I love to toast bread, but unless you’re toasting bread every day, a toaster can be a bulky item that takes up valuable kitchen counter space. The perfect solution? A compact toaster.
A mini toaster can deliver perfectly golden-brown toast while maintaining a small footprint in the kitchen. That’s why I like the Ninja Foodi. It’s one of the best compact toasters in terms of must-have features, toasting performance, and positive reviews.
But you might prefer something a little more basic in design, or perhaps you want a colorful retro toaster to brighten up your kitchen. Regardless of your preferences, there are compact toasters to match your toasting needs.
Which compact toaster is right for you? Keep reading to learn more.
Contents
At a Glance
Compact Toaster Reviews
Ninja ST101 Foodi 2-in-1 Toaster: Best Overall Compact Toaster
Dimensions: W: 16.5 inches (42 cm), H: 8.4 inches (21 cm), D: 6.7 inches (17 cm)
Power: 1500 Watts
This Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Toaster functions as a 2-slice toaster and toaster oven. Simply flip the appliance on its side to use it as a toaster oven. It comes in a stainless steel housing and will fit comfortably in a small kitchen.
Watch the manufacturer video below for highlights and an easy recipe for pizza bagels:
The Ninja Foodi toaster is versatile. You can choose from six different cooking functions, including toast, bagel, defrost, bake, broil, and reheat.
With 70% wider slots than traditional toasters, this toaster is great for toasting bagels or artisan bread. Plus, with seven shade levels, you can customize your toasted bread to your desired level of doneness.
The oven function heats up to 400°F (205°C) and doesn’t require preheating. Ninja claims this model toasts bread up to 35% faster than a full-sized electric oven.
Even though this is a small toaster, it can still fit two slices of thick-cut bread, 16 chicken nuggets, an 8-inch open-face sandwich, or two full-sized everything bagels.
Customers did say the oven portion is small. You won’t be able to fit a full-size pizza in there. But if you’re making food for 1-2 people or reheating a French-bread pizza? You shouldn’t have any trouble.
This compact toaster includes a removable crumb tray that traps crumbs in both modes for easy cleaning. There’s also a baking tray to use on the oven setting.
Buyers loved the heating performance of this toaster oven. They said it browned toast evenly and worked for thicker bread and waffles. It’s great for toasting bagels, as well.
Some buyers weren’t fans of the control panel. The buttons aren’t tactile, so they’re difficult to push. And if you store your toaster to the side, you have to strain to read the options.
If you want a versatile and high-performing toaster? The Ninja Foodi is your best bet.
Pros
- Flips to become toaster oven, versatile
- Toasts evenly
- Toast, bagel, and defrost mode
- Seven shade settings
- Wider slot to accommodate bagels
- Includes crumb tray and baking pan
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Control panel is not user-friendly
- Oven portion is small
- Expensive
Nostalgia Mini Toaster: Best for Single Servings
Dimensions: W: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm), H: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), D: 9.5 inches (24 cm)
Power: 500 Watts
If you like colorful retro kitchen appliances, you’ll love the Nostalgia Mini Toaster. It has an aqua-colored exterior and a vintage look. This compact unit is perfect for tiny kitchens.
The Nostalgia compact toaster has a single wide slot for toasting thick bread, waffles, English muffins, thick bagels, and more.
You can customize your toasting shade by adjusting the dial to your desired level. When you’re done toasting, the crumb tray slides right out so you can keep your countertop clean.
One nice feature is the cord storage at the bottom of the toaster. That, combined with its compact size, makes it great for dorms, campers, apartments, and more.
Buyers loved this cute compact toaster. Several bought it for their apartment or RV. It’s great for single people, as well.
One person wished it had a cancel button and another would have liked more settings. But most people were pleased with the ease of use.
If you want something inexpensive, cute, and functional that takes up very little counter space, this Nostalgia Mini Toaster is the perfect pick for you.
Pros
- Cute aqua retro aesthetic
- Compact
- Extra wide slot
- Easy to use
- Removable tray for easy cleaning
- Lightweight
- Affordable
Cons
- Only has a single slot
- No cancel button
AUU Long Slot 2-Slice Toaster: Best Toaster with Warming Tray
Dimensions: W: 6.1 inches (15 cm), H: 8.1 inches (21 cm), D: 16.7 inches (42 cm)
Power: 1000 Watts
If you want something easy to use, this AUU Long Slot Toaster is right up your alley. It comes in a sleek stainless steel housing with a black accent.
