Nice how this thread is turning into what kids eat. While my kids love broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, various fruits and other "nutritious" items- they are still kids. I let them eat chicken nuggets, french fries, sugary cereal (although they do love corn flakes and rice krispies-without sugar added!). I believe everything in moderation. You shouldn't be so quick to judge what others' feed their children. Ever heard of people getting lung cancer and they never smoked? Different people, different problems.

Wow Kate, you sure are taking a beating on this thread. Didn't I hear the kitchen forum was the nicest? I'm afraid to visit the rest!

I often need my "kid food" fast. We don't need a full size oven's worth - but by golly, when I need those 10 pizza rolls, or 6 taquitos, I need 'em quick!

I think the point about not using the big oven for kid food, had everything to do with size, electricity and time. I never thought the comment was anything other than that.

BTW - my goal is that we eat all the same food all the time - but I can't say I'm at 100%. (maybe 45%?)

I agree, let's not turn this into a judgement on what we feed our kids. My first ds was the easiest kid, ate pretty much everything I cooked, rarely got in trouble as a toddler/preschooler (he's still a very good kid, btw!). And so I thought I was such a great mother! And then my picky second ds was born. He hates all veggies except green beans and potatoes, hates all fruit except apples. And then my demanding 3rd ds was born, he eats pretty much everything, but boy is he strong willed! So, it's not always about the parenting, it's a lot to do with kid's unique personalities.

So sometimes I get tired of the battle and my mind gets tired of trying to come up with the magic recipe that everyone will love (that has no preservatives, partially hydrogenated oils, or artificial colorings and flavorings, and lets not forget high fructose corn syrup) and I take the night off and serve corn dogs and mac and cheese from a box! :)

omg, remodelqueen! you're right. i can't believe this! honestly i gave up judging others long ago when i figured out i wasn't perfect. and i figured as long as i am not perfect i'd cut others some slack. so i'm not going to get myself all in a huff about this. i'm in too good a mood today (read my new post about my shaw's bargain sink). i have obviously cashed in on some KARMA.

I have a TO because I do not own a toaster. Why own a toaster that can only toast bread when a toaster over can do a lot more? I toast waffles and toast and bagels in it plus cook little things like corn dogs. And why heat an entire over to warm one little slice of pizza? Seems like it is a pretty multifunctional device to me.

I am amazed some of you have a microwave in a pantry or out of the way. A MV is absolutely ESSENTIAL for me. I use it a million times a day, to make a cup of tea, heat oatmeal, reheat leftovers, cook veggies etc.

Hmm, this thread has got me thinking that maybe I can get rid of the TO. We bought it when we moved into our fixer 2 years ago, as the 1970s double ovens worked only sporadically, our toaster died around the time of the move and the MW never made it out of the moving box (still in it) because our "new" harvest gold galley kitchen had neither counter space nor sufficient outlets to accommodate it.

We needed the TO for fish sticks. Lots and lots of fish sticks for DD--and yes, frozen pizzas too. We continue to use it for toast and occasionally to warm up a pancake (DD's new addiction).

Fast forward to the present: new kitchen in former DR space, and laundry/kraft/pantry in old galley space. The TO lives in there now and is only rarely called upon because we now have a working oven. So maybe I just need a toaster now.

Hmmm....

We bought our toasteroven to use during the kitchen remodel. Low and behold 2 years later, it's still out. And used everyday multiple times. Toast, waffles, bagels, reheated pizza, hot sandwiches, and yes, even the CRAP for the kids! Don't know what I'd do without it now that all 3 of my kids use it daily. I splurged and bought one that is ss and fairly attractive and I keep it on the counter all the time. Like Talley Sue said, it is what it is.

And Kate, sorry about a few people's comments on this thread. I was completely shocked by their arrogance and judgemental attitude. You go girl, and when the day is over you'll still have your sense of humor AND good kharma.

Kate - I heard a great saying recently "what other people think of me is none of my business!" You have just the right attitutde and what makes this world such a glorious and challenging place, is that whole free speech thing!

