The 10 Best Retro Toaster Ovens

Editor's Notes

September 19, 2019:

A toaster oven isn't the first appliance that springs to mind when you think about outfitting a home kitchen, but it's really one of the more convenient things to have around for 1-2 person meals and snacks. And, because the mid-century modern look has made quite the resurgence in the last couple decades, you don't have to settle for a boring, beige box for heating sandwiches and leftovers. In fact, the Ensemble and both Hamilton Beach models above won't even really cost you any more than the average, bland toaster oven, and they look considerably catchier. Also firmly in the budget-friendly category is the Dash Compact, which has probably the most austere design out of any we found. Not only is it cute, it's also super simple. The Oster is about as cheap as we'd recommend going, and it will work if you're really hurting for toast, but if you can afford it we'd advise taking a small step up from it.

Understandably, as you move up in price, the toasters get more technologically advanced. For example, the Panasonic -- which has all the chic of an episode of Knight Rider -- uses a sophisticated control system and actual infrared elements to get things done with speed and efficiency. The Nostalgia RTOV220 and Americana are both similarly refined; the Nostalgia is a bit bigger and more robustly constructed, but they're both worth a look. Nostalgia's other machine is a 3-in-1 breakfast powerhouse that can really help to save space, while the KitchenAid is known for its consistent and high-powered convection system that makes it better at cooking a full meal inside than almost any other unit.