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The Best Toaster Oven Regular or Convection?
The toaster ovens that are on the market today shouldn't even be called toaster ovens because they can easily perform so many functions. They grill, broil, bake and some actually have rotisseries! With costs ranging from around $20 - $250 dollars, you could be scratching your head attempting to pick which is the right one for you.
To add to the confusion you have yet another factor to take into account. Do you need a standard or a convection toaster oven?
Convection versions cook in just the same was as traditional ovens; the single difference between them is that inside a convection oven there's a fan that circulates the heat uniformly round the cooker. The fan doesn't bring in the air from the outside.
Convection versions, like the Breville BOV800XL are heated via elements at the top and the bottom and the fan will blow around the hot air within to be certain that everything is cooking at the same temperature.
Is this necessary in a stove that can be less than one cubic foot capacity? Many say a definite yes. Is it just another pointless addition that manufacturers have thrown in to make their oven seem more advanced? Everyone from busy moms to restaurant chefs will say definitely not.
Most restaurant kitchens use the convection version. Why? Because the food comes out looking more uniform and by utilizing convection toaster the food cooks quicker and the results are rather more even and consistent. Of course modern traditional ovens also cook fast, but frequently unevenly, as there are hot spots within the oven. You may have spotted if you place a tray of cupcakes in the oven, some come out a different color than others ; this is because of these hot spots.
Anything from casseroles and roasts to cookies and quiches can be cooked in both types of toaster ovens, it does not matter, but if you're ever in need of another oven or don't really wish to heat up your whole house with your main range then you probably should go with a convection style like the Cuisinart TOB-195.
Another huge advantage with the convection model is they need somewhat less cooking time than a standard toaster oven and you can turn down the heat by almost 25 degrees. The manufacturer's manual should give you direction on that and some recipes too. Since they also take somewhat less cooking time your food will be prepared faster, and most likely save some power too.
Whichever you choose, be it typical over convection, you will save power and also cleaning time as the oven is so much quicker and simpler to clean than an enormous range.
Tons of choices! If you live on frozen waffles and heated up pizza slices, you can most likely go with a conventional toaster oven, but if you want to have a 2nd oven that cooks quicker than your main oven, in a lot less space, then go for the convection.
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