As far as toaster oven, I just bought a cuisinart model at Costco. We need it for our makeshift kitchen as remodel begins on the 12th. I've started using it and must say it's easy and I like the fact it preheats in under 3 minutes. I think it will be useful both during and after our remodel.

Maybe it's arrogance, maybe it's not wanting to be a sucker to the corporations that make the crap and try to convince you that it's good for kids or that there's no time for food prep in our hectic lives, but the subject of "kid food" was brought up by the op. Soaring rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease are crippling our already disabled healthcare system on the backs of current and future generations. Longevity rates are going down in parts of the country for the first time since the 19th century. It is a serious well-documented problem. If those MSG laden, hydrogenated fat filled tater tots are good for your children, then great. I'm just mostly amazed that tkos don't care about what comes out of the kitchens they put so much time into designing.

histokitch - it sounds like arrogance to me.

I lived without a toaster oven the first 40 years of my life. I bought one about 10 years ago (my mom loved hers) and find it very useful to have. I was also in the camp of not understanding why I would need one, but once you get one, you wonder how you did without it!

Mine is large enought to hold 12 muffins. I use it mainly as a second oven or when I don't want to use my big oven for something small. Sometimes in the summer I will even put it on the back porch to keep the heat out of the house, though it heats up the kitchen less then my big oven.

I only use it for toast when I am toasting more then a couple of pieces. I have a two slice toaster that I usually use.

I have a TO that I never use because I don't have room on the counter for it. After the remodel, I might pull it out and use it. It will be like having another new gadget to play with!!

It seems that toaster ovens have gotten bigger and bigger in the past few years and I didn't want one of those huge things sitting on the counter in my new kitchen. I found a Hamilton Beach Toastation at Target for about $34.00. It's only slightly larger than a toaster and is actually a combination of toaster and toaster oven. I decided to try it based solely on the small size and really didn't have much hope for the for the design of a sort of trap door at the top for toasting. Much to my surprise, we absolutly love it. DH thinks it's fantastic. It works really well as an oven or a traditional toaster, it's very small and actually looks quite cute on the counter.

http://shop.hamiltonbeach.com/cgi-bin/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/193/sesent/00

Here is a link that might be useful: Hamilton Beach Toastation

I'm with Kate on this one- wouldn't live w/o my TO. As a family of three I often don't want to 1) wait for the oven to heat up; 2) pay to heat up a big oven for a 3 person serving. I use mine for so many things from kids cookies after school to roasting veggies, garlic, etc in the broiler. Use it all the time.

So, for those of us that do want it in the kitchen, is there any consensus on the safety issues of putting it somewhere behind closed doors? Several have mentioned planning to put theirs in the pantry. I saw one picture of a kids zone in a walk-in pantry- anyone have any pictures or drawing of their pantries & how it might work in there? Alternatively, several have mentioned making appliance garages for their TO only find that the space was not big enough, what would be an acceptable/appropriate & safe space?

Thanks

P.S.- Kate- no one understood my issue about what to do about the dish drainer or drainboard either, everyone just said dry stuff & put it away (all well & good, but I know the reality of my real life). We're all just hoping that we can benefit from tricks others may have come up with to deal with "stuff" in their real lives too :)

I resisted my husbands request for a TO for years. I too didn't want it sitting out or looking gross and dingy like the ones I have seen at other peoples houses (the white ones!). I finally got a stainless steel one and would never be without one. With a large family, being able to put six bagel halves in at one time is great. Plus, I never have to eat soggy leftover pizza from the MW again!

If it was in the pantry, I'd just want to make absolutely certain nothing could end up touching it while it's hot. Plastic bags melted on are just not a good thing...not as bad as burning down the house, though, if it ignites some kind of paper product or packaging, the flames growing, unnoticed for a bit, inside the pantry. Maybe it only happens here, but, in my house, some kind of nasty gremlins get into my pantry (the kids never know who did it, after all) and make it look like a tornado's been through, leaving behind empty packages and things lying where they shouldn't be...So I want my toaster oven, and anything else that could get hot and be a danger, to be where I can see it...Gremlin safe! ;-)

Haha, I didn't finish my first post...

