Should I Unplug My Toaster Oven When Not In Use? Everything You Need To Know

The question of whether you should unplug your toaster oven or not while not in use is ubiquitous. The likelihood of fire hazards from any electrical appliances is very common under any wrong circumstances. Any incautiousness with your appliances can put you at the risk of fire hazards and sometimes damage the machine. And the risk of incautiousness significantly increases for the toaster as it is one of the most commonly used appliances in the kitchen. 

But should you be worried when your toaster is left plugged when not in use? In this article, we will answer this question. So read on. 

Why Should I Unplug My Toaster While Not In Use?

So you are in a rush. Your children are getting late to school and you are running after them with breakfast in hand while they are running towards the school bus. Suddenly you remember that your toaster oven is plugged into the outlet. Now the question is, Should you get worried? 

In such scenarios when you have the chance to immediately unplug the oven poses no danger. However, you will barely find someone who faced destruction because she didn’t unplug the oven while not in use.

Therefore, the answer to your question, about why I should unplug my toaster when not in use, is very simple; to minimise the chance of fire hazards, and electrical damage and save your electric bills.

How?

When you leave your toaster plugged for more than a few hours, the heating elements will draw current from the circuit and may heat up at the same time. If there are any leftover bread crumbs in the oven, the heat will get something to burn. And when it does, you are indeed going to face a fire hazard caused by accumulated bread crumbs. That’s why you must properly clean your toaster oven after every use. It may reduce the potential fire damage from accumulated dust and bread crumbs. It may also increase your electricity bill as the heating elements will be drawing current in a standby mood if you are doing it deliberately.

So unplugging the toaster oven after finishing every cycle will save a significant amount of energy and most importantly decrease the chance of any potential fire hazards.

Can A Toaster Oven Cause House Fire?

No. A toaster oven alone can never cause a house fire unless there is something highly flammable in the oven when it catches on fire. But the report says that between 2007 to 2011 in the USA alone, this little machine caused 33000 fire hazards and damaged millions of dollars of property. People seem to be in shock when they hear the statistics. 

But the toaster oven is not something we can only hold accountable for such damages. Rather the appliances that we have around in our kitchen are responsible for mass destruction. 

What Should I Do If I Don’t Want To Unplug My Toaster Oven When Not In Use?

To many people, unplugging the oven each time can be a very tedious job and they don’t want to fiddle with cords each time plugging the cords back into the outlet. In that case, you can use power strips for low-load appliances. But unfortunately, that does not include a toaster oven. However, don’t despair. For high-load appliances, you can use a surge protector to manage the power of several appliances at a time.

Frequently Asked Question

What Appliances Should You Unplug When Not In Use?

All the high-load appliances need to be unplugged when you are not using them. This includes a toaster oven, TV, Washing machine, Rv oven and all the other devices that draw a high amount of current to run. Keeping a single appliance plugged in may not create much difference in your electric bills. But when the accumulated power consumption adds up, the electricity bill will go through the roof.

How Many Watts Does A Toaster Oven Draw?

The average power consumption is around 1200 to 1500 watts depending on the type of job you want to perform. For broiling or slow baking, the power consumption will be much lesser than baking and toasting. Read your user manual to get the exact number for specific functions.

Do Plugged Appliances Use Electricity When Not In Use?

Yes, plugged-in devices use electricity when not in use.

When appliances are not in use, the state is referred to as standby mode. While appliances are on standby, they will bleed energy but in a very trivial amount. Some energy-efficient appliances these days consume zero energy in a standby mood. But it’s not applicable to all the appliances you have in your home.

Conclusion

You should always unplug your toaster oven when the machine is not active in use. A toaster oven is a high-load appliance that poses a threat of fire hazards and electrical damage under unusual user circumstances. But should you be worried when you forget to unplug the toaster oven’s cord? Obviously Not. Because the threat of fire damage it poses only gets worse when you don’t clean your appliance on a regular basis.