There are few appliances common in every household. Or say, they have become a major necessity in our day-to-day life. And one among them is a toaster oven. If you like to start your day with toast or fresh-baked cookies then an oven is a must. Such appliances mostly stay on the countertop so it is important to pick a unit that is both beautiful and functional. So we’ve picked the best retro-style toaster oven for your kitchen.
Many people ask their interior designers to give their homes an old classic and retro look. And to complete the look many brands make retro-style kitchen appliances. While they appear retro, all their functions are modern. So you get the advantage of both, good looking and easy-to-use appliances.
With many people shifting towards the retro-style concept, it becomes difficult to find a product that gives a good performance. While some product that looks good lacks performance, whereas, others might not give a satisfactory retro feel. But leave your worries on us as the best retro-style toaster oven reviews below will help you find the perfect product for your kitchen.
Best Retro Toaster Oven Comparison
| Products | Size | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| NOSTALGIA BSET300AQ | 4-Slice Toaster | 12 pounds | Check Price |
| Dash DMTO100GBAQ04 | 3-Slice Toaster | 4.6 pounds | Check Price |
| Nostalgia RTOV220 RETRO RED | 12-Slice Toaster | 15.6 pounds | Check Price |
| Hamilton Beach 31337 | 6-Slice Toaster | 8.22 pounds | Check Price |
| Nostalgia RTOV220AQ Retro | 12-Slice Toaster | 12.8 pounds | Check Price |
Here is our comparative review of these retro toaster ovens for your kitchen.
1) NOSTALGIA BSET300AQ Retro 3-in-1 Coffeemaker, Toaster Oven, And Griddle – Aqua Blue
Now you’ll not feel the need to turn on several kitchen appliances when you think of making breakfast. Thanks to Nostalgia retro 3-in-1 toaster oven that lets you make your coffee, toast, and eggs, all at once. It is a complete breakfast solution for people who do not want a messy kitchen in the morning. While the toaster oven fits up to 4 slices of bread, the coffee maker on the side brews up to 4 cups of coffee at a time. Therefore, you can sip your coffee till the time bread toasts.
If you’re not in the mood for toast, then there’s an option to cook eggs. The large non-stick griddle on top offers plenty of room to fry eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc. Plus, it includes a glass lid to cook the food properly. Once you’re done cooking, let the griddle cool down completely. Then remove the griddle and wash it in the sink with warm soapy water.
Pros:
- Multi-functional toaster oven
- You can fit a 7-inch pizza in the oven rack
- The coffeemaker brews 4 cups at a time
- Includes a glass carafe, coffee scoop, and a reusable filter
- Space-saving design makes it the best toaster oven for small kitchens, apartment, and RV
- An indicator light lets you know when the appliance is on
- A 30-minute timer with auto shut off
Cons:
- The coffeemaker uses ground coffee only
Key Features:
- 3-in-1 toaster oven
- Tempered glass lid
- 8 oz coffee carafe
- Non-stick griddle
- 2 control knobs
- Weighs 12 pounds
2) Dash DMTO100GBAQ04 Mini Toaster Oven – Retro Looking
People who live alone and barely cook at home do not really need a big and expensive product. For them, a mini toaster oven like Dash works fine. First of all, it is very easy to operate this machine. Simply plug it on and set the desired temperature by turning the knob. And no need to worry about device overheating as its auto shut off feature will turn the machine off in case it starts getting too hot.
This 550-watt Dash compact toaster oven measures 9.4 x 9.4 x 8.9 inches and is perfect for limited spaces. You can take it along with you while camping or place it conveniently in your RV. However, it will not bake a large 9-inch pizza but it quickly toasts bread and mini pizzas. Plus, a removable crumb tray catches burnt food particles for clean countertop space.
Pros:
- There’s only a single knob on the front to let you set the temperature precisely
- Compact design easily fits in a small space
- A perfect product to bake or reheat small portions
- Backing tray, oven rack, and crumb tray are all removable for easy cleaning
- Backed by 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Comes in 4 beautiful retro finishes, aqua, pink, red, and yellow
- Makes panini, mini pizza, cookies, and dessert apart from toasting bread
Cons:
- Small baking space; for a single person only
- No on/off button
Key Features:
- 550-watt
- Temperature control
- Metal construction
- Removable crumb tray
- 1-year warranty
- Weighs 4.6 pounds
3) Nostalgia RTOV220RETRORED Retro 12-Slice Convection Toaster Oven
Love baking for your family? Then let Nostalgia retro 12-slice convection toaster oven help you bake perfectly. This 1500-watt machine is both practical and stylish. Not only does give a rich retro feel but is also versatile. Therefore, the unit is capable of baking, convection baking, toasting, and broiling. You can undoubtedly try out various toaster oven recipes with Nostalgia RTOV220.
