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Is the Breville BOV450XL the Best Small Toaster Oven?
For the past few years there has been one toaster oven that has stood out from the rest, the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven. It has been the top-selling convection oven on places like Amazon and continually receives high ratings from reputable websites such as americastestkitchen.com and consumer reports.org. However, is there smaller version, the Breville BOV450XL, just as good and worthy of a top rating? Or, is there a better option available? This article will explore this topic and try determine what the best small toaster oven is at this time.
To begin with, let's define what a small toaster oven is. Toaster ovens come in all sizes and can fit anywhere between two to six slices of toast. For the purposes of this discussion, let's say that a four slice and under oven will count as a small oven.
Next, we need to look at which ones have the highest ratings and are the most popular. To do this, we will look to Amazon to provide us with the data as there is a wealth of information available for consumers there.
After reviewing Amazon's website I have selected three countertop ovens to compare: Black & Decker TRO480BS, Hamilton Beach 22708, and the Breville BOV450XL. These three were chosen based on the number of user reviews and ratings.
The first one to look at is the Black & Decker TRO480BS as it has the most number of reviews of over 800 and a 3.5 star rating. After reviewing user comments it looks as though the general consensus is that this oven is good for the price. It is one of the cheaper models out there and it appears that people feel the price makes up for its other faults. The positives are: low price and easy to clean. The drawbacks are: tendency to break early and is a fire hazard. With respect to toasting and baking, the reviews are too mixed to make a solid conclusion. Some people had positive things to say, while other were not happy with the oven. My take away was that it is good for the price, but don't have high hopes.
The next oven is Hamilton Beach's 22708 Toastastion with 652 reviews and 3.5 star rating. This 2-in-1 oven is unique in that it toasts like a toaster does, not like a toaster oven. It is only capable of toasting 2 slices, but people like this feature and the fact that if they want to bake something small, like a mini pizza, they can still do so. Additionally, people like the low price, which is often less than $50. The downsides, however, are that there is no broiler or oven timer, and because it is so small, you can't fit a lot of things in it. Bottom line, this is good for people that prefer toasters, but still want the option to occasionally bake small items.
The last small toaster oven to look at is the Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Oven, which has a 4.5 star rating and more than 100 customer reviews. Out of the three ovens, this one is the newest to come out, which explains the lower number of reviews. However, the reviews it does have are much more positive than the ones mentioned from Black & Decker or the Hamiliton Beach. People like how this oven operates as it is simple to use and cooks very well. Similar to the company's top model, the BOV800XL, this one also has its patented Element IQ technology, which is a sophisticated and intelligent heating element system. The elements work to put the heat where it is required most for the cooking task it is doing. This makes the food turn out the way you want it. Overall, the take away was that people love this oven. The biggest drawback is the price, which is over $100.
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