Bonnie: No matter how large (or small) the kitchen, all cooks grumble about counter space. We all want more. And we try to make what we do have most efficient. That’s where double-duty appliances come in, freeing up counter space.

When the boys were growing up, my kitchen required both a toaster and a toaster oven. They used the latter more than any other appliance, relying on it to melt the cheese on their tuna melts. But they also needed a toaster for that open-face sandwich’s bagel. Both appliances remained on the counter top and in constant use.

One day, while researching new appliances for Parade magazine, I discovered Toastation, a combination toaster oven/toaster. It’s the size of a regular toaster oven with an extra-wide toasting slot that’s long enough to fit two halves of a New York City bagel. And switching from one function to the other couldn’t be easier: Just a slide of a lever seals the toasting slot, turning the appliance into an oven.

Once the boys moved out, I thought I’d move the double-duty appliance from the counter top to the cabinet until I realized that I preferred using the toaster oven to heating my regular electric one, not only for ease of use, but for electricity savings, too. I now use it more than any appliance other than my coffee maker.

And what I also like about Toastation is its price. I suggest the 2-slice version as a perfect gift for those college freshmen packing to go off for their first time living away from home. It’s perfect for them to heat their late-night snacks. And consider the new — just introduced this month — 4-slice one for a large family, or even for yourself if you still have kids at home.

Bryan: Some of the most pleasing and equally dumbfounding moments at Bite of the Best are when we receive products that are as amazing as they are simple. It’s always the quirky gadgets that make me feel this way; I end up falling in love with a device based on how it fundamentally changes my kitchen while simultaneously kicking myself for not thinking of it on my own. Toastation tops the “why didn’t I think of that” scale by skillfully combining the two most common methods of toasting: the stand-up toaster and the toaster oven.

The great toaster debate is one that had ceased to rage in my house long ago. As a self-titled sandwich aficionado, I need to be able to melt cheeses on my creations…something that can only be done in a toaster oven (try to melt cheddar on a tomato-topped bagel in a slice toaster and you’re in for an unfortunate surprise). Though I had come to the logical conclusion that a toaster oven was for me, I did regret the loss of my slice toaster. They truly are the best means to a properly (and quickly) toasted bagel or bread slice. I have little to say about Toastation that isn’t obvious; this amazing device is the best toaster on the market, period. You won’t need to think about another toaster until the 3 in 1 comes out (c’mon Hamilton Beach, let’s add a blowtorch to the side for crème brûlée!)

Eric: While I was growing-up, the kitchen counter(s) in my mother’s house seemed more like the patent office for kitchen appliances; they were a testing ground for some of the best and the worst. For every food product that’s left you scratching your head in wonder about why a company would bother to produce it (or even think of it in the first place), there is an equally useless kitchen appliance.

I usually don’t depend on many appliances to aid me in cooking. If you’re an avid reader of BOTB then you already understand my disdain for the microwave. I slice, dice and chop with a knife, not a food processor, and I mix, fold and beat with a whisk, not a stand mixer. For me, the trouble comes when I want to make a tuna melt, or for that matter, any sandwich.

Creating a sandwich is more like creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art, and in my opinion, this type of art is not complete until it is taken out of the oven. Like the painter’s easel or potter’s wheel, the Toastation appliance is the perfect tool for creating a sandwich. I’m sure other people might even use the appliance for more than that. It’s by far one of the more practical toaster ovens on the market. Now go gratinate some cheese.