Instead of the single wire rack, you get 2 nickel-plated racks that fit perfectly. And both these racks can hold 12-inch pizza each for you and your family to enjoy pizza night. If not pizza, you can bake casserole using the included aluminum baking pan. And a clear-view glass window will let you see if the food is ready or not without turning the machine off.
Pros:
- Best convection toaster oven retro style with a good capacity
- Powerful enough to bake, toast, and broil
- Four stages heating selector for even heating from all the sides
- Bell sound on completion of the timer
- See-through window with stainless steel handle
- Includes aluminum baking pan and 2 nickel-plated racks
Cons:
- Bit expensive
- The top gets hot quickly if you set the temperature on high
Key Features:
- 0.7 cu ft capacity
- 1500 watts
- 60-minute timer
- 2 racks
- Removable crumb tray
- Adjustable temperature(200-450 degrees)
- Weighs 15.6 lbs
4) Hamilton Beach Easy Reach Toaster Oven, Red (31337)
If you love to see browning of bread or melting of cheese on your pizza then Hamilton Beach red toaster oven is for you. It comprises of a big see-through window that lets you see the food inside clearly. Not only the baking process buy you can monitor broiling and toasting of your bread. Speaking of bread, this small retro oven can fit 4 slices of toast or a 9-inch pizza. Plus, there are two rack positions to set the rack according to the height of the food.
The splattering of food on the glass door is common. But thanks to the roll-top door of Hamilton Beach 31337 that comes off easily to wash it under running water. Besides opening on the side, the roll-top door opens above the unit to let you access the food inside easily. Similar to the above units, it consists of a crumb tray at the bottom that catch-all burnt particles and grease coming off food. Thus, keeps your counter space clean.
Pros:
- Easy access to food because of the roll-top door that opens on top
- Bake, broil or toast
- 30-minute timer with auto shut off or optional stay-on
- Lightweight toaster oven ideal for RV, camping or small apartment
- Front-access crumb tray
- The door is completely removable to wash it off properly
- Large see-through window to let you monitor the cooking process
Cons:
- Heating does not remain consistent all times
- Marking around the dials are a bit difficult to see
Key Features:
- 1200-watt
- Innovative roll-top door
- 2 rack positions
- 30-minute timer
- Stay-on setting
- Weighs 8.22 pounds
5) Nostalgia RTOV220AQ Retro 12-Slice Convection Toaster Oven
Here comes another Nostalgia Original aqua toaster oven that compliments a variety of kitchen decors. This sturdy, safe, and beautiful blue unit are worth every single penny. It provides you a good 0.7 cubic feet capacity that is large enough to fit up to 12 slices of bread at once. Thus, perfect for a large family. And not only toast but the machine is capable of convection baking and broiling food. You can have a cafe-like dessert and broiled veggies at home.
For even results, Nostalgia RTOV220AQ features four-stage heating. This means the hot air comes from upper, lower, upper & lower, or not at all. By turning the knob you can adjust the temperature from 200 to 450 degrees F. This temperature range is enough to cook, bake and broil a variety of ingredients. And for the convenience of the user, the Nostalgia 12-slice toaster oven includes a baking pan that is perfect for making cookies.
Pros:
- The built-in 60-minute timer makes an audible ‘ding’ when the cycle is over
- This 2 shelf oven can bake two 12-inch pizzas at the same time
- The unit is capable of baking, toasting, broiling a wide variety of foods
- Oval clear-view tempered glass on center lets you monitor the food inside
- An optional stay-on function
- Heats quickly and evenly
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons:
- It runs hot so you might not want to touch top or sides while it is on
- Costly
Key Features:
- 22 L capacity
- 1500-watt
- Adjustable temp
- Glass window
- 2 metal racks
- Power light indicator
- Weighs 12.8 pounds
Complementary Mention : DeLonghi XR640 Retro Toaster Oven
Bright yet soft colors like red, blue and yellow give a retro feel. But many of us prefer simple units instead of colored ones. So we’ve picked DeLonghi retro toaster oven housed in chrome with black and silver accents. This gives a rich classic feel that blends well with a majority of retro style kitchen decors. Apart from good looks, this DeLonghi unit offers 1500 watts of power that is enough to bake, broil and toast ingredients.
