Fast And Stable Toaster Ovens Can Replace Your Full-Size Oven For Everyday Cooking
We Tested 20 Toaster Ovens Against A Full-Size Oven And Found They Deliver Faster, More Efficient Cooking For Daily Use
Toaster ovens have evolved far beyond their original purpose of making toast, reheating pizza slices, or baking a few cookies. Many modern models now feature digital temperature control and an array of cooking modes commonly found in full-size ovens. Some toaster ovens have even grown large enough to handle larger, everyday tasks like baking a full pizza or fitting multiple baking trays at once — and they do so more efficiently. For air frying or toasting, toaster ovens pull ahead in both performance and speed.
However, they are not without their caveats. Most toaster ovens are limited in both capacity and, more importantly, chamber height. This requires placing the food closer to the heating elements which can lead to burning and undesirable results in sensitive cooking, such as baking pastries or bread. Still, unless you're using the entire cooking chamber in your main oven, toaster ovens can make a strong case to fulfill most needs in less time. People are also asking questions:
Many online users find they offer similar performance and prefer to use them over their main oven whenever possible:
What's achievable comes down to the design differences between the two appliances. Moreover, performance heavily relies on the design of the individual toaster oven, whether it's just a small, classic toaster oven or a larger, multifunctional countertop toaster oven with adjustable rack heights, convection fans, and precise temperature control. Modern toaster ovens and conventional, full-size ovens promise performance and many of the same functions, including baking, convection baking, roasting, broiling, and air frying.
While size is the primary factor in what you can reasonably expect, there are more nuanced differences that affect performance such as temperature stability, heating element type, and the strength of airflow in convection models. These factors directly affect how they handle different cooking methods.
To investigate this ourselves, we purchased a full-size oven, the Frigidaire Gallery 30" Electric Range (GCRE306CBF) — complete with all the bells and whistles, including steam cooking and, you guessed it, an "air fry" button. Our goal was to break down the design differences between the two appliances and then directly apply our toaster oven methodology to see how the full-size counterpart stacks up.
How Toaster Ovens Compare to Full-Size Ovens in Design
Toaster Ovens are just Mini Ovens
Conventional, full-size ovens and toaster ovens share the same fundamental design and generally consist of the same core components:
- Outer shell, cooking chamber, and door
- Upper and lower heating elements
- Temperature sensor
- A fan for convection coupled to an electric motor (in convection models)
- Digital or mechanical controls
Cooking chambers in full-size ovens typically measure:
- Width: 56 – 76 cm (22 – 30")
- Depth: 41 – 61 cm (16 – 24")
- Height: 41 – 51 cm (16 – 20")
- Capacity: 94 – 236 liters (3.3 – 8.3 cubic feet)
The upper (broil) element typically consumes 2500 – 4000 watts, with the lower (bake) element consuming between 2000 – 3600 watts. Temperature settings typically range from as low as 100 °F and up to 550 °F, with some models achieving temperatures as high as 900 °F for self-cleaning purposes. In convection models, the fan is typically located at the rear of the cooking chamber and ranges in speed from 1500 – 3000 RPM.
In contrast, a toaster oven is basically a scaled-down version of the same thing:
Of the toaster ovens we've tested, there is a wide range of cooking chamber dimensions:
- Width: 14.1 – 42 cm (5.6 – 16.5")
- Depth: 15.4 – 32.5 cm (6.1 – 12.8")
- Height: 6.9 – 21.1 cm (2.7 – 8.3")
- Capacity: 1 – 10 liters (0.04 – 0.35 cubic feet)
The upper and lower heating elements typically consume between 500 – 600 watts, for total power between 800 – 1800 watts (for North American models), depending on the rating and number of elements. Temperature settings typically range from 75 – 480 °F, although some offer temperatures as high as 550 °F. In our testing, we've also seen temperatures exceed 600 °F, although this is generally when toasting or broiling, during which the temperature is very loosely controlled. Similarly, the fan speeds in convection models fall in the same range of 1500 – 3000 RPM.
Why Size Matters
The smallest toaster oven we've tested, the Dash Mini, can only accommodate a single slice of bread, while larger models, like the Wolf Gourmet Elite, can handle two 9" x 13" baking sheets or large items like a whole chicken. Full-size ovens have a much higher capacity, accommodating four 9" x 13" baking sheets (or more with 3+ oven racks) and larger items like a large Dutch oven or full turkey.
