Not only do toaster ovens toast bread and other food items, as the name would imply, but they are also more than capable of performing other culinary functions such as baking and broiling. Most people find that toaster ovens are indispensible for heating things such as pizza and sandwiches.

Black and Decker toaster ovens have smaller capacities than conventional table top ovens and are able to toast bread on both sides simultaneously whereas the conventional versions are not only much bigger but will only toast bread one side at a time. While some models have top and bottom elements for baking and broiling, like the Black and Decker Countertop 6 Slice Toaster-R-Oven CTO650, some older types only come with one element.

Black and Decker toaster ovens are practical for use as a second oven or even for replacing a large oven in order to cut down on energy consumption. Nevertheless, with obvious limited capacity compared to a conventional oven, food preparation results may differ in toaster ovens.

Toaster ovens by Black and Decker come in a range of different sizes, such as the larger versions like the Black & Decker TRO5050A Toast-R-Oven or the smaller, more inexpensive varieties like the Black and Decker Classic Chrome Toaster Oven TRO962. A few older models used to have a pop up feature for toast through the top of the appliance, very much like a standard toaster, but these are much less common nowadays. On the whole, most toaster ovens offer a slow-heat cooking, which comprises of low wattage current continually surging through the top and bottom elements, thereby enabling you to cook different foods concurrently, with a good example being the Black and Decker Toast-R-Oven Classic Countertop Oven/Broiler TRO392.

Another feature some models provide are two shelving settings which are ideal for baking, the Black & Decker 4-Slice Toast-R-Oven, Stainless Steel TRO700S a prime example of this type. Other toaster oven features can consist of special defrost cycles or a porcelain catalytic finish that is able to clean itself constantly under normal cooking temperatures. Close relatives of these toaster type table ovens/broilers are the broiler rotisseries and the smokeless broilers, both of which lack covering but are totally safe for indoor usage as they tend not to smoke or spatter. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the infrared heating element attains temperatures much higher than the smoke range and in so doing surrounds the element with a heat shield, which means that when grease hits the element it disintegrates without creating any smoke. Secondly, a stainless steel reflector pan which is located beneath the broiler rack contains water which any dripping would fall into, thus no spattering.

Convection toaster ovens work on the traditional principal, i.e. cooking food by circulating heated air using a fan. Technically speaking, all the ovens have convection currents whose flow depends upon the position of the heating elements. These convection currents are further mobilized by the fans provided in the ovens.

There are many companies offering convection toaster ovens. Some of the recent toasters and their companies are mentioned below.

Black and Decker 4-Slice Toast-R-Oven Stainless Steel TRO700S, a Black and Decker Toaster Oven, which is an easy-to-use toaster oven which can bake, broil and reheat food as well as toast up to 4 slices of bread at a time. And cleaning of this toaster is also an easy task because of the sleek and trendy design which suits any type of kitchen top.

Cusinart is another company which has been providing kitchen utilities for over a decade. The Cuisinart Classic Toaster Oven Broiler, Black Matte TOB30BW-FR is an intelligent toaster which offers several cooking methods to choose from. It comes with a slide-out crumb tray, 2-position oven rack baking, automatic shut off, and a durable non-stick interior. It also offers three different temperature control knobs and is easy to operate.

Delonghi is another highly reputed company in terms of oven toasters. The DeLonghi 6 slice toaster oven EO-1200B is a very trendy and up-market product. The product has a black metallic finish and it offers some unique controls. It provides a Convenient Foot Switch which lets you control the oscillation without bending over. DOUBLE TIP-OVER SWITCH is another feature of this product which automatically shuts down the power if the unit becomes unstable.

Another gargantuan in the market of oven toasters is Hamilton Beach. The company offers quality at a very reasonable price. One of its recent offering is the Hamilton Beach 31115 Extra Large Toaster Oven. Its extra-large interior can easily fit 4 slices, a 9 inch cake pan or 2 personal pizzas at the same time. It has an automatic shutoff to save power and a ready bell to intimate the user that food is cooked. Its bake pan is also very useful for cooking and warming cookies, rolls or sandwiches.

In the last, it is the choice of the user depending upon his needs to purchase a toaster oven. But since the time microwave ovens were introduced the demand of the ovens has reasonably reduced.