Today’s appliance makers have shaken up the compact cooking ovens scene for the better. The first player to enter the field was a simple toaster oven more than 100 years ago. Selection during most of these 100 years was somewhat poor, and units were often underpowered and unimpressive. Thanks to a virtual explosion of technology, today’s toaster ovens are not only more powerful, but speedier, more energy efficient, and slick-looking. Now, one can find compact convection ovens, convection-hybrid or microwave-hybrid ovens, compact ovens with broilers, rotisseries and more. Many of these not only can rival or replace a traditional oven, but they do it at a small fraction of their price and use a fraction of their energy.

Small But Mighty
Some of today’s compact cooking ovens are large enough to fit a standard quarter-size sheet pan or 13x9 inch cake pan. Certain compact models allow for roasting a whole chicken on a rotisserie spit. Cutting edge convection cooking ovens use special fans that circulate and distribute hot air throughout the oven for faster and more even cooking. Clearly, these are not your grandmother’s toaster ovens.

Energy Savings
Nearly all of today’s compact models plug into standard 120V household outlets. No need to arrange for special 220V wiring like their larger cousins. These compact wonders also draw a fraction of the energy. Small to average sized compact cooking ovens draw around 900 to 1200 watts of power. Larger ones may draw 1700-1800 watts. Given that convection features reduce cooking times, that means even less energy is used compared with standard sized ovens. Standard electric range ovens draw around 7500 watts of power, which is eight times the energy consumption of the smaller ovens. Using compact cooking ovens means more money stays in your pocket.

Features
Today’s cooking ovens often feature programmable controls, electronic keypads and digital displays for more precision in cooking and baking. Automatic shut-off features can be a real help to busy people.

How to Choose
Everyone’s needs are different. Before you shop, decide which sorts of foods you’ll prepare with one of these cooking ovens. For toasting pastries or other small items, the compact models with fewer settings might be all you require. If pizza is your thing, look for one that allows space for the standard 12-inch pizza pan. If baking bread, then check that your compact candidates allow sufficient head room for the finished loaf. Even most of the smallest compact ovens will be able to handle baking one round 9-inch layer cake, but may not handle two at a time. Specialty models are designed to hold a standard 13x9 inch cake pan, which is the usual size for a cake made from a mix.

With the advent of newer and better technology, lower pricing and vast energy saving possibilities, it only makes sense to have one of these compact cooking ovens. Whether making snacks, baking bread, pizza, cakes, pies, or dinner for the family, today’s designs let you do it quickly and with power to spare. Some people find the reduction in their energy bill more than pays for the cost of these smart-looking compact ovens.