Top Toaster Ovens

Although toaster ovens in general perform the same functions, toast and bake, not all of them are created equal. In fact, there are enormous differences in quality as well as how they perform. Below you'll find the top toaster ovens available for sale in 2013.

#1 The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven

This is the counter-top oven of all ovens. There is no other oven out there that is as sought after as this one. Right from the release, this oven has been at the top of the charts and is currently the number 1 convection oven bought on Amazon.com.

Why is it so special? For starters, it does everything right. It cooks as best as an oven can cook and toasts equally well. It does this because of its unique element IQ technology developed by Breville. There are 5 quartz elements, which bye the way are the best kind of elements, that rotate the heat depending on which cooking task is being done. What this means is that the elements don't just turn on and off like in other ovens. Instead, the smart oven puts the heat where it is most needed to cook the food properly. For example, the bagel function is going to toast the bread differently than it will on the toast function. This makes the Breville bov800xl toaster oven superior to others that can't differentiate between the different types of foods.

Breville BOV800XL Highlights

Automatic shut off - turns off on its own after each task has finished. A great safety feature.
Convection bake - cooks the food more evenly and faster with the fan that blows the hot air throughout the interior.
18.5 x16.25 x11.25 inches - makes it one of the bigger toaster ovens out there, but also makes it great because it can fit just about anything that you want to cook in it. Fits 6 slices of toast.
Automatic rack - the rack slides out automatically when you open the door for easy convenience.
Large door handle - no need to worry about knuckle burns here. The handle is large enough to avoid any problems.
Non-stick interior - quickly and easily wipe of food from the inside with the non-stick lining.
9 cooking functions - one of the few ovens to offer so many different cooking functions: bake, broil, roast, cookies, reheat, pizza, bagel, toast, and warm.
Removable crumb tray - nice crumb tray to catch all the food particles.
High quality accessories - most toaster ovens come with cheap and flimsy pans and racks. Not the Breville Smart Oven. It comes with top of the line enamel pans. Plus, there is the option to buy a special bamboo cutting board that can sit atop of the oven.
1 year warranty - in case it breaks, you are covered.
Element IQ technology - as discussed above, this is what makes this counter top oven so special. The unique heating allows for perfect cooking each time.
Backlit LCD screen - no worries being able to read the display screen. The backlit screen makes it easy.
Stainless steel casing - this always makes an appliance look good.

See consumer Breville BOV800XL oven reviews for more details.

#2 Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven

If the Breville BOV800XL is the number 1 spot, it shouldn't come to much surprise that right behind it is another Breville smart oven. The Breville BOV450XL mini oven is much smaller than the bov800xl, but it still has a number of the same features and operates with more or less the same ease.

A couple main differences between the bov450xl and the bov800xl, besides the obvious fact of the difference in size, is that the mini smart oven doesn't have a convection fan. Customers note that the small size makes it so the oven heats up quickly and cooks the food fast, though. Even so, a convection fan is always nice to have.

The mini oven also does not have a slide out rack. You have to pull it out manually like a normal oven. This is not a biggie to some, but to others it is. Again, it would have been cool to have.

One thing that this oven has that the bov800xl doesn't have though is a special "A BIT MORE" button. This allows you to easily cook the food for some time more if you desire.

In sum, there are a couple minor differences, but this one cooks and toasts just as well as the bov800xl and at this small size, there is simply no better toaster oven.

Breville BOV450XL Highlights

1800 watts of power - a powerful little oven.
A BIT MORE button - a cool feature that lets you cook the food for a little bit longer when desired.
4 quartz elements - best quality elements that you can use and 4 of them are sufficient for this size.
Element IQ technology - this is why you buy this oven. The technology is top-notch and gives you perfect cooking results.
Good size - at 16 x 13 x 9 inches, it is not too small, but not too big. It is perfect for people that need every inch of counter space, but don't want to settle for a cheap appliance. It can fit 4 slices of toast nicely.
8 preset functions - choose from the following preset functions: bake, broil, roast, cookies, reheat, pizza, bagel, and toast.
Non stick lining - hassle free cleaning with non stick interior.
Removable crumb tray - don't have to worry about food particles getting everywhere, this tray will catch them for you.
Easy to read LCD screen - the LCD screen is backlit for easy reading.
Stainless steel housing - this will look good in any home.

See consumer Breville BOV450XL oven reviews for more information.

More Resources & Info

America's Test Kitchen: Equipment Review

Toaster Ovens and Reviews Homepage