Best compact toaster oven
The brand behind the viral Always Pan came out with its Wonder Oven in 2023, and it's been one of the most exciting small appliances launches we've seen in some time. The Wonder Oven sold out fast, but once we got our hands on it we were impressed by its powerful performance despite its small frame.
We were particularly impressed by the toasting and baking performance in this toaster oven. Or bagel slices came out evenly toasted and still soft inside thanks to the steam cap that infuses the cooking chamber when baking. When air frying, we thought that it didn't live up to the performance of a conventional air fryer, but we were still able to achieve a crispy and even finish.
This is an analog air fryer, meaning it's simply controlled by dials for setting, time, and temperature. This does mean it's a less accurate machine, but it's not unlike many of the models featured in this guide from Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach. If looks matter to you, but you still want a capable machine, the Our Place Wonder Oven is an excellent choice.
Read our full Our Place Wonder Oven review.
Best premium toaster oven
The retro 50s style of this Smeg toaster oven belies its functionality. It has ten different functions from air frying to defrosting, and it uses these modes across 33 automatic programmes, so you can easily cook roast chicken, bake bread, and steam fish.
It did a great job with a roast chicken, and quickly made delicious roast potatoes. However, the ability to add water for steam and moisture is where this oven really stands out. Adding some water to the top of the oven meant that a lemon cake came out exceptionally fluffy, and proofing was fast and effective.
The steam function is perfect for vegetables, and the broil function works exactly as it should.
However, this thing is huge. It takes up more than two square feet and weighs nearly 40lbs, so you need a lot of room and a sturdy countertop. The air fryer mode is surprisingly poor. In some of the modes, you can't set a timer, so you have to use your phone. As a premium appliance, this is very expensive, and usually costs more than $1000.
Read our full Smeg Countertop Combi Steam Oven review.
Best for toasting
This toaster oven looks identical to the winning Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro — that’s because it’s actually an upgraded version of this model. For that reason, off the bat, we can tell you that the design, accessories and cleaning instructions are all very similar. However, where the Joule toaster oven differentiates is in its smart capabilities.
It can connect to the Breville Joule Oven app, which gives you access to a hoard of recipes with step-by-step guidance. Plus, with 13 settings to peruse, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. On top of that, the smart connectivity means you can change settings or set timers via Alexa or Google Assistant, although we admittedly found this a bit pointless.
Performance is where the Joule Oven and its predecessor somewhat differed. The Joule oven came out on top when toasting bread. It was the stronger of the two at crisping up chicken wings and frozen French fries as well. However, we found the Smart Oven fared best when preparing French fries from scratch, and it produced better breaded chicken.
The predecessor came out slightly on top as a result, although every dish from the Joule oven still impressed — particularly the roast chicken which scored full marks. It’s worth flagging however that this model still gets hot to the touch, especially on the glass. It’s a costly toaster oven to boot. But, if you love to have the latest tech and you care about aesthetics, it’s worth considering.
Read our full Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro review.
Also tested
We've tested dozens of toaster ovens over the years, and not all of them can make the cut.
However, there are several models we've tried that can't crack this list of the very best but that have a few exceptional features that make them worth considering:
How we tested
Our testing team
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
I'm Tom's Guide's Senior Home Editor, I've been testing and reviewing the best toaster ovens and air fryers for five years.
Because I live in a two-person household, my oven is mostly used to store various pots and pans that I can't fit in my cupboards. As for the cooking, well, I leave that to my air fryer, which means I've put in well over 500 hours testing these smart cooking gadgets
Erin has been testing air fryers and toaster ovens since joining Tom's Guide in 2024.
She's quickly become a total convert to this convenient way of cooking, especially because it makes the cleaning process so much easier than using multiple pots and pans to prepare one meal.
Camryn is a freelance product reviewer based in Rhode Island.
She's tested more than a dozen different air fryers, as well as several countertop ovens. She frequently uses a toaster oven in her own kitchen to cook frozen foods and make recipes like chicken wings.
