This is an efficient alternative to always using the big oven for smaller items. We use it as a toaster, and an oven. Cooked a chicken in it in 70 minutes, just like the picture shows, and it came out great. The bun warmer seems to make the bottom of the buns crusty/burned before it gets them very warm on top. The main glass door rattles something awful while cooking. We've inserted non-flammable pads into the space between the glass and the metal so it doesn't rattle as much. As far as cooking performance and efficiency, we love it!

Multi-functional, great toast, love being able to control temperatures and time so easily. Interesting that the oven will not let you set a lower temperature or time initially then it's program thinks you should set it for. I have baked potatoes, made toast, used the warmer all with ease and good results. Certainly a delight after using some very marginal toaster ovens over the last several years.

I find that the T-Fal Convection Toaster Oven is all that it is advertised to be. It was highly recommended by Consumer Reports and as usual they were right on the money. This was definitely a good addition. Better yet, the Amazon.com price was better than any other.

My wife and I both like the oven. It cooks biscuits and other things great. The temperature/time seems about right for all of our recipes we have tried with it so far. Don't know how it does toast since we have a toaster for toast.

The wormer is wasted space. They should design the same unit smaller without the warmer and it would be excellent.

This is the third toaster oven that I have purchased and the first one that is a T-Fal. It is the best one yet. The warming tray on top is one of the most useful features. I also like the large inside for baking as well as toasting. Overall I am very satisfied. Purchasing online saved me over $20. Overall 5 stars!

The toaster part takes a longer than a regular toaster, but the toast is terrific! Almost worth the wait. It is very versatile. We use it during the summer so we don't have to turn on our oven. Just be sure to set the baking temperature 25 degrees cooler than the recipe and all will be great!

fast delivery
very versatile unit-does many tasks well and a good value for the money.

This is an awesome toaster oven, bakes cakes and breads beautifully. Is great for frozen foods also. Keeps my kitchen so much cooler, and I love the timer function and the bread warmer! Highly recommended!

We've had our T-Fal Elite over a month and it has met every expectation. After reading reviews and comparing features and prices we rejected more expensive units to go with the T-Fal. The pluses are good construction including safer cool to the touch exterior, simple user friendly controls and good looks, very sleek with the frameless curved glass doors. Unlike some other units it's not too big, especially height wise, yet it still has a decent sized interior. Many reviews pointed out the slow toast times and they are accurate. With the rack in the highest position I find the full 5 minute cycle is needed for toasting, but the easy to see timer counts down the toast cycle if your feeling impatient and there is alarm that is not too loud alerting you to the end of the cycle. The warming rack an unusual feature not found on other units is a nice extra. It does get hot and we've lined ours with aluminum foil to keep the surface free of burned on residue. We've used the convection oven a few times and its done a very nice job on a meatloaf, pork roast and some stuffed chicken breasts. I thought the fan noise in convection mode was reasonably quiet compared to others I've heard. The default oven cook time of 30 minutes means you have to frequently reset the timer for oven use, one small negative. Over all a very nice product that we are satisfied with just be prepared to be patient waiting for your toast, that's the only reason I didn't give it a 5.

The first (1st) unit worked twice, and the third (3rd) time nothing worked; no display or anything.
The replacement unit which arrived about 10-days later has worked once a day for 9-days now.
Do NOT expect it to toast bread as well as a toaster, but it will cook & broil food nicely.

T-Fal OT8085002 Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven
I really like this oven. Toast come out perfect every time. I only wish it came in white.

Nov 2008 update: Electronics are awful!! After 3 months we can't get this to work. I guess the best thing I can say is it stays cool. I'd change my star to 1, but I can't edit that part.

We bought two different brands - Oster and Cuisinart - before deciding on this one. The Oster was a nice looking appliance, but it got extremely HOT and the Cuisinart got hot as well, and had nothing to offer for the money (no auto shut-off or timer - what's with THAT?!). We decided to try this one because the reviews claimed it didn't get as hot as most others; and we are very happy so far. We use it primarily to toast (drier than traditional toasters but quite adequate) and as a small oven to heat up frozen foods instead of turning on our big oven. We're happy with the performance and love that we don't think it will burn the walls from the heat - it doesn't get anywhere near as hot as the two others we tried. Our biggest problem was the heat these things generate but this one doesn't and we are happy with the performance so far.

