Is it Safe to Put a Toaster Oven in an Open Wood Cabinet?

My toaster oven is one of my favorites. While I presently put mine on the counter, having more counter space would be ideal. So, can a toaster oven be placed in an open wood cabinet?

Here’s what I discovered:

While some toaster ovens are suitable for storage and use in a confined place like an open wood cabinet, many others emit far too much heat to do so securely. For maximum safety, it is recommended that you acquire a cool touch toaster oven and perhaps use a toaster shield on the wood behind and above the toaster oven.

But there’s a lot more to learn about toaster oven safety, like how hot they get and whether or not you should use a heat shield.

So let’s dig a little deeper!

What temperature does a toaster oven reach?

Isn’t this the question we want to know the answer to?

After all, we wouldn’t want a toaster oven that warms up to 500° and produces much heat limited to the wood cabinet, would we? I once accidentally set my mother’s kitchen on fire as a child, and let me tell you, it was not a pleasant sight.

Toaster ovens are similar to smaller versions of larger ovens.

While they can often reach 500°, like a large oven, they can also reach temperatures as low as 80°, which most large ovens cannot. Even so, what we want to know is how hot a toaster oven gets on the exterior, not how hot it gets within.

While some modern toaster ovens stay cold on the outside (more on that below), the average toaster oven is poorly insulated. It gets sweltering everywhere on the outside except the door handle.

Although toaster ovens have rubber bottoms to protect countertops, they always advise against placing items on top of them or touching the back or sides while they are in use. Suppose the electrical cord from a nearby small kitchen device came into contact with your toaster oven while it was in operation. In that case, the cord might quickly melt, causing sparks and tripping the breaker.

To be more specific, the exterior of most toaster ovens will heat up to 85 percent of the temperature you select.

How much ventilation does a toaster oven require?

In the end, a toaster oven is identical to a conventional range oven. It has racks, heating coils, an open door, and can reach reasonably high temperatures. It’s simply that it’s a little more compact. However, it does not require ventilation in the same way that your oven does.

While most kitchens feature a vent hood, which is commonly included with an above-the-stove microwave, they don’t really do anything. Many people do not even go outdoors to complain.

However, unlike your oven, most toaster ovens have thin walls that aren’t as well insulated as your larger oven. While they don’t require ventilation, they do become noticeably hotter on the outside. Because of the insulation of a large stove, it may be tucked in between wooden kitchen cabinets without catching fire.

Excess smoke produced by inadvertently burning things or hot foods at a high temperature is the only time ventilation is required. Because it’s usual for the cheese to leak from a pizza onto the coils of a toaster oven, you’ll occasionally notice smoke rising from it. However, your kitchen’s existing ventilation system will usually suffice. Grab your oven mitts, unplug the toaster oven, and set it outside to cool off if you want to make a big smoky mess.

Is a toaster oven heat guard needed under the cabinet?

As the name implies, an under-cabinet heat guard is used to conceal a toaster oven beneath a kitchen cabinet, similar to how a microwave would be hidden. Because many (but not all) toaster ovens release their heat from the top, the heat guard shields the cabinet’s underside from the intense heat that emanates from the top.

You don’t need a heat shield if you’re merely putting a toaster oven inside a wooden cabinet unless the shelf above the toaster oven is particularly close to the top of the toaster oven. Installing a heat shield, which inhibits a toaster oven from adequately releasing the heat, can reduce the toaster oven’s lifespan.

Instead, I would invest in a Toaster Shield.

It has positive reviews, is now under $20, and includes free shipping. This is a discrete, self-adhesive insulated panel that you affix to the back and top of your cabinets to protect the wood from the heat of the toaster oven, rather than something you attach to the toaster oven. It’s also simple to trim to size.

Are toaster ovens prone to catching fire?

The simple answer is that they do sometimes cause fires; even though I have never had one catch fire in my few decades of experience. however, according to the law firm Edgar Synder and Associates, toasters and toaster ovens caused around 3,000 fires across the world between 2007 and 2011, causing over $27 million in damage to kitchens and homes.

Of course, the issue is not just how hot the toaster oven gets on the exterior, but also food droppings on the inside. Due to people doing things like keeping it next to a wall, electrical cords, or other flammable materials.

Fatty meats, cheeses, and oily meals all have the potential to spill down onto the bottom of a toaster oven, posing a fire hazard.

The safest method to operate a toaster oven is to keep an eye on it, never leaving it alone for more than a minute or two, especially keeping an eye on your children while they use it. Then be sensible about where you put the toaster oven and other stuff around it.

With toaster ovens, one thing is sure: a mess.

After all, they’re heating to high temperatures in a confined space, and the inside is eventually caked with baked-on cheeses, burnt crumbs, and filth on the racks and glass door.

While you might be tempted to use nuclear-powered cleaners to remove the residue, you might be shocked to learn how simple it is to clean a toaster oven using baking soda. It’s a fantastic method to keep your house clean while avoiding hazardous fumes!

Is it possible to get a toaster oven that stays cool on the outside?

The short answer is yes! In fact, if I do decide to put my toaster oven in an open wood cabinet. This is the type of toaster oven I would purchase.

Toaster ovens with a cool-touch exterior are commonly referred to as cool-touch exterior toaster ovens. As the name suggests, these stay reasonably chilly on the surface while still heating up nicely on the inside.

A few different companies make these.

However, be aware that if you search the keywords “cool-touch exterior toaster ovens” on Google or Amazon, you will be bombarded with a lot of results. A LARGE NUMBER OF THE SEARCH RESULTS aren’t genuinely astonishing on the outside. I understand, and it’s frightening to consider that there may be erroneous information on the internet, yet it’s true.

Here’s my recommendation for the best toaster oven that keeps cool on the outside:

KCO275SS Kitchen Aid

It doesn’t have quite as many excellent ratings as I prefer for things I suggest, but it still gets four stars on most sites and is an Amazon’s Choice product on Amazon.

Have I answered all of your questions about whether a toaster oven may be used in an open wood cabinet?

We take a quick peek at the world of toaster ovens in this post.

Although not the most glamorous of tiny kitchen gadgets, it is necessary for most of us. They’re lovely for warming up a slice of pizza. They’re also a great way to make a toast if you don’t have a toaster.

However, there are instances when we don’t want a slew of appliances crowding out counter space.

So today, we looked at how hot toaster ovens may get, why a heat shield might be helpful, and whether some toaster ovens stay cool on the outside. Finally, we found an answer to the dilemma of whether or not a toaster oven can be installed in an open wood cabinet.