When testing, she look for models that are easy to operate (and clean) can evenly cook a variety of ingredients, and create a browned and crispy exterior.
Helen is a home economist turned product reviewer with nearly 20 years of experience in testing the latest and greatest home gadgets.
She started reviewing home and kitchen appliances at the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2007 and has never looked back.
Helen is now a freelance product reviewer and tests all sorts of appliances from her home in a pretty village in England.
Our testing process
To find the best toaster ovens, we tested a range of popular models to determine how well they toast, air fry, bake, and broil as well as how convenient they are to use.
It's important to us that we use these ovens the way you will in your home when you buy one, so while we have some pre-set recipes we follow to enable us to compare between models, we also use them in our day-to-day lives in order to experience all the little quirks and nuances you might miss if you only used an oven for a few hours in a lab.
As for our pre-determined tests? French fries are always a must. Not only do they show how well toaster ovens can crisp up foods, but they also display any hot or cold zones inside the oven which could lead to burning or uncercooking your food.
We also like to test an entire tray of toast. Again, this shows consistency of temperature but it also allows us to determine how easy it is to replace your toaster oven with this appliance. Typically we test toast at a number of different brownness levels to give you a sense of the range of settings with each machine.
If a toaster oven has a pizza setting, which most do, we will use it to crisp up a cheesy top on a pizza or frozen equivalent. This will also give you a sense of the internal capacity.
Cooking meat such as a whole chicken (if it fits) is a key part of the testing process. This will prove just how capable this appliance is of replacing your oven for entertaining or cooking for the whole family. We look for golden chicken skin, juicy meat, and how long this takes.
And finally, we test any special features on offer with these models. For example, the Our Place Wonder Oven has a steam feature, so we used that to bake a cake and see if it would come out moist and bouncy, like we'd look for in a regular oven.
Finally, ease of cleaning is a huge factor. Toaster ovens can be tricky to keep clean, it's actually one of their major drawbacks, so we consider how easily they clean up after a few weeks or months of use. If fat and crumbs get baked-on easily, we take that into account.
How to choose the best toaster oven
Toaster ovens vary in size, capacity, functionality, and price. The most expensive ones can do a lot more than toast and reheat — they can also air fry, roast, bake and pretty much serve as a second oven. However, they will also take up a lot more of your precious counter space compared an air fryer.
Here are the five things to consider when shopping for a toaster oven:
Size
Be sure to measure the space on your countertop where you plan to keep your toaster oven before making a purchase.
Don’t forget to check if your over-head cabinets will get in the way, and make sure the toaster oven will have space around it to vent as well.
Capacity
Start by considering what you cook regularly and plan to cook in your toaster oven. Models come with a wide range of capacities. The most compact ones can toast four to six slices of bread at once, while the largest can toast nine slices.
In a smaller oven, you can reheat frozen foods, but may not be able to fit a 12-inch pizza. Most of the newer ovens on the market are able to roast a chicken and some can even cook two birds at once, or a small turkey.
However, if you don’t cook for more than one or two people and your repertoire doesn’t include roasting, you may not want an oven with a large capacity monopolizing your countertop space.
Type of Controls
Dial controls are simple to use, but offer less precision. To set the time you’re basically turning a mechanical timer that dings when time is up.
That might be fine for most tasks, except baking where exact timing is critical — one extra minute and your cookies are dry.
While digital controls can take a little more work to figure out, they are exact and allow for presets for various types of cooking, so you don’t have to guess at what temperature to use and how long to cook.
Other functions
While by definition toaster ovens take the place of two appliances, today’s models can also air fry, slow cook, dehydrate, and more. This gives you more versatility and means you’ll have fewer products hogging space on your countertop.
However, it also adds to the price of the toaster oven, so be realistic about whether or not you need the extra functions.
Price
You can spend anywhere from $80 to $400 on a toaster oven. While the best ones tend to be pricier, you can get a very good one for about $100.
If you need a toaster oven primarily for toast, melted sandwiches, and quick reheats, there’s no need to spend top dollar.
