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I want to clear something up before we get into this list: I think that toaster ovens are overrated as a kitchen appliance. Most of the food you want to toast, like bread or bagels, brown better in a standard slot true wallet toaster. Further, most food you want to bake should go  — full stop. Conventional ovens benefit from a stronger set of heating elements and superior insulation. And good luck if you want to cook a roast or any other complicated dish.

I already hear your protests: “My toaster oven has been a trusty, crusty  for decades!” “It’s a mini  that boasts faster heating (and reheating) times than my standard oven!” “I like watching my toast brown!” While this may all be true, that doesn’t negate my qualms with the appliance.

And not to keep harping, but a typical toaster oven model is bulky as hell — and thanks to the rise of , , ,  and the much-beloved , chances are good that you’ve got a better way to put that precious counter space to use.

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Still, maybe you don’t have a conventional oven and need a countertop toaster oven — or maybe you just want one, dammit. I get it! Despite my misgivings, there’s still a lot to like about the things. This is a much-beloved kitchen appliance we’re talking about and my toasty hot take is probably a minority report.

But splurging doesn’t always make sense. Do you really need to add in modern luxuries like bar code scanners, built-in food cameras and smart cooking assistance? Techie toaster ovens from names such as ,  and  can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000, but most of the extras found in a are above and beyond what an average kitchen needs.

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More reasonable are “upgrade pick” toaster ovens such as the fun, well-calibrated , or a sturdy stalwart like the , both of which we reviewed — and loved — a few years ago. But at $149 and $270 respectively, those models, too, are outside the mainstream in a world where a regular toaster with a stellar heating element that can evenly toast all sorts of delicious snacks can be had . 

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That’s why I decided to take a look at some of your less-expensive options to see if I could find a good value. I honed in on popular, well-reviewed models that cost between $50 and $100, and I used convection heating — a trick that uses a fan to circulate the hot air to evenly toast and cook — as a baseline, must-have feature. I also considered the inclusion of features like a removable crumb tray and baking pan so you get a safe device that cooks a variety of treats.

Then, with six toaster ovens ready to go in our test kitchen, I set out to put them to the test to try to find the best of the lot. Of these six, we came away with a clear favorite, and we’re also including a couple of others because they remain well worth the splurge.

We’ve tested all of those aforementioned upgrade picks here at CNET Appliances, but the only one any of us has ever bought for ourselves is the FlashXpress. It’s a fun, quirky countertop cooker that uses an infrared heating element for tasks like toasting bread and baking frozen pizza with speedy precision, and it has an easily removable crumb tray. It might not be big enough for everybody (or for baking for everybody), but that also means that it won’t take up any more counter space than it needs on your countertop. Even now, six years after we first reviewed it, it’s still easy to recommend it as the best toaster oven for toasting or baking food, or even a countertop toaster oven upgrade.

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The Breville BOV800XL definitely isn’t cheap at around $270, and there’s nothing “smart” about the smart oven in a cloud-connected sense. But the Breville Smart Oven Pro cooks just about everything about as well as you could possibly expect from a countertop convection oven. On top of that, the mini smart oven is sturdy, attractive, and has an easily removable crumb tray, and it’s packed with extra cooking setting modes that you might actually find useful, including convection cooking. This Breville mini smart oven is a great compact toaster oven pick if you don’t have a smart oven, don’t have room for a full size oven or if you need a small toaster oven for cooking food just about every day.

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I hate that the door on this convection toaster oven opens down more than 90 degrees. The glass can crash directly against the corner of your countertop if it isn’t pushed all the way back against your backsplash.

Still, if you can forgive that design flaw, then you’ll love the way this convection toaster oven cooks, whether you’re toasting, baking or broiling. Available for about $60 at Costco, this countertop oven was a top finisher in each one of our cooking tests. That sort of reliable, predictable cooking and baking is exactly what you want from your toaster oven.