It includes an aluminum pan that is perfect for baking a cake or broiling a salmon steak. Also, there’s a slide-out chrome rack that fits up to 6 slices of bread for seamless toasting. And the best part is a stay-cool rubber handle tool that grips the metal rack. This ensures you remove the hot rack easily without burning your fingers. Other than that, instead of the metal interior, DeLonghi features an enamel interior to heat quickly and evenly.
Why go for DeLonghi XR640?
- 1500 watts of power is enough for multiple tasks
- The chrome-plated exterior is easy to wipe clean
- Broil tray to achieve restaurant-like perfect
- Tray grip with rubber handle to protect your finger from burning
- Automatic shut off to deal with overheating
- Enamel interior is responsible for even heating as well as is easy to clean
- Cord wrap in the rear to store the wire properly when not in use
- 1-year warranty against defects
Can you put aluminum foil in the toaster oven?
You might have seen on TV cookery shows that many chefs use aluminum foil to cook a variety of dishes. And yes, many dishes are best made using aluminum foil. But it is also important to know that using any random aluminum foil increases the chance of fire hazard. Many people have become unfortunate victims of kitchen fire due to careless use of aluminum foil in the oven. But you can definitely put aluminum foil in the toaster oven if you take care of a few things.
- The first and foremost thing you do is go through the user manual once. Read carefully anything related to the use of foil. Check whether it supports the use of foil or not. Do not worry if there are no special instructions about foil.
- Always use heavy-duty foils instead of regular ones. If possible, go for oven-safe aluminum foils that reduce the chance of fire hazard or spark when inside the toaster oven.
- Wrap the foil tightly around the food. This helps to penetrate heat into the food rather than raising the inside temperature.
- Set the foil such that it does not touch any heating element of the toaster oven.
- To be on the safe side, never coat the entire crumb tray with aluminum foil. Many units allow wrapping of foil on a crumb tray but it unnecessarily increases the temperature.
- Instead of aluminum foil, you can use other alternatives such as parchment paper, oven-safe metal and ceramic utensils, covered roasting pans, etc.
- Lastly, stay near the oven while it is on to avoid an unfortunate accident.
What Can You Cook In These Retro Toaster Ovens?
Your toaster oven is more versatile than you think. Unlike its name, it is not limited to toasting bread. There are a lot of different things you can cook/bake in a toaster oven. Below mentioned are some famous uses of the countertop machine.
Leftovers
One famous use of any heating appliance is to reheat the leftovers. Ovens are great to warm or reheat food. They take a little more time than a microwave but the results are amazing. The oven helps to maintain the texture of food and the flavor of your favorite leftover food.
Baking
Homemade cookies are simply delicious. And toaster ovens are a great way to start home baking. With a good temperature control setting, you can use your little countertop machine to bake cookies, cake, muffins, bread, and a lot of tasty desserts.
Roasting
Many toaster ovens offer a roasting function that is best for roasting vegetables. But apart from veggies, you can apply olive oil on nuts like almonds and cashew and roast them. If you haven’t tried roasting nuts yet in your toaster oven then do give it a try. It will take nearly 15-20 minutes.
Baked Potatoes
One recipe that hits our mind as soon as we think about ovens is baked potatoes. And toaster ovens are perfect to make baked potatoes. Here you can either use aluminum foil or bake them without using one. Prick holes in the potatoes and set the temperature to 400 degrees. In about an hour you can enjoy soft potatoes garnished with favorite ingredients.
Croutons
People who love to have soups and salads many times a week like croutons in their dish. However, store-bought croutons are generally deep-fried and you might not want to add them to your healthy eating list. But why rush to the store when you can bake healthy croutons at home. Simply cut multi-grain bread into small pieces. Layer them with olive oil and bake them until they change color and become crunchy.
Pizza
Pizzas are absolute love for some people. And toaster ovens are best to bake pizza. Many units include a recipe booklet that contains one thing in common, pizza. If not, you can easily find different recipes on how to make pizza in a toaster oven. The time and temperature vary according to the base, cheese, and ingredients.
Video Walk-Through
Here is a video walk-through of the Nostalgia RTOV220 retro toaster oven.
Also Read:
Conclusion
Complete your kitchen decor with a beautiful retro-style toaster oven. These units come in vibrant colors that match your retro kitchen furniture. They enhance the look of your kitchen when placed on the countertop. Apart from the browning of bread, a toaster oven is capable of much more. You can broil and bake food depending on the temperature control. They come in different sizes to meet the needs of an individual to a big family. So pick the best toaster oven that will ease your kitchen tasks.