Had it for 3 weeks now, does excellent toast; reheats pizza far better than a microwave; nice warming area on top and easy to clean. The controls are easy to understand. And it looks great on the counter.

For those of you who read the first paragraph and only skim the rest: this is a reliable and versatile countertop oven that can handle anything that a "real" oven can do, given the limited interior size. It has a couple of annoying little quirks. But in a product category crowded with cheaply-made junk that can barely bring a Pop-Tart above room temperature and breaks down weeks after the warranty expires. the Avante Elite is a keeper.

Details:

I've had this oven for a couple of weeks now. I ordered the Avante partly out of frustration. I'd bought a GE and then a Black & Decker toaster oven at local big-box stores, but returned them unopened after doing a Google search at home and finding page after page of reviews posted by angry and disappointed owners. The Avante was well-reviewed by The Famous Consumer Magazine and gets high marks from just about everyone.

I was immediately impressed with its construction. It feels like a major appliance and not a tin box. The controls are dead-simple. The convection fan does make a bit of noise, but it's nothing you can't live with. And unlike most other toasters and toaster ovens I've tried, the sides of the Avante are merely warm to the touch when in operation.

I was looking for something to toast bread and bagels in but I also wanted a unit that could credibly take over most of the work of my "real" oven. The Avante didn't disappoint. After two weeks of cooking main courses, sides, and desserts in it, I'm convinced that (apart from its small cooking space) I can cook anything I want in this thing. A pan of cornbread came out evenly-browned. A lasagna was cooked consistently all the way through. Even breakfast popovers puffed up nicely.

I still don't know how I feel about the warming compartment. I do use it often. When the chicken comes out of the frying pan way ahead of the vegetables I've got roasting in the oven, I just toss the meat in some foil and pop it in the warmer. Very handy.

Still, other toaster ovens this big have a single, larger cooking space. I don't know if I'll still be a fan of the warming compartment the first time I want to try to roast a whole chicken or bake a couple of trays of cookies at the same time.

My sole serious complaint about the Avante is its slide-out rack. I can vouch for the other comments about the thing. I was aware that there was no "stop" on the rack to prevent it from sliding all the way out, but I had imagined that I could just pull it out an inch or two...you know, far enough to get a better grip on the casserole dish or the pan I was cooking. "Big deal," I thought. "Just be careful."

Nope. The thing slides out as though it's on ball bearings. If you're not anticipating it, you can very, very easily send your piping-hot food tumbling onto the counter and then onto yourself. Even if you hold tightly onto your baking dish, it's way too easy for that 400-degree metal rack to clatter right out onto the counter and brand you in a sensitive area.

Another quirk: if you intend to use it as a "real" oven, invest in a simple $6 oven thermometer. I've found that the actual internal temperature is about thirty to fifty degrees lower than the temperature you've selected. The oven also heats up slowly. That's a surprise, given its small size. But you'll quickly anticipate these adjustments after a couple of weeks with the thermometer and it ceases to become any kind of an issue.

You should also expect to adjust a recipe's published cooking time. The Avante is no speed demon. Typically, I extend the oven time by 25 to 50 percent. Even a couple slices of toast take four or five minutes, compared to a conventional toaster's two or three.

Like the temperature problem, I don't consider this a major issue. No matter what oven I use, I never go by cooking time anyway. I pull a dish out when it's the right internal temperature or has the correct appearance.

So although thr Avante it's not without faults I'm convinced it's the best toaster oven you can buy for less than $100. For someone like me who typically only cooks for one or two people, it's a perfectly fine alternative to lighting up a huge oven. Even if you're cooking for a family, I can easily imagine scenarios in which a secondary cooker would be a big convenience.

...well, not so little. My wife and daughter were surprised by the size. We've used this thing for a couple weeks and are very satisfied. So much so that we've not used the oven since. Undoubtedly for larger items (8x10 cake, for example) the oven will come in handy, but for almost anything else we use the T-Fal toaster oven. I agree with other reviewers that the only minor drawback (other than size) is getting the hot items out. The grill slides out too easily, and the pans slide off the grill easily also. A nice compact oven mit (there are some nice silicon ones out there) is a must. We've cooked brownies, cookies, small pizzas, bread, baked french fries, whatever and they've all come out great. I like having a digital timer and digital heat settings rather than the usual rotary type too.

