Since there is a range of breakfast stations available on the market, picking the most suitable model can be overwhelming. For this reason, we crafted a detailed buying guide that will help you pick the best product for your needs and get the most out of your investment. It's important to know how a breakfast station, with a toaster, griddle, coffee, pot, and egg cooker, is different from a breakfast sandwich maker. Both are practical, but a station will give you more cooking varieties, and they often add to the decor of your kitchen!
Different Cooking Modes in a Breakfast Station
The cooking modes available with a breakfast station vary from one model to another. Below, we briefly discuss these modes.
- Toast Only: This will allow you to operate the breakfast station as a toaster. You can toast bread slices, bagels, and other food items.
- Egg Cooker Only: If your breakfast station has a separate egg cooker, this will help you cook eggs while the toaster or any other function is inactive.
- Grill Only: If you set the breakfast station in this mode, you can use the griddle only to prepare pancakes, meats, and more, while all other operations will be put at a halt.
- Grill/Toast: This is a dual operation that allows you to grill food items on the griddle while also toasting bread slices, muffins, or bagels inside the toaster oven.
- Toast/Egg: In this mode, the breakfast station will toast foods and boil or poach eggs simultaneously.
- Coffee: If you want to brew coffee, just switch on this function, and the breakfast station will start preparing the hot beverage.
Key Factors To Consider When Choosing a Breakfast Station
Griddle size
If your chosen breakfast station has a griddle, make sure to check the size of its cooking surface. A medium-sized griddle allows you to grill two to three different food items at once, making it ideal for a small family. If you have a large family, choose a product with a large griddle that allows you to grill and fry multiple items without running out of space.
Toaster oven capacity
Different breakfast stations come with toaster ovens of varying sizes. A smaller oven allows you to toast two bread slices, one bagel cut in half, or a couple of small croissants. On the contrary, a larger oven can easily fit four bread slices, two bagels, English muffins cut in half, and four regular-sized croissants. You should determine the optimal toaster oven size based on your family’s needs.
Toaster slots
If the breakfast station has a regular toaster, make sure there are two or more slots so that you can toast multiple bread slices or bagels at a time. It’s best to look for a product with wide toast slots as they can fit thick bread slices, muffins, and other food items easily.
Egg cooker trays
In some breakfast stations, you will have an egg cooker where you can make boiled eggs, poached eggs, or scrambled eggs. Usually, these breakfast stations come with two trays. One tray has small circular holes for boiling eggs, and the other comes with two large circular molds for poaching or scrambling eggs.
Cooking time
The performance of a breakfast station depends on its cooking time. As these appliances run on electricity, they are equipped with a heating element. Therefore, if you want to cook quickly, choose a product with a powerful heating element that can produce a high amount of heat for rapid cooking.
Material
Breakfast stations have either a plastic or alloy steel body, while their doors and lids are made from tempered glass or polymer. Products made from plastic are light and can be carried easily to different places. They are also resistant to any chemical and can last for a long time. However, the material cannot resist the formation of scratches or structural damage if mishandled. On the other hand, models made of alloy steel are much stronger and can withstand mechanical wear and tear for a long time. They are the most durable and can easily retain their structural integrity. The door and lid are usually made from tempered glass instead of regular glass because the former can withstand a high amount of heat.
Coffee maker
If your chosen breakfast station has a coffee maker, you must check its capacity. Most products come with a glass carafe that can hold water for three to four cups of coffee at once. Also, ensure that the pack has reusable filters so that you can use them repeatedly after throwing the coffee grounds; this is an affordable and environmentally friendly feature.
Browning levels
Different breakfast stations are equipped with different browning levels for the toaster that can vary from three to seven. If you like only a light toast on your bread, but other family members prefer medium-dark shades or crispy loaves of bread, it would be best to choose a model with seven browning levels.
Timer
The timer regulator in a breakfast station helps you set a particular time for the toaster oven. Usually, most ovens have a timing range between 15 and 30 minutes based on the functions they can perform. For example, if it is programmed to only toast the bread slices or reheat any pre-cooked food item, the breakfast station will have a 15-minute timer. On the contrary, a toaster oven with a 30-minute timer option is ideal for baking breakfast foods.
Special Features of a Breakfast Station
There are a few features that are unique to breakfast stations and are very useful. Below, we listed some of them to help you make the best decision.
- A crumb tray collects all the small food particles and prevents any kind of mess
- In some products, the griddle comes with a tempered glass lid which can speed up the cooking process and keep you safe from injuries
- Indicator lights glow once cooking is complete
- Non-stick griddles cook food items with almost no grease and are easy to clean
- A high-lift lever press can help you easily and safely remove toast
- Toasting slots will be accompanied by a cancel button to stop the process early
Average Cost of a Breakfast Station
Breakfast stations cost between $50 and $100 based on the type of appliance you have chosen. For example, if the toaster oven can double as a baking unit, the product’s cost will be higher. Similarly, a breakfast station with a separate egg cooking unit will cost less than a product with a griddle, coffee maker, and toaster oven.
