Is Your Toaster Oven Toxic? A Review of 11
Our very old toaster oven finally stopped worked. It still worked with the toast function but not with bake. I set out to find a replacement. K and I learned that many of the toaster ovens out on the market today come with a disclaimer for California Proposition 65:
“The Act lists more than 800 chemicals “known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive toxicity”. This list is updated at least annually. Prop 65 affects all consumer products sold or distributed in California, including textiles, footwear, hard goods, DIY products, toys, juvenile products, stationery, electrical/electronic items and more.”
I rounded up some articles to use for my search including the ones below and a few others:
…and I came up with a list to find what I was looking for in a toaster oven:
Non-toxic Interior
No digital screen to avoid electronic malfunctioning, no nested menu options for simplicity
Silver/metal exterior to match the rest of our kitchen
Knobs instead of buttons (for toast, bake, broil and preset options like toast, bagel, popcorn, etc.)
Cuisinart TOB-40N
TOXIC: Non-stick interior
Cuisinart TOB-60N1
TOXIC: Non-stick interior
Galanz models KWS1525J-H12, KWS1530Q-H12B, KWS1542Q-H12 all look very similar, all have toxic interiors
Galanz KWS1525J-H12
Galanz KWS1530Q-H12B
Galanz KWS1542Q-H12
TOXIC: All have non-stick interior
I emailed Galanz to check on these 3 models (sizes 0.9 cu ft , 1.1 cu - ft, 1.5 cu ft.) and asked for a list of Toaster ovens that don't have a non-stick interior and didn’t get a response. After a poking around some more, I found that Prop 65 is displayed under each 3 Galanz models in Target’s website. (To see this the proposition warning, go to About this item, Details, then you must click on Show More)
KitchenAid Compact Oven - KCO253
TOXIC: Non-stick interior
Toshiba MG12GQN-BS
TOXIC: Non-stick interior
Safe & Non-Toxic Toaster Ovens
Sep 9, 2019: “All of our current toaster oven models have a zinc coated interior. The non-stick coating was replaced with zinc coating for most models in the later part of 2011. The zinc coating is completely safe. Our model TOD1770G is included in the models that have the zinc coating.”
There is no mention of California Proposition 65 or a non-stick coating in the Amazon listing, the listing on Hamilton’s website or in Use & Care PDF guide in their listing. On 11/8/19, I emailed Hamilton: Does the interior have a non-stick coating? Would you give me a list of toaster ovens that DON'T have a non-stick interior?
On 11/11/19, Hamilton responded: “Toaster Ovens do not have a non-stick coating in the interior.”
Waring TC0650, TC0600, WT0450
SAFE
Waring TC0650 Digital Convection Oven SAFE
Waring TC0600 Convection Oven SAFE
Waring WT0450 Toaster Oven SAFE
Waring: “Waring ovens have never had nonstick coatings in them. However, we no longer manufacture household products. The entire line was discontinued about 4 years ago. There may still be some on Amazon and various other places that purchase over stocks and such.
Pros: There are 3 manual knobs for Temperature, Function, and Time which make it more straightforward and simple to use than having digital buttons or a digital screen, which usually means a menu with nested options. It’s also less likely to have electrical problems. The stainless steel exterior prevents fingerprints or smudges from showing. The warranty is for two years.
The tray gets stuck and pulls out the rack each time because the fit is tight, but an easy fix is to flip the rack upside down so it sits a little higher.
Cons: To use the toast function, you have to turn up the heat all the way up on the Temperature dial (top). If you use the Time dial only (bottom), the timer is activated but no heat comes on. There’s no hook from the door to the rack to automatically pull the rack out when the door is opened. The timer knob is hard to turn back to OFF, I looped a rubber band around it twice to give it grip. The power will not automatically shut off if the door is opened.