A toaster oven earns its counter space by doing the small jobs a wall oven is bad at: four slices of toast, a reheated slice of pizza, a tray of chicken thighs on a Tuesday, without heating the kitchen or waiting 15 minutes to preheat. The catch is that the category now runs from a 1300 W toast-and-bake box to an 1800 W convection oven that roasts a 5-pound chicken, and they do not sit on the same shelf.
We went through the toaster and convection ovens in our home and kitchen catalog and kept five with owner ratings of 4.4 stars or higher, from a compact four-slice model to a two-rack family oven. We have not cooked in every one ourselves, so rankings lean on stated capacity, wattage, features and thousands of owner reviews. Prices at the time of writing ran from budget to premium; prices are not printed because they change daily, and every button opens the live Amazon page. If air frying is the main job, our air fryer guide covers baskets and dual-zone ovens too.
How we picked
- Capacity in slices and pizza inches. A 4-slice oven with a 9 to 11 inch pizza tray suits one or two people; 6 to 8 slices and a 12 to 13 inch pizza feeds a family. Every spec box lists it.
- Convection where it matters. A fan makes the oven cook faster and more evenly and is what turns a toaster oven into an air fryer. We say which picks have one and which are plain radiant ovens.
- Wattage and preheat. 1400 to 1800 W ovens preheat in a minute or two; the Panasonic uses infrared elements and needs no preheat at all for toast.
- Cleanup and access. A removable crumb tray is a must. We also favor doors that do not swing into your hands, like the Hamilton Beach roll-top and the Ninja flip-up.
- Owner ratings of 4.4 stars or higher, and most picks have thousands of reviews.
The picks
The SP101 is the toaster oven most people should buy, and the numbers back it up: more than 26,000 ratings at 4.6 stars. The trick is the hinge. When you are done, the whole oven flips up and stands against the backsplash, which solves the real problem with countertop ovens. In use it is a wide, flat cavity with a fan, so it air fries a full tray of wings or fries and toasts up to nine slices at once. Preheat is a minute. It is not deep enough for a whole chicken; if you need that, jump to the DT201 below.
- Flips up against the backsplash and takes about half the counter space when stored
- 60-second preheat and up to 60 percent faster cooking on Air Roast
- 45 percent more pan area than a standard toaster oven pan, fits a 13-inch pizza
- 26,000+ ratings at 4.6 stars, the most owners on this page
- Wide and low, about the width of a sheet pan, when in use
- Single rack level, so no two-tray cooking
- Interior is harder to wipe down than a basket fryer
Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven Countertop, 4-Slice Small Toaster Oven Compact Size with Double Infrared Heating, 1300W - NB-G110P (Silver)
The FlashXpress is the small oven for people who mostly want fast, even toast and the occasional reheat. Its quartz and ceramic infrared elements reach heat almost instantly, so there is no preheat step; owners describe toast in a few minutes and reheated pizza that comes out crisp. Six presets cover toast, pizza, rolls and frozen snacks. It does not air fry and it is not for a 12-inch pie, but it has held a 4.4-star average over 10,000 ratings, which says something about how well the simple version works.
- Double infrared elements start toasting the moment you press the button
- Rack pulls out with the door so you never reach into the heat
- Small footprint fits an apartment or office kitchen
- 10,000+ ratings at 4.4 stars, on the market for years
- No convection fan and no air fry mode
- 9-inch tray limits you to a personal pizza
- 1300 W is the lowest here, so baking is slow
If you bake cookies, tuna melts and 11-inch pizzas more than you air fry, the Mini Smart Oven is the compact pick. It packs the same 1800 W and Element iQ system as Breville’s big ovens into an 11 x 10 inch interior, so the elements adjust to what you are cooking instead of blasting from all sides. Owners praise how evenly it browns for its size. There is no convection fan, which is the main reason it sits behind the Ninja, but for a two-person kitchen it is the one that feels like a real oven.
- 1800 W in a four-slice body means fast, even heat
- Element iQ steers power between five elements per function
- Includes a 10 x 10 inch enamel baking pan
- 9,200+ ratings at 4.4 stars
- Costs more than most four-slice ovens
- No fan, so no true air frying
- 4-inch interior height rules out tall roasts
This is the best-rated plain toaster oven in our catalog, and the door is the reason. It rolls up into the top of the oven, so you can slide a pan out without leaning over a hot door, and spills land on the crumb tray instead of the glass. Inside it is a straightforward 1400 W bake, broil and toast oven that fits six slices or a 12-inch frozen pizza. There is no fan and no presets. For a dorm, a first apartment or a second oven at the holidays, that simplicity is the point.
