Something cheap.

But not all of the cheap ones do good toast!

and the expensive ones don't either.

We've been looking for a new toaster oven too. Ours was about 7 years old (B&D) and they have sure changed.

We tried a Breville Smart Oven that did make pretty good toast but it is a large compact oven. However, they are introducing a "compact" version that isn't convection just toaster oven. Link below. I've found the "convection" ovens are the ones that are so large because of the fan.

I know you said no toaster but DeLonghi has this one that is a different take on toasting - might work? Don't know anything about it though.
http://www.delonghiusa.com/index.php?product&nid=96

We haven't found anything we like yet. We've purchased a toaster for now and am continuing to look around.

Here is a link that might be useful: Breville Compact

And, here's another non-standard I came across - I've seen the Mini-Microwave at BJ's but they are introducing a toaster oven. Measures 10.5"W x 10"D x 12"H.

Here is a link that might be useful: icube toast

Can't you just use the boiler in your oven?

(I'm all for eliminating small appliances, if I have something that already does the job)

In my experience, toaster ovens never toast both sides evenly. Only real toasters seem to do that.

Plumorchard, Thanks for the links. Very interesting! The toaster doesn't list anything really crumbly, so I don't think it'll work, but it's a different idea, for sure.

Sara, I could, but then I'd have to stand over it to keep it from burning. I don't have a lot of small appliances, and non in daily use (no coffee), so I think I can deal with a little toaster oven. Emphasis on "little"!

Weissman, I dare say you're right about the both sides. I do have a regular toaster which lives in a cupboard if I should ever want to make proper toast. It seems I'm much more likely to toast all these cut things that I just want to caramelize the tops of. Maybe I should find a mechanical genius to rebuild the old one?

I posted something like this a few months ago. We had a Europro toaster oven, but much to my objection DH ended up buying a toaster because the toaster oven just took too long to make toast. I hate having a toaster oven and a toaster on the counter. Well, the Europro died. Like you, I didn't want to have to monitor a broiler, especially during morning school rush. I researched here and elsewhere about Breville, Cuisinart,etc and decided I didn't want to spend a lot now since we are in midst of kitchen remodel. Anyway, just bought the el cheapo, white, Black & Decker and it toasts great, can melt cheese on toast, toast nuts, etc. It is white, so I might toss after spiffy new kitchen is done, but for about $20, it's doing a great job!

$20? I don't believe in disposable appliances, but if it makes good toast I'm willing to take a flyer! The online reviews aren't good but people who are just happy with something rarely review.

Okay, I found it, finally. I'd only seen their fancier models. It's the "classic" one. Cool!

Ctreno, many thanks!

I have the B&D, am satisfied with it, but have to say it doesn't toast evenly on both sides, if that's what you're after.

Writersblock, I only need it to toast evenly on the top. Does the B&D do that?

Oh yes, the top side is usually fine. I thought you were concerned about having both sides evenly done. It does a fine top brown, but the bottom side is usually lighter.

That's okay, then. I mean, it is an "oven", and I don't mind turning if I want even toast on both sides. A lot of times it's a bagel or other type of roll where toasting the bottom doesn't matter. And my favorite, crumbly multi-grain bread gets too hard if it's really toasty on both sides.

I'm thinking this sounds like a good option!

So many people are into the making whole chicken thing in their toaster ovens thing and don't notice that they don't make toast!

I have a Cuisinart TOB-155 that I got at Costco for $99. I am very pleased with the way it toasts english miffins and bread. Also heats other things well. It does seem to take longer then a toaster. Do not like the way once you start you cannot add time or change level. Has a bagel button that adds time, I use it for english muffins.

I'm not keen on disposable appliances either. On the other hand, I think it's not unusual for toaster ovens to break so if it is going to break, I would rather be out $20 than $100. The cheapo B&D is certainly not amazing, smallish, and white, but all in my family like to melt cheese on bread, bagels, etc which means either doing in broiler or toasting in a toaster and then popping in oven. Too much of a pain for me. Breville is certainly way more aesthetically appealing.

One other feature with the B&D that works well is the warming. Had some hotdog buns tonight for kids and I put them in warm - didn't overheat them and dry them out. Put a somewhat stale baguette (because I had left it out in paper bag overnight) to warm this am and it made it seem fresh. I also like that crumb tray just pulls out from the front.

Don't want to give you the impression that this B&D is amazing, but for the 2-3 tasks that I need it for often, it is doing the trick. It does feel flimsier than the older B&Ds. My mother-in-law has an old one that is still going and is the best and idefinitely seems more solidly made. DH promised that if the toaster oven toasted quickly enough, he would be willing to remove toaster - two counter items to one!

One caveat - but that was just me spacing out during morning school rush- I was making cinnamon toast and set timer too long then left room and forgot. I think the toast caught on fire - lots of smoke - but it cleaned up and still working like a charm. Now you know why I only buy the $20 ones (lol)

Good luck and it's great reading your posts on my induction thread!

LOL!! Thanks for the "not-amazing" review! Inter_aila thanks to you for the info on the Cuisinart. I've never seen a really small one, but it's very good to know that it makes good toast.

LOL on the toast fire! Any $20 unit that can survive a fire and keep on toasting sounds amazing to me.

