Best Toaster Ovens for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Five picks from $100 to $400, plus how to size one to your counter and which sheet-pan dinners actually fit inside.

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The best toaster oven for most kitchens in 2026 is the Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS, $269.95). It has 1,800 watts, 10 cooking functions, room for 6 slices and convection that Breville rates at up to 30% faster. The best value is the Hamilton Beach 31123DA convection oven at $99.99. Small kitchens should look at the flip-up Ninja SP101 ($179.99).

Introduction: When a toaster oven beats a full oven

A toaster oven is a small convection or radiant oven that sits on the counter. For a household of one to four, it quietly takes over most weeknight cooking. It beats the full-size oven in four situations:

• Small batches. Two salmon fillets, a tray of roasted broccoli, four slices of toast. Heating a full oven cavity for a quarter-sheet pan of food wastes time and heat.
• Speed. A toaster oven preheats in a few minutes. Wirecutter's toaster oven guide (updated July 2026) notes a full-size oven takes about 20 minutes. On a 20-minute dinner, that preheat is half the wait.
• Summer. A small box throws off far less heat into the kitchen than a 30-inch range.
• Reheating. Pizza, fries, fried chicken and pastries come back crisp instead of steamed and rubbery the way a microwave leaves them.

It loses in three situations: anything that needs two full trays at once, big roasts and holiday birds (unless you buy the largest class of oven), and baking projects built around a half-sheet pan. Those still belong in the full oven.

The picks below come from the countertop ovens in the AislePrompt kitchen catalog, ranked on published specs, owner ratings and professional testing. Prices are catalog prices as of September 2026; Amazon prices move daily, so check the current price on the product page.

Our Top 5 Picks (Best Overall / Best Value / Best for Small Kitchens / Best Premium / Best Compact)

#1: Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS)

Verdict: Best overall. Precise, even heat and the widest useful feature set under $300, at $269.95.

The Breville Smart Oven Pro is the oven we'd buy if we could only buy one. Breville's product page lists an 1,800-watt preheat and 10 cooking functions: toast (6 slices), bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, warm and slow cook. The slow-cook mode runs for up to 10 hours before switching to keep-warm. Breville says the convection setting cuts cooking time by up to 30%, and an interior light switches on at the end of the cycle so you can check browning without opening the door. A 13-inch pizza pan and a 12 x 12 inch enamel baking pan come in the box.

It carries a 4.6-star average across 11,160 Amazon ratings in our catalog, tied with the Ninja SP101 for the highest average among our five picks. The trade-off is footprint: 18.9 x 15.9 x 10.9 inches, per Breville. Measure the space under your cabinets before ordering. The older Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven ($249.95; 1,800 W; 0.8 cubic feet; 9 functions) saves $20 if you'll never use slow cook.

#2: Hamilton Beach 6-Slice Convection Toaster Oven (31123DA)

Verdict: Best value. True convection, a 12-inch pizza and a 5-lb chicken for $99.99.

The Hamilton Beach 31123DA gives you four modes (convection, bake, broil, toast) and two rack positions. It runs from 150 to 450°F at 1,400 watts. Hamilton Beach says it fits a 5-lb chicken, a 12-inch pizza, 6 slices of toast or a 9 x 11 inch bake pan without handles, and that convection typically cuts cooking time by up to 25%. The roll-top door lifts up and out of the way instead of dropping onto your counter, which matters in a tight kitchen. The controls are simple dials with a 30-minute timer, a Stay On setting, a ready bell and auto shutoff.

A note on its 4.5-star rating: this listing shares its 15,200-rating pool with the non-convection Hamilton Beach 31127D ($96.95), so the stars aren't independent evidence for either model. For $3 more, the convection version is the one to buy. If you want air frying at this price, the BLACK+DECKER Crisp 'N Bake 6-slice ($74.79) adds an air-fry mode and fits a 12-inch pizza. It has a 60-minute timer.

#3: Ninja SP101 Digital Air Fry Oven

Verdict: Best for small kitchens. It flips up against the backsplash when you're done, for $179.99.

The Ninja SP101 solves the real small-kitchen problem: a toaster oven eats counter depth all day even though you use it for 30 minutes. This one is an 1,800-watt, 8-in-1 air fryer toaster oven that flips up to stand on end when it's not in use. It ships with an air fry basket, sheet pan, wire rack and crumb tray. It holds a 4.6-star average across 27,469 ratings, the most of any pick here.

