Nostalgia BST3AQ Review | A Versatile Breakfast Station Toaster Oven

Most people would jump at the chance to make life in the kitchen that bit more convenient at an affordable price. But how about something that can cook your entire morning breakfast, prepare a perfect cup of coffee and basically present you with a fully cooked meal - all on its own? 

What’s interesting about the Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro is how breakfast stations like these were once all the rage in the US. A good breakfast station coffee maker complete with a toaster oven was an absolute must for the innovative household, with the ability to grill, toast, bake and make coffee to perfection at the touch of a button. And just to digress, if you want a more economical option, there's this review, as well.

Though for some reason along the way, the concept of the automated and seriously versatile breakfast station faded into obscurity. Now, if you use your toaster mostly just for heating, go to this post.

A welcome blast from the past, the Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro 3 in 1 is looking to turn things around in a big way. Arguably the number 1 family size electric breakfast maker with a multi-functioning toaster oven and convenient automatic coffee maker, this thing is capable of cooking a wide variety of breakfast foods to absolute perfection. All with a compact design, a convenient 30-minute timer and the reassurance of endless positive reviews from satisfied customers. On the other hand, if your are looking for a toaster solution for your RV, these will do.

The Nostalgia BST3 AQ is basically a retro appliance from years gone by, upgraded for the 21st century home and capable of cooking delicious meals with next to no involvement.

Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro Family Size Electric Breakfast Station: First Impressions

Right out of the box, it is difficult not to be impressed by the way the Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro has been put together. It’s a true family size appliance that can fit up to four slices of bread in the toaster oven and griddle a whole bunch of breakfast meats on top, with a four-cup coffee maker to the side.  Nevertheless, it’s also incredibly compact in its design, while making a courteous addition to pretty much any kitchen unit or countertop.

It’s also clearly been designed to be as easy to operate as possible, with an extremely simplified control panel, a light to indicate when it’s in operation and just a few basic settings to choose from. The appliance is insulated so that most of the exterior stays cool and is protected from the warm heat inside, while the multitude of removable components keeps it easy to clean after each use.

All in all, everything about the Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro has apparently been designed to allow the user to fry eggs, grill bacon and basically whip up the ultimate family breakfast - without having to trash their kitchen in the process!

Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro: Put to the Test

I decided to compare and contrast my experience with the Nostalgia BST3 AQ Retro with a selection of other customer reviews I came across while conducting my research. There’s little to no negative feedback out there to speak of, but there are a few sticking points some people highlighted - none of which I believe are enough to remove the lustre from the BST3AQ Retro.

First and foremost, if you honestly expect a seriously compact appliance like this to be the only machine you ever need in your kitchen, you’re expecting too much. The BST3AQ Retro has been designed to make an attractive and functional addition to the existing kitchen - not to replace all your other appliances and machinery.

Some have said that the coffee filter isn’t quite up to scratch for a family of four, but it nonetheless produces a solid 24 ounces with every run. It, therefore, depends exactly how much coffee you drink - I can easily knock back 12 ounces in one go, but that’s by the by. In any case, it takes no time at all to set it going again and brew another cup.

I was personally very impressed with the overall power and performance of the BST3AQ Retro when baking, frying and grilling a wide variety of breakfast foods.  As is the case when using any new cooker (or even any pots and pans), there’s a certain amount of trial and error involved in the first few runs. You need to get used to the various different heat settings and work out how hot its various components actually are, but it’s an absolute breeze after that.

The fact that there’s not a huge range of settings and you can’t control the temperature with pinpoint precision is by no means a deal-breaker. That’s because the BST3AQ Retro has been manufactured to provide just the right amount of heat as it is, so why would you need to alter it?

Fired up and loaded to capacity with a whole bunch of goodies, the BST3AQ has everything you need to prepare a fantastic breakfast in a single compact corner of your kitchen. Though if you want a quick tip from me - lay a bunch of sheets of kitchen towel around the immediate vicinity, as bacon and eggs grilling happily on the top will make short work of your clean kitchen counter!

BST3AQ Aqua Toaster Oven: Conclusion

Being absolutely delighted or otherwise with the BST3AQ Aqua toaster oven is (for me) all about having realistic expectations. The BST3AQ Retro 3 in 1 is a seriously welcome blast from the past, designed to occupy as little space as possible and cook an entire family breakfast at the touch of a button.

For homes with enormous kitchens and families with plenty of time on their hands, devices like this may not be completely necessary.  For everyone else - and for anyone who lives in a smaller apartment in particular -it can be an absolute godsend.

What’s important to remember about the BST3AQ is the way in which it’s not all about breakfast. The griddle, the coffee pot, the toaster oven - all perfectly capable of simplifying the preparation of all different types of meals. And then there’s the added bonus of how easy it is to clean after each use, which is always welcome.

Yes, it takes a little time to get used to and you could find yourself running parts of it (like the coffee maker) more than once to satisfy yourself and the rest of your family. But even then, it’s still going to save you massive amounts of time and effort, when compared to cooking breakfasts and other meals and the normal way.

Final verdict - an absolute bargain and a welcome blast from the past, with plenty of retro charm for the contemporary home.