Originally Posted by
gengar
Well, "toaster oven" is a bit of a misnomer as it's just a small [conventional] oven - really the name is just for marketing to specify one of its uses (somewhat similar to the recent "air fryer" trend, which is also just a convection oven and doesn't fry at all).
A pop-up toaster is to a "toaster oven" very much what a "toaster oven" is to a conventional, larger oven. It's very good for specific purposes but those purposes are limited. I make use of a pop-up toaster, "toaster oven", and larger conventional oven regularly, but obviously people without the need for the specific purposes each is good for could forego any of these.
[EDIT: typed convection instead of conventional]
I'd agree with your description. We're not far off. My point is this: You can do all of the things you want to do with a conventional oven. That's the only one you really need. Then there's a convenience factor, and heating an oven isn't fast. Most of us can satisfy that convenience with just a toaster, because toast is something many people make frequently (at least in the US, with breakfast). If you have the counter space (they take up quite a bit), and find that you'll use it often, by all means but the toaster oven. But for me, it's the least necessary of the three...which is why ours probably won't make the move to the new house as we figure out what we truly need and will use.
Personally, I'd love to have a built-in deep fryer in the new house where the toaster oven might otherwise sit. My wife has already made that decision though
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