Toaster ovens are handy, especially when you want to bake something but don't want to heat up the entire kitchen with a full-size oven. Or if you want only a small portion. Think of a toaster oven as a big toaster or a small oven. Here's how to fix one that needs repair.

How Does It Work?

Components of a typical toaster oven.

A toaster oven is a small heating appliance that toasts bread, waffles, etc., and may (depending on the wattage) also function as a miniature oven. Some allow you to bake and broil foods, offering precise temperature and function controls.

To use a toaster oven, you set the controls, open the door and place food on a shelf, then close the door. When the oven is set to toast, the toaster thermostat regulates the upper and lower heating elements as selected by the controller. When set to bake or broil, the bake thermostat controls the heating elements as selected by the temperature controller and possibly by a timing mechanism.

Fix-It Tip

As with toasters, keeping a toaster oven running longer means keeping it clean of food debris. Clean bread crumbs and other foot particles out of the inside of the oven frequently.

The features of toaster ovens vary considerably from model to model. However, most operate in the same manner and can be diagnosed and repaired similarly.

You can access the heating element through the clean-out door on the underside.

What Can Go Wrong?

The problems that toaster ovens may present are similar to those of other heating appliances. The electrical cord may need replacing. The main switch, the thermal fuse, and the solenoid may be faulty. The thermostat may be faulty or need recalibrating.