- Roll-top door stays up and out of the way, no drips on the door glass
- Fits a 12-inch pizza or a 9 x 11 inch pan
- Slide-out crumb tray and plain dials
- 7,900+ ratings at 4.5 stars
- No convection or air fry
- Manual timer is less precise than digital
- 1400 W is slower than the 1800 W picks
Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fry Oven, 10-in-1, Stainless Steel, DT201
The DT201 is for households that would rather not turn on the wall oven at all. It is a full convection oven with a fan strong enough to cook a 5-pound chicken on the lower rack while a sheet pan of vegetables roasts above it, or two 12-inch pizzas at once. Preheat is about 90 seconds, and it comes with every tray you need, including a dedicated roast tray and air fry basket. It is the biggest, tallest pick on this page, so measure your cabinet clearance first.
- True Surround Convection cooks two levels evenly, no tray swapping
- Fits a whole chicken and a tray of vegetables at once
- Preheats in about 90 seconds and cooks up to 30 percent faster than a full oven
- 6,600+ ratings at 4.4 stars
- Tall and heavy; needs the most counter and cabinet clearance here
- Exterior gets hot during long roasts
- More oven than a one- or two-person kitchen needs
Compare the picks
| Product | Style | Capacity | Power | Owner rating | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja Foodi SP101Ninja | Air fry, flips up | 13-in pizza | 1750 W | 4.6 / 26k+ | 9.2 | See price |
| Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110PPanasonic | Infrared, no fan | 4 slices, 9-in tray | 1300 W | 4.4 / 10k+ | 8.8 | See price |
| Breville Mini Smart Oven BOV450XLBreville | Element iQ, no fan | 4 slices, 11-in pizza | 1800 W | 4.4 / 9.2k+ | 8.8 | See price |
| Hamilton Beach Easy ReachHamilton Beach | Plain, roll-top door | 6 slices, 12-in pizza | 1400 W | 4.5 / 7.9k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201Ninja | Convection, 2 racks | Two 12-in pizzas | 1800 W | 4.4 / 6.6k+ | 8.8 | See price |
Convection, air fry or plain?
A plain toaster oven like the Hamilton Beach or Panasonic heats with elements above and below and nothing else. It is fine for toast, reheating and small bakes, and it is the cheapest kind. Convection adds a fan, which moves hot air so food cooks faster and browns evenly on both racks; the Ninja DT201 is a true convection oven. Air fry is convection with a stronger fan and a mesh basket that lets air reach all sides, which is how the SP101 and DT201 crisp fries and wings. The Breville is the odd one out: no fan, but five smart elements that make it the best baker of the small ovens. If you want crisp results in the smallest box, a basket fryer from our air fryer guide beats any compact toaster oven.
Counter space and the small stuff
Measure before you buy. The SP101 is wide when open but flips to a few inches deep when stored, which is why it wins small kitchens. The DT201 is tall and needs room under the cabinet to vent. The Panasonic and Breville are the only ones that fit a small apartment counter without rearranging. Every pick here has a removable crumb tray, so check that it slides out from the front rather than the back. None of the listings in our data call out an interior light, so if you like to check on cookies without opening the door, look for that line on the Amazon page before you order.
How many slices of toast do I really need?
Four slices covers one or two people. A family or anyone who reheats a full frozen pizza wants six slices and a 12-inch tray; the Hamilton Beach and both Ninjas do that, the Panasonic and Breville do not.
Will an 1800 W oven trip my breaker?
Not by itself. A standard US 15 A kitchen circuit handles 1800 W, but not while a microwave or kettle runs on the same circuit. Plug the oven into its own outlet if you can.
Can I return a toaster oven to Amazon if it does not fit?
Kitchen appliances sold by Amazon typically have a 30-day return window when unused or lightly used and repacked in the original box. Third-party sellers set their own terms, so check the Returns line on the listing.
Do I need convection to make toast?
No. Toast is about the top and bottom elements, and the Panasonic infrared model makes the fastest toast here without a fan. Convection helps with roasting, baking on two racks and anything you want crisp.
More kitchen and home picks are in the home and kitchen shop, and if this is a present, our holiday tech gift guide has ideas for the rest of the list.
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