How do you make your camping life merrier? Well, for starters you need to make sure that you have all the essential gadget tucked up and ready.
Of course, the importance of cooking appliances and utensils cannot be understated. Whether it is a small coffee machine for your morning coffee, or a comfortable toaster oven for your meals. Having tools and gadgets is the only way you can make your camping experiences viable.
In this article, we will have a look at some of the best toaster ovens for camping. While they are NOT a necessity, if you do have the provision for electricity, these appliances can make your cooking tasks simple and in turn make your overall camping experience joyful.
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Also Read: Best Budget Toaster Ovens
Top 3 Toaster Ovens for Camping
4.9/5
[Best Overall]
We highly recommend this option because it offers a very small footprint, compact form factor as well as one of the lowest energy rating found on toaster ovens at 1100 Watts.
It offers simple manual controls with bake, broil and toast settings. The interior has enough capacity to hold 4 slices of bread.
4.8/5
[Best for the Money]
This is one of the smallest toaster ovens that you can find and therefore, we highly recommend this for your camping adventures.
You will notice that it has a rather peculiar shape. Not only does it look appealing, the roll top door offers better accessibility and reach for your food as well.
4.7/5
[Best Mini Smart Option]
This mini smart oven can literally be a multicooker for you instead of a mere toaster oven. It comes with many digital presets for common cooking needs including for reheating as well as for pizza.
It uses sensors and PID temperature controller to independently control the 4 quartz heating elements.
List of Best Toaster Ovens for Camping in 2023
- Mueller Toaster Oven – Budget Low Powered
- Hamilton Beach 31344D – Affordable and Compact
- Breville BOV450XL – Mini Smart Oven
- Hamilton Beach 31156 – 2-in-1 Toaster Oven
- Black+Decker TO3290XG – Digital Toaster Oven
1. Mueller Toaster Oven – Budget Low Powered
We highly recommend this option because it offers a compact form factor with a very small footprint, making it ideal for those with limited counter space.
Additionally, it boasts one of the lowest energy ratings among toaster ovens, operating at just 1100 Watts. For the price, this toaster oven proved to be a powerhouse, being used almost daily for a year and a half.
It excelled at its job and was incredibly user-friendly. While my usage has been primarily focused on baking potatoes and toasting bread and bagels, I must say that the toasting function worked exceptionally well, consistently producing evenly browned slices.
Despite being slightly smaller than anticipated, it comfortably accommodated TV dinners and most other dishes. The oven heats up quickly and hasn't presented any issues during my two months of use.
I even found it suitable for small roasts, appreciating its energy efficiency and ease of use compared to a traditional oven.
While a lower energy rating does mean that it will take longer or cook, reheat or toast, it also means that you will need a smaller source of electricity.
This would especially appeal to those who have a small electrical generator for their camping adventures.
Other than that, it offers simple manual controls with bake, broil and toast settings. The interior has enough capacity to hold 4 slices of bread.
All in all, if you value low power ratings, then this is the best toaster oven for camping.
One minor quirk I encountered was the toast setting, which required selecting a temperature and desired level of toasting. Nevertheless, it functioned effectively.
2. Hamilton Beach 31344D – Affordable and Compact
This is one of the smallest toaster ovens that you can find and therefore, we highly recommend this for your camping adventures.
You notice that it has a rather peculiar shape. Not only does it look appealing, the roll top door offers better accessibility and reach for your food as well.
In terms of simplicity, this manual oven is the easiest to use. It doesn't have many settings, making it quite useful for quick toasting.
Everything about it is generally excellent, but what I particularly appreciate is the easy access and the ability to monitor the toasting progress without the need to bend over.
Additionally, its spacious interior allows for cooking larger quantities, and the rack conveniently holds the tray. Surprisingly, the roll-up method for accessing the oven is much better than a traditional door.
The size is perfect for the countertop, and it accommodates most items I need to heat or bake. I've even baked frozen biscuits in it, and it bakes them evenly. Cleaning is a breeze, and operating it is incredibly simple—just turn the knobs and you're good to go.