I wanted to say that if it is a nice looking, well-kept, TO, it shouldn't be an eyesore. However, I do like the idea of some type of a garage for it. I will probably do that.

SophieRex, thanks for the review of that toaster oven.

Like you, I don't really want a HUGE toaster oven (though I'm intrigued by rhome's comments about how her more expensive toaster oven will stay nice-looking longer.

But the more expensive toaster ovens are also larger, and I don't want larger.

I may just go get a relatively inexpensive Black&Decker (I loved the one I had before, though it didn't "ding" when the toast was done), and toss it when it starts to look icky.

Like rhome, I worry about a TO getting hot. So for this reason, I never acquired a TO.

When my kids began to use an oven, I insisted they use real oven -- takes longer, but the risk of accidentally burning themselves was reduced. And it has the most annoying beeper, so you WILL turn it off or go insane.

tally sue nyc--I purchased an inexpensive B&D from Target last Dec. and I've been very happy with it (it looks just like valinsv's.) I was prepared to hate it since it was replacing one that I absolutely loved (which unfortunately, is no longer made.)

Sophierex, I was on the fence and almost bought one like you describe (consumers seemed to really like it when I read on-line shopping reviews.) It sounds like that would have been a good choice, too.

Kate!

I am so sorry -- I honestly meant no offense. As I wrote, I was merely reading your post(s) through my own filter and was asking, NOT judging, about your comment(s) about your children's food not being allowed in your expensive oven. In no way shape or form did I mean to hurt your feelings or make you feel judged: I know nothing more about you than you've shared here on this forum. And you're right: I know nothing of your financial comfort. When I wrote of that I should've just mentioned myself -- I typed faster than I thought ... something of which we've all been guilty on at least one occasion here.

I love our toaster oven (rather, the concept of it) and it's just sitting out on the counter. In one of my parents' guest cottages (the one in which we stay when we visit them in CA) they have a toaster oven in a sort-of appliance garage: the cupboard comes all the way down to the countertop and it's just regular tuck-back (what to call it? they open and then when perpendicular to the structure are pushed back in, kind of like a pocket door) cabinet doors (not a tambour door). It's my understanding they've never had a problem with it -- I know when we've stayed there (and we use that toaster oven relentlessly!) there's never been a problem with heat. Granted, the doors are open when we use it (and knowing us, the doors stay open until we vacate) ... but it's a good suggestion.

bdaykitchen: I remember your post about the dishrack and people's responses about just drying and putting everything away. I cannot help it -- it totally made me laugh aloud, hard! The only time our dishrack has been away in the past four years is when it was packed in a box for our moves. I really admire people's fastidiousness but that is not me and it will never be me. At present ours is filled with sippy cups and the cups' innards. We had a dishdrain cut into our countertop for the dishrack to sit (and drain).

Again, Kate, I'm sorry you took offense at my post. I reread it and don't see where I accused you of saying your range is more important than your children. I was merely recounting my experiences and what your comment(s) brought up in me. And knowing that as a child it really hurt my feelings (to know that appearances counted that much, such is the life my parents have chosen or was chosen for them!) I was mentioning it.

Best of luck with your project.

Hardest working cooking appliances in our kitchen: toaster oven and microwave/convection oven. We're a family of two working people and don't usually cook full meals during the week. We use the oven on the weekends and in the summer most food gets grilled outside or reheated in micro.

When the grandchildren come over the TO really gets a workout...five children ages 2 thru 9 and everyone wants their nuggets at a different time.

no problem rmkitchen. as i said earlier, i'm in much too good a mood today and i'm remembering that i like to cut people slack, just as they do for me (sometimes)!

gotta go cook up some smiley fries ...catch you all later.

Here's our toaster oven appliance garage. Works great. Our electrician wired in a plug inside. We leave the doors open when we use it and until it cools off - works great and it out of sight most of the time.