The design has a cost: the cavity is wide and low. It's excellent for sheet-pan food, toast and air-fried snacks, and a poor fit for tall roasts or a whole chicken. If you want the same flip-up idea with a bigger stainless shell, the Ninja SP151 is $249.95.

#4: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV900BSS)

Verdict: Best premium. A 1-cubic-foot countertop oven that can replace a wall oven for a small household, at $399.95.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the largest oven here. Breville's specs describe a 1-cubic-foot interior that toasts 9 slices, roasts a 14-lb turkey and takes a 5-quart Dutch oven for slow cooking. It fits most 9 x 13 inch pans and 12-cup muffin trays. You get 13 functions: toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook and dehydrate (up to 4 trays). Wirecutter names it its upgrade pick for air frying. It carries 4.5 stars across 12,940 ratings.

Buy it if the countertop oven will be your main oven, if you bake in 9 x 13 pans, or if you'd otherwise buy a separate air fryer. Skip it if counter space is tight; it's the biggest box on this list. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860 ($279.95) is the step-down with air fry in the smaller Smart Oven body. For families who want two-level cooking, the Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201 ($379.99) fits a 5-lb chicken plus a sheet pan of vegetables, and Ninja quotes a 90-second preheat. For reference, Wirecutter's large-oven pick is Cuisinart's Chef's Convection TOB-260N1, which we don't currently stock.

#5: Panasonic FlashXpress (NB-G110P)

Verdict: Best compact. The fastest route from cold to toast for one or two people, at $118.74.

The Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P uses double infrared heating instead of conventional coils, at 1,300 watts. It has 4-slice capacity and 6 auto-cook programs. Wirecutter picks the FlashXpress as its best smaller toaster oven. In its testing it was one of the fastest to preheat to 350°F. It measures just over 1 cubic foot overall and fits a 9-inch round or 8 x 8 inch pan, but not a 13-inch pizza. It carries 4.4 stars across 9,963 ratings.

Recall note: in July 2026 Panasonic announced a voluntary recall of the FlashXpress NB-G200/205. Per Wirecutter, the NB-G110P we list is not affected. If you already own an NB-G200 or NB-G205, check Panasonic's recall notice.

If you'd rather have Breville's controls in a small box, the Breville Mini Smart Oven BOV450XL ($159.95) has 1,800 watts in a 0.45-cubic-foot cavity. The interior is 11 x 10 x 4 inches: enough for 4 slices, an 11-inch pizza or a 6-cup muffin tray. It has 8 functions, and the whole oven measures 16 inches wide and 8.8 inches tall.

What to Look For (Wattage, Interior Size, Convection, Presets, Rack Positions)

Wattage. Our picks run from 1,300 W (Panasonic) to 1,800 W (Breville Smart Oven Pro, Ninja SP101); Breville's product page doesn't list a wattage for the Air Fryer Pro. More watts mean faster recovery when you open the door, but 1,800 W is the ceiling for a standard plug. At 120 volts, 1,800 watts is 15 amps, which is the whole capacity of a typical 15-amp kitchen circuit. If your breaker trips when the kettle and the oven run together, that's why. Put the oven on a different circuit or run them one at a time.

Interior size. Ignore cubic-foot marketing and check three things: slice count, pizza size and the largest pan that fits. Then measure the pans you already own. A quarter-sheet pan like the USA Pan quarter sheet is 13 x 9.5 inches. It fits ovens rated for 9 x 13 pans (such as the Air Fryer Pro) but not the Hamilton Beach, whose largest listed pan is 9 x 11 without handles. For one or two people, 4 slices is enough; for three or four, go to 6 slices and a 12-inch pizza; bigger households need the 1-cubic-foot class.

Convection. A fan moves hot air around the food, which evens out hot spots and speeds cooking, as Wikipedia's convection oven entry explains. Two practical consequences:

1. Full-size recipes written for a regular oven often need the temperature lowered on convection. Wikipedia notes fan ovens are usually set about 20°C (36°F) lower. Or keep the temperature and start checking early.

2. "Air fryer toaster oven" mostly means a stronger fan plus an air-fry basket. Pod-shaped air fryers are small convection ovens too. When adapting a basket air-fryer recipe to a convection toaster oven, Wirecutter suggests adding several minutes and 25 to 50°F, because the cavity is larger.

