Conventional ovens are great—until they’re not. From uneven heating and difficult cleanup to large electric or gas bills, a conventional oven can really let you down when you need it most. But there’s a solution: Convection ovens.
If you’re in the market for a more affordable, more convenient, and more reliable kitchen appliance for your favorite lasagnas, pizzas, roasts, and baked goods, then you’ve come to the right place.
We’re going to help you find the convection oven of your dreams. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a better idea of what a convection oven is, what to look for when shopping for one, and which convection toaster ovens stand out from the rest as exceptional products.
Buyer’s Guide
Before we dive into our top picks, let’s go over a few convection toaster oven basics.
FAQs
What is a convection toaster oven?
A convection toaster oven is a type of oven that uses forced air and circulation to cook food.
Is a convection toaster oven worth it?
Yes! Convection toaster ovens cook food more quickly than traditional ovens, making them more cost- and energy-effective. In addition, the circulation of air inside the convection toaster oven ensures that your food is cooked through evenly—no cold patches or burnt spots! The important thing is to get a high-quality convection oven that works best for you and your kitchen.
What’s the difference between a convection oven and a toaster oven?
Toaster ovens tend to work more like traditional ovens, while convection ovens have the addition of a fan to circulate the hot air. Generally, convection ovens are better for full-scale cooking and toaster ovens are better for heating or browning foods.
What to Look for in a Convection Toaster Oven
There are a few factors you should consider before taking the plunge and buying a convection toaster oven.
Type
There are two types of convection toaster ovens available. Make sure you purchase the type that works best for you! Here’s a quick breakdown:
- As the name suggests, a countertop convection oven is one that can be placed on the countertop. This type of oven tends to be smaller and more compact, making it convenient for travel or relocation.
- Floor (or Standing). A floor convection oven is one that stands on the floor. These tend to be larger and heavier, as they’re intended to be stationary and used for heavier-duty jobs.
Each of the products on our list is a countertop convection toaster oven, as these provide the most convenience for everyday use in homes.
Materials
The materials used to construct the interior and exterior of your convection oven play a huge role in its quality.
- The highest-quality material for the exterior of a convection oven is stainless steel, which doesn’t easily corrode. Another good option is galvanized steel.
- Aluminized steel is the best material for your oven’s interior, though porcelain is another good option that allows for easy cleanup.
Capacity
The capacity of the convection toaster oven you choose should accommodate for its intended purpose. Ask yourself what you’ll be using the oven for: cooking that huge Thanksgiving turkey every year, baking chicken for weeknight meals, occasionally baking cookies or cakes?
Size
The dimensions of your convection toaster oven should suit your space needs.
Once you’ve determined which type of oven you would prefer, decide where you’ll want to place it. Then, make sure the oven’s dimensions will fit well in its future location.
If you plan on frequently transporting the oven from one place to another, ensure that it’s small and light enough to move easily.
Electric vs. Gas
Before purchasing your new convection toaster oven, decide whether you want it to be electric or gas. Each type has its pros and cons, so there’s no right or wrong decision here.
Electric
Pros:
- Cooks baked goods through more evenly
- Does a great job of making foods ‘crisp’ and not soggy
- Costs less to run
Cons:
- Has less-efficient preheating
Gas
Pros:
- Tends to preheat faster
- Can keep meat moist while cooking
- Offers more user control in terms of heat
Cons:
- Can cause foods to burn or crisp
- Doesn’t heat very evenly
True Convection
Finally, you’ll probably want to opt for an oven that has a ‘true convection’ feature.
Normally, convection ovens circulate air from the bottom up before it’s actually hot, which can cause uneven and ineffective heating. But in ovens with the ‘true convection’ element, this third element is located close to the convection fan and heats the air prior to circulation, which ensures even and efficient heating.
The Top Convection Toaster Ovens
Now that you have a better idea of what to look for in your future convection toaster oven, take a look at our top picks. These are convection toaster ovens that provide the most convenience and effective heating for users. Skim through and see which ones check all your boxes!
Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Countertop Oven
This convection countertop oven from Breville offers both style and user-friendly functionality.
