Why Hamilton Beach's 2-in-1 Countertop Oven & Toaster Is One of My Tried-and-True Kitchen Staples
If dual functionality, space-saving design and ease of use are your top criteria for countertop appliances, then take a look at this combination mini oven and toaster.
I had the same toaster oven for about 13 years, and I loved it. It was the Hamilton Beach Toastation, a combination mini-oven and toaster. What made the Toastation unique is that it had a slot on top like a standard toaster but it was also a small oven that could bake or broil. With a flip of a switch, it converted from toaster to an oven. It was easy to use, cooked evenly and quickly, saved on precious countertop space and it was a cute red color, so it added a little extra personality to my kitchen. Then one day that switch that flipped it from oven to toaster broke. The Toastation had a long life and served us well, so I didn’t feel like it owed me anything. I just thought I’ll buy another one. But NO!! Hamilton Beach stopped making the Toastation. However, they did have a new version of a mini-oven and toaster combo. I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the standards of my beloved Toastation, but I’m happy to report that Hamilton Beach’s newest toaster and oven combo lives up to its predecessor.
Hamilton Beach’s new version of the Toastation is the 2-in-1 Countertop Oven and Toaster. It has the same great dual functionality as my old Toastation, but it’s even better. The oven can fit a 9-inch pizza — the old Toastation couldn’t — yet the overall size of the entire unit is not that much bigger. The 2-in-1 is not a cute shade of red like the Toastation, but its sleek chrome finish still looks stylish on my countertop.
The 2-in-1 combination oven and toaster allows you to do more in less space. Bake, broil and toast by switching cooking modes easily with the slide of a lever.
If you like the functionality of an old-school toaster but also want a mini oven for heating up leftovers and cooking smaller items, the 2-in-1 is perfect for that. I have teenagers, so the oven gets used a lot for cooking frozen pizza and entrees as well as breakfast fare like cinnamon bread and frozen waffles. The oven operates on a timer that you have to set past 10 minutes for it to start and it automatically shuts off after 60 minutes. This seemed odd to me at first, but with kids in the house, I’m glad to have the auto-shutoff safety feature. The oven also has a broiler which is nice if you’re looking to make crostinis or melt some cheese on a loaf of garlic bread. The 2-in-1 comes with a tray for baking and broiling and there’s a crumb tray on the bottom which is easy to remove and empty.
Overall Opinion:
Pros: The dual functionality of the 2-in-1 is great. The toaster slot is big enough for bagels but can also hold skinny stuff like pita bread. The oven's interior is big for the size of the unit, and the auto-shutoff is a nice safety feature.
Cons: My family’s only gripe with the 2-in-1 is that when you open the oven door, the oven rack doesn’t automatically come out. On our old Toastation, the rack was attached to the door so when you opened the door, the rack came out slightly, making it easy to see food inside.
