I’m gonna rant for a second.
Every single “best toaster oven” article on the internet recommends the same giant Breville that’s literally the size of a microwave. The Smart Oven Pro, the Air Fryer Pro, whatever — they’re all enormous. And every single one buries the dimensions at the bottom of the page like it’s some minor footnote.
Meanwhile people like me are googling “toaster oven for small kitchen” because we have maybe 14 inches of usable counter space between the coffee maker and the knife block. I don’t need a countertop convection oven that can roast a whole chicken. We need something that makes toast and reheats pizza without consuming my entire kitchen.
So We bought a bunch of them. Returned most of them. And here’s what actually works when you’re short on space.
The quick version
| Toaster Oven | Width | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic FlashXpress | 13" | Overall best compact | ~$130 |
| Breville Mini Smart Oven | 16" | Best features in small size | ~$170 |
| Breville Compact Smart Oven | 16.5" | Best if you need more capacity | ~$180 |
| Hamilton Beach Easy Reach | 14.5" | Budget pick | ~$45 |
My top pick: Panasonic FlashXpress NB-G110P
Price: ~$130 | Check current price on Amazon
This thing has been Wirecutter’s top pick for like eight years running and honestly We understand why. It’s 13 inches wide. Thirteen. That’s barely wider than a sheet of paper. And it fits 4 slices of bread or a 9-inch pizza, which covers 90% of what I actually need a toaster oven for.
The secret sauce is the double infrared heating — one ceramic element on top, one quartz element on the bottom. What that means in practice is zero preheat time. You hit the button and it’s already cooking. My old toaster oven needed like 5 minutes to warm up. This one? Immediate. I timed it once and had golden toast in under 3 minutes.
We bought mine from Amazon back in September and it’s been on my counter ever since. Sits right between my coffee grinder and the wall, takes up almost no space. My wife didn’t even notice I’d added another appliance for like two weeks, which in our small kitchen is basically a miracle.
What We love:
- Instant heating, no preheat needed
- Preset buttons for toast, pizza, frozen foods — just press and walk away
- Interior light so you can actually see your food (underrated feature)
- The toast shade control actually works. Medium means medium, not “slightly warm bread”
What bugs me:
- The timer maxes out at 25 minutes. Fine for toast and reheating, annoying if you want to bake something longer
- No convection fan, so you’re relying purely on infrared heat
- The included tray is kinda flimsy. We bought a seperate small baking sheet that fits better
- Digital beep when it’s done is weirdly loud
For a small kitchen this is the one. Its been my daily driver for five months now and I genuinely can’t imagine going back to a bigger unit.
Runner up: Breville Mini Smart Oven BOV450XL
Price: ~$170 | See it on Amazon
If you have just a little more counter space and want something that feels more premium, the Breville Mini is fantastic. It’s about 16 inches wide — so 3 inches bigger than the Panasonic — but it gives you 8 cooking functions including bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, and that “A Bit More” button that’s honestly genius.
The “A Bit More” thing — you press it when your toast is almost done but not quite there, and it adds a little extra time automatically. Such a simple idea. I don’t know why every toaster oven doesn’t have this.
Build quality is noticeably better than the Panasonic. The brushed stainless steel looks great, the dials feel solid, and the LCD display shows you exactly what’s happening. This is the one I’d recommend if aesthetics matter to you or if your kitchen has that modern stainless-steel-everything vibe going on.
The Element IQ system adjusts heat distribution based on what you’re cooking. Baking cookies? More bottom heat. Broiling? All top heat. It actually works — I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies in this thing and they came out even on top and bottom, which is more than I can say for some full-size ovens I’ve used.
Where it falls short vs the Panasonic: It does need a few minutes to preheat. Not a dealbreaker, but the Panasonic’s instant-on heating spoils you fast. Also $40 more, which is real money for a toaster oven.
If you need more room: Breville Compact Smart Oven BOV650XL
Price: ~$180 | View on Amazon
OK so this one is pushing the definition of “small kitchen” but hear me out. At 16.5 inches wide it’s only half an inch wider than the Mini, but the interior is meaningfully bigger. You can fit a 12-inch pizza in here. You can’t do that in either of the two above.
Same Element IQ system as the Mini, same 8 cooking functions, same build quality. The main difference is just… more space inside. If you find yourself regularly wanting to cook things that are slightly too big for a 4-slice toaster oven — like reheating half a pizza instead of one slice at a time — this is the move.
I had this one for about two weeks before We decided I’d rather have the counter space back and went with the smaller Panasonic instead. But if I had even 2-3 more inches of counter to work with, this would’ve been my keeper. It’s just a really well-made appliance.
Best for: People who want compact but not tiny. If your kitchen is small-ish but not apartment-in-Manhattan small, this hits a nice sweet spot.
The budget option: Hamilton Beach Easy Reach
Price: ~$45 | Grab one here
I almost didn’t include this because it’s in a completely different league than the others. But We know a lot of people searching for small toaster ovens are also on a budget, and honestly? For $45 this thing is fine.
The roll-top door is the standout feature. Instead of swinging open toward you (which requires clearance space in front), the door rolls up and back. In a cramped kitchen where you’ve got the toaster oven shoved under an upper cabinet, that’s actually a big deal. I didn’t appreciate this until We tried it — you can reach right in without the door getting in the way.
Toast is decent. Not Panasonic-level even, but acceptable. It handles frozen snacks fine. Reheating leftovers? Sure. The two analog dials are dead simple — temp and timer, that’s it. No presets, no LCD screen, no smart anything.
The downsides are real though. Hot spots are noticable — the back-left corner runs hotter than the front. No interior light, so you’re opening the door to check on things which lets heat escape. Timer is imprecise with those analog markings. And the build quality is exactly what you’d expect for $45 — functional but cheap.
Get this if: You just need something small and cheap for occasional toast and reheating. Don’t expect it to replace your oven.
What We wish someone told us before I started
A few things I learned the hard way:
Measure your space first. And I mean actually measure it. I eyeballed a 20-inch Cuisinart once and it did not fit. Had to return it the same day. Get a tape measure. Check height too — if it’s going under cabinets you need clearance for heat ventilation.
Wattage matters in small spaces. Higher wattage means more heat output, which means better cooking but also more heat radiating into your tiny kitchen. The Panasonic at 1300W is plenty. I wouldn’t go above 1800W for a small kitchen unless you want your whole apartment warmed up every time you make toast.
The door style thing is real. Drop-down doors need clearance in front. Pull-open doors need clearance to the side. Roll-top doors (like the Hamilton Beach) need almost nothing. Think about where you’re actually putting this thing and whether the door will hit anything when it opens.
Skip the air fryer toaster ovens. We know, they sound great — two appliances in one! But the ones that actually air fry well are all huge. The compact ones that claim to air fry do a mediocre job at both. If you want an air fryer, just buy a small dedicated one.
And for the love of god, read the actual dimensions on Amazon before ordering. Not the product title that says “compact.” The actual measurements. I’ve been burned by “compact” appliances that were anything but.
The verdict
For most people with a small kitchen: get the Panasonic FlashXpress. It’s tiny, it’s fast, it’s been the top-rated compact toaster oven for nearly a decade for a reason. $130 is fair for something you’ll use every single day.
If you want something nicer and have a little more room, the Breville Mini at $170 is excellent. And if you’re on a tight budget, the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach at $45 does the job.
Just please — stop buying toaster ovens that are bigger than your actual oven. Your kitchen counter will thank you.
