Countertop Ovens: How to Choose a Toaster Oven or Pizza Oven

A countertop oven, called a toaster oven in stores, suits an apartment without an oven, a couple or single person, a second oven for dairy or Shabbat, and anyone who wants to heat and bake small amounts without firing up a large oven.

Price comparison sites list more than 300 models in the toaster oven category, from 10 liters up to 60 liters, alongside Air Fry combo ovens and electric pizza ovens. They all plug into a regular outlet, need no carpenter or technician, and can move with you between apartments.

When it is the right solution:

• A rental or a unit (yechidat diyur) without an oven: a ⁦45–50⁩ liter toaster oven lets you bake a cake, roast a chicken and heat a quiche.
• A second oven: many kosher homes keep a small oven for dairy, or an extra oven for Shabbat and holidays when the big oven is full.
• Saving preheat time: a small oven heats up faster. On the Ninja DT203, per the listings, preheating takes about 90 seconds.
• Students and offices: a ⁦20–30⁩ liter toaster oven for reheating and toast.

When it is not enough:

• A family of 5 that bakes several trays at once every week.
• Anyone who needs a full-size home oven baking tray.
• Anyone who needs a certified Shabbat mode: on the models we checked, Shabbat mode is not mentioned.

In those cases a large oven is better. In a new kitchen, see our built-in oven guide, and in an existing kitchen with gas, our freestanding range guide.

What about a microwave? A microwave heats fast, but does not bake or brown. Some microwaves with grill and convection partly replace a toaster oven, and we cover them in our best microwave guide. In a small home, the question is usually whether to put a toaster oven, a microwave, or both on the counter.

For a couple or small family a ⁦45–50⁩ liter countertop oven is recommended; for one person ⁦20–30⁩ liters is enough, and under 20 liters it is mainly for toast and reheating.

What fits in each size, roughly:

• ⁦10–21⁩ liters: toast, a small frozen pizza, reheating. Per the comparison page, the Gold Line ATL6610 is 10 liters and the ATL6621 is 21 liters.
• ⁦23–36⁩ liters: a small tray, cut-up chicken, a cake in a round pan. Morphy Richards offers 23 and 36 liter models.
• ⁦45–50⁩ liters: a medium tray, a whole chicken, two trays with convection. Sole SL45L (45 liters), Morphy Richards 44456 (46 liters) and Sauter TOH502 (50 liters).
• 60 liters: close to a small oven. Suits anyone fully replacing a large oven, but takes a lot of counter space.

Watch the tray dimensions: capacity in liters does not tell you exactly which trays will fit. On the Ninja DT203, for example, capacity is not stated, but per the listings the tray is 30×⁦34 cm⁩. Before buying, measure the tray you use most, and check it against the oven's interior dimensions or the tray that comes with it.

External dimensions: a 45-liter oven takes more than half a meter of counter. Per one listing, the Sole SL45L is about ⁦56 cm⁩ wide, ⁦37 cm⁩ high and ⁦40 cm⁩ deep. The Ninja DT203 is, per one listing, 44×33×⁦51 cm⁩. Leave space from the wall and the upper cabinet, because the sides and top get hot.

Bigger is not always better: a large oven takes longer to heat and uses more electricity. If you mostly reheat and make toast, 30 liters will work better than 50. If you bake cakes and roast chicken, ⁦45–50⁩ liters gives you the flexibility.

How many racks? A ⁦45–50⁩ liter toaster oven usually has ⁦2–3⁩ rack heights. Baking on two racks at once works well only with convection, and it is better to swap the trays halfway through, because the top tray is closer to the heating element.

In a countertop oven the most important thing is convection, meaning a fan that spreads the heat, followed by a temperature of at least 230°C and a timer with auto shut-off; Air Fry and special programs are a bonus.

Convection: without a fan, heat comes only from the top and bottom elements, and baking is less even. Per the product pages there is convection on the Morphy Richards 44456 (even, fast heat distribution), the Sole SL45L (convection fan) and the Sauter TOH502 (active convection). On very cheap models, like some ⁦21–32⁩ liter models, convection is not mentioned.

