We Tried the Viral, Steam-Powered Balmuda Toaster Oven—and It Reheats Pizza Like a Dream
Updated: Apr. 26, 2024
Is the glamorous, steam-powered Balmuda toaster oven worth the price? One Shopping Editor put it to the test.
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Let me start with this: I’m not one for frivolous kitchen appliances or gimmicky gadgets. I live in an apartment and just don’t have the space to indulge in unnecessary items. Instead, I prefer essential utensils that get the job done. That said, my ancient toaster oven was giving out and ready to retire after 20 years of service. That’s when I stumbled across the Balmuda toaster oven on TikTok.
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The Balmuda toaster oven is everywhere—just peep the viral video from @emilymariko below. It’s also cropping up on YouTube, in Twitter ads and featured on Instagram reels. As someone who is no stranger to viral TikTok kitchen gadgets, I know that some trending kitchen items just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Most of the time, they’re unnecessary. This absolutely does not apply to the Balmuda toaster.
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What is the Balmuda toaster oven?
First and foremost, the Balmuda toaster oven is designed to make amazing toast. At that, it excels. A small reservoir on the top of the unit holds a small amount of water. While cooking, this water turns into steam, making any baked good taste like it’s fresh from the bakery. This steaming function—coupled with the aesthetic design—is the main appeal of this toaster.
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But the Balmuda oven is so much more than just a toaster oven. This countertop appliance revives stale bread, enhances store-bought pastries, whips up killer grilled cheeses and cooks and reheats pizza, unlike any appliance I’ve ever used before.
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It’s not big or bulky, which is both a positive and a negative—more on that later. The small size might be a con to some, but for an apartment dweller like me, it takes up the perfect amount of space. I’ve learned to be very picky about the small appliances that take up residence on my counters. The Balmuda usurped both my old toaster and countertop convection oven.
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Product Features
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- Steaming function with measuring cup
- Five settings, including toast, artisan breads, pizza and pastries
- Small footprint for apartment-sized kitchens
- Gorgeous matte exterior
- Easy-to-use temperature dial
- Included baking tray
- Removable crumb catcher tray
My Balmuda Toaster Oven Review
Setup
Setup for the Balmuda toaster oven couldn’t be easier. All I had to do was take it out of the box, remove the packaging tape and styrofoam and pop it in the toasting grate. Voila!
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After that, I did a thorough review of the how-to materials. This includes safety instructions and a handy cooking guidebook. To avoid injury, be mindful of all the safety guidelines that Balmuda outlines in these documents before use.
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Bagel
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I intended to begin my testing with a simple piece of toast, but the asiago bagels from Meijer’s deli section were just too tempting. To begin, I opened the toaster, revealing the steam reservoir. Following the instruction booklet, I filled up the adorable teacup-shaped measuring cup with one teaspoon of tap water—which goes directly into the reservoir.
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After that, I placed both sides of my bagel cut-side up on the toaster tray. The directions specify to toast bagels directly on the toasting grate, but I didn’t want to take a chance on cheese dripping into the crumb catcher. Once on the tray, the bagels were ready to toast. I closed the unit, turned the settings dial to “pizza” (pizza and bagels both use the same setting) and pressed the start button on the cooking time dial.
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It took a moment for me to figure out that the cooking time is set after pressing the start button. Simply rotate the dial and the cooking times light up, indicating how much time is left. I set my bagels for three minutes.
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The result? If you’ve ever enjoyed fresh, New York-style bagels from a bakery, that’s exactly what they tasted like. There’s something to the steam function—my bagels were crispy on the cut side, less so on the bottom, and deliciously soft inside. Truthfully, the bagel function beat out any other appliance I’ve used to toast bagels before.
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Pastry
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Next on the list was an apple turnover. These were also from the Meijer deli section, and I got them on a massive discount. They were bordering on stale—the perfect test of the Balmuda’s steam function. As before, I filled the water reservoir, added my turnover to the baking tray and popped it in.
