A toaster isn't the best way to make toast

If you take toast seriously, you might be convinced that a toaster oven can’t get the job done as well as a dedicated toaster. However, as a contributing analyst in the Good Housekeeping Kitchen & Cooking Lab, I’ve personally tested seven toasters and five toaster ovens, and my colleagues have tested 17 toasters and 38 toaster ovens since 2023, and I can confidently tell you that a great toaster oven will get the job done and then some.

But you don’t have to take my word for it; I also tapped GH Kitchen Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou, who uses a toaster oven almost daily to toast her bread (after toasting thousands of pieces of bread in toaster ovens and toasters).

No solution is perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to a countertop oven...

For starters, countertop toaster ovens generally take longer than a dedicated toaster because the large cooking cavity needs time to heat up, and your bread is further from the heat source than in a regular toaster.

Toast made in a toaster oven also tends to be less evenly cooked. Often, one side of the bread is darker than the other because the heat comes from one heating element at a time.

If you’re willing to wait a few more minutes and don’t require a perfectly evenly colored slice of bread...

…the pros outweigh the cons here. First, you can cook more than two (or four if you have a big toaster) slices of bread at a time. This is an important benefit for entertaining or feeding a hungry household during the morning rush. And most toaster ovens let you select the number of slices to adjust the cooking time as needed.

Toaster ovens also easily accommodate longer slices, like those cut from a fresh sourdough boule. And no worries if they’re extra thick or unevenly shaped; you won’t have to wrestle them into a narrow toaster slot. Many toaster ovens also have a bagel setting.

Papantoniou appreciates that her toaster oven has a clearly visible countdown timer so she knows exactly how long her toast will take, and she can be ready with the butter when the timer hits zero.

Aside from its toasting abilities, a countertop oven is far more versatile than a basic toaster. Our favorite models make beautifully crisp-skinned roast chicken, golden wings, and even bake a fluffy cake. Some even have air fryer functionality for crispy wings and fries.

The biggest benefit to making toast in a regular toaster comes down to design.

The bread is surrounded closely by two heating elements that operate in unison. This produces more evenly colored toast from front to back.

Toaster downsides to keep in mind

A toaster limits your bread size; if it doesn’t fit in the slots, it simply won’t cook. Most also have limited customization options beyond a scale of shades and sometimes a bagel or defrost setting.

And, need I say it? Who doesn’t know the heartbreak of losing your breakfast down the black hole of a too-hot toaster slot?

While many toasters—but certainly not all—require less countertop space than an oven, they still only perform one task, so you’ll have to consider whether your precious kitchen real estate is worth it.

Bottom line

If you don’t mind waiting an extra minute for breakfast and aren’t a stickler for perfectly even color, a great toaster oven will make many slices of great toast and cook your dinner at night.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Lizzy Briskin is a contributing product analyst and writer in the GH Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She performed the latest round of toaster and toaster oven testing in the Lab, and her biggest appliance-related pet peeve is when bread flops over the side of the toaster.

Nicole Papantoniou has been the Kitchen Lab director since 2019. She oversees all kitchen appliance testing and content. Previously, she worked at an appliance company that made both toasters and toaster ovens, and she’s tested more bread than she’d like to remember. She uses a toaster oven for all toast and will not be going back to a regular toaster.