While capacity is one thing to consider, the distance you can place your food between the heating elements (usable height) is another important factor. The inherently smaller height of the toaster oven cooking chambers means that taller items are often within 0.5" of the upper elements, which can cause uneven cooking and burn the top of food before the inside is completely cooked. This is why many people cover their items in tinfoil when using a toaster oven!
Power vs. Efficiency: How Toaster Ovens Compare
Given their size differences, toaster ovens and full-size ovens have significantly different power requirements — for the purposes of this section, we'll be using North American electrical standards. As a countertop appliance, toaster ovens are limited to a maximum of 1800 watts (1.9 kW), as most kitchen outlets are rated for 15A at 120V. Full-size ovens (with both oven elements turned on) can consume as much as 7000 watts (7.0 kW) because they are connected to dedicated circuits, with a supply voltage of 208V/240V, typically rated for up to 50A of current.
Full-size ovens also contain temperature-resistant insulation surrounding the cooking chamber to retain the heat of the large thermal mass inside:
Toaster ovens — while potentially benefitting from insulation — typically do not include it because they don't need it. The comparatively small thermal mass in the cooking chamber means that they can maintain a stable temperature with far less power. Even with insulation, full-size ovens leak considerably more heat into their environment, which reduces their overall efficiency and can be uncomfortable in warmer climates:
How The Heating Element Type Affects Cooking
The most common heating elements in full-size ovens are sheathed heating elements, commonly known as Calrod™ elements. They consist of a coiled nichrome wire inside a stainless-steel tube. When current flows through the wire, it generates heat. The tube is packed with magnesium oxide (MgO), which transfers the heat to the sheath while electrically insulating the filament from the sheath and preventing the filament from shorting (this is why Calrod™ elements can also be used in applications like residential water heaters — and won't shock you when touched).
They primarily heat via convection, transferring energy to the surrounding air, which then cooks the food. Their high thermal mass results in slower heating but provides stable, even heat, making them well-suited for baking and roasting. The metal sheath makes them highly durable, resistant to impact, and able to withstand grease or oil drips.
These elements are also found in some toaster ovens, but quartz heating elements are more prevalent in smaller appliances. Like Calrod™ elements, quartz heaters contain a coiled filament, but instead of being encased in metal, they are housed in a quartz glass tube.
Quartz heaters cook primarily via radiation — as the filament heats up, it begins to glow, producing radiant heat. The transparent quartz glass allows infrared radiation to pass through, heating the surface of food directly (which is also why these types of elements are found in outdoor space heaters — prioritizing heating the body versus the air). They heat up quickly due to their lower thermal mass, and their direct heat transfer via radiation makes them excellent for quickly browning foods when toasting and broiling, for example. However, this larger component of radiative heat transfer can have adverse effects in gentler cooking methods like baking, where many toaster ovens can burn the top of food before properly cooking the inside.
While both types have a primary method of heat transfer, it's important to note that Calrod™ elements also produce a component of radiation, so they can still achieve browning, just at a reduced speed. Similarly, quartz elements still heat the air inside of the oven via convection. While each have distinct advantages, both can still be used to achieve the same cooking methods.
How a Toaster Oven Compares to a Full-Size Oven for Everyday Cooking
After analyzing the design of both types of ovens, we can better explain the results of applying our toaster oven testing methodology to the Frigidaire Gallery oven.
Test Results: Design Comparison
The Frigidaire, being a full-size oven, is not suitable for someone considering a countertop appliance. The second largest oven is the Anova Precision Oven 2.0, which is a countertop combi oven and is difficult to find space for it even on the largest countertops. Most kitchens will already have a dedicated space planned for a full-size oven, so size is generally not a concern outside of choosing the right oven width for the space.
In terms of the cooking chamber, the Frigidaire achieves the best result, as its internal chamber dimensions far exceed that of any toaster oven. Naturally being the largest countertop oven, the Anova offers the largest capacity of the countertop ovens we've tested. From a capacity standpoint, both ovens will comfortably handle most cooking tasks, like multiple sheets of cookies, a 12" pizza, or a frozen lasagna. The Frigidaire will comfortably handle larger food items or high-volume cooking, so it's the clear choice for something like a holiday dinner. It also offers six different tray positions, so it can handle more trays and, more importantly, is very flexible when adjusting the distance of food from the upper and lower elements.
