Most people think having a clutter-free countertop is only possible when you have a big kitchen with enough storage space. But this is not always true because the larger your kitchen space, the more gadgets you would want to have.
Creating a clutter-free countertop in the kitchen can seem to be an unachievable task with numerous kitchen tools and appliances to keep within reach. However, investing in an under cabinet toaster oven helps create enough room in the kitchen.
Toaster ovens are huge kitchen appliances that require a substantial amount of space to use and store. The cooking capacities of a toaster oven are enormous ranging from reheat, keep-warm, broil, bagel, bake, roast, toast, and more. Under-cabinet toaster ovens were invented to help home chefs save enough space on their counter. Without further delay, let’s look at the top 7 best under-cabinet toaster ovens.
Table of Contents
Reviews of The Best Under Cabinet Toaster Oven in 2021
Top 1- Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Large Toaster Oven
Ninja SP101 is our top pick of the best under cabinet toaster oven because of its flexible design, allowing you to easily install this model under the cabinet. It is about 7.5-inch tall when placed horizontally and in use. Also, it can be flipped up to store vertically. This product also offers you 8 various cooking methods, which include air frying and dehydration.
Although the interior cannot hold a full chicken or larger foods, it is spacious enough to toast nine slices of bread, bake a 13-inch pizza, and roast 6 chicken breasts. This toaster oven will need some room between the cabinet and the wall for you to access the rear for deep cleaning.
This product includes 15 recipes, a crumb tray, a wire rack, a sheet pan, and an air fry basket. All these removable parts are dishwasher friendly.
Pros
- 8 preset functions
- Accessible back panel
- Easy to operate
- Cooks food faster in less than half an hour
- Dishwasher friendly parts
Cons
- Not suitable for cooking larger foods
Top 2- Breville the Compact Smart Oven, Countertop Electric Toaster Oven
Our second pick is a cabinet toaster oven from Breville that uses a 4 quart smart heating element with two different heat settings, which are heat and smart heat. The heating element evenly distributes heat within the whole corners of the interior. The inner walls of the toaster oven have a nonstick coating that makes cleanup a snap.
This product measures a width of 17-inch with a height of 10-inch and will require a reasonable amount of cabinet space to fit in. Also, keep in mind that this toaster oven’s exterior gets too hot and will require some room between the wall and cabinet.
The control panel has a button that starts and ends the cooking cycle with a backlight LCD display that shows the current function, temperature, and time. The LCD indicates with a blue light once the cooking cycle is complete.
Pros
- Backlight LCD screen
- Nonstick interior
- Large LCD screen
- Smart heating element
- Easy to operate
Cons
- Gets too hot
- No interior light
Top 3- Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven Countertop Oven
Next on our list is another product from Breville with a sleek design. This product has 8 pre-programmed settings that are enough to prepare a wide variety of foods such as toast, pizza, broil, bagel, bake, roast, reheat, and cookies.
Breville mini smart utilizes a smart IQ heating tech that ensures the cooking chamber is evenly heated and prepares your meal faster. It is programmed to disperse the right cooking temperature for each cooking function. This product can hold up an 11-inch pizza pan and 4 slices of toast. It includes a slide-out crumb tray for easy cleaning of the nonstick interior.
This toaster oven needs about 3 to 4 inches of space clearance on both sides and on top because it gets extremely hot when in use. The LCD screen displays an orange backlight when the oven is preheating, and it also has an auto shut down feature.
Pros
- Auto shut down
- 3 rack positions
- Even heating
- Built-in spacer
- Easy to read selector
Cons
- Expensive
Top 4- Mueller Austria Toaster Oven 4 Slice
Mueller Austria toaster oven has a small footprint, which makes it ideal for installing under a cabinet. It is built with premium quality materials and uses an even toast technology to cook food evenly with a temperature ranging from 150 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is easy to set both in Fahrenheit and Celsius. An indicator light shows blue when the toaster is in operation.
Monitoring your pizza as it bakes is much easier with the clear glass door. The heating elements rapidly circulate hot air within the oven. This product is straightforward and easy to use with different knobs for setting the cooking function, temperature, and time. The cooking functions include bake, toast, keep warm, and broil.
This toaster oven comes with a 2 years warranty and includes a recipe book. Although this product has two rack positions, you can create enough room to hold a whole chicken by detaching one of the racks.
Pros
- 30 minutes built-in timer
- 4 cooking modes
- Distributes heat evenly
- Transparent glass lid
- Sturdy construction
Cons
- Does not include a dehydrate function
Top 5- BLACK+DECKER TO3250XSB 8-Slice Extra Wide Convection Countertop Toaster Oven
This toaster oven has an extra-large interior that can accommodate most standard oven pans and can comfortably hold a 9 by 13-inch bake pan with side handles. The size of this oven is the perfect size for preparing meals for your family at once. It holds 8 slices of toast and can bake a 12- inch pizza. This product includes add-ons such as a baking pan, a toast rack, and a broiling rack.
There is a removable crumb tray beneath the oven that collects all the drips during food prep. The tray makes cleaning the oven a cinch. Regulating the temperature within the cooking chamber and setting the right time with this product is quite simple. You just have to turn the knobs to the right cooking temp imprinted on the oven. It also includes another timer allocated for only toast, providing you with different toast shades.
