There’s Simply No Need For Toasters — Use The Oven Or Stove Instead!

Lightfieldstudios/Getty Images

It’s really no surprise why toast is such a favored breakfast item. Just pop a piece of bread into the toaster, and in no time, you’ll have a crunchy meal that can be topped any way you like. But there’s one major problem: A toaster takes up countertop space that you might not feel like sacrificing. While some people solve this issue by stowing their toaster in a kitchen cabinet, it too requires giving up lots of storage area. Luckily, there are simple methods to make toast, bagels, and other breakfast favorites that don’t require this century-old kitchen gadget. Instead, you can use common appliances, like an oven or stovetop, that are already in the kitchen.

Besides freeing up space, there are other reasons why not having a toaster could be beneficial. Too many items on a countertop often leads to a room looking untidy. Unless you can apply a smart storage solution to hide your kitchen appliances, they’ll shape the room’s appearance and functionality. A toaster is also a device that should be cleaned out regularly for safety reasons and to help keep it in tip-top shape. If you use your toaster frequently, emptying the crumbs should be part of your weekly to-do list. It’s an extra chore (and one that could be easy to forget), so you might find one of your handy toaster alternatives is simpler to use and maintain.

Mikolaevna/Shutterstock

To replace your toaster, you could consider upgrading to a toaster oven. What makes it a great alternative to a pop-up version is that it’s versatile for multiple tasks beyond making toast (some even have air-frying and other combo functions). Not only will it handle your favorite breakfast food, but it can bake individual meals for lunch and dinner as well. Still, many argue there’s no need for a toaster oven these days either, because you could simply turn to your oven instead. Even though it has to pre-heat, the oven makes it easy to whip up toasted foods within minutes in either small or large batches. Making toast for a group is often a tedious process using a two- or four-slice toaster. However, an oven allows you to bake an entire loaf at once just by laying pieces of bread on an ungreased pan and setting the pan inside.

You can also make toast on a stovetop if you’d prefer not to heat up an entire oven. In fact, it’s an excellent solution if you just want a slice or two. All you have to do is cook the bread in a skillet until you reach your desired level of toastiness. Since you don’t have to add oil or butter to the skillet, it should be a quick cleanup. Plus, if you’re cooking other foods to go along with the toast, such as bacon or eggs, using solely the stovetop will help make it more efficient. Your countertop will stay relatively uncluttered for the prepping, too. But if getting rid of your pop-up toaster isn’t enough, you could also try another easy trick for creating more counter space and expanding your work surface.