Consider a foil shield. One of the more confounding issues I’ve had is that the generous layer of mozzarella cheese on top of a mini baked pasta dish browns prematurely, especially at the edges. “In general, the best thing you can do if you see that something is starting to get on the dark side of browned—regardless of whether you’re baking in a toaster oven or a traditional oven—is to use a foil shield,” Pixley says. “Gently cover whatever you’re baking with aluminum foil, and it will seriously slow down the browning.”
Adjust your cooking temp. If you’re working with a recipe, you may want to adjust your cooking temperature. Toaster ovens heat quicker and cook faster than traditional ovens, so drop your baking temperature by about 25° F and keep an eye on the food, says Vincenzo Della Polla, executive chef and cooking school instructor at the Pritikin Longevity Center.
Use convection mode. If your oven has this feature, use it to circulate air for more even heating. “That’s especially helpful for cookies and pastries,” says Kenneth Sutton, who leads test projects at Consumer Reports.
Use an interior light to check progress. If your toaster oven has a light inside, use that to check baking progress rather than opening the door, which can cause temperatures to fluctuate, Sutton says.
Have the right bakeware. Be sure to start with a pan that’s small enough to fit. Not sure what type of bakeware to use in a toaster oven? Aluminum, cast iron, and nonstick pans are some options. Small muffin tins can also fit, depending on the size of your oven.
Be careful with glass. Avoid putting cold glass cookware into a hot toaster oven, Pixley says. “The rapid change in temperature can cause the glass to shatter,” she says.
To help you find a toaster oven that’s ideal for baking, we’ve rounded up the top-rated models with convection and other baker-friendly features that perform well in our baking tests.