Heating modes: per the listings, the Sole SL45L has 5 modes: top grill, bottom, top and bottom, top grill with convection, and convection. The Morphy Richards 44456 has 6 modes, including defrost, keep warm, browning, bake and toast. That is enough for most uses.

Air Fry: the Ninja DT203 and SFP703 combine a countertop oven with hot-air frying. Per the listings, the DT203 has 10 programs: Air Fry, bake, roast, whole roast, grill, pizza, dehydrate, reheat, toast and bagel. The SFP703 also has combined steam cooking, dough proofing and steaming rice and pasta. The price is twice or more that of a regular toaster oven.

When Air Fry is worth it: if you do not have an air fryer and want one appliance on the counter, or if your air fryer is too small for the family. If you already have a good one, a simple ₪⁦450–720⁩ toaster oven will complement it.

Rotisserie spit: per the listings, the Sole SL45L has a rotating rotisserie spit, useful for a whole chicken. On the Morphy Richards 44456 it is not mentioned.

Timer and shut-off: a 60-minute timer with a bell and auto shut-off is standard. If you roast meat that needs more than an hour, you will have to restart it, or choose a model with a longer digital timer.

An electric pizza oven is worth it for anyone who makes pizza at least once a week and wants pizzeria results, because it reaches about 400°C with a baking stone, while a regular toaster oven stops at ⁦230–250⁩°C.

What we saw in stores:

• Caso PizzaChef 400: per the store's product page, up to 400°C, 2,000 watts, a 33×⁦33 cm⁩ cordierite stone, dimensions of 47.5×50×⁦23 cm⁩ and a weight of about 13 kg with the stone. Warranty per the page is from S.G. Electronics. In the store we checked it sold for about ₪1,890.
• Stanley STTO-1200: per the product page, up to 400°C, 1,700 watts, pizza up to 12 inches, a stone, a peel and a rack, and dimensions of 33×⁦34 cm⁩ and ⁦16 cm⁩ high. One-year warranty from the official importer. In the store we checked it sold for about ₪680.

We saw both models in only one store, so they are not on the recommended list, where we show a price range from several stores. Compare prices before buying.

What is the real difference? At 400°C a thin pizza bakes in a few minutes, and the edges puff up and brown. In a toaster oven at 230°C it takes longer, and the dough comes out drier and crisper. Even an Air Fry combo oven like the Ninja DT203, which has a pizza program, reaches up to 230°C per the listings.

Downsides of a pizza oven: it is a single-purpose appliance. It does not suit cakes, stews or chicken, and it takes up space. If you make pizza once a month, a pizza stone in your regular oven is a cheaper solution.

A gas taboon for the yard? There are also pizza ovens that run on gas or wood, for outdoor use. They are a different product, with gas and open-flame safety requirements, and we did not cover them in this guide. Indoors, an electric pizza oven is the practical solution.

Safety: 400°C is serious heat. Place the oven on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from the wall and upper cabinets, and do not leave it running unattended.

A toaster oven draws ⁦1,600–2,400⁩ watts and plugs into a regular outlet, but a separate outlet is better than a power strip shared with a kettle, microwave or toaster.

Power by model:

• Morphy Richards 44456 and Sauter TOH502: 1,800 watts.
• Sole SL45L: 2,000 watts.
• Ninja DT203: 2,400 watts.
• Pizza ovens: ⁦1,700–2,000⁩ watts.

A regular 16 A home outlet delivers about 3,500 watts (Israel runs on 230V/50Hz). If you plug a 2,000-watt toaster oven and a 2,000-watt kettle into the same power strip, the breaker may trip. In an old kitchen with few outlets, it is worth adding an outlet.

Safety:

• Leave space from the wall and upper cabinets, because the sides and top get hot.
• Do not put things on the oven while it is running.
• Clean the crumb tray regularly. Built-up crumbs and grease can smoke.
• Keep children away from the door, which gets hot on many models.
• One Morphy Richards 44456 listing mentions heat insulation and a European standard marking. Check that the appliance meets Israeli safety requirements, especially with parallel import (yevu makbil).