The flimsy issue is what I meant by not generally liking disposable appliances, but I'm not going to use it that hard. :) For awhile I was thinking I'd try toasting in the Advantium because people say it can be done, but they also say it's not great toast. Now that it's cold weather I keep thinking about toast and am scared my old one will catch fire (not the toast--the oven!). It really does seem to be about dead. It's probably 30 years old. Poor thing deserves an easy retirement.

Thanks, all, for your help!

We have a Hamilton Beach Toastation. It is very small and converts with a lever from a toaster to a toaster oven. I would consider it mediocre, meaning reasonably acceptable, at both tasks. It was cheap, probably $25-30 or so. If a bread slice is thin and bendy, it tends to slide down the back; luckily most of the bread we use is thicker.

Our kitchen is small, and the Toastation's footprint is tiny, so it works for us. It is about the size of a four-slice toaster, but can only toast two slices at a time. As a toaster oven, it is capable of only small tasks, like melting cheese on top of two English muffin tops. It could never replace an oven for most tasks.

We have had the Toastation for at least a couple of years and use it five to seven times per week. It is not *amazing* but I think we are getting the value for which we paid. If it were to die, I would probably get the same thing if my daughter, the cheese melter, is still living at home. If she is in college or beyond, I would get a regular toaster since my husband and I rarely use the oven part.

I have purchased a Delonghi for my last three toaster ovens. We love the versatility of being able to cook and toast in it-- plus toast bigger items like bagels and whole grain breads, so a toaster oven works best for us. The toasting on Delonghis is great-- there are two settings for the rack- higher for toast, lower for baking and broiling.

The Delonghis are not cheap-- usually about $100, but they last for about 6 years of hard use (not sure if that is considered long or short, but since it becomes less than a $20/year investment, it works for us) I have just purchased my third and it is functioning as our only oven during 5 months of renovation, so I am glad to have a work horse!

This latest purchase I had to make at Crate and Barrel . What's nice is this newest model accommodates a 12" round pan too, for personal pizzas and small casseroles. Check their website for more info.

Good luck with your search.

I'm on my second cheap B&D toaster oven. First one lasted about 10 years and this one is at least that old. Looked into replacing it but most of the new ones have too many features I don't care for. We are now post kids, but when I had youngsters around the oven got used a lot - they loved those toaster strudels and danish along with toast and toast with melted cheese.

When I want to melt cheese on top, I'll toast a bit, then add the cheese and switch the machine to Top Broil and watch until it is melted to where I like it. The toaster option has a darkness level (1-10) and a timer so it shuts off when done. We also rarely have store bought bread in the house and DH likes to cut bread thick. Plus bread machines make a rather odd shaped loaf so slices won't fill all the way in a standard toaster.

Unfortunately just because something was made very well 10 years ago does not mean new ones are any good . . .

Cathy

Our Duralit is going on 13 and still toasting just fine. It's not adjustable -- goes by time and there's no automatic up/down thingy to break. There's a lever that raises and lowers the bread. There's a switch that selects for 2 or 4 slots at a time.

But 13 years is impressive service IMO and in this instance although this toaster was crazy expensive it's paid for itself by now.

Also got a Cuisinart toaster for our house last year. About $100 and it's ok. It has fancy settings and I bought it on impulse at Lowe's when the cheapo one from Target broke. It's always the pop up mechanism that either won't stay down or won't pop up. Thing about the Cuisinart is that English muffins get stuck in there and I can see where it's headed. Hope just not that soon.

pls disregard previous. misread subject line.

Rococogurl, I don't think you can destroy a Dualit. We gave one to my father, the toast connoisseur, but he doesn't like English style toast. Too hard and not hot enough for him. But it toasts perfectly. I brought it home for a short time but it really only wants sliced bread. And it's bigger than my old toaster oven!

Karen, thanks for the review of the DeLonghis. That's very informative.

Cathy, the timer is definitely a feature I can't do without. I don't care if it's a lever or a dial, that's the whole point of having an automatic toaster. I think I have a fire top toaster I could use too, if I wanted to stand over the stove and watch and turn it... But I want to put it in to toast and go about waking up without burning down the house!

I went through two Black & Decker el echeapo toaster ovens in 15 years before switching recently to the Breville smart oven. In both cases the ovens got discarded because they basically became too gross to deal with NOT because they weren't working. The B&D's made great toast, I think in part because they are small and the bread is close to the elements. If I wanted the oven just for toast and never mind the look of it I don't think the cheapo B&Ds can be beat. The Breville smart oven takes forever to make toast but I bought it as a countertop oven after I decided that a double oven range was not in my future. I would not be able to suffer it on a daily basis for toast and the like. I have a separate Breville die cast toaster (pricey but worth it so far) and I think this is an optimal setup. For everyday use I think the regular toaster is much better than the toaster oven but I can still switch to the toaster oven for certain items when needed. Good luck!

I mentioned in an earlier post we tried the Breville Smart Oven as a replacement for our B&D. We also returned it. It was quite large and took a lot of counter space. The fan in the back also keeps the oven from pushing back against a wall. They do have rubber stoppers in the back to make sure you aren't too close to the wall. However, when we moved it to return it we noticed the phone outlet cover (no phone there) had melted a bit. So, it wasn't even touching it and the heat still was melting things. The rest of the area is tile. So - if anyone goes this route make sure nothing is behind the oven that is heat sensitive.