How to choose a toaster oven: 2026 buying guide

By whichproduct.app · AI-assisted, approved by the site owner · Specs checked

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6 questions, one tap each.

Short answer

Pick the size first, by how many slices of toast the oven fits: up to 4 slices for a small counter, 6 or more for a family or a 12-inch pizza. Then decide whether you need an air-fry setting; most of the ovens we catalogued have one, but not all. Last, set the most you want to spend, by the price on the maker's own store.

What size toaster oven do I need?

Choose by the number of slices of toast the maker says the oven fits. Slice count is the size figure makers state most often, and it tracks the pizza and pan sizes they quote alongside it.

What size toaster oven do I need?
Maker's slice countWhat the makers say also fitsOvens we catalogued
Up to 4 slicesA 9-inch to 11-inch pizza, or a personal pizza5
6 slicesUsually a 12-inch or 13-inch pizza9
8 or 9 slicesA 12-inch or 13-inch pizza and a 9 x 13 inch pan3
Not statedCheck the maker page9

Counts are from the 26 toaster ovens we catalogued as of October 20, 2026. Nine ovens, mostly larger air fryer ovens from Ninja, Panasonic and Kalorik, give no slice count on the maker page. The finder only shows those when you answer "No preference" on size.

A 4-slice oven is the compact choice. The Proctor Silex Simply-Crisp 4-slice is an example; Proctor Silex says "It fits 4 slices of bread, a personal pizza or 1/2 pound of fries." A 6-slice oven is where 12-inch pizzas start: Hamilton Beach says its Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven "Fits a 12” pizza or 6 slices of toast". The largest ovens here go further. BLACK+DECKER says its Extra Wide Crisp 'N Bake fits "a 9” x 13” pan with handles, 8 slices of bread, or a 12” pizza", and Breville lists 9 slices and a 13-inch pizza for the Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro.

If you toast for one or two and want to save counter space → up to 4 slices. If you cook dinners in it or want a 12-inch pizza → 6 slices or more. If you want to fit a 9 x 13 inch pan → look at the 8- and 9-slice ovens.

See compact ovens up to 4 slices · See ovens for 6 slices or more · Related list: Compact toaster ovens up to 4 slices

Do I need an air-fry setting?

Only if you want to air fry in the same appliance you toast in. Twenty of the 26 ovens list an air-fry setting, function or mode on the maker page. Five list their full set of functions without one, such as the BLACK+DECKER 8 Slice Extra Wide, whose maker lists "four unique functions: bake, broil, toast, and keep warm". One, the Panasonic FlashXpress 4-slice, doesn't mention air frying either way.

Makers build it in differently. BLACK+DECKER's 4-slice Crisp 'N Bake lists Air Fry as one of five functions, next to Bake, Broil, Toast and Keep Warm. Breville's compact model has "5 Air Fry and 5 Smart Cooking Functions", and the Ninja French Door Premier lists Air Fry next to Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Broil, Reheat, Dehydrate, Toast and Bagel.

If you rarely toast and mainly want to air fry, basket air fryers are in our separate air fryer finder.

If you want one appliance for toast and air frying → choose "Yes, it must air fry". If you only toast, bake and reheat → you can skip it and choose from more ovens.

See toaster ovens with an air-fry setting · See air fry toaster ovens under $150 · Related list: Air fryer toaster ovens under $150

How much should I spend on a toaster oven?

We group ovens by the price on the manufacturer's own US store when we checked (October 20, 2026). When a maker shows a crossed-out regular price next to a lower one, the budget options use the lower price, and we record both.

The budget options are ceilings, so "Under $300" also shows everything under $150. Of the 26 ovens:

  • Under $150: 8 ovens, including two compact air fryer ovens, three air fryer ovens that toast 6 or 8 slices (Hamilton Beach and BLACK+DECKER) and two BLACK+DECKER convection ovens without an air-fry setting.
  • Under $300: 18 ovens.
  • No limit: all 26. The ovens at the top of the range are mostly larger air fryer ovens from Ninja and Breville.

The lower part of the range is mostly Hamilton Beach, Proctor Silex and BLACK+DECKER; Breville's ovens start at the Mini Smart Oven, a 4-slice model without an air-fry setting.

If you want a 6-slice oven with an air-fry setting for the least money → choose Under $150, which has three. If you want a 13-inch pizza or an interior light → plan on more than $150.

See ovens under $150 · See 6-slice-or-larger ovens under $150

What size pizza will fit?

It follows the slice count. Fifteen of the ovens state a pizza size: one fits a 9-inch pizza, two an 11-inch, eight a 12-inch and four a 13-inch. Every oven that states 13 inches is a Breville: the Smart Oven, the Smart Oven Pro, the Smart Oven Air Fryer and the Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro. Breville lists the capacity of the Smart Oven as "6-Slice Toaster, 13" Pizza".

Pizza size is a preference in the finder, so ovens that don't state it still appear, just lower in the order.

If you bake store-bought 12-inch pizzas → choose "12-inch pizza or larger". If you want room for a 13-inch pizza → choose "13-inch pizza or larger".