It boasts 10 cooking functions to ensure that you can achieve whatever cooking or baking goals you have in mind. And, Crockpot lovers, you’ll be in for a special treat: its unique ‘Slow Cook’ function allows you to slow cook your favorite comfort or holiday foods! You can use this function for up to ten hours, at which point it will set itself to ‘Warm.’ If that’s not magic, we don’t know what is.
You can take charge of the convection oven’s settings using its convenient LCD screen and easy-to-use knobs. Its interior light allows you to see inside while your food cooks, so you can always check to see how done it is. You’ll also love the non-stick coating inside the oven, which makes cleaning a breeze! (Who has time to deal with the hassles of cleaning, anyway?)
This unit will be attractive in any kitchen with its stainless-steel finish and neat appearance. Its door handle is conveniently placed at the top of the door to offer the user functionality and a bit of style.
Read what others have said on Amazon—you may just want to go ahead and take the plunge!
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone willing to pay a little more for extra convenience, great functionality, and a ‘slow cook’ feature.
Pros:
- 10 cooking functions displayed on LCD screen
- Interior light allows you to see inside during baking
- Interior non-stick coating makes cleaning easy
Cons:
- Thermal fuse and convection fan in some units needed repairs/replacements
BLACK+DECKER TO3250XSB 8-Slice Extra Wide Convection Countertop Toaster Oven
BLACK+DECKER has done it again: created a product that’s convenient for the user, provides great functionality, and doesn’t put a huge hole in the wallet.
This convection toaster oven’s most notable feature is its extra-wide design, which accommodates a variety of sheet pan and oven dish sizes—even those that have handles on the sides. Still don’t have a pan that fits? No worries! A perfectly sized broiler/baking pan is included with your purchase.
Its no-fuss 4-setting design (Bake, Toast, Broil, Warm, in addition to normal convection) and 3 possible rack positions make this oven versatile and so user-friendly. The unit also features a toast timer to help you get your preferred toast shading and a 60-minute timer to accommodate your larger-scale cooking and baking needs. And best of all, cleanup will be easy-peasy with its removable crumb tray!
If you plan on transporting your convection oven from time to time, you’ll also be glad to know that it’s relatively lightweight compared to many similar products on the market.
See what others have to say about this convection oven on Amazon!
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone looking for a budget-friendly convection oven that’s versatile and built with the user in mind.
Pros:
- Wide design can accommodate oven pans with handles
- Toast timer ensures the perfect toast every time
- 60-minute timer makes big cooking tasks more convenient
- Crumb tray is removable for simple cleanup
Cons:
- Some users reported a buzzing sound when product in use
- Knob controls may be difficult to utilize at first
De’Longhi EO141164M Livenza 0.5 Cu ft. Air Fry Digital Convection Oven
This is one of the most user-friendly and easy-to-use convection ovens on the market. Why, you ask?
Let’s start with its unique ‘Heat-Lock’ system. We all know that the exterior of convection ovens tends to get hot when the oven is in use, and that heat often radiates outward to the rest of the house. (This is nice during winter, but not so much the rest of the year.) Well, this oven is designed to trap a lot of that heat inside. This means that the oven’s internal temperature will remain steady while the outside temperature is much cooler than it would be on many other convection ovens.
Another thoughtful feature of this product is the fact that it comes with quite a few extra items. These include an air fryer pan, a pizza pan, and a baking pan. So you don’t need to worry about finding these items separately to fit inside the oven—it’s all right there with your purchase!
This convection oven has 9 different settings, an interior light to help you keep tabs on your food while it cooks, and its interior is both non-stick and non-scratch.
If you’re not sold on this amazing product yet, read what others have said on Amazon—and prepare to fall head over heels!
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone with a little more to spend on a top-notch convection oven with tons of bells and whistles.
Pros:
- ‘Heat-Lock’ system keeps heat inside and limits amount of emitted heat
- Interior light allows you to see inside during baking
- Comes with extra items for use in the oven
- Interior is non-stick and non-scratch for convenient cleanup
Cons:
- Preheat time slower than in some other convection toaster oven models
Cuisinart TOB-195 Exact Heat Toaster Oven Broiler
This convection toaster oven from Cuisinart is the perfect addition to any kitchen, with a sleek design and thoughtful features to boot.
