[Answered] Does Toaster Oven Save Electricity?

Ovens, ovens, ovens. The convenient method of cooking in a capsulated, heated interior, like our ancestors cooking in the ground, but in a modernized form. You can not beat the convenience of cooking food in an oven. And nothing can come close to it.

There’s the microwave, toaster, and our friendly conventional oven. And the toaster stands out as it is in the middle. Like being the best of both worlds. It is more powerful than a microwave, but not as hefty to maintain as a conventional oven.

But does a toaster oven save electricity? Well, turns out, it does! If you compare the cooking time and energy wattage, toaster ovens use less energy than conventional ovens in many ways. 

And we are going to talk all about that today.

Toaster Ovens Save Electricity | The Truth Explained

So, let’s start with the numbers first. A toaster oven uses about 1200-1800 watts of electricity. Some smaller ones even use 400 watts, you know the little cute ones, right? But for a conventional oven, the usage wattage goes up to 3000 watts. That doesn’t mean they operate on that exact wattage always.

You have to understand how a toaster oven works and how a conventional oven works. A toaster oven has exposed elements and takes only a few minutes to heat up and cook toast or broil your food. But a conventional oven first heats up the interior of the oven, then starts to cook the food. Which takes a lot of time and energy to do.

For example, you are going to heat up a frozen pizza. If you place it in a toaster oven, it will take roughly 20 minutes give or take. From heating up the elements to cooking the pizza out of the oven, it will take only 20 minutes. That too in 1200 watts.

The same pizza placed in a conventional oven will take at least 30-35 minutes. And the wattage will go up to 1500-1800 watts. As the oven needs to heat the interior and cook the pizza from inside out keeping the ambient temperature, it consumes a lot of energy. 

This varies from each food cooking, roasting, and broiling time. Some will consume more energy and time, while others won’t. And you cannot definitely get the same output out of a toaster and conventional oven in comparison. 

But if we are talking about energy efficiency and the one that saves up on electricity, then Toaster ovens will always win. 

Questions You May Ask

Are toaster ovens cheap to run?

Yes. For smaller meals, heating up, and cooking smaller portions of foods, toaster ovens are cheap to run. And they heat up pretty fast, cutting down on energy usage. 

Does a toaster or toaster oven use more electricity?

If we put toaster or toaster ovens in comparison to microwaves, they use a little bit more electricity as they have a heating element inside them rather than a magnetron. But if you compare them with a conventional oven, toaster ovens use less electricity. 

Does a toaster oven use less electricity than a microwave?

It solely depends on the size of your toaster oven. If the wattage is higher than a microwave, it surely uses more electricity. Also, they have a heating element inside them which increases electricity consumption. So toaster ovens do not use less electricity than a microwave. 

Conclusion

So if you already have a conventional oven or thinking of investing in a toaster oven, we would say, go for it. It will save you a lot on the electric bill for toasting and heating up simple foods. We also recommend going for a convection toaster oven so that you can cook full-on meals whenever you need it.