Combi-toasters/toaster ovens and digital toasters

[Nomina]

Hi all,

I want to try baking bread in my combination microwave/toaster oven but I'm unsure what bakeware is safe to put in it. I can't find the manual either.

Is aluminimum foil ok on the toaster oven setting? Are metal pans? Do i need to buy all ceramic bakeware? If yes, what kind?

Any experiences about baking in one of these is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[tsquare]

No experience, but most manuals can be found on-line.

[MSRadell]

If you using it on the oven setting only you can use any type of pan you want, aluminum, stainless, silicone or whatever. Aluminum foil is also fine. Only when you start using the microwave function does the type of material become critical. That's when reading the Manual is important. Ceramic and silicone are always OK but some microwave ovens don't like aluminum, stainless or anything else conductive.

[heidih]

Been through a few but they were all "found" in the garage so who knows their life story. With your GF on that mechanical timer clicking away. Finally they all died so I used AMEX points and free Prime and got this little job. Lives in garage on workbench and works just simply as needed. $25 or so but I paid zero. 

[chromedome]

6 hours ago, heidih said:

Been through a few but they were all "found" in the garage so who knows their life story. With your GF on that mechanical timer clicking away. Finally they all died so I used AMEX points and free Prime and got this little job. Lives in garage on workbench and works just simply as needed. $25 or so but I paid zero. 

My mom has the identical model. No interesting features to speak of, but it makes perfectly decent toast and I've used it to bake/reheat a variety of small items.

[weinoo]

30 minutes ago, chromedome said:

but it makes perfectly decent toast

 

I need more than perfectly decent if something is gonna take up that much room.

[paulraphael]

9 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

I need more than perfectly decent if something is gonna take up that much room.

 

My favorite feature on these things is the broiler. It's great for crisping things up in a hurry, especially the kinds of leftovers that will come out too steamed and soggy in the microwave. Also great for things like grilled cheese / croquet Monsieurs. The bake feature is nice for small portions when you don't want to fire up the real oven.

[heidih]

As to taking up space, the one I have and showed has a small footprint and as I said lives in the garage on a not used workbench. I toast, re-crisp, sometimes roast a few odd bones for quick stock or some root vegetables.. Works for me but I am not space challenged. Cheese toast it does beautifully. 

[chromedome]

11 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

I need more than perfectly decent if something is gonna take up that much room.

It has just about exactly the same footprint as my conventional pop-up four-slice toaster, so for me it's a wash.

That being said, I don't content with NYC space constraints either. And I'm probably not as picky about my toast.

[Katie Meadow]

As a person who vowed never to own a toaster oven, I have had many toasters in my many years. My all time favorite was the Sunbeam Radiant Control. You put the toast in. It goes down all by itself and comes back up toasted, all by itself. Yes, it was a miracle.Yes it was beautiful to look at. It was invented in 1949 and if it existed today it would cost approximately $260. However, it was a toaster, and by definition imperfect. I was a flea-market junkie in my twenties, and bought them whenever I saw them for a good price. None of them lasted forever and none, of course, made the perfect piece of toast. We who love toasters have no illusions abcout the beauty and the evanescence of toasters. This fact has never stopped any company from producing armies of toasters. (Think Cylons.) Just ask @andiesenji, who needed a whole room devoted to her collection. Sooner or later, often sooner, a toaster does something you don't like and it goes downhill from there.

 

Eight or ten years ago we bought a Smeg toaster. It's made in Italy. The design is stylishly retro, very appealing, and it comes in some lovely colors. It is not cheap. Made for two wide slices, with a bagel button to toast one side as needed. A decent timer.  It still works adequately, with increasing quirks, which is part of living with a toaster until you can no longer live with it.  

 

[Midlife]

Somehow our son and his family wound up with this amazing digital interface toaster that is ridiculously expensive ($350). While I’d never in a million years spend anywhere near that for a toaster, I have to say that his is without doubt the best one I’ve ever used. It has a digital screen that’s very easy to use, it toasts perfectly, and is incredibly fast. I think it should be for that kind of money, and it is. 
 

 

[weinoo]

2 hours ago, Midlife said:

It has a digital screen that’s very easy to use, it toasts perfectly, and is incredibly fast. I think it should be for that kind of money, and it is. 

 

I think it should butter your toast...for that kind of money, that is.

