The single question that decides everything when you're shopping for a budget toaster oven is this: how many minutes a week will you spend cleaning it, and are you okay with that number? For a couple in a first apartment, the cooking part is easy. The scrubbing is what quietly turns a $70 appliance into a chore you avoid.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to products we could verify exist.
What actually matters
- Cleaning time, not wattage. A toaster oven with a removable crumb tray and a pull-down glass door usually wipes clean in about two to three minutes. One with a fixed tray and exposed heating elements can take ten minutes or more, every single week. Over a year that's hours of your life.
- Interior coating and shape. Nonstick or enamel-lined interiors release baked-on cheese and grease with a warm soapy sponge. Bare aluminum interiors stain and hold onto smells. Rounded corners matter too — square corners collect crumbs you can't reach.
- Capacity in slices, not liters. Manufacturers list quarts, but what you feel daily is how many slices of bread or how many bagel halves fit on the rack. Budget models usually land between 0.5 and 0.9 cubic feet.
- Wattage and preheat honesty. Most sub-$100 units run 1,000–1,500 watts. Higher wattage usually means faster preheat and better browning, but it also means a hotter exterior and a bigger hit on your electric bill.
- Controls you'll actually use. A mechanical dial is one less thing to break. Digital touchpads give you precise temperature and a timer, but on cheap units the buttons are often the first failure point owner reviews mention.
- Footprint on a small counter. Measure your counter before you buy. A "compact" oven can still be 18 inches wide and 14 inches deep, and it needs clearance behind it for the door to swing open.
Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake
Typically around $70–$100. This is the model most couples end up with, and for good reason: it's a countertop convection toaster oven that handles toast, frozen pizza, and a small sheet-pan dinner without much fuss. The specs show a pull-down door with a glass window, a removable crumb tray, and a nonstick interior, which is the combination that keeps weekly cleaning short. Owner reviews consistently report the convection setting browns more evenly than plain bake.
If this helped, you'll also want to read Best Budget Meal Prep Tools for One Person in 2026, Best Cheap Tea Kettles With Temperature Control and Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combos Under $100.
The downsides are real. The exterior gets hot, so it needs clearance. The included pan is small, and reviewers often mention that the nonstick coating on the tray wears faster than the oven interior does. Dial markings are approximate rather than exact, so you'll learn your oven's quirks.
Buy it if you want one appliance that does toast and small meals, and you want cleaning to be a two-minute wipe rather than a project. Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake
Gourmia 6-Quart
Typically around $60–$90. Gourmia's 6-quart air fryer oven sits in a slightly different category — it's an air fryer that also toasts — but for a first apartment it often replaces a toaster oven entirely. The basket and crisper plate are the parts that get dirty, and both are usually dishwasher-safe, which is the single biggest time-saver in this whole article. Fifteen minutes of air frying typically means about three minutes of cleanup.
The trade-offs: it's bulky for a 6-quart appliance, the interior is harder to wipe than a flat toaster oven floor, and owner reviews often note that the exterior runs warm. Toast quality is decent but not as even as a dedicated toaster oven.
Buy it if you fry more than you toast, and if "dishwasher-safe parts" is the phrase that sold you. Gourmia 6-Quart
Dash Compact Air Fryer
Typically around $40–$70. This is the smallest and cheapest option here, and it's honest about what it is: a compact air fryer for two people making small batches. The basket is nonstick and generally dishwasher-safe on the top rack, so cleanup is genuinely fast. Preheat is quick because the cavity is tiny.
What you give up is capacity and versatility. You can't fit a frozen pizza. You can't toast four slices at once. Reviewers frequently mention that the nonstick basket coating needs gentle handling — metal tongs will scratch it, and once it scratches, food sticks and cleaning gets harder.
Buy it if your counter is tiny, your budget is tight, and you mostly cook single portions. Dash Compact Air Fryer
Cuisinart Perfectemp
Typically around $80–$100. Cuisinart's entry-level toaster oven leans toward toasting and reheating rather than full meals. The specs point to a straightforward design with a slide-out crumb tray and a broiling pan, and the brand's reputation for even toasting is the main draw. Owner reviews often praise the browning consistency on bread and bagels.
The honest downside is that it's less of a meal-cooking oven. It's smaller inside than the quart rating suggests, and the interior isn't as easy to wipe as a nonstick-lined model. Grease that bakes onto bare metal takes soaking.
