Instant Omni Plus 18L vs Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Instant Omni Plus 18L vs Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 Toaster Oven. When it comes to digital countertop convection toaster ovens, bigger isn’t always better.
Specifications
Design
The design of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 140-4002-01 Air Fryer Toaster Oven shows attention to detail and makes use of modern technology, which resembles the larger Ninja DT201 a lot. While not perfect, its strong points are more than enough to make up for the minor drawbacks.
Stood out to us were the combination of one nichrome and four quartz heating elements as well as the oven’s powerful convection settings. However, the spacing between the four rack levels made it difficult to place a baking pan to catch drippings while roasting a whole chicken with the rotisserie kit.
The Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 has a simple and sturdy design, plus a convenient slide-out crumb tray. The large interior houses a togglable lightbulb and convection system. A consistent disadvantage that this oven has is its low wattage compared to something like the Ninja DT201.
Usability Comparison
The Instant Omni Plus 18L 140-4002-01 Air Fryer Toaster Oven is the opposite of a simplistic analog unit like the Cuisinart TOA-60. It maximizes its ease of use but that leads to some weak points in and of itself; the same goes for its user control.
The oven’s touchscreen LCD is very easy to operate with all of its separate cooking functions and feature toggles despite having only one master-control knob and a subpar color contrast. Due to insufficient space, however, the cooking chamber can get quite tricky to clean in case of big greasy messes.
While the digital control panel of the Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 is straightforward and easy to use, its buttons can be more responsive. In addition to that, having to press Cancel before changing functions can get annoying.
The convection fan isn’t all-applicable, but it’s not a problem. On the other hand, the oven’s design features, including its accessories, make cleaning an effortless exercise.
Performance Test
The performance of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 140-4002-01 Air Fryer Toaster Oven is consistently great. In particular, it’s excellent at baking/ air frying fries and roasting a whole chicken. This is thanks to its great design, strong convection system as well as useful accessories—including an air fryer basket and rotisserie kit.
The strongest performance aspect of the Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 was the even coloring on our test dishes, thanks to its convection system. However, it didn’t meet the mark in baking frozen french fries.
This was probably due to the low power output combined with the large capacity, unlike the picks on our best toaster oven list. Moreover, having only two tray positions made it tricky to get the toast done right on both sides.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Informative and eye-catching package
- Smart Programs and cooking status bar
- Electrical safety feature for the door
- Convenient slide-out crumb tray
- Safeguards for all heating elements
- Complimentary app with detailed instructions and numerous recipes
- Helpful toggles
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Large capacity
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Convenient slide-out crumb tray
- High-contrast digital display
- Internal lighting available
- Extra functions
- Touchscreen digital displays need more contrast
- The master-control knob can be confusing
- Convection fan isn’t all-applicable
- No safety mechanism for the door
- Buttons not reliably responsive
Conclusion
The Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 managed to fall not too far behind the Instant Omni Plus 18L in most of our performance tests including toasting bread, roasting a whole chicken, and baking pizza. However, the Instant left the Oster in the dust with its baked french fries.
Their differences in performance could be explained by a number of factors. The Instant’s four quartz heating elements and one swirl nichrome heating element are powered with 1800 W. Meanwhile, the Oster’s four nichrome heating elements are only supplied with 1300 W in addition to the oven’s larger capacity.
Design-wise, both ovens have a slide-out crumb tray as well as other features but the Instant’s materials are more durable. Not only the Instant has more cooking functions, but it also has more accessories to accommodate more cooking methods including a rotisserie kit and an air fryer basket.
As for features of convenience, both have toggles for lighting and convection. However, the Instant’s control panel has a useful cooking status bar alongside audio cues and automatic features. While both are easy to use, the Oster’s buttons could be improved with better responsiveness.
The Instant Omni Plus 18L is the winner in all aspects, and at a fair price. Nonetheless, the Oster TSSTTVMNDG-SHP-2 is still an inexpensive, large toaster oven that does the job.
Behind the Comparison
Alan Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer at HealthyKitchen101. His major in English language teaching taught him to present concise information. In addition to his cooking hobby, he values the practical aspects of household appliances.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