For versatility, the Frigidaire pulls slightly ahead of the most versatile toaster oven we've tested, the Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. This is in part thanks to its higher maximum temperature and comparatively massive broiling power. The fan power, however, is 26% lower than the Breville, despite its chamber being 640% larger (5.25 versus 0.82 cubic feet). The comparatively low airflow generated, given its size, will become obvious once we review its air frying performance. Also of note, the Frigidaire offers a temperature probe for cooking meats to their desired temperature, and a steam function which can help keep food moist during cooking or improve self-cleaning performance.
Full-Size Ovens Struggle to make Good Toast
As versatile as full-size ovens are, they are not well suited for making toast. Since our test unit does not feature a toast setting, we had to modify our methodology by using the broil mode (upper element only), placing the toast on the second-highest rack position, and flipping it halfway through. Toaster ovens don't require this since their toast setting activates both upper and lower elements.
While it falls outside of the typical use case for an oven, the information is still valuable when comparing it against a toaster oven. We separated toasting into three sections: max capacity toasting evenness (for making toast in large batches), four-slice toasting (for comparison with 4-slot toasters), and toasting speed.
While the Frigidaire can comfortably fit 20 pieces of toast on its rack, we opted for nine slices for comparison with our highest-capacity toaster ovens, which can only hold a maximum of nine slices. Of these, the Ninja Foodi DT201 achieves the best result, producing toast that's evenly browned on both sides. It achieves this via the use of five quartz heaters, evenly spaced throughout the oven and equidistant from the middle rack position.
The Frigidaire, on the other hand, produces extremely uneven toast. As discussed in the design study, the full-size oven uses a 4000W Calrod™ broil element.
While high-powered, the element is only 12 inches in width, which is ideal for concentrated broiling, but not effective for even toasting across the entire rack width. For this reason, it performs reasonably well when only toasting four slices:
With the toast centered within the zone of the broil element, the Frigidaire manages to produce fairly even toast. The Ninja continues to offer better toasting evenness, thanks to its evenly distributed heating elements.
In terms of speed, the Frigidaire is not far off the Ninja which does slightly better. However, keep in mind their power differences — the full-size oven has 4000 watts of power to work with, while the Ninja only uses 1600 watts when toasting. Despite the Frigidaire having a 250% power increase, it takes 11.9% more time to make toast. Despite having less power, the Ninja's quartz heaters are more efficient for toasting due to their higher component of radiative heat transfer.
| Model | Max Capacity Toasting Energy Consumption | Four-Slice Toasting Energy Consumption |
| Frigidaire Gallery GCRE306CBF | 383 Wh | 306 Wh |
| Ninja Foodi DT201 | 195 Wh | 145 Wh |
Lastly, the full-size oven consumes about twice the amount of energy as the toaster oven for making equivalent batches of toast. Simply put, a full-size oven is a power-hungry solution for producing subpar toast. A full-size oven consumes about twice the energy of a toaster oven for toast and still delivers inferior results. However, neither can match a slot toaster, which averages just 76 Wh for four slices.
Full-Size Ovens are not True Air Fryers
As air frying grows in popularity, many toaster ovens and full-size ovens are now marketed as being capable air fryers. In some models, a convection fan is simply added to the side of the cooking chamber, and suddenly, it's an air fryer.
Basket-style air fryers excel at air frying due to their high-powered heaters and high-speed airflow in a compact chamber. The fan, positioned directly above the sheathed heating element, drives high-velocity airflow downward, rapidly heating the air before it circulates around the food.
In contrast, many toaster ovens and full-size ovens lack properly scaled motors and fans to accommodate their much larger cooking chambers. Additionally, their fans are often positioned away from the heating elements, promoting general convection instead of forcing air directly past the heaters. For example, our full-size Frigidaire oven uses the YG64-25E-6103 motor, rated at just 34 watts:
This motor has similar power to an average basket-style air fryer's motor, and its six-inch fan is the same size as those in larger basket-style air fryers. However, since it must circulate air in a chamber that is 25x the size, the airflow per unit volume is significantly lower, reducing convection efficiency. The same issue applies to many toaster ovens which have cooking chambers that are about 1.5 to 4.5 times larger than basket-style air fryers.
