While a big toaster oven is nice to have and you have more flexibility in terms of the dishes you can make, not everyone has the space to accommodate a huge appliance on their kitchen counter. Others may just have a small family and have little use for a big-sized model. So, there is certainly a market for small units and they may also be cheaper if you just go for a basic one. So, which is the best small toaster oven around?
Well, that depends on your budget and the features you are looking for. There can be a wide price range, even for compact toaster ovens. Below are our picks of the best small toaster oven from among various choices. You can click on the link for each toaster oven review. If size is not a major consideration, then you will definitely have more options which you can look under the best toaster oven models on our homepage.
Panasonic FlashXpress Toaster Oven
This model is the Panasonic NB-G110P. It is compact because it is only about 13″ wide. You probably can’t get another smaller unit than this unless you want to opt for the tower versions. However, as of now, there aren’t many vertical models available in the market and the few that are available either have poor ratings or are imported from Japan with sky high prices.
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So, your choices are basically limited to this Panasonic toaster oven if every inch matters in your space constrained kitchen. To us, it is the best small toaster oven because it uses infrared heating technology which eliminates the need for pre-heating. That saves a lot of time and is a big benefit if you just want a quick meal after a long and tiring day.
It has 6 auto cook menus which are already pre-programmed into the system for fast meals. 5 shades of browning for your toast and 8 precision temperature settings will give you that perfect meal each time. The Panasonic FlashXpress toaster oven also has an interior light which is normally missing in other small toaster ovens. Even big models may not have this convenient feature.
The FlashXpress doesn’t come cheap but if you want a quality toaster oven which gives you nice toasts every morning that is also small in size, you can’t miss looking at this Panasonic model.
Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven
This Breville toaster oven is another high end model but it has more features to give you more cooking options. If you are just using the oven for toast, frozen food and snacks, then the above Panasonic FlashXpress would be great. But if you want to cook more than that, then you will need to look at another model like the Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven.
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The BOV450XL has a broil and roast function apart from toast, bake and other modes for simple meals. Altogether there are 8 cooking functions. But with more functions, you will also have to allocate the space for a slightly bigger unit than the 13″ wide FlashXpress. The Breville 450XL has a 15.5″ width. So, if you can spare a slightly larger space, then this unit may be more ideal if you want to cook more variety of dishes.
Using Element IQ heating technology, the oven is powered by quartz heating elements. The difference between quartz and metal heating elements found in cheaper toaster ovens is the quicker response time to heat change so that your food will be more evenly cooked.
The Breville 450XL is the best small toaster oven with a digital control and comprehensive cooking modes. It is more expensive than the FlashXpress at the time of this posting, with a price differential of between $20 to $50 at times, but it will give you more cooking functions to work with.
Black & Decker TO1303SB Toaster Oven
If the two models above are out of your budget, you can still buy a small 4 slice toaster oven at a much cheaper price. The Black and Decker TO1303SB is a $30 to $50 range toaster oven. It might seem cheap but it is a classic and a Amazon bestseller. Thousands of buyers have left reviews for this toaster oven on the site with generally positive comments.
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Using analog dials, you can broil, bake, toast and keep warm with this unit. The timer runs for a maximum of 30 minutes but you can choose the Stay On function for a longer cooking time. The width of this unit is about 15.5″.
For the price, you can’t really complain as it does a decent job. It is the best compact toaster oven if cheap is what you are looking for. Of course, you can’t compare with the high end models but if you can live with old fashion knobs as controls, you can save quite a bit of money settling for this Black and Decker toaster oven.
Deciding On The Best Small Toaster Oven
The best 4 slice toaster oven for your home should preferably be the one which has all the cooking modes that you need. For instance, while the Panasonic FlashXpress is perfect for toasts and has the smallest footprint among the 3 units above, it is not ideal if you are planning to use it as replacement for your big oven since it doesn’t have a broiling function. In such a situation, the Breville will be a better option.
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Of course, size also matters if every inch that you can spare is a luxury. This is especially so if you live in a small apartment. Combined with the budget that you have, there will naturally be constraints that you would have to work with. So, there would be trade-offs but the 3 models above are the best small toaster ovens you can look through to get you started on your quest for one that would be ideal for your needs.