May 6

Nostalgia BST3AQ Review | A Versatile Breakfast Station Toaster Oven

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Author: Gisele Perez
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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.

breakfast station

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 Breakfast Station Coffeemaker: From the Manufacturer

As for what the manufacturer has to say about this compact, space-saving appliance for the easiest hot breakfast imaginable here’s Nostalgia’s take on the main features and benefits of this particular model:

  • A complete breakfast station: Perfect for the whole family, cooking everything from eggs to pancakes to bacon and so much more, with its fantastic non-stick griddle and multi-function toaster oven.
  • 3-In-1: Designed to cook the perfect hot breakfast while also brewing up to four perfect cups of coffee at the same time, in a compact appliance that is ideal for small kitchens or camping.
eggs and coffee
  • Multi-functioning toaster: The oven features a convenient timer and comes with a glass door for easy viewing of the delicious meals cooking inside.
  • Family-sized griddle: The perfect size for small kitchens where space is at a premium, but big enough to cook a 7-inch pizza. Great for keeping countertop space free and ideal for student homes.
  • Easy clean up: The wire rack, crumb tray and nonstick griddle are all removable and easy to clean for total cleanup convenience.
  • Control panel: Choose from a variety of settings - grill, toast and bake, Warm or Heat, or oven off. The indicator light will let you know when the unit is on.
breakfast
  • Flawless feedback: The Nostalgia BST3 AQ Retro has received almost entirely positive reviews from thousands of satisfied customers.
  • Components Included: Breakfast Station, Coffee Carafe, Coffee Scoop, Reusable Coffee Filter, Griddle Lid, Oven Tray, Wire Rack, Crumb Tray

Again, the Nostalgia BST3AQ Retro has been designed inside and out to spark something of a renaissance for this kind of super-convenient cooking technology for the 21st century. The difference is that with the Nostalgia BST3 AQ Retro, you’re looking at a quicker, easier and safer way to fry, grill, bake and brew than ever before - all at the touch of a button.

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.

like oven

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.

cyan oven

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.

no food in the station

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.

Key Specs From the Manufacturer:


Convection Cooking

No

Integrated Timer

Yes

Non-Stick Interior

Yes

black coffee

General

Product Name

BST3RR Retro 3-in-1 Family Size Breakfast Station

Brand

Nostalgia

Model Number

BST3RR

Color

Retro Red

Color Category

Red

function

Features

Convection Cooking

No

Function(s)

Bake, Toast, Reheat, Bagel, Pizza

Non-Stick Interior

Yes

Programmable

No

Integrated Timer

Yes

See-Through Design

Yes

Included

Cell

Removable Drip Tray

Yes

Rotisserie Included

No

Warranty

Cell

Manufacturer's Warranty - Parts

1 year

Manufacturer's Warranty - Labor

1 year

Other

Cell

UPC

082677001245

About the author

Gisele Perez

When not giving in-home, hands-on cooking classes, or developing recipes, Gisele "cooks" wonderful posts for us. She writes about various topics related to cooking appliances and cooking methods.


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