[Anna N]

On 7/9/2023 at 4:31 PM, weinoo said:

 

I think it should butter your toast...for that kind of money, that is.

And brew your coffee. 

[cdh]

Since my CSO has never regained its ability to do the steam thing, I've been satisfied with its ability to just be a toaster oven.  But the steam function was nice while it worked... so when I spotted this thing: Vevor steam thingy, I think I'm going to grab one and see what it is good for... 

[DesertTinker]

58 minutes ago, cdh said:

Since my CSO has never regained its ability to do the steam thing, I've been satisfied with its ability to just be a toaster oven.  But the steam function was nice while it worked... so when I spotted this thing: Vevor steam thingy, I think I'm going to grab one and see what it is good for... 

Cool! Comes with its own “Ash Tray”! 🤣

Edited July 10, 2023 by DesertTinker
Typo (log)

[weinoo]

3 hours ago, cdh said:

Since my CSO has never regained its ability to do the steam thing, I've been satisfied with its ability to just be a toaster oven.  But the steam function was nice while it worked... so when I spotted this thing: Vevor steam thingy, I think I'm going to grab one and see what it is good for... 

 

How close is your nearest thrift shop?

[chromedome]

11 hours ago, DesertTinker said:

Cool! Comes with its own “Ash Tray”! 🤣

In the image caption it's described as a "slag tray," which is even funnier. "WTH you usin' that oven for, Jim-Bob?"

[cdh]

13 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

How close is your nearest thrift shop?

How often do steam ovens turn up at Goodwill?  They're not exactly a commonplace gadget... 

[weinoo]

5 minutes ago, cdh said:

How often do steam ovens turn up at Goodwill?  They're not exactly a commonplace gadget... 

 

I was thinking what might become of yours if it sucks.

[cdh]

True... plenty of options for giving it away...

[weinoo]

2 hours ago, cdh said:

True... plenty of options for giving it away...

 

I can't tell you how much kitchen stuff I've given away to Housing Works over the years. It's sorta how I rationalize buying a lot of stuff I don't necessarily need. And at least I think (hope) it's going to a good cause.

[jedovaty]

On 7/10/2023 at 3:46 PM, cdh said:

 Vevor steam thingy

It states the interior is galvanized on one of the pictures.  And then writes this: "The inner liner and baking tray are respectively coated with excellent zinc and aluminum".  Aluminized steel is fine fine, but zinc-coated steel 😶

 

That.. that can't be safe?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_fume_fever

 

Maybe it's something lost in translation.

Edited July 12, 2023 by jedovaty (log)

[Maison Rustique]

We got a GE toaster oven  as a wedding gift nearly 39 years ago. Would you believe the darned thing died a few days ago? Huh! Nothing lasts anymore. 😉

 

Trying to decide what I want to replace it with. I'd like to get something a little bigger so I can heat bread or a small dish instead of turning on the oven every night to make dinner. Counter space is valuable real estate in this tiny kitchen and budget is very limited. I've had lots of recommendations, just need to go physically look at them to decide if I'm willing to give up that much space. Timing is not bad, as I've been working to re-do my countertops to get appliances on the counter instead of stored away so I will actually use them. 

[weinoo]

9 minutes ago, Maison Rustique said:

Trying to decide what I want to replace it with.

 

We had one of these in our small DC apartment - worked great, as do most of their products:

 

Breville Mini Smart Oven

 

 

[Tropicalsenior]

I have this Hamilton Beach convection oven.

I use it for all my baking because turning on my big oven here in Costa Rica is like turning my whole house into an oven.

The broiler is a little wimpy but it does get the job done. It has a rotisserie feature but I don't use it. My last oven had a rotisserie feature and I used it once. It took longer to clean the sucker afterwards then it did to actually prepare, eat, and clean up after the meal. I'm really happy with this one and the price is certainly right. I like it for the double rack feature and the fact that it will hold a 12 inch pizza pan. Yes, it does get hot enough to make pizza.

The only thing that I don't like about it is it the print on the dials is very small, but the print is baked into the finish and does not wash off like previous models that I have had. It won't last you like your old one because this is the second one that I have had in 5 years but if it goes out I will buy another one just like it. I should say, also, that I use it everyday, sometimes two or three times a day.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Tropicalsenior (log)