"I have the Breville Smart Oven but got the big one; love it!" - dees_1

Ditto.

I was in Sur La Table today and someone was raving about the new Wolf toaster oven. Anybody have one?

Also have a Breville Smart Oven. I use it 90% of the time. Have a Wolf range, but only use the oven in the cooler months. The Breville heats up fast and doesn't heat up the kitchen. The rack automatically slides out when you open the door if it's in the middle position ... the one I use the most. Can't say enough good things about it! If you buy one from Hammacher Schlemmer it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Doesn't that Wolf toaster oven cost like $500-$600? That's a little crazy!

Breville at HS

Get the Breville at BB&B and use their 20% off coupon and you save $50.

The BB&B coupon says Breville is excluded.

I used the coupon and got 20 percent off. The mini cost $149, so I paid $127 with tax. That was a whole lot more than I intended to spend but from the reviews here and elsewhere is is money well spent. Guess I'll take it out of the trunk and set it up.

Wonder if that means they ignore all the other exclusions?

I wonder if that exclusion is new. I used the coupon to buy mine, and a friend then bought his with the coupon. But that was quite a few years ago.

Always worth a try. You don't have to buy something if they won't take the discount.

Breville is up and humming. Took a few tries before I realized I was trying to put the crumb tray in upside down. Thank heavens for the internet. Evidently I was not the only upsidedown crumb tray person.

Dedtired, would you mind letting us know how the Mini Breville works out? I've only seen reviews here for the Smart and Compact.

Out of curiosity, how many of you have a dedicated separate circuit for the Breville as specified in the manual? Is that necessary?

I feel like I am in the plunger thread because I also do not use/own a toaster oven. LOL

Ha ha, Tib. Actually the problem was that I was standing on my head.

jelly, sure. Will report back after I've used it for a few days. BTW, the rack does not slide out when the door opens. I have a pickle (?) knife with a hook on the end that I'll use to pull the tray out if needed. Necessity is the mother of invention.

I've had the compact for a few years and I'm very happy with it. I just checked and the rack doesn't slide out when the door opens. The reheat and pizza functions are great.

I have used coupons at BB&B for both Breville and AllClad, even though both are exclusions.

Neither the mini or compact have the auto eject rack.

Breville toaster oven comparison chart

I have a Sunbeam I bought years ago. The rack slides out some when the door is opened. Very simple with two knobs. One for the minutes and one for temperature, broil or toast. I used it for months before I got a new range. I jokingly said that I was going to write a cookbook and call it "Tinfoil and A Toaster Oven". ;-)

Sunbeam. Now there is a name I have not heard in awhile. I looked at about every TO on Amazon. Probably should have taken myself around to the usual-suspect big box stores, but didn't want to turn TO shopping into my life's work. I will miss the "auto eject rack" (knew there had to be a name for it) but in my experience, you soon get used to what you have.

If you're considering Breville, you might be interested in this thread from the kitchen forum:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3449521/breville-ovens-smart-vs-compact-pros-cons?n=18

Like Tina, no toaster oven here ever.

What do you all use yours for?

No toaster oven here either.

In addition to asking what you use it for, where do you keep it? Does it sit out on the counter permanently?

Mine sits out all the time. You can bake about anything in it that you would use your oven for. It's just me here so I pop in a couple of rolls or frozen biscuits. I use it to heat up leftovers. Thinking back, all I had starting out was a two burner hotplate and a toaster oven.

My youngest DD is on her 3rd one in 12 years~she uses it daily for mainly toast, and has never owned a toaster, I on the other hand, feel the bread dries out, but doesn't in a toaster. If I were given one, I would give it away.

Can't make a recommendation here...I'm still working with my 30 yr old GE model...the tray slides out when you open the door...

I don't have a toaster oven and have never had one. Come to think of it, my mother has never had one either. But I am thinking of replacing my microwave with a microwave/ convection combo.

In addition to asking what you use it for, where do you keep it? Does it sit out on the counter permanently?

Use it for just about everything ... roasted veggies, gratins, roasted bone-in breasts, pork tenderloin, frittatas, flatbreads, toast, have even baked cookies and bread in it although I prefer the big oven for those.

It sits angled in the corner close to the stove.

Breville Smart Oven - the large one. We use it every single day and love it.

One thing you have to be careful of with the Breville Smart Oven, unless they've changed it, is the plug is over sized and sticks out a bit more than usual. If you push the oven too close to the wall, the cord can melt into the plug, and the oven won't work obviously. It happened to me. Mine wasn't that old so Breville had me mail them my oven and they replaced it with a new one. Check your plugs.

This thread is just in time. I need a new microwave and maybe a new toaster oven, too. I spent all morning looking at sizes and reviews. I have a limited amount of space, 37 inches inside the cabinet the two I have now fit. I saw convection microwaves and started looking at those but do I really need one to warm a plate of left overs? Probably not. I saw a super cheap toaster oven and the size added to the microwave I thought I wanted gave me 2 inches to spare. Great. And then I read the reviews. Piece of junk. I have old junk, don't need new junk. I'll start looking at the ones mentioned here. It's not an emergency, I have the time.

Thank you for the input. I don't have the counter space for one (well I do but don't want to sacrifice it) so unless I can lift it in and out of a drawer like my toaster I won't use one. I should probably learn how to use the convection feature on my microwave first...

