The inexpensive Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Toaster Oven toasted bread better than any other oven under $100. This no-frills model lacks many of the features included in our other picks—such as digital controls and preset cooking features—but it heats evenly. The Hamilton Beach’s hamilton beach toaster humble size makes it ideal for kitchens with limited counter space, but it’s still large enough to fit four slices of bread. This toaster oven runs cooler than other models we tested, so you’ll need to increase the temperature by about 25 degrees when baking or roasting.
It does not have a specific toast or bagel function, and thus struggled with consistency in preparing both of those items. It did manage to leave the backsides of bagels slightly less toasted than the front side, however, which salvaged its score a bit. The Hamilton Beach’s inability to alert you when it reaches the set temperature may be largely due to its general temperatures inaccuracy. It was the worst performer on our temperature accuracy testing, earning the low score of 2 out of 10 in a metric that saw score as high as 9. At temperatures of 400Ëš or less it was consistently 50Ëš warmer hotter than the set temperature, and at one point was a full 65Ëš hotter. When we set the oven to 450Ëš this discrepancy dropped to around 20Ëš.
To keep grease from dripping on the lower heating element, use foil and a pan underneath whatever you’re cooking. If grease splatters inside the oven, clean the interior according to the manufacturer’s instructions or refer to the care and maintenance section in our guide to the best air fryer toaster ovens. This model comes with the most basic accessories, including an oven rack, a baking pan, and a crumb tray. More-advanced digital models will alert you once the oven is preheated to a set temperature, but the Hamilton Beach lacks this feature.
If you’d like to air fry, but you just don’t have the space (or budget) for an air frying toaster oven, then a pod-shaped air fryer might be best for you. Because their small capacity keeps your food close to the fan and the heating elements, pod air fryers hamilton beach mixer can make food even crispier, and often do so more quickly, than their toaster oven-shaped cousins. Their cooking baskets can also be a little safer or simpler to maneuver than a hot pan for children, new cooks, or those with mobility concerns.
For a relatively low price, this toaster oven stands out from a crowded pack of mediocre, cheap models. We found its performance and features to be comparable to those of larger and pricier toaster ovens. If you get a toaster oven with a convection setting, you can also use it for air frying (air frying is, after all, just convection baking). While the fan isn’t quite as powerful as the ones in most pod-shaped air fryers or air fryer toaster ovens, it produces similar results.