In the end, if you love simplicity and compact form factor, then this is the best toaster oven for camping.
3. Breville BOV450XL – Mini Smart Oven
While the two toaster ovens above were affordable manual options, this is on the other side of spectrum. This is not just a digital oven, but a smart oven.
It should be mentioned that it is also the most expensive in this list.
The reason why we have selected this option here is because it can literally be a multicooker for you instead of a mere toaster oven. It comes with many digital presets for common cooking needs including for reheating as well as for pizza.
One important point that separates this from the other digital toaster ovens is that this comes with a Smart Element IQ technology. With this, the oven uses sensors and PID temperature controller to independently control the 4 quartz heating elements.
This ensures high quality and consistent cooking. Unfortunately, all that technology comes with a higher price tag as well.
It should also be noted that this consumes a high 1800 watts of power. Therefore, you will need a larger energy source / generator for this. The good news is that a high power ensures that you can reheat and cook your meals faster.
As far as size is concerned, this mini smart oven is designed to fit comfortably in your camp. If you're planning to cook meals and want a device that can automate your cooking processes, we highly recommend it as the best toaster oven for camping.
Users have praised its convenient size, perfect for fitting in small spaces, and its ability to grill vegetables.
However, I have been using it for about 6 weeks and had no complaints, although I haven't tested it with pizza yet.
We find it easy to set with no guesswork involved and appreciated the safety feature of automatically turning off after making toast.
I gifted this mini smart oven to our handyman who lives alone, and I must say, he absolutely loves it. Its small size, fast and even heating, and easy cleanup have made it the perfect option for him.
If you're in search of a smaller, lighter oven with no downsides, this one is a fantastic choice.
4. Hamilton Beach 31156 – 2-in-1 Toaster Oven
This toaster oven deserves a spot here. It basically combines the function of a toaster oven with a slot toaster and thus in turn basically makes your camping life simpler.
Whether you want to cook simple meals in the interior chamber for dinner or if you want to a toaster for bagels or bread slices for breakfast, this appliance may come in handy for some quick meals.
The multiple cooking option here means that you can spend less time cooking and more time doing your camping adventures.
Unfortunately, the main drawback of this oven is its higher cost compared to regular ovens, so it's important to carefully consider its value for yourself.
However, there are some notable advantages worth mentioning. Despite its small size, this oven offers a generous 60-minute timer, which allows for cooking more complex recipes.
Additionally, it excels at making perfect toast and defrosting frozen bread slices or bagels. It's particularly suitable for baking small items like homemade flat pizzas, quesadillas, and melts, as well as heating up kids' snacks such as mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets.
Furthermore, it is efficient at toasting and melting from the top. One of the standout features is its dual functionality as a toaster and a compact oven, making it a convenient and space-saving option.
The overall quality is good, with crisp heating that achieves desired results in less time compared to some other models.
Again, if you value the slot toaster option in this, then this is the best toaster oven for camping.
5. Black+Decker TO3290XG – Digital Toaster Oven
The Breville BOV450XL smart oven we saw earlier above was expensive. Therefore, if you need a cheaper model BUT with digital controls, then this is the best toaster oven for camping in our opinion because it is compact and quite affordable.
It does not have smart control or advanced sensors like the Breville BOV450Xl above, but it does offer easy to use digital control as well as cooking presets.
The first thing you will notice that while the height and the depth of this oven is still quite small, the width is a bit larger. This makes it suitable for toasting 8 slices of bread at a time instead of mere 4 as is the case with previously mentioned options.
Therefore, if you camp with a large group, then the larger interior space here may be appealing to you since it is spacious enough to fit most pans.
The digital preset on this oven include selections for toast, pizza, and reheating among the usual control like bake, and broil.
One very important feature of this convection oven is its convection fan. This component is highly regarded by many users due to its ability to reduce cooking time and promote even cooking.
The toaster function operates flawlessly, and the convection heating is a personal favorite as it speeds up the cooking process.