Lisa, I definitely didn't have counter space in my former kitchen for much of anything, but still found a toaster oven invaluable. I didn't own a microwave until we did the remodel and needed something for the temporary kitchen. Wasn't sure I'd keep it, but ended up being convinced there was a place for it in the new kitchen ... albeit hidden in the pantry.

Before the luxury of counter space:

I used my old B&D for all kinds of things. I baked a potato, broiled fish, roasted veggies and toasted bread. I used it much more than the regular oven. However, I am only cooking for one. I think the Breville will be even more versatile. So far I've only used it once and the outside gets quite a bit hotter than the B&D. I would have a hard time getting along without a TO.

And thanks for the link, writersblock. Seems most people are happy with it.

LOL @ Pattycakes! Like Lisa, it's not something I want on my counter. I can see it being good for a single person or a couple who doesn't cook much. There's only the two of us, but when cooking I will generally cook enough for leftovers (sometimes for us, sometimes to take to my dad). I can't even remember what I used the one we had (when first married) for, but I do remember melting a plastic lid on it. Ha!

Kmart has a B&D for $7. and it has a two year warranty. Never saw one that cheap before.

I have the Breville as well. Use it almost daily, love it.

Tina, a quality toaster oven is like a mini oven. They're perfect for serious cooks. Unless you're cooking a large meal on a daily basis, a large oven is often an inefficient use of energy. I typically use the toaster oven in addition to the stovetop.

"While in the past, toaster ovens tended to resemble toasters more than ovens, modern toaster ovens are like fully functional mini ovens.
Toaster ovens take up a fraction of the space that a conventional oven
would use and can do many of the jobs of a conventional oven with greater efficiency. Toaster ovens cost far less than conventional ovens as well, making them a very appealing alternative.

Toaster ovens provide a wide variety of
heating options, from very low temperatures (under 200 degrees)
to very high temperatures (up to 450 degrees) for broiling or searing. A
toaster oven can also be used
as a warmer, since many of them come with a tray that sits on
the top for this purpose. Like conventional ovens, they also have
thermostats, so that you can rely on the temperature being consistent
throughout the cooking time. Most models come with timers as well,
allowing
you maximum control over the cooking process. Some models offer the benefit of an interior fan for convection cooking,
which moves the air evenly around the food as it cooks. Some advantages
a toaster oven has over a
conventional oven include:

--Smaller size, so less space in the kitchen is needed

--Less time to heat up and to cool down, so less energy is used

--Will not heat up the entire kitchen

--Versatility

--Easy to clean up – smaller overall size and easy to remove racks and trays

Like much of technology, cooking units of all types have seen many
overall improvements. Smaller, more efficient gadgets are much preferred
to older, more cumbersome devices and many can provide the same or
better quality while doing their job well. If a large meal is always
being prepared, the conventional oven may be the way to go. For small to
medium-sized jobs however, from baking a dozen cookies to cooking a
small roast, the toaster oven has a lot to offer the modern,
do-it-yourself chef."

toaster oven vs conventional oven

Each to their own. With today's energy efficient appliances, I don't feel like I am going wild with the electricity. (Our appliances are new, just barely a year old.) I never feel like the oven heats up the kitchen. As I stated earlier, I do cook a good size meal when cooking. For instance, roasted veggies, I would never cook a small portion - I fill a full size cookie sheet (or pan) with veggies. We love leftovers and I often cook extra for my dad.

I'm able to roast enough veggies for two in the TO. While I don't mind some leftovers I don't deliberately try to create them. Yes, to each their own. ;)

I'm on board with all your reasons above CindyMac. They make sense.

But if I buy a $250 toaster oven to use instead of the pricey range I had to have a few years ago, my husband will be on to me that I only bought the latter for looks. (wink)

Lisa, keep the toaster oven inside the range. He'll never know ;)

Lisa, not if you're a good cook. ;) I figure I "earned" that pricey range after turning out fabulous meals in a crappy kitchen for 25 years. I still use the oven when I need more room ... trays of cookies, bread, turkey, etc. ... but love the option of the TO!

That's genius, Dedtired!

CindyMac, the jury is still out on my cooking. But I do see all of your points about the value of a toaster oven.

I mixed up some artisan bread dough yesterday and baked three large rolls today in my to. Love it. I use it in the summer when I dont want to heat up the kitchen for baking, too.

My only disappointment with the Breville (and it's a big disappointment) is that is' aluminum and not stainless steel. Fro what they cost, it should be SS, IMO.

Which model do you have? I thought they were all stainless.

According to the comparison chart that someone posted, all Breville models have SS housing.

When did they start making a red oven? I think I'm in love!

Cranberry Red Breville Smart Oven

I'm seriously considering buying the red Breville TO until I read the exterior heats up. Just how hot do they get on the outside?

I think they'd make cooking a bit more fun. Ironically, when we remodeled the kitchen and made it much larger, I lost my drive to cook. Thankfully my dh doesn't mind helping out.

Isn't there another thread here about the Oster oven? It seems to have fantastic reviews but at a lower price. But I like the red since it matches my kitchen. :)

One more thing, do they cook faster than an oven? And there is a thread below about Oster.

Oakley, Breville suggests giving the oven 4 inches of clearance on either side during use to allow adequate air circulation. The surface does get hot, so you need to make sure you use hot pads. If you use the convection setting food will cook faster, but otherwise no. The oven does preheat much faster than my gas oven. That's another plus for me.