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This time I set the toaster to the “pastry” setting for three minutes. The pastry setting doesn’t brown croissants, donuts or strudels. Rather, it focuses on heating them up while keeping the interior nice and fluffy. Surprisingly, my stale apple fritters came out delicious! Fluffy, soft and warm as can be—I could have fooled someone into thinking they came from a local bakery instead of the supermarket.
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Toast
For my toast test, I used a big slice of pumpernickel rye. Usually on the dryer side, the rye would be the ultimate test for the Balmuda. If it could keep the inside soft while giving me my much-needed crunch, I would be beside myself. As per Balmuda’s instructions, I positioned the bread—the loaf part of the crust facing me—directly on the toasting rack. After one cup of water and three minutes of baking with the artisan bread setting, the toast was ready.
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Ooh la la, is my kitchen a French bakery? If it wasn’t before, it certainly is now. I like my toast very brown, but I despise it when it crumbles away after biting into it. The Balmuda used steam to create a nice balance of crispiness on the outside while still delivering a delicious, soft interior.
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One thing to note is that the bottom of my toast was a bit lighter than the top. Not a huge deal, but it’s worth considering—especially given the appliance’s high price tag.
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Pizza
As a pizza fiend, I got excited about this setting. I didn’t expect wow-worthy pies like the ones that come out of an Ooni oven. Instead, I was hoping for something that could reheat day-old slices and enhance my frozen ‘zas on lazy Saturdays. A Lean Cuisine French bread pizza felt like the perfect test of the oven’s capabilities.
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I popped the frozen pizza on the cooking tray, added the water and set the oven to “pizza” for seven minutes. After the initial burst of steam, I began to worry that the oven wouldn’t be able to cook the French bread adequately since it was frozen. While the pepperoni was beginning to bubble up with grease, the cheese didn’t look close to melty enough—even creeping up on three minutes left.
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My worries were in vain, though. The Balmuda oven uses a big burst of heat at the end of the cooking time. This last wave of cooking proved enough to melt the cheese and add some delicious dark brown bits to the bread. As far as frozen French bread pizzas go, the results far exceeded my expectations.
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The interior of the bread? Fluffy. The exterior? Crispy. On top, the cheese and pepperoni boasted just the right amount of burnt edges. Admittedly, I’m a little disappointed that the small oven can’t cook an entire 12-inch pizza (I feel like it would be amazing in the Balmuda). However, given the results, I can compromise with single slices and personal-sized pies.
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Pros
- Steam function makes amazing toast
- Several cooking presets are available
- Looks pretty on the counter
- Easy to operate
- Small footprint
- Easy to clean
- Sounds and LEDs aren’t distracting or obnoxious
- Available in an array of color choices
Cons
- Pricey at $300
- Toast browns a bit more on top than the bottom
- No built-in storage for water measuring cup
- Can’t fit full-sized pizzas
- Learning curve for cooking times
- Short cord
FAQ
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How does the Balmuda toaster oven work?
The Balmuda uses a burst of steam at the beginning of the cooking time to add moisture to bread and pastries prior to toasting. This steam is the secret to soft insides and toasty outsides. Depending on the setting, the steam is then followed by moderate heat, then a burst of high-heat at the end of the cooking time. This gives bread and pizza that desirable crunch.
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For pastries, the Balmuda focuses less on browning and more on warming them up evenly and adding moisture inside. The oven’s three baking settings—350ºF, 400ºF and 450ºF, respectively—don’t use the steam function.
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How do you clean the Balmuda toaster oven?
Cleaning the Balmuda toaster oven is easy. Simply turn off and unplug the unit and use a damp cloth to remove any stuck-on substances that coat the grate. The brand recommends removing and wiping down the crumb tray underneath the unit after every use. Like the crumb catcher, the boiler tray can be removed and washed with mild detergent and water.