All in all we're quite satisfied with this T-Fal toaster oven, and look forward to many good years use out of it.

I have now had the toaster oven for about 5 months and use it daily.

Although it takes a bit longer to toast, it does a good, even job of toasting. The extra room helps when toasting large items. I wish there was a mechanism (a simple notch) to prevent the rack from sliding all the way out of the oven and thereby spilling the hot food on the counter or on you. It seems like an easy to correct problem, but although the unit has been in the market for a while, it seems to have remained uncorrected.

My main disappointment has been with the oven. There is no way to know when it has heated up to the required temperature. Food takes significantly longer to cook as compared to a regular oven. For instance, a frozen pizza or a frozen meal takes twice as long to cook in this oven as in the regular oven. Part of the problem may be that with the regular oven, you put the food in only when the oven is heated up to the right temperature and you begin counting the minutes, per your recipe, from that point on. With this one, since there is no way to tell if it has reached the right temperature, you put the food in right away (or wait for a bit before doing so) and begin your count at that point. Maybe the oven hadn't reached the correct temperature when you put the food in. But how would I know since there is no way to tell when the oven is ready? I cannot follow any recipes with regard to timing- it is all trial and error.

In somewhat good news, my unit is not noisy as seems to be the case for some users here. Also, at least so far, the glass door hasn't exploded on me, although I live in mortal fear of that given the comments here.

I have never had a toaster oven before so this is my first experience and we didn't have one growing up. Since I have a 4 year old and make small amounts of oven food, I didn't want to heat my entire house up living in over 100 degree weather this summer. So, bought a toaster oven. LOVE this! It cooks very predictable every time and we love that it is saving so much energy by not heating up the entire oven. I don't even use my toaster anymore since this is on my counter all the time. It does take longer to toast in the this rather than a conventional toaster, but it's just easier not to have to get it out of the cabinet.

Replaced my older toaster oven with the T-Fal convection toaster oven and have been very pleased. Stays much cooler than a regular toaster oven. Controls work very well. The warming area is just great for heating up breads. The only downside I have encountered was mentioned by previous reviewers, the sliding rack come out too easily, you have to remember that or they will pull out completely, other than that one item, I am very happy with my new toaster oven.

I often heat up small things and didn't want to use the large oven for it....this does the job, but I think the whole warming area at the top was a mis-step. It takes up a lot of room that could be given to the oven - and let you put larger things in it. It also makes such a small open area when the baking pan is used that I frequently burn my knuckles.

Good toaster oven - but lose the warming thing. They suggest you could fry an egg in it - but why would you want to?

I did need to return this product once. The convection fan did not work.

The second shipment was just fine. My husband has been happily toasting bagels for 3 weeks now (JUL 08), & I have reheated leftovers and cooked small lunch portions.

I do not have a complaint about the "noise" of the convection fan that has been noted in other reviews.

My toaster oven is less noisy than the microwave next to it. Since the first product was faulty in the convection department, I have checked, intermittently. The fan works just fine.

We're very pleased with this product.

Right of the box, this otherwise brand new toaster oven didn't work. The digital control system displayed gibberish although the unit could turn on and off. The quality of this unit, at least the electronics, is questionable.

I returned it and opted to buy a different unit (Cuisinart) which has worked beautifully.

I love this toaster oven. Since purchasing it, it has become one of my most used appliances in the kitchen and almost completely replaced the use of my full size oven. I've hesitated to purchase toaster ovens in the past because they just seem so cheaply made- almost like a child's toy. In fact, most still are, but not this unit. It has a nice look about it and "feels" like a quality product deserving of sitting on the counter next to your high end mixer and other things.

Performance- wise, it is excellent. Preheating is unnecessary, so you simply set your temperature and cook time, put your food in and you're done. Thanks to the convection feature, everything so far has come out evenly cooked and usually a little quicker than the recommended time the product suggests. You can fit an eleven inch pizza inside and cook it with no problem. After having this unit I would never consider buying a unit without convection. It does seem to make difference.

My only criticism would be that I would have liked the main cooking compartment to be a little taller. It's amusing that the picture on the box shows it with a whole chicken inside it. They must have photoshopped that thing in there because there is no way a normal sized whole roaster is going to fit inside that thing! Funnier still, the box advertises the cooking compartment as "XXL"! It'll handle a couple of Cornish game hens, though.