Buy it if toast and reheating are 80% of your use, and you value even browning over capacity. Cuisinart Perfectemp
Bella 22-inch Electric Griddle
Typically around $30–$50. This isn't a toaster oven, and that's the point. Some couples realize after a month that what they actually needed was a flat surface for eggs, pancakes, and grilled sandwiches — all of which wipe clean in under a minute because the cooking surface is right there, not inside a box. A nonstick griddle is the lowest-cleaning-time appliance in a starter kitchen.
The catch: it does one thing. No toast, no baking, no broiling. It also needs counter space and a nearby outlet, and the drip tray has to be emptied.
Buy it if you cook breakfast and simple dinners more than you toast, or if you want a second appliance that costs almost nothing to clean. Bella 22-inch Electric Griddle
Aroma Housewares 6-Cup
Typically around $30–$50. Another non-oven pick, and a genuinely useful one for two people. A 6-cup rice cooker handles rice, oatmeal, and steamed vegetables, and the inner pot is almost always nonstick and removable. Rinse it under warm water and you're done — usually under two minutes. The steam tray and inner lid are the only fiddly parts.
Downsides are limited cooking modes and a small capacity. It won't replace a toaster oven, and the exterior stays warm for a while after cooking.
Buy it if rice or grains are a staple and you want the cheapest possible cleanup routine. Aroma Housewares 6-Cup
Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Typically around $60–$90. Hear me out. The reason to mention a Dutch oven in a toaster oven article is that it's the opposite approach to the same problem: one heavy pot that goes from stovetop to oven and, with a quick soak, cleans up with a sponge. Enameled cast iron doesn't hold onto tomato sauce or curry the way a cheap nonstick pan does. For a couple cooking two or three dinners a week, it can reduce how often you need the toaster oven at all.
The trade-offs are weight and care. It's heavy, it needs hand washing, and the enamel can chip if you bang it against the sink. It also takes longer to heat than a toaster oven.
Buy it if you'd rather cook one real meal than reheat four small ones, and you don't mind a heavier cleanup that happens less often. Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Comparison table
| Product | Price | Best For | Key Pros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake | ~$70–$100 | Toast plus small meals | Convection, nonstick interior, removable crumb tray |
| Gourmia 6-Quart | ~$60–$90 | Air frying for two | Dishwasher-safe basket, fast cleanup |
| Dash Compact Air Fryer | ~$40–$70 | Tiny kitchens, small batches | Cheapest, smallest, quick preheat |
| Cuisinart Perfectemp | ~$80–$100 | Even toasting | Consistent browning, slide-out crumb tray |
| Bella 22-inch Electric Griddle | ~$30–$50 | Breakfast and sandwiches | Fastest cleanup of any pick here |
| Aroma Housewares 6-Cup | ~$30–$50 | Rice and grains | Removable nonstick pot, two-minute cleanup |
| Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven | ~$60–$90 | One-pot dinners | Versatile, easy-release enamel |
The bottom line
For a first apartment, pick based on cleanup, not features. If you want one appliance that toasts and cooks small meals, the Black+Decker Crisp 'N Bake is the safest all-rounder, and its nonstick interior keeps weekly wiping to a couple of minutes. If your counter is tight and you mostly reheat, the Dash Compact Air Fryer costs less and cleans faster. And if you'd rather cook one real dinner than four small ones, the Crock-Pot Artisan 5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven solves the same problem from a different direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to clean a budget toaster oven each week?
With a removable crumb tray and a nonstick interior, typically two to three minutes per use. Models with a fixed tray and bare metal interior can take ten minutes or more, which is the main reason to check the cleaning design before you buy.
Is a toaster oven or an air fryer easier to clean?
It depends on which parts are removable. An air fryer with a dishwasher-safe basket, like the Gourmia 6-Quart, usually takes about three minutes for a fifteen-minute cook. A toaster oven with a nonstick interior and slide-out tray is comparable, while one with a bare metal interior takes longer.
Do I need a toaster oven if I already have a griddle or a rice cooker?
Not necessarily. The Bella 22-inch Electric Griddle and the Aroma Housewares 6-Cup both clean up in about two minutes and cover breakfast and grains. Add a toaster oven only if you also want toast, baking, or broiling in the same footprint.