Additionally, the oven's spacious interior allows for the use of large pans, eliminating the need to use a larger oven. I am extremely satisfied with this convection oven and would highly recommend it to others, as it consistently delivers perfectly cooked food.
In fact, I even gifted one to my grandmother, who is incredibly pleased with its performance. Moreover, the oven's sleek stainless steel design adds a touch of elegance to my kitchen.
With a convection feature, the fan basically circulates the hot air inside the chamber so that the food gets heated from all corners evenly.
By reducing the time to cook, it also conserves energy in the long run.
All in all, there are plenty of features that make this the best toaster oven for camping. Features such as low profile but wider width, convection fan and digital controls all at a reasonable price tag are highly valuable in our opinion for any camper.
What to Look For?
Toaster ovens come in all shapes and sizes and with a large combination of features. Therefore, to specifically have a toaster oven for camping, there are a few things that you can look into.
Compact
The smaller the better
It goes without saying that when camping, cargo and stowage space is limited.
Therefore, you need to make sure that your toaster oven is compact enough to fit easily in your tent, your car, or in your RV without occupying much of the essential space.
Fortunately, there are plenty of compact toaster ovens out there.
Easy of Use
The toaster oven should be fairly easy to use and intuitive. Complex controls or cooking functions may come in handy, but they can add to the frustration.
The simpler the better.
Manual vs Digital
Speaking of Ease-of-use, you can either go for manual or digital ovens. Manual ovens are cheaper and offer old school controls. They are not precise, but they are still great for simple toasting or reheating tasks.
Digital toaster ovens, on the other hand, come with many cooking presets and some may even offer multiple cooking functions. They can be operated by a single press of a button. They are great for preparing meals but they are also expensive.
Also Read: Best Mini Toaster Ovens
Energy Conservation
This is a very important consideration. Since energy is a limited commodity, you need to make sure that toaster ovens are as energy efficient as possible.
This is especially true if you are going to operate the toaster ovens using an electrical generator. A toaster oven that consumes lower energy means it will be quite compatible with a smaller generator.
Read: Energy Star Guide on Toaster Ovens
Final Words
Here we looked at some of the best toaster ovens for camping by taking into consideration their value, customer reviews, their size as well as energy consumption requirements.
Again, your choice would depend a lot upon what you want to accomplish on your camping adventure. Do you want to cook meals? If so, then a smart toaster oven like the Breville BOV450XL would work great for you.
On the other hand, if you want a simple option for toasting and reheating, then the much cheaper toaster ovens like the one from Mueller would seem like the better option.
FAQs:
1. What are the best toaster ovens for camping?
List of Best Toaster Ovens for Camping that we tested:
1.
Mueller Toaster Oven – Budget Low Powered
2.
Hamilton Beach 31344D – Affordable and Compact
3.
Breville BOV450XL – Mini Smart Oven
4. Hamilton Beach 31156 – 2-in-1 Toaster Oven
5.
Black+Decker TO3290XG – Digital Toaster Oven
2. Does a toaster use a lot of electricity?
When in use, the bread toaster consumes between 800 and 1500 watts of energy; an average toaster consumes around 1200 watts. Calculate the energy consumption of a bread toaster operating at 1200 Watts for 0.20 hours per day at the cost of $0.10 per kWh. This equates to toasting six slices of bread for a total of 12 minutes per day.
3. How much does a toaster oven weigh?
Toaster ovens are the smallest of the bunch, weighing an average of 25 pounds. Toaster ovens with larger ovens are typically heavier. If you are moving or need to transport the oven, weight may be an issue.
4. What is the average size of a toaster oven?
The average size of a toaster ovens are with dimensions of 16.5 inches across by 14.25 inches deep and a height of 10 inches. The 1,800-watt toaster oven provides much-needed power in a space-saving design.
5. Can you cook meat in a toaster oven?
Yes, a toaster oven can be used to cook meat. Toaster ovens are also capable of cooking meat and sausages. And if your sweet tooth gets the better of you, pop a few cookies in them. It's a more cost-effective option than baking a full-size batch.