However, some toaster ovens we tested offer satisfactory air frying performance by optimizing the design, either by placing the fan above the heaters or including a dedicated heating element in close proximity to its fan, like the Ninja Foodi DT201:
Our Frigidaire oven implements a similar solution. Removing the fan shroud cover from the rear of the cooking chamber exposes its dedicated convection element which is used during air frying:
The placement of this element near the fan helps achieve the same rapid-heating effect as air fryers. As the fan circulates air, it is forced directly across the heating element before continuing to the food and transferring heat. Given its high 3800-watt rating, we were initially optimistic about its air-frying performance; however, our test results proved otherwise:
With only 29.1% of the fries turning out crispy, the majority remained undercooked, while 16.1% were overcooked. These results highlight inadequate airflow relative to the chamber size, leading to uneven heat distribution and inconsistent cooking across individual fries. It also took 35 minutes to reach our 45% moisture loss target — slower than 70% of the toaster ovens we've tested and every basket-style air fryer we've evaluated. To see the evaluation process for this batch of fries, check out this video.
It’s important to note that we tested using a standard 9" x 13" baking pan rather than a mesh basket, as most users wouldn't have one unless purchased separately. The best toaster ovens for air frying, like the Ninja Foodi DT201 and the Cuisinart TOA-70, include a mesh basket which is essential for air frying. To give the full-size oven a better chance, we tested it with the Ninja Foodi's basket.
While the mesh basket improved performance, the Frigidaire still delivers disappointing results:
This video shows the evaluation for this batch. While the percentage of crispy fries improved to 40.7%, the majority remain undercooked. Despite the mesh basket and 3800 watts of heating power, the cooking time only improved by three minutes. In contrast, the Ninja Foodi delivers far better results with just 1600 watts. It also has a 64-watt motor — nearly double that of the full-size oven — yet operates within a chamber only 15% of the size.
From an efficiency standpoint, full-size ovens consume more than double the energy of toaster ovens due to their larger cooking chambers. Similarly, basket-style air fryers are 41.7% more efficient than toaster ovens, on average, thanks to their even more compact cooking chamber and faster cooking times.
| Model | Air Frying Energy Consumption |
| Frigidaire Gallery GCRE306CBF | 960 Wh |
| Toaster Ovens (average) | 420 Wh |
| Basket-Style Air Fryers (average) | 245 Wh |
While we've only tested this oven, other full-size models would need significantly higher airflow to be effective for air frying. Toaster ovens with air fry settings fare much better due to their better balance between airflow and size, but basket-style air fryers still reign supreme for the best results.
For Baking, Temperature Stability Matters More than Size
While developing our test methodology for toaster ovens, one of our key goals was evaluating their baking performance. The most important factor we found was the stability of the temperature inside the chamber. To test this, we arranged three thermocouples evenly spaced inside the toaster oven's cooking chamber and recorded the temperatures during preheat and over a 15-minute cooking cycle, adding nine cookie dough balls to serve as a thermal mass.
The three key metrics we chose can be explained as follows:
Average Variation from Setpoint: This is how much the average temperature inside the toaster oven varies from the setpoint of 350 °F (standard baking temperature for many recipes) over the 15-minute cooking cycle. A high variation — either above or below 350 °F — can negatively impact baking results. If the temperature consistently falls below the setpoint, baked goods may take longer to cook, leading to undercooked centers or a dense texture. Conversely, if the toaster oven runs too hot, baked items may brown too quickly on the outside while remaining raw inside. A lower variation leads to more predictable baking and doneness.
Temperature Overshoot Percentage: This measures the portion of the 15-minute cycle where the toaster oven exceeds 375 °F (25 °F above the 350 °F setpoint). Some toaster ovens overshoot dramatically after food is added due to poor temperature control or residual heat in the elements after they switch off. A high overshoot will cause delicate foods like cookies or cake to burn quickly.
