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Are Toaster Ovens Healthier Than Microwaves?

These days people want both health and convenience when it comes to meal-time. Many people think microwaves are dangerous due to radiation. Toaster ovens can also be used to reheat food. But are toaster ovens healthier than microwaves?

No. Toaster ovens are not healthier than microwaves despite the lack of radiation. This is because, while nutrients are lost in most cooking methods, microwaves lose fewer nutrients due to faster cooking style. 

When you realize the universe has a lot more radiation than your microwave, your microwave isn’t that big of an issue. So we’re going to go over toasters, toaster ovens, microwaves, nutrients, and much more in this article.

So buckle up and hang on for the ride!

Is a toaster oven better than a microwave?

A toaster oven is better than a microwave for reheating foods like pizza or anything previously fried. On the other hand, a microwave is better for heating food quickly, and is better overall for health and doing less damage to your food. 

Both have their own separate qualities as well as pros and cons. But, let’s go over the basics.

A microwave is better overall for health and doing less damage to your food. And while a toaster oven is great at giving good tasting food at a decent time, it also catches on fire more easily.

There’ve been a lot of misconceptions about microwaves over the years, and it’s definitely not something you should just throw out of your kitchen.

A toaster oven can help you brown or caramelize food while a microwave is used primarily for heating up. Making them two completely different tools while both still being useful for your kitchen.

Toaster ovens are nice and bring a different take on making food. If anything, I think a toaster oven can replace your toaster rather than your microwave.

You’ll get more harm from the heating elements in a toaster than you will from a microwave.

Not only that, but I’ll talk later about how your microwave can actually help keep nutrients in your food better.

I have a recent article that talks about whether or not a toaster oven can replace your microwave. Read that and form your own opinion on the matter.

Just click the link and read it on my site.

Do microwaves destroy nutrients in food?

No. Cooking food in the microwave destroys very few nutrients in food due to its fast cooking speed. Besides, cooking food by any method results in a loss of nutrients. So the best method is usually the fastest one that alters the food the least.

Harvard explains it better than I can, but I’ll try my best to keep it simple.

Cooking food in the microwave is one of the best ways to cook food with less loss of nutrients. This is because the longer you cook food, the more nutrients break down. So the fast cooking style of a microwave helps to lessen this.

This means overall, microwaving your food can have a better nutritional factor to it than using, let’s say, a toaster oven or a regular oven.

All being said, there are still plenty of nutrients leftover from cooking, and the process of cooking has gotten rid of any bad bacteria that could have harmed your body.

Are toaster ovens toxic?

No. But sometimes food particles touch the heated coils, turning it into potentially toxic smoke. However, there are concerns with some toaster ovens that are coated with PTFE and PFAS which are used to make the Teflon surfaces inside some toaster ovens. So look for ones made without Teflon to avoid this.

In this section, we’re going to talk about not only toaster ovens but plain toasters as well.

Everyone wants to be safe when cooking food, and that means no toxic appliances!  Well, everyone likes things toasted at different levels. Some people like it barely cooked while others like it extra crispy.

However, did you know that extremely burnt food is actually harmful to you?

Now toasters can release toxic particles into the air as soon as you turn them on. This happens from food particles touching the heated coils and it turning into smoke.

However, burning food till it’s black can expose you to harmful elements, and researches say you should stick to a nice yellow toast to avoid this. (source)

On top of this, toaster ovens can be harmful because of what they’re made of. As I mentioned above, it’s important to find a toaster oven that is PTFE and PFAS free. (source)

This translates into avoiding non-stick coated appliances. Most companies use a non-stick coating that can include PTFE.

Just like the burnt food in a toaster or toaster oven, air fryers have the possibility of burning your food too.

I have a recent article that talks about air fryers overheating. It’ll go more in detail about air fryers, which could be useful if you own or are looking to buy an air fryer.

Just click the link to read about it on my site.

Do toaster ovens or microwaves give off radiation?

Toaster ovens and microwaves both give off radiation to cook or heat food. However, these are safe, and FDA-approved. Toaster ovens use infrared radiation, and Microwaves use non-ionizing radiation, and none of these are radioactive.

When you hear the word radiation, you’ll probably think about toxic gas or something that has the potential to hurt you extremely.

The radiation from both microwaves and toaster ovens is different. Microwaves use non-ionizing radiation that is used to heat food and does not make it radioactive.

The FDA actually talks in full detail how the radiation for microwaves works.

Toaster ovens use infrared radiation that is made by the coils having an electric current running through them to produce heat.

Unlike a microwave, the food in a toaster oven is cooked from the outside in.

Yes, both create a type of radiation. However, this radiation in the small amount given to the food is safe. But do they use lead to line microwaves? And if so, wouldn’t that mean they ARE dangerous?

I answer that question and a few other safety questions in a recent article. Just click that link to read it on my site.

That being said, don’t use a microwave if the door is broken. The radiation is fine when directly applied to food, but it will also damage your body if directly exposed.

You have to worry more about a toaster oven catching on fire than you do the radiation in it. Again don’t use it if the door is broken and keep it away from closed areas like the outside of the toaster oven heats up quickly.

I have a recent article that talks about whether or not you can put a toaster oven in an open wood cabinet.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

What are the best toaster ovens and microwaves for those concerned about health?

Panasonic’s microwave has an inverter that ensures fully-cooked food without overcooking. It also has a Genius Sensor which automatically adjusts power. The Galanz Toaster Oven is about half the size of the microwave with eight preset settings.

So, first up is the microwave.

This Panasonic Microwave on Amazon is hard to beat.

This microwave has a keep warm option and smart cooking settings. It even has a defrost setting. Besides, it has inverter technology that saves you money.

It’s a 1250 watt microwave made from stainless steel. It’s meant for a large family with its 16.5 turntable and overall cubic feet of 2.2 feet.

On top of those outstanding features, it also has over 2,500 ratings and almost all of them are 5-star! Just click that link to check the current price on Amazon.

CLICK HERE to check the current price on Amazon.

Second up is our toaster oven!

The Galanz Toaster Oven on Amazon is definitely worth looking into.

It’s about half the size of the microwave with eight preset settings. It comes with a nice led display to make sure your cook time is easily visible.

It’s 1800 watt and made of stainless steel. It has no non-stick coating, which is great if you’re concerned about Teflon!

Not to mention it has something called total 360 technology. This means the toaster oven provided more air frying surface with better air circulation than most toast ovens.

Research both and figure out what microwave and toaster oven work best for you and your household.

CLICK HERE to check the current price on Amazon.

Final thoughts

This article is meant to shed some light on toaster ovens vs. microwaves.

Toaster ovens and microwaves are fairly close to being healthy. However, a toaster oven is more likely to be unsafe than a microwave. When we think of microwaves, we think of radiation and unhealthy food. However, you can make very healthy food in a microwave. Try making a sweet potato at home in your microwave!

We went over how toasters can be toxic, including toaster ovens. We talked about radiation and the nutrients in food are affected.

I give you a few products that you should definitely put on your amazon wish list. Remember to be safe and do your own research on what kitchen appliances are best for your family, home, and budget.

Be safe, and enjoy cooking!


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Jeff Campbell