It has lived on kitchen counters for decades, it does exactly one job, and it quietly fills up with crumbs. More and more home cooks are moving the toaster into a cabinet, or out the door, for an appliance that makes toast and does a lot more.
In short
- The classic toaster does one task, two slices at a time, and takes up counter space all year.
- Its main replacement is the countertop oven, also called a toaster oven.
- For small jobs, a toaster oven may use half the energy of a full-size oven.
- No new appliance? Your oven and a skillet already do the job.
Why the toaster is losing its spot
The complaints are always the same. Chowhound sums up the first one: “It can only make a couple pieces of toast or bagel slices at once.” The second is space: on a crowded counter, an appliance that works two minutes a day is hard to justify. The third is cleaning, since crumbs pile up in the tray and are easy to forget, as Hunker points out.
It’s the same shift we saw with the microwave, which many kitchens are replacing too: fewer single-use appliances, more machines that do several things.
The replacement: the countertop oven
A countertop oven toasts several slices at once, plus bagels, waffles and croissants. It also reheats leftovers, bakes small batches, broils and, on many recent models, air-fries. “Why have a designated toaster when you can have a countertop oven that does everything in one appliance?” Chowhound asks.
The bigger the household, the more it makes sense: toast for four comes out in one batch instead of two or three rounds.
It can also save energy
For small portions, a countertop oven heats a much smaller space than your full-size oven. “If you have pizza to cook, for example, using a toaster oven may use half of the energy of a full-size oven,” writes Julie Garden-Robinson, a food and nutrition specialist at North Dakota State University Extension. If you’re wondering how it compares with another popular option, we looked at whether the air fryer or the oven really uses less electricity.
No new appliance? Use what you have
Hunker suggests two free alternatives:
- The oven, for toast in bulk: lay the slices on a sheet pan and cook a whole batch at once.
- A dry skillet, for one or two slices, with no oil or butter needed, right next to your eggs.
The limit
If all you ever make is two slices of bread in the morning, a classic toaster is still simple, cheap and fast. Countertop ovens cost more (the models Chowhound cites run from about $160 to $430) and take up more room than a toaster. Whatever you choose, small heating appliances deserve the same care: firefighters have one clear rule about which one to unplug before bed.
That’s the trick.
