NINJA SP201_V2

If this toaster oven were $100 cheaper it would be five stars no question- this is my favorite thing I've ever given less than five stars to, and I still wholeheartedly recommend it! The unit is amazing, it is easy to use, it works well, it looks nice, it comes with decent accessories, all the modes and options are great (I do have a gripe about the quantity though). Basically everything you expect to be great- is, but the finishing touches on this do not match it's price. - My unit had mess/debris/grease from manufacturer all over the exterior, I had to scrub, some of it didn't come off. It looks fine enough after some work, but that's not over $300 appliance level. - Off gassing: The manual "suggests" one empty cook cycle to burn off any manufacturer remnants (not unusual). I had to do about three washings and four or five 20-minute cycles and the smell was so bad I felt I had to lock the pets away. Either the manual is wrong, or the manufacturer is having problems. This does not impact the oven once done- I use mine with no smell or concern once cleaning was complete, I just spent a lot of time cleaning it. - Open Heating Elements: With previous units I've noticed the heating elements are better protected, as in you physically couldn't drip or leak onto them. On this one the covers are small and perforated and any drip around the heating element will get onto the heating element. I've started leaving the searing pan in as a drip tray to see how that works. - Door Gap: Something about the way the door is designed and placed, everytime I open and close the door it's crunching and releasing crumbs out the bottom through the gap. Minor issue, but again, that's the kind of thing I expect from a random cheap toaster I grab at the store, not something at this price point. - Modes: I know it's good advertising for brands to say "13-in-1" but for the love of God I just want to heat things up. Just give me basic control over heat distribution, this burner on this one off, fans on or off, instead of 13 modes I have to think about and consult the manual to see which specific accessories are recommended for the mode, each time I cook something I'm not used to. Overall I do really like the unit. The size is awkward but worked well for my space. I do wish the highest tier model was slightly bigger and just ditched the flip function. I haven't tried cooking large things, but from eyeballing it I really think just another inch in height would vastly expand your options. If you are planning to use the flip function I will say WOW, I obviously tested it and it is very simple and well designed. The problems I have are in comparing this to previous units that I just felt had a lot more polish to them despite similar price points. Two specific prepurchase concerns I had after reading reviews... - Exterior Heat: Yes the outside obviously gets hot, it's a small oven. No, it is not unusual. The people who say it gets insanely hot are not comparing it apples-to-apples, every other similar unit is going to get similarity hot. The back needs a little space but has some bulk that keeps you from pushing it directly against the wall anyway. The sides you should give the standard at least couple inches. The top gets warm but will need minimal air space. The oven appears to only exhaust air out the sides (where you want maximum space), heat from the rear (and top) appears to be purely transfer through the metal. - Plug: The plug is normal! My last toaster oven in particular had this giant bulky plug that meant I couldn't run it through my cabinets like normal (a common complaint I've seen for that entire brand). This one fit right through, and is small enough that you could comfortably and easily drill a hole to run the cable. Obviously it's still a large three prong, but it is not unusually large like some competitors.