Presets. On basic dial ovens a preset is just a temperature and a time. On Breville's Element iQ ovens, each function changes how power is steered between the heating elements, which is why Bagel, Broil and Pizza cook differently. Pay for presets only if the oven actually changes element behavior per mode.

Rack positions. Two positions (Hamilton Beach) is workable; three or more gives you a real broil position close to the top elements and a low position for tall food. Toaster ovens are small, so the top of your food sits closer to the upper elements than it ever would in a full oven. Middle rack is the default, and a loose foil tent fixes early over-browning.

Doors, trays and cleanup. A slide-out crumb tray is non-negotiable. Drop-down doors should stay open by themselves. Roll-top doors (Hamilton Beach) save counter space in front of the oven.

Toaster Oven vs Air Fryer vs Full Oven: The Real Comparison

The decision in three questions:

1. Do you want toast? Basket air fryers can't make proper toast, so buy a toaster oven (with or without air fry).

2. Do you cook for three or more? A 6-slice toaster oven or larger beats any basket air fryer on capacity.

3. Is crisp-fried texture the main goal? A basket air fryer's small chamber and strong fan still crisp fries and wings best. See our best air fryers for 2026 guide and our air fryers under $150 list.

If you answered yes to 1 and 3, buy an air-fryer toaster oven like the Ninja SP101 or the Breville Air Fryer Pro and skip the second appliance.

Sheet-Pan Dinners That Cook Perfectly in a Toaster Oven

Toaster ovens are at their best on single-layer sheet-pan dinners for two. These recipes from the AislePrompt catalog all roast at 400 to 425°F, well inside every pick's range. The table shows how to fit each one:

A few of those in more detail:

• Lemon-Dill Sheet Pan Salmon with Asparagus is the ideal first toaster-oven dinner. It's two fillets and 4-inch asparagus spears at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, pulled when the salmon hits 125°F. That's 412 calories and 38 g protein.
• Baked Lemon-Dill Salmon with Roasted Broccoli gives the broccoli a 15-minute head start at 425°F before the salmon joins it. It's a good test of whether your oven browns evenly front to back.
• Lemon-Herb Baked Chicken Thighs with Roasted Asparagus roasts bone-in thighs over asparagus at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until 165°F inside. It's a baking-dish recipe, so it suits even the smaller ovens.
• Sheet Pan Maple-Glazed Salmon with Crispy Sweet Potatoes and Sheet-Pan Gnocchi with Chicken and Broccoli are both sized for two at 425°F. The gnocchi one uses frozen gnocchi straight from the bag, spread in a single layer and flipped halfway.
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas with Bell Peppers and Onions and Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Jalapeños and Lime both serve four. Halve them or cook two rounds; an overcrowded pan steams instead of charring.
• Most Flavorful Roasted Vegetable Medley roasts at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes, then gets a 5-minute balsamic-honey glaze. Halve it for a toaster oven.

Three toaster-oven rules for any sheet-pan recipe:

1. Size the pan first. A quarter-sheet pan (13 x 9.5 inches) is the standard toaster-oven pan; confirm yours fits with the door closed. A stainless 8.5 x 12 inch rack inside it lifts chicken thighs out of their drippings.

2. One layer, with gaps. If food touches, it steams. Halve four-serving recipes rather than piling them up.

3. Check early. Small cavities and close elements run hot. Start checking 5 minutes before the recipe's time, and use a thermometer for chicken (165°F).

For more one-tray ideas, see our 25 sheet-pan dinners. If you need a pan that fits, see our best sheet pans guide.

FAQ

Two quick answers the FAQ section below doesn't cover:

• Can I use aluminum foil in a toaster oven? You can line a pan with it, but keep foil off the heating elements and don't cover the crumb tray or cavity floor. Blocked airflow and foil touching an element are the usual causes of trouble. Your manual's rules come first.
• What should I do before the first use? Wirecutter recommends running several cycles with the oven empty, ideally in a ventilated space, to burn off the protective residues applied at the factory. Then wash the rack and pans in warm, soapy water.

Sources

Model specifications come from the manufacturers' product pages for the Breville Smart Oven Pro and the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, and from each product's catalog listing. Preheat, testing and recall details come from Wirecutter — The Best Toaster Oven (updated July 2026). Convection principles and temperature adjustment follow Wikipedia — Convection oven. Recipe temperatures and times come from the linked AislePrompt recipe cards. Prices are AislePrompt catalog prices as of September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• nytimes.com
• breville.com
• breville.com
• en.wikipedia.org