The 2-slice toaster has extra wide slots to toast bagels, artisan bread, thin waffles, and more. The automatic pop-up function prevents over-browning and makes for easy toast retrieval.
The variable shade settings let you decide the right degree of toasting for you. Go from light toast (1) to a deep brown slice (6) by adjusting the easy-to-use browning dial.
This compact toaster also has three settings: defrost, reheat, and cancel. It also includes a warming rack that keeps toasted bread warm until you’re ready to eat it.
To use this feature, push down the back lever until the warming rack pops up for you to reheat pastries, rolls, or croissants, and more.
The removable tray at the bottom of the toaster collects crumbs. Simply pull it out and clean the crumbs immediately. The tray can be washed directly, as well.
The fuss-free cord warp underneath the toaster is great for storage. And if you have limited counter space, you might want to store this in the cabinet. That’s not a problem with its compact size.
Buyers had mixed reviews for the AUU Long-Slot Toaster. They liked the space-efficient design and the ease of use. They also liked using it to toast different bread types, like an English muffin, sourdough, or artisan bread.
However, there were several complaints of uneven toasting. Some said the slots weren’t deep enough, so the bread was untoasted at the top. Many people also had trouble fitting more than one slice of bread inside the slot, which means this isn’t always an actual 2-slice toaster.
But if you are okay with toasting one slice of bread at a time and you want something affordable that saves counter space, the AAU Long-Slot toaster is a good choice.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Cord wrap storage
- Space-efficient design
- Great for artisan bread
Cons
- Complaints of uneven toasting
- Doesn’t actually fit 2 slices of bread
- Shallow slot
Cuisinart Compact Toaster: Best 2-Slice Toaster
Dimensions: W: 11 inches (28 cm), H: 7 inches (17.8 cm), D: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm)
Power: 900 Watts
Cuisinart is among the most popular brands for kitchen appliances. This Cuisinart Compact Toaster hits all the right notes with a space-efficient design meant perfect for a small kitchen.
This toaster has reheat, defrost, and cancel options, as well as a separate bagel setting. The wide slots accommodate a variety of bread and sizes.
The compact toaster has seven shade settings to give you maximum control over the toasting shade. Plus, the slide-out crumb tray makes cleanup a cinch.
Whether you’re craving a thick toasted bagel, toaster pastries, or thin-sliced bread, the wide slots and high-lift metal frame make it simple to achieve perfect toast every time.
For storage, the cord wrap underneath helps you manage unsightly cords when the unit is not in use. And lastly, this Cuisinart has a 3-year limited warranty.
A lot of customers were quite pleased with the Cuisinart 2-slice toaster. They liked the separate bagel setting and the defrost setting, and they liked the wide slots that can hold English muffins and other types of bread.
Many people praised the heating performance, as well. However, this wasn’t the case with everyone. Some buyers complained that this unit toasts unevenly. If they did more than one batch, one would turn out lightly golden while the other one would be dark.
Other customers found that the toaster practically burned their bread, and that was just on a medium setting.
I found the Cuisinart to be a good, basic compact toaster. It does appear to be inconsistent, so it’s a bigger risk than other toasters that run more expensive.
However, if you’re willing to do a quality check upon receipt, I would most definitely consider this toaster. It has a lot of positives that would be tough to pass up for the cost.
Pros
- Defrost setting for frozen bread
- Separate bagel function
- Extra wide slots
- Easy to use
- Slide-out crumb tray
- Affordable
Cons
- Complaints of uneven results
iSiLER 2-Slice Toaster: Best Retro-Look Toaster
Dimensions: W: 5 inches (12.7 cm), H: 7 inches (17.8 cm), D: 5 inches (12.7 cm)
Power: 750 Watts
If I could have a contest for the most adorable compact toaster, this one would win. The iSiLER 2-Slice Toaster comes in three fun colors: green, grey, and yellow. It looks like something out of the mid-century and won’t take up much space on the kitchen counter.
But cute doesn’t matter if it isn’t a good bread toaster. Fortunately, this small toaster also has the performance and features to make it a good value.
The 2-slice extra-wide slots can hold thick slices of different bread types. Choose from seven shade levels to ensure precise control over browning. The toasting durations are between 55175 seconds, saving time as well as counter space.
