# if you have a toaster oven **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208 "2012-12-16T19:23:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/1 "2012-12-16T19:23:20Z")
what do you use it for besides making toast? I don’t have a toaster currently because I so rarely make toast but I sure would like one for those times. I have a severe lack of counter space, however. a toaster oven would take up a little more room but I might use it more, not sure. ---
**Author:** ![bot3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@bot3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bot3)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/2 "2012-12-16T19:25:11Z")
Ours takes up space in the cupboard! We use a toaster to make toast. ---
**Author:** ![Rubixcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Rubixcube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubixcube)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/3 "2012-12-16T19:33:15Z")
I use it to cook small frozen things and heat up certain leftovers. Much more convenient to cook a slice of pizza or some pizza rolls in there than in the oven. It’s also nice because I can turn it up to toast for the last minute or two so things get a little bit crispier. Another bonus is that you get to watch whatever it is you’re toasting. I never have to worry about burning stuff so long as I keep an eye on it. All that said I wouldn’t miss it if it disappeared tomorrow. There isn’t anything it does that I couldn’t do with something else without much trouble. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/4 "2012-12-16T19:35:27Z")
meant to include in my post that one of the reasons I want to make toast every now & then is I love the SMELL of toast! I use my microwave for thawing. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/5 "2012-12-16T19:35:25Z")
I like hot sandwiches, so I put meat and cheese on each side of a roll, broil it in the toaster oven til the cheese melts, then add any other ingredients or condiments and fold the two halves together. I also use mine to roast garlic for hummus or mashed potatoes. I peel a whole bulb of garlic, wrap in in a pouch of aluminum foil with a tablespoon of olive oil, then roast at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. They’re also good for single-serving sized frozen pizzas. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/6 "2012-12-16T19:43:19Z")
I use my toast bagels as they get stuck in my toaster. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/7 "2012-12-16T19:52:26Z")
Open-face sandwiches. Marmite and XO white cheddar, mmmmmmmmmmm! French bread pizza, mmmmmmmmmmmm! Browning. Grated Gruyere cheese on Oysters Rockefeller or French onion soup. Mmmmmmmmmmmm! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/8 "2012-12-16T20:22:23Z")
Anything that would normally go in the oven that will fit in the toaster oven. It gets up to temp faster and it has a convenient timer that turns it off automatically (I know newer ovens have this feature, but mine doesn’t). In fact, toast is one thing that I’ve never made in the toaster oven. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/9 "2012-12-16T21:34:27Z")
It’s awesome for reheating pizza, and good for any small thing you want to put in the oven but don’t need to heat the entire house up. I can bake 4 good sized potatoes in the toaster oven in the summer, which puts way less heat into my kitchen than the regular oven. Uses less energy, too. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/10 "2012-12-16T21:42:06Z")
If you’ve got a lack of counter space, get a [space saver.](http://http://www.target.com/p/black-decker-spacemaker-under-the-cabinet-toaster-oven-white/-/A-10989684) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/11 "2012-12-16T22:00:11Z")
I don’t use it for making toast. That’s what a toaster is for, silly! I use it to heat up leftovers, and to cook small (single-serving) ovenables. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/12 "2012-12-16T22:05:28Z")
I’ve broiled hamburgers in mine from time to time, works great with very little clean up. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/13 "2012-12-16T22:43:49Z")
We use ours more often than we use our oven. We use it for: Heating leftovers, especially items with breading and/or cheese. Microwaves stink for reheating breads. Baking small items, such as fish fillets or taquitos. Or a single cookie (using the refrigerated cookie dough). Take it out piping hot, plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream over it and voila! ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/14 "2012-12-17T00:01:47Z")
I have a new Infared, POS… I’m gonna give it away when I can find an old wire element heated one. Absolutley useless…I have an oven that toasts faster. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/15 "2012-12-17T00:03:23Z")
I just used mine to roast peppers for jalapeno popper grilled cheese. My toaster oven gets used all the time. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/16 "2012-12-17T00:04:32Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > I have a new Infared, POS… > > I’m gonna give it away when I can find an old wire element heated one. > > Absolutley useless…I have an oven that toasts faster. :mad: Check your local thrift stores. I always see them for $5-10. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/17 "2012-12-17T00:37:42Z")
I use it to warm flour tortillas (which, unlike corn tortillas, do not do well in the microwave). Do one tortilla at a time and leave it in there until it starts to puff up. Remove and lay on a piece of foil, roll up, and then roll that roll up in a dishtowel. I also keep pita bread in the freezer and pop it right in the toaster oven to thaw/warm. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/18 "2012-12-17T02:05:16Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Remove and lay on a piece of foil, roll up, and then roll that roll up in a dishtowel. Sounds a bit… chewy. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/19 "2012-12-17T04:10:22Z")
We don’t have a toaster, only a toaster oven, and rarely make toast. I heat bagels in it, make Eggos, warm up pizza, and make nachos. To cut down on the number I eat I out aluminum foil in the baking pan, and then out chips, jalapenos and cheese on. Done in no time, and no clean up. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208/20 "2012-12-17T05:54:06Z")
I haven’t used my toaster oven in a while, but I used to use it for everything that was baked. I didn’t use my oven for hardly anything. I would do cookies in batches. Muffin tins fit perfectly. Baked potatoes were great (my toaster oven is convection). I baked a lot of eggplant in it. I baked frozen mini pizzas. And I reheated a lot of frozen french fries. And of course, the bread stuff like bagels and waffles too. I haven’t used mine for a while and one of the coils has a small place that doesn’t heat up (it doesn’t turn orange). I haven’t decided if I want to use it like that. It seems to heat up just fine though. I’ve been looking around for another one, and the price differences and reviews are widely variable, so it might depend on which one you get whether you find it useful or not. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-have-a-toaster-oven/644208.md?page=2)