Pros
- Extra-wide interior
- Include added accessories
- 60 minutes timer
- See-through door
- Uses a convection heating tech
Cons
- The exterior gets too hot to touch without kitchen gloves
Top 6- BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster Oven TO1760SS
Next in line is a 4-slice toaster oven made from high-quality materials that are durable and sturdy. The product is affordable and well suited for those on a tight budget. It features a 30 minutes timer and a stay-on function for foods that take longer to cook. Without opening the door, you can easily keep an eye on your food as it bakes. This oven has some additional accessories that aid cooking, such as a baking pan and a rack.
Black decker TO1760SS has four preset functions: keep-warm, broil, toast, and convection bake. The keep-warm setting ensures your food is at a serving temp and also reheat your leftovers. With its 1150 watts motor and convection technology, your food gets to cook faster and brown evenly. This product looks great under any cabinet, fitting into any kitchen style.
Pros
- Low price point
- Includes a convection bake setting
- Durable
- A perfect gift item
- Includes extra accessories
Cons
- Some users complained about the transparent lid shattering when in use.
Top 7- BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven CTO6335S
Last on our list is another product from Black+Decker, the number one brand renowned for manufacturing toaster ovens. This model is quite large, measuring 13.4 x 15.5 inches, which will require ample space under the cabinet. It is engineered to cook meals 20% faster than other toaster ovens. This versatile oven comes with 8 various cooking functions that are controlled by simple touch dials.
This toaster oven circulates uniform heat from both the top and bottom for consistent results. The LCD screen displays both the temperature setting and timer. Located at the base of the toaster oven is a crumb tray for easy cleaning.
The cooking functions include potato, toast, bake, bagel, broil, cookies, pizzas, and frozen snacks. Plus, the cooking space has two rack positions for cooking flexibility and is deep enough to hold large food. It is super easy to clean, thanks to the nonstick interior.
Pros
- Single touch intuitive dials
- Extra-wide interior
- 8 preset functions
- 2 years warranty
Cons
- The imprinted starts to fade
Things To Consider Before Buying An Under Cabinet Toaster Oven
There are so many toaster ovens on the market to choose from. However, before you make any decision, there are some factors to put into consideration. They include the space in your kitchen, the oven capacity, the preset functions, among others. Let’s look at these factors together. They are:
Size
Your family size and the available space under your cabinet needs to be considered. This will determine the size of the toaster oven you will buy for your kitchen. A low height product like Ninja SP101 is the best option for smaller spaces and small families.
It would also help if you remembered that there must be some room between the cabinet wall and toaster oven when installing. Placing a toaster oven directly under a cabinet can be hazardous because a toaster oven releases so much heat when in use. All the products have diverse clearance standards, which depends on how hot the exterior gets. Ensure to read through the manual before installing.
Cooking Functions
The main function of a toaster oven is for it to toast and bake. But you will find some products that can perform more than six different cooking functions. Ensure to go through the list of cooking functions before buying. If you often have leftovers, you will need an option with a reheat function. Make sure to buy a toaster oven that suits your cooking style and satisfy your kitchen needs.
Ease Of Use
Some models need to be set manually, which can be confusing and time-consuming, especially if you are using a toaster oven for the first time. However, most recent models are controlled automatically with simple buttons that are well labeled and easy to interpret.
Ease Of Maintenance
You will always need to clean the entire parts of a toaster oven after each use for proper functioning. Most models with a high price point come with a crumb tray at the bottom for convenience cleanup. A toaster oven that is well maintained will serve you for long periods.
Also, the material used in constructing the interior and other removable parts should be easy to clean. A smooth stainless steel interior or a nonstick bake pan is easy to clean compared with other materials.
Features
When buying an under cabinet toaster oven, you need to look out for safety features such as auto shut off, an alarm, a crumb tray, and so on. The auto shut off function could be that the oven goes off once it senses the food is cooked or when the unit starts to overheat to prevent a fire outbreak. The crumb tray prevents the drip from accumulating on the heating element when broiling, causing a fire.
FAQs
1. Are under cabinet toaster ovens safe? Why
Under-cabinet toaster ovens are safe only if they are installed in an open cabinet that is well ventilated. Toaster ovens get extremely hot when in operation and can overheat, leading to a fire outbreak if placed in a closed cabinet or a poorly ventilated area. There are models specifically designed for under cabinet installation.
In addition to that, under cabinet toaster ovens take up less space and are easy to use.
2. Why is there only one brand of space-saving under cabinet toaster oven?
There is only one brand because it is specifically designed for that purpose and fulfills an under cabinet toaster oven’s requirements. Not all toaster ovens are designed for the under cabinet. In the 2000s, all the under cabinet toaster ovens were pulled out and discontinued from the market. Until recent times, the toaster ovens on the market are for countertops.
3. How much clearance should a toaster oven have under a cabinet?
This is often stated in the instruction manual that comes with the toaster oven. Plus, it depends on how hot the toaster oven gets when in operation. Ideally, 3 to 5-inch away from both sides of the cabinet wall is enough clearance with some space at the top.
So, What’s The Best Cabinet Toaster Oven?
Out of the 7 under cabinet toaster ovens on our list, Ninja SP101 and Black+Decker Countertop Convection Toaster Oven CTO6335S stood out as the best options for us. We choose these two based on the price point and versatility. Ninja SP101 can bake, toast, roast, air fry, bagel, dehydrate, broil, keep warm. It can also be flipped up for easy storage, which makes it well suited for small kitchens.
Black+Decker CTO6335S has multiple cooking functions and uses a convection heating technology to distribute the air within the unit. The extra-large capacity saves you from cooking multiple times.
We hope this article on the top 7 best under cabinet toaster ovens was helpful and found that perfect option for your kitchen.
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