Anyway, I didn't buy it to roast whole chickens or do any sort of long-time cooking jobs. I bought it to reduce the usage of my main oven and augment my microwave. A lot of times, we'll microwave small things that really should be baked because we don't want to wait for the oven to preheat and we don't want to heat up our kitchen. This little oven has cut my main oven use by three-quarters and my microwave use by a third. Oh, and it makes great toast!

Shipped promptly, plugged in and worked - no hassle. it does cook faster than my old unit and the warmer is a great convenience.

This product works well, looks nice, and overall I am happy with it. However, there is no clock; it has a digital display for timing foods and setting temperatures, but no clock. What's up with that? And it would be a bit better if the bright, red zeros turned off when you weren't actually using the appliance.

Just my 2¢

I purchased this product to have a counter top toaster oven I could bake in and not have to turn on the "big" oven. It does exactly that. I am loving that I can bake quickly and save energy (not to mention money!). It fits the 9x9 pan. I was skeptical but it is true. Because of the convection aspect, it cooks quicker. I was worried it would heat up the wall behind it on the counter, but it hasn't done that. I would have liked the instruction manual to give a few more examples of how to maximize its usage so I don't miss out on some obvious uses. However, I am having a grand time using it. The only down side is perhaps the weight gain from the additional baking I might do!

received merchandise quickl and in good condition.
Instructuions were clear and easy to read. Unit works well

I am a culinary professional who needed an affordable way to replicate range/oven results without heating up the house. This is it. I had already purchased and returned another brand's toaster-convection oven. The TFal Avante Elite, however, is not going anywhere. I would recommend this great product for dorm rooms, efficiency apartments, RVs--anybody who wants superior results, no hassle, and an overall fantastic kitchen appliance. Never knew I couldn't live without a toaster oven until now.

So far, I've been very pleased with the oven. I bought the oven to replace a toaster oven that fit into one of those cubby holes on my counter with a door that slides up and down.. it had very specific dimensions that it had to be, and according to the website, this oven fit those dimensions. WRONG..... there are 2 little bump outs for lack of a better word on the back of the oven that prohibit it from going flush against the wall; therefore, it doesn't fit in the spot and I cannot lower the door. To avoid having to send this back at my expense, I have kept the oven and will just have it stick out of my cubby hole. I do love the oven and the broiler... I made the mistake of using the bun/bread warmer on top to put some chicken breast fillets that I'd cooked and while waiting for the rest of my dinner to cook, I put them in the warmer. The tray in the warmer does not come out. It was difficult to clean, and I wish I'd known that before I put anything on that top level other than bread.

Beside those two things, I am happy thus far with the oven, but I've only had it for about a month. I'm hoping that since I am using it so much that I'm saving power since I'm not heating up the Jenn-Air.

I like the oven very much except for the racks. They do not stay in the tracks when you are sliding the food out after cooking is complete thus could cause burns. Otherwise, it is efficient and keeps me from using the large oven and heating up the house.

Great design; love the warming area for bread. Bakes cookies without heating up the kitchen; nice push-button controls - much better than some other designs.

Overall this is a fine oven, easy to use, cooks bakes toast fine. There are hot spots that make you rotate the food for even cooking. The bread warmer is nice but do not leave it there to long or it will get over done(burnt). I would recomend it.

This toaster oven works great. We got it for a great deal on Amazon, beating out the prices on ebay and other auctions and sites. The dealer was excellent to deal with and we received this item in just a few days. The transaction was A+ and we couldn't be more satisfied with how everything went. Thank You.

The McDonnell's

I had purchased a Black and Decker oven(cheap)a few months back and hated it from the beginning. I finally broke down, spent a little more, and got this T-FAL Avante Elite after reading other good reviews. I hardly buy anything without reading reviews. This thing is great. Some things, you get what you pay for.
It is well made and all of the accessories are quality. And it looks good in my kitchen.

This toaster oven is the best I have owned to date. I have not turned on my full size oven since I purchased the T-Fal. I have baked many dishes and even 10-12" pizzas (although I had to trim one edge to get it to fit). All dishes have cooked uniformly. Toaster is easy to use and results are always the same.