Microwave or Toaster Oven

If you use a microwave regularly then a toaster oven isn't going to cut it, because it's basically a tiny oven. I liked mine (when I had a bigger kitchen) because it was big enough to bake things like a pie or quiche or small pizzas without heating up the whole kitchen.

I have a built in microwave over my oven and I pretty much only use that to heat something up quickly. I do NOT use it to cook at all because I prefer the oven or toaster oven for cooking.

I have a Breville toaster oven (about $250 at Bed Bath and Beyond) I bought to replace my Kitchen Aid toaster oven that was a little smaller ($150) but still a very good toaster oven.

Back in 2015 my oven went out and it was our plan to replace it by Thanksgiving. My husband died unexpectedly in October of 2015 and I have used my toaster oven for everything. At Thanksgiving, I brought out the Kitchen Aid toaster oven an used it as well. I made cornish hens in the toaster oven and all the other traditional dishes and it was great for 2 years now!

In March, I replaced and updated my oven and microwave and I STILL gravitate to the toaster oven. When I use my oven, it still smells new and it is SO pretty I don't want to mess it up!!

I understand you have teens. When my daughter was living at home, she used the toaster oven more than the microwave as well.

It is just me now so the toaster oven is very practical for me and it is my go to for cooking.

A lot depends on your needs and available counter space,

We use the microwave for thawing, reheating and it's a fast way to boil water.
Ours is over the stove so it takes up no counter space.

A toaster oven is great for toasting - some prefer it to having a pop up toaster - and small things that you would otherwise use a regular oven for.
Heating up a whole oven for small things is a waste of energy.
It does take up some counter space, and it gets hot - you have to be careful what is near it on the counter.

We find we can't live without a microwave.
We've gone long periods of time without a toaster oven - but it's handy to have one once you've got in the habit of using it.

I agree with TF.

When it was just my husband and I - we loved our toaster oven. I actually miss it - but we have very limited counter space and not room for one at the moment. I think with teens it would be fantastic. My kids would definitely use one - think tuna melts, mini pizzas, etc.

We use our microwave a lot because we defrost. My kids eat at all odd hours in recent years because of their sports - so we do a lot of pasta sauces they reheat and eat when they get in after practice. They could do it on the stove, but they are more likely to reheat in the microwave.

I also have casseroles in microwave/portion sizes they do - so it makes sense for us.

I miss our toaster oven. If you've ever had one (and nowadays, they are much better) they are very handy.

Microwave. We have both and we hardly ever use the toaster oven. It's almost like using the regular oven to me you just have to put smaller things in it.

i have both. A microwave and toaster oven.

My boys - teenagers - can make popcorn in a pan on the stove. But they like the convenience of doing it in the microwave.

You can't toast a bagel in the microwave - my youngest is a HUGE bagel fan.

Boy, I use both all the time. I freezer cook, so I use the microwave to defrost all the time. I use the toaster oven for toast, to heat up pizzas, to keep waffles warm.

They are very different appliances, so depending on what you want to use it for, it will depend on what you buy.

To me, they are very different devices. I see a toaster oven as a toaster, and a microwave as a microwave (to heat/cook/thaw). I used to have both at one point, many years ago, when I had a live-in boyfriend. We had a fight, broke up, he moved out, and took the toaster. 10 years later as he was getting ready to leave the country, he gave it back to me. At that point, I realized I didn't really have any use for it and never really missed it and it'd take up counter space, so I donated it. Mom came over last year during the hurricane, wanting to toast bread. You cannot do that in the microwave, so that was the only time I felt I may have needed it, in those 10 years. I solved the problem by using my George Foreman Grill as a panini press and toasted her bread in it. I'd go for the microwave, if I were you.

they're not comparable for me.

i use the microwave daily. i use the toaster maybe a couple of times per month. i use the micro to heat and defrost. i use the toaster to toast.

i haven't had a toaster oven for years, but when this toaster dies i might get one. i think it would be occasionally more useful than a toaster.

but it won't replace my microwave.
khairete
S.

I always had a small toaster oven, and used it for way more than just toast. I liked the SpaceSaver feature to attach is to the underside of the cabinet.

When the last one bit the dust, and because my son had gone off to college and the real world, there were just the 2 of us. I went for a larger toaster oven (by Oster) which takes up more counter space (not ideal) but has a lot more features than my older one, from a convection setting to precise temp/timing controls to a 2-position rack. It's large enough to take 4-6 slices of bread, 6 English muffin halves, and even a small pizza. I think stuff crisps up better than in a microwave. For a couple of teens, I think it might be nice to have something that has more space so they can actually share instead of nagging over who gets the microwave first. I did buy some larger oven trays for it (larger than a typical toaster oven) and that has made a huge difference.

I think it does help kids learn to use a real oven (even though it's small scale) and that's a good life skill.

We have a microwave and a toaster. Both are used regularly.

It really depends on what you use the microwave for and whether or not the toaster oven can do it too. For us, the microwave fits the use.

Microwaves are not good for your health. Check out this info on Beatcancer.org. I only use a microwave if I absolutely have to. I know it's hard with kids, but there are definitely other options like the stove or a toaster oven. https://www.beatcancer.org/blog-posts/top_10_reasons_not_...

I have not had a microwave in about 8 years. I have not used a toaster oven in about 10 years. I don't miss either one. But if I had to choose one I would say toaster oven

I'd say toaster oven, but our family is perfectly happy without either one! Our microwave stopped working 6 months ago and we didn't rush to get a new one. I am SUPER HAPPY we didn't. We adapted and found that food reheated on the stove/in the oven tasted a TON better, and I love having the additional counter space in my very small kitchen for our large fruit bowl. The one and only thing we miss it for is microwaveable popcorn but that's not exactly healthy anyway lol. We just buy the bagged popcorn now. :) I don't see us buying a microwave anytime soon...if ever again. Every now and then I think about buying a toaster oven to replace our very old toaster...but I don't want to give up the counter space!

This might sound like my family is from the caveman age but we don't use or even have a microwave oven in our home. My parents didn't have one. My sister,brother and I and our children were raised without microwave ovens. When we go to a hotel or Resort where a microwave oven is available or at work, then we'll use them. But at home it's ovens and toaster ovens. My 27 year old daughter who is single, on her own and lives in apartments where microwave ovens are available, she will use them but probably still sticks to an oven much more often. These decisions were made when microwave ovens were new and we were concerned about its health effects.. For cooking , we just never made that technological change or update.