Temperature Uniformity Across the Toaster Oven: This measures how evenly heat is distributed by comparing temperature deviations between three thermocouples placed at the left, center, and right of the toaster oven. A high value in this metric means that some parts of the toaster oven are significantly hotter or colder than others, which can contribute to unevenly baked foods, or varying doneness among multiple items in the same batch.
The Frigidaire achieves excellent temperature stability, with a slightly low average temperature (18.9 °F below setpoint), zero overshooting, and a uniformity deviation of just 4.4 °F, which is very impressive given the size of the cooking chamber. The Frigidaire's high-powered bake element of 2500 watts, along with its cooking chamber insulation, allows it to maintain a steady temperature.
This great temperature stability places it amongst our best toaster ovens for baking:
To highlight baking performance as a function of temperature stability regardless of size, we chose the compact Black+Decker Natural Convection 4-Slice toaster oven (our best budget pick) and pitted it against the Frigidaire.
Quantity aside, the results of the individual cookies were nearly identical. Both the full-size oven and the small toaster oven produced cookies with crispy outsides, without burning either the top or bottom or drying out the middle.
The total time required for the full-size oven was 24:40, whereas the Black+Decker took 16:30, just over eight minutes faster thanks to its preheat speed of only 01:31. The Black+Decker also consumed just 21.2% of the energy versus the Frigidaire, whereas toaster ovens on average consume 30.5% the energy.
| Model | Baking Energy Consumption |
| Frigidaire Gallery GCRE306CBF | 600 Wh |
| Black+Decker 4-Slice TO1756SB | 127 Wh |
| Toaster Ovens (average) | 183 Wh |
The main advantage of the full-size oven is its capacity, but this example highlights that for smaller quantities or everyday tasks, a toaster oven with great temperature stability can be a faster alternative so long as the size you choose meets your needs and there is sufficient height for the food you're baking.
Toaster Ovens Preheat Faster for Quicker Cooking
What toaster ovens lose in capacity they make up for in preheat speed. Full-size ovens on average take 12 minutes to reach 350 °F, with our Frigidaire clocking in at 09:40, which is relatively fast for an oven of its size:
Toaster ovens take an average of 03:48 to preheat, about eight minutes or 60.7% faster than the full-size oven average.
The fastest toaster oven we tested, the Dash Mini, requires just 50 seconds to hit 350 °F, although its tiny chamber can only accommodate one slice of toast or three cookies. A more reasonably sized toaster oven, the Breville The Smart Oven BOV800XL, takes 03:23 and is large enough to fit a standard baking sheet. The Anova Precision Oven 2.0, however, takes 09:27 to preheat, which is nearly as slow as the full-size oven.
As discussed earlier, the Anova's large chamber size pushes the limits of what can reasonably be achieved within the 1800-watt power constraint (in North America) for countertop appliances. In this case, the Frigidaire full-size oven offers just over five times the cooking volume, is able to accommodate multiple full-sized 18" x 26" baking pans, and offers an additional 27.2 cm (10.7“) of chamber height for tall foods. So, if speed is your goal, it's important to choose a toaster oven that offers a good balance between capacity and power, such as the Breville BOV800XL or the Ninja Foodi DT201.
Also, because toaster ovens preheat significantly faster, they can cut down overall cooking time, especially for shorter bake times. For example, if a recipe requires 15 minutes of baking and a full-size oven takes 12 minutes to preheat, the total time is 27 minutes. A typical toaster oven, preheating in just 03:48, shaves off over eight minutes, reducing the total time by nearly 30%. Additionally, full-size ovens can use more energy to just preheat than most toaster ovens use to complete an entire baking cycle.
| Model | Energy Consumed to Reach 350 °F | Total Baking Cycle (preheat + 15-minute baking) |
| Frigidaire Gallery GCRE306CBF | 420 Wh | 600 Wh |
| Toaster Ovens (average) | 60 Wh | 183 Wh |
Conclusion
Our testing shows that toaster ovens aren't just a space-saving alternative — they're a practical and efficient solution for most daily cooking tasks. While full-size ovens excel in capacity, they take significantly longer to preheat and consume more energy. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, preheat in a fraction of the time, use 30–80% less energy, and still deliver excellent baking performance in models with good temperature stability. However, toaster ovens are still limited by their cooking chamber height, requiring the food to be much closer to the heating elements than in a full-size oven. This can quickly cause overcooking or burning the top of food and makes them less suitable for baking sensitive or tall items, where a full-size oven excels.