See ovens that fit a 13-inch pizza first · Related list: Toaster ovens that fit a 12-inch pizza or larger

Do I need convection?

It helps if you bake and roast. A convection fan moves hot air around the food. Seventeen of the ovens state convection, either as a setting (Breville says "Convection setting reduces cooking time by up to 30%" on the Smart Oven) or as part of the air-fry function (Hamilton Beach: "Air-fry convection - Powerfully circulates air around food for even cooking"). Several ovens with an air-fry setting don't use the word convection at all, so we leave them unmarked rather than assume.

If you want a convection setting for baking without air frying → look at the BLACK+DECKER 8 Slice Extra Wide, the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection or the Breville Smart Oven and Smart Oven Pro.

Is an interior light worth it?

It's a convenience, and only three ovens state one: the Breville Smart Oven Pro and Smart Oven Air Fryer, and the Kalorik MAXX Flex Trio. Breville says the "Integrated oven light automatically turns on at the end of the cooking cycle to help you see inside." Kalorik says you can "Monitor your food as it cooks with the convenient inner-oven light". The finder gives it a small weight, so it reorders results without hiding ovens that don't have one.

What we don't compare

  • Wattage. Makers state it, but it isn't a measure of size or of what the oven cooks, so we don't ask about it.
  • The number of presets. "8-in-1" and "12-in-1" count different things for each maker: Breville's compact air fryer oven counts five air fry modes, while BLACK+DECKER's 4-slice Crisp 'N Bake counts air fry as one function.
  • Countertop footprint and cabinet clearance. Makers state outside dimensions in different ways, and the maker pages we used don't give cabinet clearance consistently, so we don't filter on them. Check the dimensions and the manual on the maker page for your space.
  • Capacity in quarts or cubic feet. Only some makers state it, and slice count is the figure nearly every maker uses.

Common mistakes

  1. Assuming every toaster oven air fries. Five of the ovens we catalogued list their full set of functions without an air-fry setting.
  2. Buying for pizza without checking the size. A 4-slice oven fits a 9-inch to 11-inch pizza at most, per its maker.
  3. Reading "8-in-1" as more oven. The preset count says nothing about size; check the slice count.
  4. Trusting a crossed-out price. Our budget options use what the maker's store charged on the check date, and that changes with promotions.

Picks lists in this category

FAQ

What's the difference between an air fryer toaster oven and an air fryer?

An air fryer toaster oven is a toaster oven with an air-fry setting: it toasts, bakes and broils, and air fries with a basket or tray on a rack. A basket air fryer cooks in a pull-out drawer and doesn't toast. We cover basket models in a separate air fryer finder.

Will a 6-slice toaster oven fit a 12-inch pizza?

Usually. Of the 9 ovens whose makers state 6 slices, 7 also state a pizza size, and all 7 fit at least a 12-inch pizza; the three Breville 6-slice ovens list 13 inches. The other two don't state a pizza size.

Why do some ovens show no slice count?

Because their maker doesn't state one. Some larger air fryer ovens describe capacity in other ways, such as pounds of food or pizza size: Ninja says the Flip can "Air fry up to 4 lbs of ingredients, bake a 12” pizza". We don't convert those into slices, so these ovens only appear when you answer "No preference" on size.

Which toaster ovens fit a 9 x 13 inch pan?

The largest ones. BLACK+DECKER says both of its 8-slice Extra Wide ovens take a 9 x 13 inch pan with handles, and Breville lists a 9 x 13 inch baking pan for the 9-slice Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro. Compact 4-slice ovens list a 9-inch to 11-inch pizza at most.

What does "Price on the maker's store" mean?

It is the price the manufacturer's own US online store charged when we checked, on October 20, 2026. Where the store showed a lower price next to a crossed-out regular price, we use the lower price. We don't show live prices yet, so check the current price before you buy.

Why are some specs "not stated by the manufacturer"?

We only record what the maker states on its own site. If a page doesn't give the slice count, pizza size, convection or a light, we leave it blank instead of guessing, and the finder gives that oven no credit for that preference.

How do you pick which ovens to include?

We start from manufacturer websites and record only what the maker states, with a link to where it says so. We skip ovens that are sold out on the maker's store, refurbished units and bundles. We don't test ovens ourselves. The full method is on our how we choose page.

How we chose and sources

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications; reviewed and approved by the site owner. We don't test products hands-on. How we choose

Results are ordered by how well each oven fits your answers. When two ovens fit equally, the one with more features stated by its maker comes first, then the one with the lower price on the maker's own store, then a fixed catalogue order. Commissions never affect the order.

"Catalogued" means the 26 toaster ovens we catalogued for this category from manufacturer sites as of October 20, 2026, not the whole market. Each oven's source links appear with its specs. Pages quoted in this guide:

Written with AI assistance from manufacturer specifications and reviewed before publishing in October 2026. We don't test products hands-on.

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By whichproduct.app · AI-assisted, approved by the site ownerAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.We report what each manufacturer states and make no health or safety claims.