All the talk about toaster ovens is making me very UN-nostalgic for mine. When the ex husband split he took the old TO with him. I was broke right after the divorce and bought the cheapest toaster I could find, I think $17 at Target. Every time I saw a nice Cuisinart at Costco I thought "maybe...but this one works, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Of course, when it died I was broke again (had to pay a lawyer to try the divorce case) and couldn't afford that nice Cuisinart. I decided to upgrade to a toaster OVEN, but spent $27 on it at most. It's also a piece of junk. Every time I saw it, every day, I was reminded of all the stupid economic woes I went through. I have promised myself that the new kitchen (I earned the $ to pay for it myself!) will have a new toaster or toaster oven! At this point I don't even care which, as long as it works well and looks nice and isn't symbolic of a really nasty divorce that left me broke for years! And I want it out on the kitchen counter to remind me that I have a new life now!

(thanks for putting up with my rant if you've made it this far)

Back to the original thought...I don't have a toaster oven but was trying to think of a solution to concealing my small appliances without having to resort to the expense and restriction of an appliance garage. Have you considered a fold-up screen or a pretty tray set on a plate stand to display in front of the toaster oven when it's not it use? I think this may be my solution.

I am weighing in against my better judgement.

--I have one great eater and two picky ones. Last I checked they were all raised the same way...we all pick our battles, and I usually choose not to make the dinner table a battle ground. So my kids often end up eating "crap."

--However, that doesn't mean I don't sometimes feel guilty about it, and keep trying to do better, and hope like heck they are not still eating this way at 20.

--I did not think rmkitchen's original post was arrogant, mean, or insulting. She made "I" statements, LOL...although it was not a lighthearted post, granted. I admit that when I read the OP the tone of it put me off a little bit too. It might have been the LOUD swear word, which is not often seen here. But I did not assume Kate doesn't love her children and neither did rmkitchen. And I think rmkitchen apologized very beautifully for offending Kate, who chose to be offended--yes, it is a choice. And now she has moved on. Let's all remember this is Kitchens and not Appliances, people!! :)

--Now I am going to be quiet and move on to TOs. A word of caution: the old Black and Decker ones--cheap, ugly, extemely useful, with a life of about 3 years--just had a nice little switch you pushed down to toast. When our last one died, we went to get another one, only to discover that Black and Decker, and almost every other model, now have TICKING timers that you turn to toast or even bake. We got one home and I realized the dang thing was going to tick the entire time I had it on!! Which is how we ended up with the much more expensive, nice-looking Krups convection one. So if you are bothered by continuous little noises, like me, make sure your new TO doesn't have a ticker.

HTH!

I love this forum.

Mom is still trying to give back the TO I dropped at her house 25y ago. I wonder if we'd use it? Hmmmm, food for thought.

Hollylh, that does help! Thanks.

I wish you could plug in a toaster oven in the store and try it out just one time through; that's how I ended up w/ one that didn't "ding" when the toast was done. (It never occurred to me that it wouldn't, so I didn't think to investigate)

OK you TO veterans, I'm about to purchase my first ever TO, and I'm no spring chicken. I'd planned on getting the cheapest one possible, primarily to use during the DIY remodel, which is bound to make us kitchenless for several months. But reading this thread makes me think I (and my kids) are missing something good, despite the fact that it will end up on my new counter.

I've been looking at some that have convection, and I'm wondering if it's worth it. I've never had convection anything, so it might be kind of fun, and certainly not too expensive. Anybody have any experience with the convection varieties?

I also couldn't live without a TO. And I also buy the Black & Decker one's at Target. I figure they are inexpensive enough that when it gets trashy looking, I'll get a new one.

The only "kids" I have are furballs... and they will eat ANYTHING!

I'm also of the camp that my kitchen is not an art gallery, it's a room I live in and use. So there are appliances on the counter.

{{!gwi}}

I mentioned it earlier, but the Kenmore convection TO I have is unsatisfactory - at least in the convection arena.

I read Consumer Reports, Consumer Search, Epinions.com, Amazon.com, and GW Appliance forum user reviews and went to every store in town looking at TOs. Not kidding. It was an agonizing, ridiculous process. Get the Cuisinart or the Kitchenaid. In retrospect, I wish I had.

Hollyh- I had to laugh when you were talking about your TO ticking. I'd hate that, too. Do you know how to make a DH stop ticking? lol!

