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Matilda
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 8:06am | IP Logged
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Our toaster is mostly dead right now and since it is very likely to be all dead soon, I am considering whether or not to replace it with another toaster or look into a toaster oven. I have never used a toaster oven, not did I have one growing up but I have heard that you can do more with them than a plain toaster and would like to hear some thoughts on the matter. If you have a plain toaster that you love, please share that too! Thanks!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11 , 10 , 9 & 5 ) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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KC in TX
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 8:17am | IP Logged
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I liked having a toaster oven but had gotten rid of it due to counter space issues (or lack of) when we had lived in military housing. You can bake small items if you want in it without having to use up as much electricity as the regular oven.
When my toaster goes I'm going to get a 4 slice toaster so I can do more at once.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 8:48am | IP Logged
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I didn't grow up with a toaster oven, either, but I have enjoyed having one since being married. We have one that mounts under the cabinets. I really like it as opposed to a toaster because I can use it on buttered bread, buns and rolls, for melting cheese, etc... I've also been known to use it for a small batch of cookies instead of heating up the whole oven--especially in the summer time. Ours is so small, you can't really use it for more than two regular sized slices, but I do like being able to toast 3-4 odd sized slices from homemade bread without having to pry it out with a fork or something.
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PDyer
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 9:14am | IP Logged
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We use our toaster for making toast and cooking frozen waffles, and we use the toaster oven as the small oven for kids to use for quick lunches. We're a small family (don't cook in large quantities), so the toaster oven keeps us from heating up the big oven to cook small meals.
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Patty
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 9:22am | IP Logged
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PDyer wrote:
| ...so the toaster oven keeps us from heating up the big oven to cook small meals. |
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This is one of the reasons I was looking into a toaster oven. The heat we get during the summer months makes me look for other ways to cook without turning on the big oven. Right now, I am weighing the loss of counter space with not using the big oven as much. I typically keep my toaster in the cabinet and we only pull it out when using it.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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PDyer
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 9:31am | IP Logged
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Another pro-toaster oven thought: my kids were intimidated by the big oven so having a toaster oven available made them much more independent in the kitchen.
Our toaster oven sits out on the counter all the time, and our toaster lives in the appliance garage. 
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Patty
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SuzC
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This is perfect timing for me, Charlotte! I went shopping on Saturday for a new toaster, but came home empty-handed - I didn't think it would be that difficult a decision! Maybe I was meant to see this and get a toaster oven instead!
May I ask a question...we had a 4 slice toaster with extra long slots - meaning the bread went end-to-end and not in four side-by-side slots. This worked well for my "mom bread" that is longer than the average square bread. When I looked at the regular slots I wondered if my bread would fit...please keep me from going shopping with a slice of 15-grain in my hand!
Of course, the toaster oven would solve this and my shared summer heat issue.
hmmm
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Carole N.
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I also did not grow up with a toaster oven, but when I married my dh, he had one. We went through several because we use them so much (he even had one in the garage for various projects he worked on)!
When we moved over here, we got rid of most of our applicances. We did get a new toaster which my children love, but I really miss my toaster oven.  I really like the way you can toast bread, bagels, cook a small amount of pizza or fish sticks for small meals, or reheat a leftover.
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ctrivette
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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We just bought a toaster a couple of months ago; before that we used the toaster oven. My mom always had a small one for heating up leftovers, warming breads/rolls, small things. I love mine, but it was taking too much counter space. So now it lives in the garage until we need it. I can fit a pie pan in mine, so I think that I might drag it back out for the summer and see what I can cook/bake in it. Or maybe plug it in in the garage and do my baking out there and keep the excess heat out of my house!
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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We already have a small electric roasting oven in the garage that I use for baking. I can fit in one casserole size dish or two loaf pans. It is great! I am really thinking about this counter space issue. I think that might be the determining factor. I really am enjoying all of the perspectives!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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JodieLyn
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Keeping heat out of the house.. electric things are great.. rice cookers, crockpots, electric roasters.. those are all self-contained and get moved OUT during the summer.. I actually take them clear outside.. I have shelves just outside the backdoor of the garage and a heavy extension cord I can run out to the appliance.
And we use a toaster oven. When I'm making toast for everyone for breakfast.. I skip it altogether and use the broiler in the oven nothing like doing 12 pieces of toast at once.
But when we're just doing a few slices at a time.. or reheating something, broiling bread with butter or cheese on it etc.. you can't beat the toaster oven.
But I also don't have a microwave.
You can get a bigger more expensive "toaster oven" that's designed more for use as a real oven.. and they've got ovens for in RV's (my mom has one) that is a mircowave or convection oven.
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wahoo92
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We got our toaster oven when we were without an oven for SIX! weeks. I wanted an under the counter mounted one, as mentioned above, but was unable to find one, so we had to give up some counter space. Ours is not fancy, a Euro-Pro with dial controls (the only one I could find with dial controls which is what I prefer).
Pros: We saw a noticeable decrease in our electric bill. This was mid-summer, with no major change in AC usage from one month to the next and no other reason to account for the decrease, which if I recall correctly was about 25% of our bill. I would use the toaster oven, which fits the small Pampered Chef stone, for heating leftovers daily. I assume that's where the big savings was. It does heat up very quickly to 350-400. We can also fit a bread size pan or 8-8 Pyrex, so we use it quite a bit for all of those small "warm-ups" and snacks for our family of six.
Cons: IMO, it does not toast well at all. If I truly want something toasted, as with frozen waffles, I would need to turn the item to get the second side crisp. It warms well, but I would not call it toast. It is well enough that I'm not willing to give up space to add a toaster, but would if we had a larger counter.
The warming feature is a huge plus and something I never thought about before having one. I doubt we will do without one as long as there is space for it. Good luck.
Sarah
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Red Cardigan
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We had to make this decision not long ago. I was leaning toward a toaster oven, but the more research I did, the more scared off I got--it seems that lots of the newer models are prone to fires and other problems:
See
here,
or here,
or
or here,here,
or here.
Has anybody ever had a fire or exploding glass with a toaster oven?
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 10 2009 at 12:59pm | IP Logged
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hmmmm just stuff I should have cleaned out of the bottom of it catching fire.. toss some salt on it.. no problem.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Toaster vs. Toaster oven