When it comes to toasting, toaster ovens deliver more even results in less time than a full-size oven; however, a dedicated slot-toaster still offers the best results. For a deeper dive into slot toaster performance, our video and article provide further insight.
For air frying, full-size ovens struggle due to their weak airflow relative to their large chamber. While many toaster ovens offer acceptable air frying performance, basket-style air fryers still deliver the fastest and crispiest results. If you're curious about how toaster ovens compare to dedicated air fryers, this article explores the differences in detail. For an even closer look at basket-style air fryer design and factors that influence performance, check out this R&D article.
For quick meals, small batches, and even air frying, a well-chosen toaster oven can save you time and energy without sacrificing results. While full-size ovens remain essential for large-scale cooking, our results highlight that for most everyday tasks, a toaster oven isn't just a backup — it's often the better tool for the job.
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Fast And Stable Toaster Ovens Can Replace Your Full-Size Oven For Everyday Cooking: We Tested 20 Toaster Ovens Against A Full-Size Oven And Found They Deliver Faster, More Efficient Cooking For Daily Use: Main Discussion
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- 32120
That’s really interesting! The DZ550 lowers its fan speed significantly when set to the Bake function, although it cannot turn off its fan completely. It sounds like the foods you baked respond well to having a lower level of forced convection. We’ve tried baking more sensitive foods like cake and cookies in air fryers, and even with the lower fan speed, these types of foods tend to do better without any forced convection at all. I’ll have to try baking some of the foods you mentioned. Thanks for the information! Tristan
I didn’t think to bake cakes and such in there. I figured the tray wouldn’t be very good for it. I’ve also air fried some shrimp in it too. They don’t cook very evenly so some still look raw and others done. By the time all are surely cooked, most are overcooked and a bit tougher. Have a good one
- 21010
Usually mixed or individual vegetables ranging from broccoli, corn, carrots, peas, cauliflower, and water chestnuts. Additionally vegan nuggets, personal pizzas, and empanadas. I’ve also baked cut up chicken breast as well as a whole chicken breast from frozen to ready to eat in about 40 minutes. Not the best use but it worked. The next closest adventurous thing has been some flounder which turned out great. I tried out the air fry a couple times but only really use it for the nuggets
That’s really interesting! The DZ550 lowers its fan speed significantly when set to the Bake function, although it cannot turn off its fan completely. It sounds like the foods you baked respond well to having a lower level of forced convection. We’ve tried baking more sensitive foods like cake and cookies in air fryers, and even with the lower fan speed, these types of foods tend to do better without any forced convection at all. I’ll have to try baking some of the foods you mentioned. Thanks for the information!
Tristan
- 21010
Hey Heiro78, Thanks for taking the time to check out the article! I’m curious to hear about your experience baking with the DZ550—what types of foods do you usually bake in it? Thanks, Tristan
Usually mixed or individual vegetables ranging from broccoli, corn, carrots, peas, cauliflower, and water chestnuts. Additionally vegan nuggets, personal pizzas, and empanadas. I’ve also baked cut up chicken breast as well as a whole chicken breast from frozen to ready to eat in about 40 minutes. Not the best use but it worked. The next closest adventurous thing has been some flounder which turned out great.
I tried out the air fry a couple times but only really use it for the nuggets
- 21010
Man, I wish I knew this before Christmas or had thought to about it then. I got the Ninja air fryer DZ550 and use it as an oven for my day to day cooking since it heats up so much faster. Baking is so much easier. The preheat and air fry measurements tell me the DZ550 is superior to the Ninja Foodi DT201.
Hey Heiro78,
Thanks for taking the time to check out the article! I’m curious to hear about your experience baking with the DZ550—what types of foods do you usually bake in it?
Thanks, Tristan
- 54340
Man, I wish I knew this before Christmas or had thought to about it then. I got the Ninja air fryer DZ550 and use it as an oven for my day to day cooking since it heats up so much faster. Baking is so much easier.
The preheat and air fry measurements tell me the DZ550 is superior to the Ninja Foodi DT201.