# What is a toaster oven good for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574 "2014-08-15T01:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/1 "2014-08-15T01:59:05Z")
I’ve just been given a toaster oven. Which was very nice of the giver, but I’m not sure how useful one is for someone who _has_ a full kitchen. (As opposed to someone making do with a rented room or some such.) I mean, since I already have a double oven gas range with broiler, and a microwave oven – not to mention a toaster – what would I choose to use it for? Is there maybe something that actually cooks better with electric heat vs. gas? Or is there some other benefit I’m not thinking of? People who use toaster ovens, especially those who also have ‘normal’ ovens at hand, please chime in and tell me why and what you use them for. Otherwise I’ll have to find someone to quietly re-gift it to. Maybe a kid heading off to a college dorm… (BTW, I was really torn between posting this in Café Society and IMHO. If I guessed wrong, my apologies to the Mod who has to fix it.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/2 "2014-08-15T02:01:46Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > People who use toaster ovens, especially those who also have ‘normal’ ovens at hand, please chime in and tell me why and what you use them for. Grilling hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/3 "2014-08-15T02:03:36Z")
Toaster ovens are good on hot days, when you don’t want to heat the whole kitchen by using the large oven. My house is electric, so I’m heating a much smaller volume of air than I am with the regular oven. It’s good for reheating slices of pizza, toasting bread you wouldn’t put into a toaster, baking potatoes… anything you’d use a regular oven/broiler for, but don’t need to heat a bunch of excess space. One thing I use mine for is making potatoes au gratin at one temperature, while I use the big oven at another temperature. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/4 "2014-08-15T02:05:59Z")
I think the main benefit is you don’t have to heat up the full sized oven if you just want to toast/broil/otherwise cook some small amount of food quickly. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/5 "2014-08-15T02:08:14Z")
I’ve broiled steaks in mine when I didn’t want to turn on the stove. They turn out quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/6 "2014-08-15T02:12:54Z")
Toaster ovens are good for things like breakfast sandwiches. Say a bagel with sliced tomato and cheese. They are good for toasted non breakfast sandwiches also. I have baked a couple of chicken breasts on occasion. They also are pretty good at making toast. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/7 "2014-08-15T02:14:37Z")
toasting big things and grilling small things. microwave ovens cook but don’t crisp (unless you’re burning things). so if you want a crispy small thing then they are good. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/8 "2014-08-15T02:20:29Z")
broil a steak reheat leftover pizza toast both halves of a melty sandwich face up, then slap together ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/9 "2014-08-15T02:20:46Z")
We just got a new toaster that said not to cook Pop-Tarts in it. A toaster oven was specified. So, there’s that. An appliance just for Pop-Tarts. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/10 "2014-08-15T02:23:35Z")
It’s just a little oven, and while it _seems_ extraneous, its utility cannot be overstated once you start actually using it. The advantages may seem slight, but they are extremely useful: [ul] [li]it heats up to temp almost instantly[/li][li]you can toast things that otherwise would be impossible in a traditional slot toaster[/li][li]it can achieve and maintain a lower temp than your full-size oven[/li][li]it’s much, much easier to clean[/li][/ul] ---
**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:** [August 15, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/11 "2014-08-15T02:41:29Z")
It depends on a lot of things. How big is the toaster oven? If it’s too small for the size of your family, it might not be that helpful. I used mine a lot for cooking baked potatoes. I think my toaster oven was big enough for 4 potatoes if I wanted. I baked stuff like cookies, muffins and small loaves of bread in small batches with it when i didn’t want to heat up the oven. I baked eggplant in it. I cooked frozen pizza with it. Many of the toaster ovens can fit a frozen pizza. I used it a lot for defrosting and heating stuff that would normally go in the oven – stuff like tater tots and frozen french fries. Then there’s the usual toasting bread and bagels and stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/12 "2014-08-15T02:52:11Z")
