Difference between Conventional Oven and Toaster Oven

Key Difference: Conventional ovens are basically ovens that use gas, wood or electricity for power. These are ovens that we often find in many homes that are used for cooking. Toaster ovens are ovens that are small electric ovens that have a front door, removable wire rack and removable baking pan.

Ovens are important for cooking and feeding ourselves, which happens to be one of the most important requirements for surviving. Ovens are also not limited to cooking and heating, there are various different ovens that are used for other purposes such as glass blowing, ceramic making, brick heating, etc. These also play very prominent parts in creating utensils or objects for daily use. With the latest technology improvements, there are many different types of ovens that have a more focused purpose such as conventional ovens for cooking and baking, while toaster ovens are used for toasting as well as baking.

Conventional ovens does not have a proper set definition, still it is found in many food packages that require to be heated in the ovens. Ever notice the ‘Use in Conventional oven’ or ‘Conventional oven only’ on the package of a food product. Well, conventional ovens are the traditional gas, stove and electric ovens that are found in everyone’s kitchen. These ovens are often huge and some may even come attached with a stove. These ovens are used for cooking, roasting and heating. Foods that are cooked in conventional ovens include meat, casseroles, lasagna, baked products (bread, cake, cookies, cupcakes, etc.)

Conventional ovens can or cannot be controlled depending on the complexity or simplicity of the oven. Simple ovens may not have any other controls other than on and off, with a timer. More complex ovens are available with timers, temperature controls, special modes for different types of cooking, and automatic off feature. These vary depending on the make and the type of oven that is available. Conventional ovens provide the heat for cooking from below, while the more new ones also provide heat from the top. However, one main difference that sets conventional ovens apart is that it is not have fans. This is considered one of the biggest differences from convection ovens. Convections ovens have fans to properly regulate temperature and properly distribute heat. Conventional ovens lack this feature; however, they are considered the best appliance for baking and broiling.

Toaster ovens are ovens that are small electric ovens that have a front door, removable wire rack and removable baking pan. These ovens are often larger than toasters, but smaller than conventional ovens. Most of these toaster ovens are known as OTG or Oven, Toaster and Griller as it has the ability to perform all three actions. It can be called as a pint-sized, portable oven. It can easily be shifted to any counter or platform and does not require any additional set-up to work. Toaster ovens work on electricity.

Toaster ovens have various different settings such as toast, bake and broil along with temperature gauge and timer to select the desired temperature and the time. The toaster oven can be used for baking goods such as small cakes, cookies, bread, etc. as well as have a broil setting for roasting meat, fish, eggs, etc. One setback for the toaster oven is that it cannot be used for anything that requires boiling, such as making rice or other food items. Once the food that is placed in the oven is done, the oven will automatically turn off. The person would have to manually open the door and take the food out.

	Conventional Oven	Toaster Oven
Runs on	Electricity, natural gas (propane, butane, LPG), wood, etc.	Runs on electricity
Price	The price of the oven depends on initial set up charges and what it runs on.	It is almost in the same range as the microwave. It is a plug-and-use appliance.
Uses	For baking, cooking and broiling.	For toasting, baking, grilling and broiling.
Heating	Heating depends on the type of oven. While gas ovens heat up fast, electric ovens take a while in order to heat up.	Heating is a bit as the electric coils take time to heat up.
Cooking Time	Cooking time is greater in conventional ovens.	Toaster ovens take a little while to cook, similar to conventional ovens.
Economical	Again the economic factor depends on the type of ovens. Gas ovens are commonly more economic in the long run. Electric ovens are more costly in the long run as electricity is more costly compared to natural gas.	Toasters are economical as it works on electricity. It does not consume too much electricity. However, economical ability varies depending on the usage of the device.
Heat distribution	Gas ovens distribute heat unevenly (more heat from top), while electric ovens have a more even heat distribution.	Toasters do not provide even heat. They do not have a fan to provide even distribution. Toasters have more heat where the coils are.
Temperature Management	Temperature is fairly to manage in almost all off the ovens.	Temperature is managed using temperature controls. The heat can be set to desired temperature, depending on what is going to be cooked.
Burners	Runs on burners, coils, wood, coal, etc.	Toaster ovens have electric coils for creating heat.
Benefits	The benefit of each oven depends on the type of oven it is. While electric ovens are easier to clean and cheaper to install; gas ovens are faster to heat up and are cheaper in the long run.	Toaster ovens are similar to cheaper and more compact versions of conventional ovens. They are perfect for baking, broiling, roasting and toasting. It is also quite cheap compared to the big conventional oven.
Limitations	Electric: expensive in the long run, slow heating, useless during power outage; Gas: harder to clean, expensive repairs, danger of leakage, expensive installation.	Toasters can make only limited amount of food (for example, only small cakes can be made as the oven is small); takes time to heat up and cook. It also has uneven heat distribution. Toaster ovens are also unable to make foods such as rice or boiling.