Toaster ovens

[japple]

My old Kenmore toaster oven is on it's last legs and I'll have to replace it soon. I read a Consumer Reports article sometime back that had a Black & Decker model listed as "best buy," so I went to amazon.com to read the reviews for Black & Decker toaster ovens. Many of the reviews were good, but lots of them said that the units were fire hazzards and got too hot on the outside.

Does anyone have a suggestion, recommendation on what I should be looking for in a toaster oven?

[The empressof all]

1. They've gotten pretty fancy

It comes down to what you really need it for. I saw one recently that had a rotisserie, convection feature and a pizza drawer for pizza baking.

I don't have suggestions for brand sorry---I don't have room for one right now.

[japple]

2. I mainly use it for making toast, heating leftovers, and baking

small things, like potatoes. I don't want any fancy gadgets like rotisseries. I just want one that won't burn down the house.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I would believe a Consumer Reports rec over anonymous Amazon reviews...

and every medium or low priced toaster oven with a metal body will get hot. I've had a dozen or so of them over the years and they all worked reasonably well.

I now have a toaster for toast and found a humongous Hamilton Beach oven on sale at K-Mart for heavier duties. It has two racks (two pies at the same time!) a rotisserie and a convection setting. However, if you don't plan on roasting an Oven Stuffer in the thing, I would recommend pretty much anything out there that meets some basic criteria.

Forget buying online-- find a store and see if the opening on the one you want is really big enough to roast those potatoes without them touching the top elements and burning. Will it be easy to get the toast in and out? Does it come with a rack and tray in case you might want to broil a chop? Does it feel cheap and cheesy like it will fall apart after a week? How easy is it to clean the bottom-- does it have an easily removable crumb/drip tray?

[The empressof all]

4. I think the convection feature is a good one

It helps to cook things faster and gives a better browning for meats and baked goods.

[Warpy]

5. I have a Magic Chef, built exactly like a B&D but with cosmetic

differences like a slightly beefier door assembly. The difference was only a couple of bucks but it was worth it for me.

The B&D model (and the one I have) do get very hot on the outside, so you need to be careful where you place it in the kitchen. This is a design problem with all lower end toaster ovens, but not a problem if you keep the unit away from flammable materials and tiny hands.

You have to pay through the nose to get a fancier toaster oven that stays cool on the outside, really not worth it for me.

[grasswire]

6. I sure miss my old cheap toaster oven

My new "better" one from GE gets extremely hot on the outside, takes 12 minutes to make a piece of toast, and doesn't get up to temp, topping out at about 350.

I have it on top of a thick aluminum cookie sheet on my workspace so there is no chance of damaging the surface underneath.

My old toaster oven was a Black and Decker and I had it for fourteen years. I only got rid of it because it looked shabby after that time. I shoulda kept it.

[yellerpup]

7. We have a Cuisinart (Chinese made)

that is four years old, and the thermometer has been out of whack for at least the past two years. The front 'windshield' or lid doesn't open all the way and I have to be careful not to scorch myself. I only use it for toast (on the 3 setting) now because it's not reliable on the bake setting at all. Even on the lowest temp (200 degrees) a dinner roll will burn black in 4 minutes.