This toaster oven was given to me as a gift years ago. It seemed a bit odd looking compared to other toaster ovens that I had seen. I used it to make toast first, and was very pleased with the evenness of the toasting. We have since used this toaster oven to make anything from pizza to cookies! I used this toaster oven instead of my regular oven for anything I can! Compared to other toaster ovens that I have used, this one is simply better. It is so easy to use and has a compact design to save counter space. Even Heating It is perfect for toast, cookies, and pizza! Safety The sides get really hot during use. We melted a bread bag on the top once. Ease of Cleaning The crumb tray is easy to access from the outside of the oven and catches everything that falls to the bottom of the oven. Design The design seemed a bit unusual looking when I first received the toaster oven, but it saves space. The controls are very easy to use. After many, many years of use my toaster oven has yellowed a bit and looks old.

libelula73

USA

I absolutely love this toaster oven. Not only does it toast my bread, bagel, croissants evenly, allowing me to adjust the darkness of the item being toast. It's large enough for me to cook a small frozen pizza in minimal time, cutting out the time it would normally take for me to preheat my regular oven You can easily adjust the darkest. It's not only functional but it also looks great on the counter top as well. A must have, if you're in the market for a new toaster oven. Buy it! You won't regret it! Even Heating You can easily adjust the level of darkness to produce a perfect even toast to your preference. Safety Easy to use. Just plug and go. Only thing is the top of the toaster oven gets hot so you have to be careful not to touch it. Ease of Cleaning Easy to clean. It has a pull out tray at the base, which catches all the crumbs, etc. making cleaning a breeze. Durability I've only had this toaster for about a year and so far I haven't encountered any issues with it yet. Still in love. Design It has a very attractive design.

mommy18

USA

I'm very happy with this product. I was previously researching a Black & Decker infrared model but really like the look and size of the Panasonic one much better. The size is perfect. It is much narrower than most toasters due to the controls being underneath. This means more countertop space for other things which I like. This toaster has a really sturdy handle. Previously I've had cheap toasters that had the handles break off. It toasts the edges of things very well and quickly. There is a lightness setting that will allow the light to be lowered or increased to fine tone the cooking. It can also be used like an oven with a temperature setting and time limit. So far I'm really happy with this toaster and am hoping it will last for years.

jacobsladder99

USA

For quick cooking and for cooking of foods that should be crisp, this oven is a good bet. That makes it a bit one-dimensional. For that reason, I question if it is worth giving up valuable counter space. The oven isn't big enough to cook a normal size frozen pizza - A 9" fits perfectly but that is not a common size unless you are single. For families, this oven would be limiting. Even Heating Food was piping hot. Evenly brown. Safety It flashes a bright light (assuming that is the infrared element) that one would assume is safe. Beyond that, like other toaster ovens, the outside is hot to the touch. Ease of Cleaning No issues with cleaning. Durability Seems like it would be durable enough. But I wouldn't call it sturdy or hefty in its feel. Design I think it looks good, almost futuristic. The buttons on front are easy to use. But this is definitely a model that you need to read the directions before using properly. Not as intuitive as I would like.

CarolFK

Undisclosed

I received the Panasonic Flash Xpress Toaster Oven the week after Superstorm Sandy struck Hoboken, NJ. Mercifully, the UPS delivery man delivered the toaster to my door - almost six weeks after Sandy, the elevators in my building are still out of order. It arrived in a BIG box, much larger than I expected. The Flash Xpress is not the toaster oven of my childhood. For starters, it's almost twice as large as the ones of yore. I tend to use toaster ovens for small jobs that don't warrant firing up the big oven - chicken nuggets, french fries, and of course, toast. The Flash Xpress did a good job on all of the above and was handy for lunch prep on Thanksgiving Day since the main oven was occupied with serial pie baking. There are two reasons why I will not be buying a Flash Xpress of my own: 1) the size, and 2) the blinding infrared light. Relative to most apartment dwellers, I have a lot of counter space, but the Flash Xpress occupied an unacceptably large portion of it. The primary deal breaker? The infrared light that turns on and off every few seconds. Situated at counter height, the Flash Xpress was right at eye level for my preschooler, who displayed a previously unsuspected masochistic side by standing right in front of the display while his chicken nuggets were cooking. After one week of use and increasing parental concerns about childhood blindness, my family rebelled against the Flash Xpress and demanded the return of our old reliable toaster. If you do not have young children and also do not have an oven (hello, fellow Sandy survivors!) then the Flash Xpress is an excellent option to tide you over until FEMA cuts you a check. For everyone else, either break out your sunglasses or take a pass on the Flash Xpress.

KathyZucker

USA

I like this product for it's heating capabilities, but several of the design features are seriously lacking. I couldn't understand the purpose of the interior light continually going on and off throughout cooking. Did a nice job heating food. Even Heating This toaster oven is excellent at thoroughly and evenly heating food, both refrigerated and frozen. I made a tray full (4) of frozen soft pretzels, and each one was cooked to exactly the same degree of doneness. Safety Although the handle was heat-resistant, the window became very hot and gave off a lot of residual heat. The appliance itself was flimsy and reminded me of the children's Easy-Bake oven due to it's being so compact and lightweight. Ease of Cleaning Spills and stains wiped up easily. I used the oven tray on every occasion because it keeps the oven cleaner. Since toaster ovens do not have self-cleaning features, it's important to be able to easily clean them after each use. This one was easy to wipe clean. Durability When I lifted the toaster oven out of the box, it was incredibly lightweight, which surprised me. It's been a few years since I have owned a toaster oven, but I've always remembered them to be bulky and heavy. I'd be concerned about long-term durability with this appliance. For the short-term, a year or so, this product will hold up just fine. Design I liked the size of it. It was small enough to either store easily or leave on the counter top. I like the push buttons rather than dials. I loved the automatic cooking keys for the frequently cooked foods, such as toast, waffles, and pizza. I did not like the pre-set temperature settings. What was going on with the light. Once cooking started, the light would go off then come on again after a minute or so. This process would repeat until the cooking ended. It became annoying.