Love all the different opinions. Never thought of baking muffins in a TO. We really did get it just for DD's junk food. She's a little easier to feed now (4yo), so we really don't use it much anymore. I prefer the large oven for even small reheating jobs, as the TO gets so hot.

My version of this thread would be "Do I really need the MW?" It's still in its box, in storage. We were afraid to plug it in in case it blew the circuits-LOL! I missed it for a brief time, but reheating was a pain anyway as I didn't like to use plastic, which meant plating the food, heating it, and sometimes moving it to a cooler plate.

MW Popcorn--that's what I miss.

New thread should be - How do I make popcorn at home now?

I have never used a TO in my whole life, so I don't know what I'm missing, although your mouthwatering suggestions is making me consider buying one!

But I tell yeah, skimming through these posts...I'm craving a PBandJ sandwich right now...I think I'll go home and make one for dinner in my as yet unfinished kitchen;)

I'm a diehard toaster oven user as I posted above. I finally settled on a new one for my new kitchen yesterday. Then today I removed my old one and realized how much counter space I was missing! (I had a larger countertop oven) I don't think I can bear to bring it back when the kitchen is done so it may have to live in the pantry and come out to visit.

Abbycat - Those little $20 air poppers work great and fit in small cabinets. No oil or salt, unless you add it. No lingering microwave popcorn smell. Add on another $20 for a big bowl to catch the popcorn. (I found a big lacquered bamboo one at World Market. You should have seen me dancing and yelling the first time I made popcorn and found out my stockpot wasn't big enough to catch it all!) The popcorn tastes much better and is entertaining. Plus, you can go to co-ops or bulk food stores and get popcorn kernels in different colors and flavors. My favorite so far is the red kernel. Matches my bowl and tastes good. Hth - Cate

IMO, a toaster oven is neither evil or necessary. Never owned one, never would if I hated the look that badly.

Seems to me that most kitchens would benefit from having a section of floor to ceiling, 24" deep cabs that would open to reveal the same countertop etc. as everywhere else, making a spot for things like the TO, blender, etc-- items you 'need' but don't want to see all the time.

Cooked over 30 years without a toaster oven. Daily scratch cooking, no boxes, no frozen food. Then last year I got a Cuisinart TO. I will NEVER be without one. (MW? Eh, I'm not even sure where it is. I think I put it in the garage...)

What's not to like about a trusty small oven that heats up in 3 minutes flat??

If it fits in there, it cooks in there. Simple.

I have never had one either, but have decided that having one would be great. Esp. for things like cinnamon toast and toasted sandwiches w/o having to fire up the oven on a 36" range. I too have been stumped with what to do with the thing. I won't have alot of counterspace so I think I am going to ask about having the cabinet under the microwave be lined with either SS, galvanized metal, or sheet laminate with a garage door (also lined) and see if that can be done. So right after TO usage the garage door can be closed with TO out of sight, out of mind!!

I have also seen a picture on here a while back of a kitchen with a special cabinet on one side of the fridge for a TO and the MW on the other. It looked really good!! However, I can't remember when or what the link was for, and I don't ever remember seeing it in the FKB.

I also love my toaster oven. Years ago B&D used to offer a little set of Ekco pans for them (roaster, muffin pan, etc.) and I still use those all the time. A lot of the time I'm just cooking for myself, and I'd feel guilty about wasting the energy needed to preheat the oven every time I want to cook one chicken breast or 6 mini-muffins.

Personally, i wouldn't consider putting away either the TO or the coffeemaker. They're both too important to be dragging in and out of cupboards all the time. I'd never have either of them put away properly, if I tried to go down that road.

I do have to agree that a toaster makes better toast, though.

I don't have a toaster oven and won't buy one. I'm not into redundant appliances that are really just about marketing.

I recently canned my not very old toaster planning to get a new one, but why bother? It was ugly on the counter and didn't toast that well. I hate clutter, yuk. I found that toasting muffins, bread, tortilla pizzas, etc., all work very well under my broiler. It doesn't take long to heat or cook and doesn't heat the whole oven. Toasted sandwiches work great in a pan on the stove. That's how grandma did it!
There are even neat old-fashioned toasters that hold a few slices of bread and fit over a stove burner. Search on folding toaster or camping toaster.

