I was considering this oven and the Breville Smart Pro Countertop oven (which surprisingly was less expensive, even if marginally so) and finally decided on the Calphalon for two reasons: first, I have a cat who sits on top of the microwave in the kitchen so she can stare at the dog when he eats and I was concerned she'd jump on a countertop oven while in use and give herself a nasty burn. The cool touch feature on this oven won me over. Second, I bake bread year round and in the summer my gas range really heats up my kitchen. When I saw the step cook function with proof/bake I was completely sold and ordered it (and yes, a 9x5 bread pan with a lip on both ends fits easily in this oven.)

I bought this for a gift. The recipient loved it. They were especially impressed by the cool touch exterior.

Mine gets used pretty much every day, sometimes twice a day. Came in handy when the AC broke and needed to cook dinner without heating up the whole house. Toasting function is convenient- love that it can toast 4-6 slices (depending on bread size) in one go. I use it for larger slices of bakery breads. Frozen sliced bread comes out lightly crispy but not browned on 4 (about 5-6 min). Room temp bread is slightly golden brown on same setting. Preheat settings are a little tricky. It has a set preheat temp and then you have to preheat AGAIN to go any higher. It comes with pans however they are pretty cheap (with the exception of the wire tray which is very sturdy).

It’s like a large professional oven but that fits on your counter and stays cool to touch. Cool to the touch all around - YES Quartz elements for faster heat up and better temperature regulation - YES Easy to clean inside and out - YES Toasts bread perfectly and evenly - YES Two-Step Cooking - YES