Cleaning your countertop toaster oven is such an annoying chore. Removing food splatters can feel like a true workout, requiring elbow grease, lots of cleanser, and all your attention to detail. Not to mention, there are so many components inevitably covered in grease splatters from that time you thought it'd be smart to make a double batch of cheese toast. Keeping your countertop convection oven clean is an effort, no matter how well you stay on top of cleaning it, but let's break it down and make it as easy as possible.

Do toaster ovens have self-cleaning functionality?

Yes! Like a regular oven, some do have the ability to self-clean; however, in the context of a freestanding toaster or convection oven, the "self-cleaning" feature usually refers to a nonstick coating. Nonstick surfaces are notoriously easier to wipe down with warm water, dish soap, and a soft sponge.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cleaning a Countertop Oven

1. Gather Supplies

  • Commercial oven cleaner
  • Cardboard box
  • Liquid dish soap
  • Water
  • Homemade cleaning solutions:
  • Baking soda and water to form a paste
    Vinegar and water in a spray bottle for glass cleaning
  • Rubber gloves
  • Sponges, old rags, microfiber cloths, and paper towels

*As an important note, never use bleach and vinegar together when cleaning. Both are powerful cleaners, but together, they create a toxic chlorine gas.

2. Prepare the Oven and Accessories

  • Unplug the toaster oven to prevent electrical shock.
  • Remove shelves, racks, trays, and other loose accessories and place them in the sink or in a cardboard box. If you're going to clean them in the sink, you should plug the sink, fill it with hot, soapy water, and allow everything to soak. If you want to use a commercial oven cleaner, it's best to do that in a well-ventilated area, so transfer the pieces to a cardboard box and plan to take it outside.

3. Deep Clean Interior Stains and Build-Up

Baked-on grease and food buildup need deep cleaning power. Pay extra attention to the sides and ceiling of the toaster oven. Three options that work:

  1. Use white vinegar. Mist full-strength distilled white vinegar to the interior surface of the toaster oven. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, use a damp cloth with a bit of dish soap to wipe down the surfaces.
  2. Use baking soda. Create a homemade cleaning paste using two tablespoons of baking soda and water. Apply it to the toughest areas. Allow it to sit and soak into the
  3. Try a chemical cleaner. Take the toaster oven outside. Mist an old cloth with commercial-strength oven cleaners, and wipe down the flecks of food debris. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe away the loosened grime with a damp cloth or sponge.

4. Clean the Glass Window

  • Create a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water. With the oven door opened flat, mist the glass and let the solution sit for a minute. Use a non-abrasive sponge to loosen food particles, and then clean dry the surface with a paper towel. (Just to note: Also avoid using a melamine sponge or Magic Eraser on glass. It can scratch glass or affect coatings on your oven door.)
Vinegar spray cleans grease on a glass toaster oven door.
Acidic vinegar cuts through the grease of baked-on food and splatters on the glass door. Credit: Emily Fazio

5. Clean Racks and Trays

These accessories endure baked-on food and tough stains. If you manage grease buildup on a regular basis, you can likely get away with a simple soak in soapy water. If the accumulation of grease has gotten out of control, go straight for the oven cleaning sprays.

  1. Using hot, soapy water. Place removable parts from your toaster oven in a sink filled with soapy water. Let the liquid grease-cutting dish soap do its thing. After 10 minutes, while still soaking in the sink, use a scrub brush and a bit of elbow grease to loosen grease and baked-on food. Rinse clean and allow to dry before putting the accessories back in the toaster oven.
  2. Use chemical cleaners. Oven cleaning spray is powerful and does work great at cleaning a buildup of grease. Because most chemical cleaners emit harmful VOCs, take this operation into a well-ventilated space. Liberally spray the cooking racks, trays, and other accessories. After 10 minutes, don your rubber gloves and use a scrub brush to scrape away food residue. Rinse clean to eliminate the chemical solution, and then wash everything again in the sink with dish soap and water.
Soaking and scrubbing toaster oven trays and accessories.
Soak and scrub oven trays and accessories. Credit: Emily Fazio

6. Clean Exterior Surfaces

  • Wipe down the outside of the appliance. Clean the exterior surfaces of the convection oven, including the control panel and handles with a damp microfiber cloth. Use a vinegar and water mixture for a final wipe to remove any cleaning residue.

7. Reassemble and Run for 10 Minutes

  • Put it back together again. Put the cleaned and dried shelves, racks, and trays back into the oven.
  • Heat the toaster oven. Turn on the oven to a low temperature for a short time to burn off any remaining cleaner residue.

Line your crock pot slow cooker with a liner to reduce the mess.
How to Make Slow Cooker Meals (and Clean-Up) a Breeze
No, your Crock Pot doesn’t have to be difficult to clean.
Read More

How often should you clean a toaster oven?

  • Clean stuck-on food bits from the cooking tray after each use. Your food tray should stay as clean as your other cookware.
  • Wipe off the removable crumb tray every week, or more often if you're cooking something that left a mess. A clean crumb tray keeps the overall messiness of a toaster oven at bay.
  • Wipe down high-touch areas regularly with a spritz of vinegar and water.
  • Aim for a weekly cleaning that consists of an interior wipe-down. Unplug the kitchen appliance and use a damp cloth with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water to keep current with fresh splatters and food particles.