The best convection
Calphalon
The Calphalon Quartz Heat Countertop Oven heats quickly and evenly, has an easy-to-read screen, and comes with a nice range of accessories.
Whether you live in a small space that doesn’t allow for a traditional oven, or you’re in need of a countertop oven that can help handle the frenzy of holiday cooking, the Calphalon Quartz Heat Countertop Oven is an option well worth considering. This oven features a quartz heating element that allows for more even heating and cooking.
I put this countertop oven to the test to see if it lived up to the promise of fast, precise cooking. During the Thanksgiving holiday, I put it through the paces and was pleased with the results. It preheated quickly, and everything we cooked — including a corn casserole and roasted cherry tomatoes — came out perfectly.
The best part is that we had another oven to use for cooking sides while our main oven was busy cooking the turkey for dinner. If you enjoy entertaining, or simply need additional oven space, a countertop oven is a great thing to have in your arsenal of kitchen appliances.
I would also recommend this for those who have a smaller living space or kitchen that may not support a full-sized oven. It can handle all the jobs of a traditional oven, plus it doubles as a toaster. Along with the toast function, 10 other cooking functions are available: Bagel, Pizza, Bake, Broil, Roast, Defrost, Reheat, Warm, Cookies, and Dehydrate. It also has a turbo convection setting to crisp up food.
The larger capacity allows it to cook bigger dishes than smaller toaster ovens, but you’ll want to measure your countertop space to ensure a good fit. We had no issue fitting this onto ours, and while we likely won’t leave it out all the time, it does blend in well with the rest of our appliances thanks to the sleek, dark stainless steel design.
In addition to having a wide range of cooking functions and a bright, easy to read LCD screen, this countertop oven features a light so you can easily check on your culinary masterpiece — or your piece of toast. Either way, it’s another useful feature to help ensure the cooking process goes smoothly.
I also liked that the oven comes with all the accessories you need to get started, including a wire rack, a baking sheet, a 12-inch pizza pan, and a dehydrator rack. The oven itself is easy to use thanks to the clearly labeled knobs and LCD screen that shows you the temperature setting, cooking function, and time if you choose to use the timer. — Kylie Joyner
Pros: Preheats quickly, features quartz element for even heating, easy to read LCD display, 11 different cooking functions, comes with cooking accessories
Cons: On the expensive side, short power cord
$220.59 from Amazon
$229.95 from Williams Sonoma