The two most common around here: Toasting nuts for recipes Cheese melts Occasionally: Reheating leftover pizza or other leftovers that don’t make sense in a microwave I used to buy bagels from a yummy bakery and freeze them so they wouldn’t get stale, and the toaster oven was the best appliance for thawing them out. I don’t own a regular toaster - I don’t think I ever have as an independent adult. The toaster oven is much more versatile. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/13 "2014-08-15T03:09:30Z")
You know those fish’n’chips I made Saturday? Today (and yesterday) I used the toaster oven to reheat the leftover fish. It would not have been crunchy, had I used the microwave oven. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/14 "2014-08-15T03:13:06Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s just a little oven, and while it _seems_ extraneous, its utility cannot be overstated once you start actually using it. > > The advantages may seem slight, but they are extremely useful: > > [ul] > [li]it heats up to temp almost instantly[/li][li]you can toast things that otherwise would be impossible in a traditional slot toaster[/li][li]it can achieve and maintain a lower temp than your full-size oven[/li][li]it’s much, much easier to clean[/li][/ul] Exactly. Speed and versatility. It is the MVP of heating food. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/15 "2014-08-15T05:01:25Z")
It does 99% of the things a toaster does, and a lot of the things a toaster does. You don’t have to wait 20 minutes for the oven to heat up. Less useful if you have a family, but great for a single person/couple, and good otherwise. Main use: bagels, toast, melting cheese, cooking smallish things. It has toast, bake (not sure of the difference), broil, and warm settings. I don’t own a toaster. Funny enough we never had a toaster oven as a kid, and I’m not sure what age I learned that they existed. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/16 "2014-08-15T05:16:10Z")
Just used mine tonight to melt cheese onto hamburger buns while toasting them. Also good for baked potatoes, bagels (I don’t like toasted bagels) croissants, and keeping french toast warm. And I make nachos in it, since it is just big enough for a serving for me without my getting stuffed. We use the microwave the most, and the toaster oven next. We don’t own a regular toaster and I’ve never missed it. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2014, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/17 "2014-08-15T07:32:13Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I don’t own a toaster. Funny enough we never had a toaster oven as a kid, and I’m not sure what age I learned that they existed. After I read this, I thought about it. I’ve never used a toaster. My family always had a toaster oven. I’ve seen toasters used before, mostly on TV, but I’ve never used one. They look simple enough, but I’ve wondered how they worked before because I’ve never had first-hand experience with one. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/18 "2014-08-15T07:51:47Z")
Cinnamon sugar toast. Don’t get me wrong, toast made in a toaster, spread with butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar is just fine. But when you’ve got a toaster oven, you can get the sugar to melt into the butter as the slice toasts. If you get the heat just right you can manage almost a brûléed effect. And I know I’ve made roasted asparagus in a toaster oven before, but that was more to do with the very small size of that studio apartment a friend was renting. Worked well, though. Much less waste heat than using a full size oven for just two servings of asparagus. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/19 "2014-08-15T10:35:46Z")
There are 2 of us in the household, not counting the 4-legged residents. I use my toaster oven to cook chicken pieces, pork chops, steaks, meatloaf, crescent rolls, corn muffins, fish fillets, and pretty much anything I’d do in the big oven when I don’t need the space of a big oven. It’s fast, it’s convenient, it’s on the counter, it’s lighted so I can see inside as things cook. I’ll fire up the regular oven to bake cake or pie or cookies, or a turkey, or a big batch of ribs or a full bag of russet potatoes when I’m making twice-baked potatoes, but when my husband and I have having a couple of burgers for supper, the broiler in the toaster oven works just as well as the one in the big oven but using much less energy and making the kitchen much less hot. If mine died today, I’d be out buying a new one immediately - it’s one of the most-used appliances in the house! ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574/20 "2014-08-15T13:20:44Z")
French bread pizzas [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-toaster-oven-good-for/695574.md?page=2)