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The only thing to avoid is the heating tube—Balmuda recommends not touching them at all since they’re relatively fragile. However, the exterior of the unit can be wiped down with a wrung-out rag or Swedish dishcloth. Use mild dish soap in moderation for stubborn messes. Wipe away any excess soap after cleaning.
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What can you use Balmuda toaster for?
I think the real question here is what you can’t use it for. Almost any food that can be baked, toasted, warmed or otherwise enhanced with heat is fair game. I tried toast, French bread pizza, apple fritters and bagels during my test run. But realistically, you can use it to do everything from baking chocolate chip cookies to creating the best grilled cheese.
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The only thing to keep in mind is that you can’t really use it as a replacement for an air fryer. Steer clear of raw meat.
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Is Balmuda toaster made in Japan?
Yes, Balmuda appliances are designed and produced in Japan.
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What Other Reviewers Had To Say
Reviewers comment on the beauty and functionality of the toaster, noting that the steam function enhances almost any baked good. “Best $300 I ever spent,” writes verified purchaser Humzah. “Changed how I view the world. Every time I see a croissant or a bagel in the bakery, I think of how much better it would taste in my oven. Must buy!”
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Other reviewers appreciate how the Balmuda accommodates artisan slices. Reviewer Shovat reports that their large homemade bread slices fit comfortably in the toaster oven. “There seems to be something to the misting function because even when I crank the timer up to 10, the center is still soft while the surface of the bread is what you would expect from being toasted for 10 minutes. It’s one heck of a crunch, but instead of the burnt brick I was expecting, it was a dark tan with a soft inside.”
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Product Comparison
I won’t try to dance around it—the Balmuda is pricey for a toaster oven. There are plenty of pretty toaster ovens that are less than half the price. It’s worth considering alternatives if that’s the main reason you’re eyeing the Balmuda—especially if the steam feature isn’t mandatory. The Beautiful by Drew toaster oven, for example, rings up at an affordable $129 and has air fryer capabilities.
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The retro-style Galanz toaster oven starts at $99 and doesn’t have an air fryer setting like the Beautiful by Drew oven. But, it does fit an entire 12-inch pizza.
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There are a few competitors who do have steaming functions baked in. A practical option is the Cuisinart steam oven, which normally retails for around the same price as the Balmuda. You may prefer the Cuisinart oven for its steam cleaning feature, a digital screen with time and temperature readouts and a larger size. However, it’s not as aesthetic as the Balmuda.
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Those looking for something that visually resembles the Balmuda while building on its functionality should check out the ChefCubii oven. This steamer, toaster oven, air fryer and dehydrator has serious visual appeal with clean lines and a modern palette. It includes the same steam cleaning feature as the Cuisinart oven. It rings up at $500—much steeper in price than the Balmuda.
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Final Verdict
Home cooks searching for a better way to enjoy artisan breads, pastries and pizza will enjoy using the Balmuda toaster oven. It nailed every task I threw at it, from reviving stale fritters to toasting up the perfect soft-yet-crisp bagels. I consider it a step up from a normal toaster oven thanks to the steamer function.
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Although I love my Balmuda oven, it’s on the pricey side for a toaster oven. For me, the performance and aesthetic balance out the cost, but some folks may have better luck investing in one of the other options I highlighted above. If you love pretty kitchen appliances and need a new toaster oven, go ahead and splurge on it.
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The Balmuda toaster oven is fun to use. All the settings work as expected and I love the way it ties together my little kitchen. It brightens up my day when I smell that delicious bakery scent wafting from it. For that, I give this luxury kitchen appliance three thumbs up.
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Where to Buy Balmuda The Toaster
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The Balmuda toaster oven is available on Amazon for around $300 in a range of different shades. It can also be found at a few different department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. I located listings on Sur la Table. While it’s definitely not cheap, the Balmuda is a well-made, aesthetic appliance that outperforms the average toaster oven. In my opinion, it’s well worth the splurge.
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Originally Published: June 16, 2023