First of all, its ‘shade control’ feature ensures a steady, precise oven temperature while your food cooks. The product also features 4 settings to accommodate your basic cooking and baking needs, as well as heat sensors that monitor and adjust the temperature as needed. And you won’t need to worry about accidentally leaving the oven on when you leave the house or go to bed; its auto-shutoff feature will turn the product off after 4 hours and give you peace of mind.
You can easily set your desired temperature or setting using the touchpad controls, and its timers allow you to cook your food for the perfect length of time. Its interior is super-easy to clean so you won’t have to worry about grease splatters, crumbs, or spills! You’ll also appreciate its lightweight design if you ever plan on transporting it.
Don’t just take our word for it: head over to Amazon and see what others have to say!
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone looking for a no-fuss convection oven with plenty of thoughtful features and even cooking.
Pros:
- Shade control feature keeps oven temperature steady
- Timers make for more convenient heating and baking
- Easy-to-use touchpad controls make adjustments simple
- Interior is designed for easy cleanup
- 4-hour auto-shutoff for peace of mind
Cons:
- Some users noticed a buzzing sound while product in use
- Exterior of product gets very hot
Ninja SP101 Foodi 8-in-1 Digital Air Fry
This convection oven has more space inside than you’ll know what to do with. What it lacks in height it makes up for in width and in its ability to be stored upright when not in use. That means a lot more free counter space when you need it most! There will be no more awkwardly trying to fit your cutting boards, extra ingredients, serving dishes, and whatnot on the counter—around an appliance you’re not even using!
With that out of the way…
This oven has plenty of features dedicated to ensuring that you get the temperature, crispiness, and darkness you want from any food item you put in there. The internal temperature remains steady to promote even cooking and a great crisp and you can choose exactly how dark you want your toast or other bready favorites.
Its crumb tray is removable for easy cleaning and you can easily access its back panel to that (dreaded) deep-cleaning when the time comes. If you’re health-conscious, you’ll also appreciate its BPA-free construction.
You won’t find this many amazing features in most other convection ovens. See what others love about it on Amazon and get your wallet ready.
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone who wants a top-notch convection oven with user-friendly features to boot.
Pros:
- Can be flipped upward when not in use to give more counter space
- Temperature remains steady for even cooking and great crisp
- Allows you to choose darkness level for toast/bagels
- Removable crumb tray and easy access to back panel allow for simple cleanup
- BPA-free construction ensures safe and healthful baking/cooking
Cons:
- Interior doesn’t offer much height space
- Must be cleaned frequently
Oster Toaster Oven
For an affordable price, you can have this attractive black and chrome convection toaster oven gracing your kitchen counter.
But it’s not just pretty.
You’ll have no trouble setting or adjusting the temperature of this oven using its well laid-out digital control system. This will make it easy to pick and choose any of its 7 settings to ensure you get only the tastiest, most well-browned food coming out of your oven.
Its interior light allows you to check in on whatever you’re cooking and its removable crumb tray makes cleaning up that much easier.
Not convinced? Head over to Amazon and see all the great things others have to say!
Who Should Buy It?
Anyone looking for a budget-friendly convection oven that’s attractive and covers all the bases.
Pros:
- Digital controls make setting temperature and time easy
- Removable crumb tray makes for easy cleanup
- Interior light allows you to see inside while cooking/baking
- Attractive black and chrome design looks great in any kitchen
Cons:
- Some users found the buttons difficult to use
- Some users were disappointed with the toasting feature
- Door handle becomes very hot during use
Conclusion
You just saw a few of the best convection toaster ovens on the market. From numerous settings to creative storage features, the specs on these ovens are worth boasting about—and worth every dime.
Are you any closer to finding your ideal product?
We truly hope our guide helped give you an idea of what to look for and what’s available. Even if none of the products on our list did it for you, we encourage you to keep browsing and seek out the appliance that best meets your needs and preferences. Until next time, happy shopping!
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