If You Have These Appliances Already, You Definitely Don't Need A Toaster Oven

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In the seminal 1989 film "Dead Poets Society," Society-member Charlie Dalton grabs a saxophone, plays it badly, and sings, "Gotta do more, gotta be more." Indeed, in the modern foodie's quest for the ultimate home kitchen — a workspace as new and contemporary as their needs require — perhaps we have lost sight of the goal: actual utility for making good food.

Don't get us wrong, cooking with a toaster oven has its time and place. Still, if foodies are going to invest in a toaster oven for their household (decent models cost in the ballpark of $60-$200), then they'll want to be certain that their investment will be used to its fullest extent. We hate to break it to folks ... but if your kitchen is equipped with a toaster, a microwave, and an oven, then there really isn't anything a toaster oven can offer that you don't already have. These three staple appliances can perform all the functions of a toaster oven — which won't save you any cooking time and can actually hold less food than a standard oven.

To their credit, toaster ovens heat up faster than larger convection ovens.Technically, they can broil and bake, too. But, unlike the air fryer (which rules), this "multi-use" gadget also typically lacks a convection fan for even heat circulation, meaning crusts can't get as crisp and cooking might be more uneven overall. Expect to shell out more money for models equipped with a fan.

As its name suggests, the "toaster oven" combines the cooking power of an oven with the convenience of a toaster. Like regular toasters, toaster ovens use radiant heat, converting electrical energy into thermal energy through metal wires and filaments to warm food. But, toaster ovens cook food more slowly than microwaves. So, for foodies in a hurry ... hope you've got a few extra seconds to spare. Toaster ovens are also the wrong tool for reheating soups, pastries, and anything fatty or greasy, which limits the appliance's convenience-centric use considerably.

For apartment-dwelling foodies and folks with small kitchens, the real estate of your limited countertop space is precious terrain. The Black and Decker 8-slice extra-wide convection toaster oven (which we ranked highly in our appliance roundup), for example, measures 14.5"D x 22"W x 11.5"H. That's roughly the size of a second microwave. A standard toaster, on the flip side, can easily be stashed in a cabinet or drawer when not in use. If you don't have a regular toaster or a microwave, then buying a toaster oven might be the space-saving answer to your prayers. Just don't expect to warm up your daily cup of coffee in it. Otherwise, even a do-it-all modern kitchen doesn't need a toaster oven if it already has an oven, a microwave, and a toaster.