How you use a toaster oven will largely depend on the toaster oven you use. One thing you'll want to do regardless of which company makes your appliance is to ensure you’ve adhered to all of its safety precautions. Make sure there are no items directly on top of or touching the unit (especially combustible paper or plastic). Using high heat for an extended period of time on your toaster oven or allowing food particles to accumulate at its base could lead to a kitchen fire. To avoid this, keep your settings as low and slow as you can.

When putting your food in the machine, you'll want to position it at the center of your preferred rack, ensuring that you place a buffer, like aluminum foil, beneath it if it’s a porous dish that might leak (we’re looking at you, roasted veggies au gratin). Then, set the dial or buttons to your preferred cooking method and length of time. Preheating isn’t necessary, but like traditional ovens, it can help to start cooking your food at the ideal temperature right off the bat.

Upon removal, your dish will be hot, so use oven mitts or a pair of kitchen tongs to help you retrieve it. Clean up any crumbs once the toaster oven has cooled down, since they may be flammable. Serve, devour and repeat.

A mess in your toaster oven is inevitable, but it’ll be on a smaller, more manageable scale than your regular oven. When cleaning your toaster oven, first make sure to unplug your appliance. You can then begin manually removing any chunks of caked-on food from under the grills or racks. Let all racks and trays sit in soapy water while you continue the rest of your cleaning.

Next, mix baking soda and water until it forms a paste, or use an all-purpose cleaner you can apply to any greasy or grimy spots using a cloth or towel. Repeat this step until all the crud is gone.

To clean the outside of your toaster oven, you can simply use a sponge with a bit of soap and warm water to wipe it down—just be sure to avoid all cables and electrical ports.

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Marissa Miller is a freelancer with more than ten years of experience editing and reporting on all things health, beauty, fitness, style and home for publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Teen Vogue, GQ, CNN Style, Women's Health, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, USA TODAY and many more. Her first novel, PRETTY WEIRD: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and Other Oddly Empowering Lessons, was published by Skyhorse Publishing and distributed by Simon & Schuster in May 2021. She's on Twitter at @Marissa__Miller and on Instagram at @marissamiller__ talking about journalism, Lululemon leggings and her two cats Freddie and Hendrix.

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