This iSiLER toaster has three functions: reheat, defrost, and cancel. The LED lights conveniently indicate the buttons and the lift lever is easy to move, making this toaster easy to use.
The removable crumb tray makes for easy cleaning, and the extra-long cord provides greater reach. Like other compact toasters on my list, this one features convenient cord storage at the bottom of the unit. This small toaster does come with a cleaning brush.
The heating elements are housed in stainless steel bread slots to help you make more toast in less time.
Buyers fell in love with the cheery colors of this toaster. They liked the easy-to-use dial, the separate bagel setting, and the pull-out tray for easy cleaning.
A few people reported their toast getting overcooked on a medium setting. These were in the minority, however. Others wished this toaster had a bagel function, but most were willing to trade that for the design.
If you want a basic, super cute toaster with extra wide slots, this iSiLER model is the best toaster for you.
Pros
- Cute, colorful design
- Three color options
- 2-slice design
- Removable crumb tray, easy to clean
- Defrost setting for frozen bread
- Easy to store
- Affordable
Cons
- Can over-toast
- No separate bagel setting
Elite Gourmet Cool-Touch Toaster: Best Budget Pick
Dimensions: W: 5.3 inches (13 cm), H: 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), D: 9.5 inches (24 cm)
Power: 750 Watts
Next up on the list of best compact toasters is this Elite Gourment Cool-Touch Toaster.
It comes in four choices, each with its own features. I’m reviewing the basic white version, but the stainless steel toaster and stainless steel/black toaster both have extra settings and features. They’re also more expensive, so there’s a trade-off.
The wide slots and seven browning levels mean you can toast everything from bagels and waffles to bread or puff pastry baked snacks.
The easy-to-use lift lever and non-slip feet are convenient features. And while most toasters have slide-out removable crumb trays, this Elite Gourmet toaster features a drop-down tray.
This compact toaster is easy to carry and lightweight, making it perfect for toasting in an apartment, office kitchen, dorm, or camper.
The automatic self-centering guides easily center the toast during the cooking process, ensuring even browning every time.
Easily cancel any toasting cycle in the middle of toasting by simply adjusting the knob.
User reviews were mixed on the Elite Gourmet toaster. Many people liked the simple design and ease of use, while others said slices toast unevenly with this toaster.
If you want something with no frills, simple to use, and inexpensive, this is the best compact toaster for you. Just be aware you’ll have to replace it eventually. These aren’t built to last.
Pros
- Four finish/feature options
- 2-slice slots
- Seven shade settings
- Easy to use
- Inexpensive
Cons
- No separate bagel or defrost setting
- Complaints of uneven toasting
- Not as durable
Mini Toaster Buying Guide
Although compact toasters come in a variety of styles, finishes, and sizes, must-have features are the most important consideration. Learn a little more about what to look for in a compact toaster.
What to Look For in Compact Toasters
High Lift Carriage
A high-lift lever means the toast can be pushed up higher, making it easy and safe to remove from the toaster. Of course, be careful that your toaster doesn’t fling the toast in the air!
Slide-Out Crumb Tray
This helps prevent crumbs from littering your kitchen counter and makes cleanup a snap. Most compact toasters include a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning.
Multiple Shade settings
Customize how dark you prefer your toast with multiple levels of browning.
Easy-to-Use Timer
Whether it’s a simple dial timer or a fancy digital countdown timer, having one that’s easy to use will help you get better toast each time. Most compact toasters have a simple dial timer that’s adjustable based on your desired browning level.
Even Toasting
Obviously, all the features in the world won’t matter if the toaster doesn’t do its job–toast bread. Even browning and crisping is the first and foremost thing to look for in a compact toaster.
Extra Wide Slots
If you plan on toasting bagels, thick-cut bread, or artisan bread, you’ll want slots that can accommodate the thick slices. Having wider slots gives a toaster more versatility.
Can I Only Toast Bread in a Compact Toaster?
No! In fact, nowadays many toasters are designed with extra wide slots so you can toast bagels, pastries, artisan bread, sourdough bread, and more. Just be sure to check the size of the slots in the product description.
Best Compact Toaster Oven: Final Word
What is the best compact toaster? I would go with the Ninja Foodi 2-in-1. This compact toaster oven is just unmatched in terms of versatility, performance, and overall quality.
But that comes at a steep price. If you want a great toaster at a more affordable price point, I would go with the iSiLER Compact Toaster. It’s great at toasting and will brighten up any kitchen.