Shabbat: on the models we checked, Shabbat mode is not mentioned. Many people use a toaster oven with a mechanical timer or a Shabbat clock on the outlet. How and when that is permitted is a halachic question, and we do not rule on it. If you need an oven for Shabbat with certification, built-in ovens and freestanding ranges with a certified Shabbat mode are covered in our built-in oven and freestanding range guides.

A toaster oven for dairy: a common practice in kosher homes is a small dedicated oven for dairy, so the large oven does not need kashering. In that case a ⁦30–45⁩ liter toaster oven is usually enough for pastries, quiches and pizza.

A large toaster oven with convection costs about ₪⁦450–800⁩ in Israel, a Ninja Air Fry combo oven about ₪⁦1,030–1,600,⁩ and small ⁦10–21⁩ liter models start at about ₪⁦100–140.⁩

What we saw on price comparison pages in November 2026:

• Morphy Richards 44456 (46 liters, convection): about ₪⁦450–600.⁩
• Sole SL45L (45 liters, convection, rotisserie): about ₪⁦520–720.⁩
• Sauter TOH502 (50 liters, active convection): about ₪⁦610–800.⁩
• Ninja DT203 (Air Fry, 10 programs): about ₪⁦1,030–1,590.⁩
• Ninja SFP703 (Air Fry and steam, 12 programs): about ₪⁦1,050–1,470.⁩
• On the category page we also saw a small 10-liter toaster oven from about ₪100 and a 21-liter one from about ₪140, and ⁦30–36⁩ liter models from about ₪⁦350–420.⁩

Where to invest? In convection and the right capacity. The difference between a ₪300 toaster oven without convection and a ₪⁦500–600⁩ model with convection and 45 liters is very noticeable in baking. The difference between ₪600 and ₪800 is smaller and depends mainly on capacity and accessories.

When to pay ₪1,000 or more? When the appliance also replaces an air fryer, or when you need programs like steam, dehydrating or dough proofing. Otherwise, a good toaster oven and a separate air fryer can come out cheaper.

Warranty: some listings state an official importer (yevuan rasmi) and a one-year warranty, and for Ninja some sellers offer 2 or 3 years. For the Sole SL45L the importer and warranty are not stated on the page. Ask for the warranty terms in writing before buying, especially on cheap models.

Price gaps: with toaster ovens the gaps between stores are smaller than with built-in ovens, but they still exist: on the Ninja DT203 we saw a difference of about ₪560 between the cheapest and most expensive. On a small appliance, shipping can be a significant part of the price, so compare the final price including delivery or self pickup.

Cleaning and maintenance: a small oven gets dirty fast because the food is close to the heating elements. Wipe the walls once the oven has cooled, empty the crumb tray, and wash the tray and rack. Do not use oven cleaner inside a toaster oven without checking the manual, because some coatings are sensitive.

The right choice starts with what you will bake in it, continues with capacity and convection, and ends with checking counter space and an outlet.

• Step 1, use: reheating and toast? ⁦20–30⁩ liters. Cakes, chicken and quiches? ⁦45–50⁩ liters with convection. Pizza every week? A 400°C pizza oven. One appliance that also replaces an air fryer? A Ninja combo.
• Step 2, capacity and convection: make sure convection appears in the spec, and that the tray you use will fit.
• Step 3, space: measure the counter, including space from the wall and the upper cabinet.
• Step 4, electricity and warranty: a separate outlet, and an official importer with a warranty certificate.

Examples by profile:

• A couple in a rental without an oven: Sauter TOH502 or Morphy Richards 44456.
• Roasting a whole chicken: Sole SL45L with a rotisserie spit.
• Want to replace the air fryer too: Ninja DT203.
• Cooking full meals, including steam: Ninja SFP703.
• Pizza lovers: an electric pizza oven, after comparing prices.

Usage tips:

• Preheat. Even in a small oven, baking without preheating gives a less even result.
• Use the middle rack for baking, and the top rack for browning.
• Clean the crumb tray every few uses.
• Do not cover the heating elements with aluminum foil.

In an especially small kitchen, it is worth planning all the countertop appliances together: toaster oven, microwave, and a dishwasher too. A ⁦6–8⁩ place-setting countertop dishwasher takes about ⁦55 cm⁩, like a large toaster oven. If there is no room for both, a slim under-counter dishwasher can free up the work surface.