Guardian Life & Style (US) • Jan. 6, 2026, 11:44 a.m.

Toaster ovens aren’t just for toast. Here’s why this ‘sleeper hit’ appliance might become your go-to in the kitchen The 10 best toaster ovens in the US – tested and reviewed Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things As a former professional chef and part-time recipe developer, I have found that in both restaurant and home kitchens, toaster ovens are a sleeper hit.

In restaurants, we treated them like tiny salamanders or ovens: they heated small portions of food faster – and saved more energy – than a full-sized oven. (This is why you’ll often see a toaster oven residing on omakase counters, where they’re used for broiling eel or fish.) At home, it toasts, of course, but it can also dehydrate, broil, churn out snacks and help make quick meals with modest portions.

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