Editor’s note, Jan. 18, 2021: The Oster TSSTTVCG05 appears to have been discontinued. The two closest alternatives are the ($60) and the ($70).

Other toaster ovens we tested

Bialetti 35047: This countertop oven model was one of our top value picks of 2019 for its strong features and classy design. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be available any longer, at least not at any of the online retailers we track. It isn’t even listed on the Bialetti website anymore.Black & Decker TO3265XSSD: One of the newest models from the top name in toaster ovens replaces the convection bake setting with a gimmicky, one-temperature-fits-all “Air Fry” mode. This air fryer toaster is fine for the price if you need a wide-bodied design with extra room for toast.Hamilton Beach 31123D: One of Hamilton Beach’s “Easy Reach” models, the slightly under-powered 31123D makes it a little easier to see inside as you’re cooking or broiling, thanks to a sloping “Easy Reach” door that lifts up to open. Too bad Hamilton Beach stamped a large logo on the glass to obstruct your view.Nostalgia Retro RTOV220RETRORED: The cheesy, retro-red design makes it look more like a toolbox than a toaster oven, and it felt a bit cheaply made. Still, this eye-catching model performed passably well in our tests. Toshiba AC25CEW-BS: The digital controls are nice to have in this fancy-looking, black stainless steel option, but it comes with a learning curve thanks to underpowered toasting and overpowered baking and broiling.

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Bialetti 35047 Black & Decker TO3265XSSD Hamilton Beach 31123D Nostalgia Retro RTOV220RETRORED Oster TSSTTVCG05 Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Energy Draw 1,800W 1,500W 1,500W 1,500W 1,500W 1,500W Settings 9 (Toast, Bake, Broil, Warm, Bagel, Pizza, Cookies, Defrost, Reheat) 4 (Toast, Bake, Broil, Air Fry) 4 (Bake, Toast, Broil, Convection) 4 (Bake, Pizza/Toast, Broil, Convection) 5 (Bake, Toast, Broil, Warm, Turbo) 10 (Bake, Toast, Broil, Convection, Pizza, Cookies, Rotisserie, Defrost, Reheat, Keep Warm) Toast time, 2 slices, medium setting 5:00 4:00 3:30 5:30 4:30 3:20 Toast time, 2 slices, dark setting 8:00 8:00 6:30 9:00 7:30 4:30 Exterior dimensions (inches) 19.7 x 15.8 x 14.2 21.5 x 23 x 11.2 9.4 x 18.7 x 15.2 19.2 x 15.4 x 10.8 18.5 x 15.7 x 10.4 19.0 x 10.8 x 15.6 Interior width (inches) 12 16 12 12.5 12 12.5 Interior depth (inches) 12 12 12 12 12 12 Interior height (inches, from bottom rack position) 7.5 7.5 5 7 6 7 Broil height (inches, from top rack position) 2.5 2 3.5 4 4 2 Weight (pounds) 18 19 14 15.6 14.9 16.2 Color Black stainless steel Stainless steel Stainless steel Red Stainless steel Black stainless steel Key features “A Little Extra” button Mesh air-frying rack “Easy Reach” door Retro design None Built-in rotisserie cooker Warranty 1-year 2-year 1-year 1-year 1-year 1-year Price $90 $79 $69 $99 $64 $99  What are my options?

You’ve got absolutely no shortage of toaster ovens to choose from. Names like Black & Decker, Hamilton Beach, Oster and countless others have been cranking the things out for generations now.

The true bargain-bin picks cost less than $50. If you’re willing to spend a little more, you should expect to get some form of convection heat and cooking, as well as perhaps a wider oven cavity, a few additional cooking preset options, digital controls, a non-stick coating on the bake pan or a nicer-looking design. The Bialetti and Toshiba models I tested come in black stainless steel, matching a modern large appliance trend, and the Toshiba model features a built-in rotisserie rack, too. The Nostalgia model offers a unique, red-bodied build, while lower-cost options from Hamilton Beach and Oster serve as simpler budget picks.