Kids don't have to eat "crap", mine eats healthy snacks generally. Unless they're teenagers with unlimited funds, they eat what you buy and serve. Healthy food tastes better than crap, too.

Abbycat, I've started making popcorn on the stove and it's really easy. All you need to do is put enough oil in a pot to coat the bottom (I use EVOO and you can't even taste the olive oil) and throw one layer of kernels in. Put a lid on it and turn the heat to med-low. Then, just wait until you hear the popping sound slow down just as with a bag of microwave popcorn.

I thought in the beginning I'd have to shake the pot (like with Jiffy Pop) but you don't have to do that at all, so it's not that much harder than sticking a bag in the microwave. Plus, you can control the kind and the amount of oil you put in so it's healthier.

I'd be lost without the toaster oven. Bought my first microwave during the remodel and was uncommitted about keeping it afterward, but it's found a home in the pantry. Doesn't get used near as much as the toaster oven though. The TO sits on the countertop ... easily accessible ... near the stove. It's great when I don't want to heat up the big oven. Use it for English muffins, frozen pizzas (yes, some are actually good), roasting veggies, baking loaves of frozen bread, etc.

cate1337 - we had an air popper, but DH decided the texture wasn't to his liking, so I gave it away. I'm liking the stovetop idea from hest88. That might provide enough crunch for DH. He was spoiled by the electric coil cooktop from our pre remodel kitchen (we now have a smoothtop range); he indulged in the jiffy pop and that was it for the air popper!

I hate to admit this - but I actually ended up putting the toaster oven on a shelf in the garage - just outside the door to the garage. I have a pretty towel covering it up tho! hehe Anyhow, that's where my toaster oven has been banished to until I can think of a better idea.

At first, I had it on a slide out shelf in one of my lower cabinets. There is already and electrical outlet inside the cabinet so it worked perfectly. Then while unpacking all of the other oodles of stuff for the kitchen, I found that space wise, having an entire slide out shelf for the toaster oven just wouldn't work. It's been replaced by food storage containers.

In our old kitchen, it was mounted under an upper cabinet and worked GREAT. But I think that somewhere along the line, I must've turned into a kitchen snob - because I just could NOT have that in the new kitchen. LOL

Somehow though - kitchen snob and toaster oven out in the garage - just don't go together.

Dh wanted to heat up the leftover mini quiches and pigs-in-a-blanket, and they don't heat up well in the microwave; they just get soggy.

maybe I should buy a toaster oven on my way home tonight.

(we *could* heat them in the convection oven that's part of the microwave)

Last night I made a meatloaf in my TO. Took 3 minutes to preheat - I set it on convection bake and it was done in 40 minutes. Beautifully crisp on the outside and perfect on the inside. We officially lose our kitchen tomorrow so I'm using all of my small appliances I just purchased for my makeshift kitchen to see how they work. I love the TO and I also love my new rice cooker. I think we'll be okay for the next 8 weeks and feel pretty satisfied I'll be able to create and make good meals without my kitchen.

Mine is in my appliance garage... I pull it out when I use it, then let it cool before putting it away. And thanks to this thread, I have a lot of great new recipes and ideas to try.... toasted PB&J? Really!

annettacm, when you toast that PB&J, do it one half at a time. You don't want the second half to get cool while you are slowly, slowly eating the first half.

Fascinating what threads really get everyone going. We bought our first toaster oven when we bought our first house, and I will never be without one. No squishing my bagel to make it fit in narrow slots, can cook anything -- I've even broiled lamb chops in mine. Yes, I want to get one of the nice ones so that it's not ugly, but there are nice ones. The functionality of heating a small appliance instantly instead of a giant broiler is not to be beat.

On the issue of kids' eating habits: we will start every meal with DD being served what we're eating, but if she really doesn't like it, I'll give her something more to her liking so that I can make sure she's not hungry and back mooching junk 10 minutes after dinner is over.