SheilaColemanHill

USA

Once I opened the box I was concerned the toaster oven would fall apart if I dropped it. It seemed to be made out of lightweight materials. But then I chastised myself for judging the product before I used it. Never judge a book by its cover, right? I read through the instruction manual and the one thing that stood out to me was found on page 9 of the instruction manual. 'Do not stare at the near-infrared ray heater for a long time. It could cause injury to our eyes.' I am not a toaster oven developer but I was wondering if they knew this was a possible danger why did they have the glass on the front to transparent? Why weren't more steps taken to protect the consumer? The light is beyond bright!! They were not joking on this caution. I was concerned to have my children around the toaster oven when it was in operation as there eyes were on level with the toaster oven. As with all children they are loving bright flashy things so of course they were drawn to the toaster oven like moths to a flame. I would not recommend this to anyone with small children in the house. The shade controls were nice but keep in mind that different products have different sugar contents in them and toast and caramelize at different rates. In the 3 weeks I have had this product I have yet to find a setting that will work for my toasting needs. Even Heating We made mini pizza bites for dinner one night. I found that even though the tray was not over crowded or near capacity, the product was not evenly heated through. We used the toaster oven as an oven, setting it to the desired temp and then setting the timer. I did find that the best option for pizza bites was the 'frozen hash brown' button. Who would have guessed?! The biggest success I had was making fresh pizza. I lined the tray insert with foil and sprinkled it with corn meal and we had great success. It was nice not to have to heat up my big gas oven to make pizza. This was a positive for the toaster oven. I did make a chicken breast in the toaster oven. Just to see what would happen. I sliced a raw chicken breast in half length wise, marinated it and cooked it just as I would in the regular oven in a stoneware baking dish. I had success and it was faster than the oven if you were to include the oven heating and the bake time. But I don't think I would want to try a full size chicken breast. I think the half width breast was just right for this application. Safety No one got hurt. I would caution purchasing this product if you have small children or anyone who is at eye level with a kitchen counter. The super bright light is blinding. I am not an optometrist but I would dare to say this light is definitely a danger to a persons vision. Kids don't know to look away so parents be aware. The sides of the toaster oven got extremely hot as well. We used it with plenty of room around the toaster oven as not to damage anything in the surrounding area and to give a greater buffer zone for wandering fingers. A buffer of space is not how I would like to use my counter space, especially for housing a small kitchen appliance. Ease of Cleaning It easily wipes out. I would be concerned that the included tray might be hard to clean after continued use. Durability I did not have problems with durability in the 3 weeks but it seems like a product that will not have great durability over several months not to mention years. Design Good try. I would like to see what the next generation looks like. Much improvement is needed with the bright light and the temperature that radiates from the front and sides of the toaster oven. I know that it is written in the instruction manual that it is normal for the light to cycle on and off but it is still distracting when trying to accomplish other tasks in the kitchen. EIther on or off. Not both.

howipinchapenny

USA

I love toaster ovens. They're much easier and faster than an oven. I was pleased with the Panasonic. It cooked quickly, had lots of features, and was easy enough for my eight-year-old to use. Was it perfect? No. But as far as toaster ovens go, it's pretty darn good. Even Heating When baking, items toward the back of the oven tend to cook quicker than those in the front. When using the toasting feature, however, it cooked fairly evenly. Safety Its compact size means it can sit safely on a counter, without any overhang. As with any toaster oven, it gets hot on the top. The rack automatically moves forward when you open the door, so you don't have to reach in to grab for food. Ease of Cleaning It's easy to clean the bottom of the oven. But the cooking tray that comes with the oven is very difficult to clean. Durability The oven itself is fine, but the flimsy, cheaply-made baking tray probably won't last long. Design The size is great -- not too long, not too tall, but it still has room to fit plenty of toast or waffles. And it's the quietest toaster oven I've ever used. I loved that!

amybhole

USA

With infrared heating elements and a flimsy casing that might cause burns if touched, this toaster oven is unsafe at any speed for families with small children. Safety This product might be fine for households not populated by small children. Those who have little ones around, however, should think carefully before purchasing a counter-top product with infrared heating elements that are so powerful you're cautioned not to look at the heater for long periods of time. And the flimsy casing of this oven could burn small, inquisitive hands. There are so many cautionary warnings in the manual that I-a conscientious and reliable adult-worried about using the product. Durability I cannot imagine this product holding up for years; everything about it just strikes me as insubstantial. Design Although the compact design would be an asset to a small kitchen, I just don't see the point of this product. If you want toast, use a toaster. If you want to prepare a frozen pizza, be aware you can't go any larger than a nine-inch pie. Better to just use your oven.

MarciRich

USA

We liked the size and construction overall but the interior light kept flashing on and off, making the unit annoying to use. Even Heating The heating seemed even although we did not do much baking. Safety We were worried about the safety given the lighting problem. Ease of Cleaning It's easier to clean if you use the warming try while cooking. Durability We liked the metal it was made out of. Lightweight and easy to clean. Design We didn't like the on-off button or the interior light.

RandiChapnikMyers

USA