Hamilton Beach Toastation 2-Slice Toaster and Countertop Toaster Oven review

The Hamilton Beach Toastation 22723 suits a narrow kind of kitchen routine: make two slices in a real upright toaster slot, then switch the same appliance to a small oven for another job. That matters if the slot is the feature you actually want, rather than a toaster-oven setting that warms bread on a rack. It is not two independent appliances, though. The control selector chooses TOAST or OVEN, so you cannot toast breakfast while baking something below.

This is an earlier model, and Hamilton Beach’s exact U.S. pages for both 22723 and its red 22724 variant say “No Longer Available.” Keep it in the library for people comparing older units or used listings, but do not treat a historical page price or stock state as a buying promise. The red 22724 is documented as the same basic configuration with a different finish: both exact pages link the same Type O80 Use & Care guide, and the manual’s rating panel names both model codes. The separate archived manufacturer images let you distinguish the black and red bodies rather than substituting a family picture.

The slot and oven take turns

Hamilton Beach describes the upper slot as a two-slice toaster and says it is extra-wide enough for thick bagels and artisan bread. The lower cavity is described as fitting two slices of pizza, with baked potatoes and small snack foods as examples. Those are separate tasks, not one combined capacity measurement. The manufacturer does not publish a cubic-foot volume, cavity opening or pizza diameter for the 22723, so measure a dish before relying on a visual guess. The manual also calls for at least one inch between food and a heating element.

The product page lists Bake, Keep Warm and Toast functions. The manual describes the physical OVEN/TOAST selector, oven temperature knob, bread lifter and shade selector; it does not turn this into a digital menu or document a separate programmable keep-warm timer. The oven has a two-hour automatic shutoff. For oven use the guide says to select OVEN, set the temperature dial, then press ON/OFF and allow about five minutes to preheat. Its recipe examples are not a published minimum-to-maximum temperature range. For slot use, the manual provides starting shade guidance for bread, muffins, bagels and frozen items, but that is a starting point, not a guarantee across different thicknesses or moisture levels.

Hamilton Beach advertises faster toasting against a “leading toaster oven”; that is the maker’s qualified comparison, not independent testing. The sensible reason to consider this layout is its top slot, its shade control and an oven below in one 15.2-inch-wide body. If an Air Fry cycle, convection, an independently running second zone, a published cavity volume or a known maximum pan size is essential, the 22723 does not answer that requirement. The product name and marketing image do not fill those gaps.

Measure the counter, not just the appliance

The listed outside dimensions are 15.2 inches wide, 8.7 deep and 8.4 high. Hamilton Beach’s manual says to place it two to four inches from a wall or other countertop object, keep items off the top and avoid enclosed storage spaces. Leave additional room for the plug, the opening front door and removing a hot rack or pan. The modest height may help with a low cabinet, but it does not cancel the clearance guidance or the warning about heat near cabinets and other materials.

The product page lists an oven rack and baking pan; the appliance also has a drop-down crumb tray. The guide says to unplug the Toastation and let it cool before cleaning, hand-wash the rack and pan, and wipe the interior, glass door and exterior. The crumb tray is not removable; open it to shake out crumbs and wipe it clean. For food in the bread slot, disconnect and cool the unit before following the manual’s crumb-removal instructions; it specifically warns against using a metal utensil. It also directs toaster pastries and frozen prepared foods to the oven portion rather than the top slot. Follow package directions and do not leave either mode unattended.

Which nearby model is the better match?

The later Toastation 22725 follows the same broad slot-plus-oven idea but has a different exact model and manual type. Its page lists a 16.2-inch body width and a two-slice-pizza fit example; do not transfer the 22723 Type O80 rating, dimensions or warranty from this guide. The larger 31156J is another reviewed combination, but its published 9-inch pizza example and broader bake/broil/toast/keep-warm list make it a different choice when a larger oven routine matters more than the 22723’s smaller footprint. None of those specification comparisons is a cooking-performance test.

For a buyer who can accept an earlier, no-longer-available model, the 22723 makes sense when two-slice slot toast and small oven jobs are enough, the body and manual clearances fit, and sequential rather than simultaneous operation is acceptable. Walk away if you need a guaranteed cavity dimension, a 3-slice slot, digital control, convection or Air Fry. The directly linked Type O80 guide identifies 22723 and 22724 at 120 V / 60 Hz / 1,300 W, and states a one-year limited U.S. warranty under its terms; a used appliance’s coverage is not established. See the black 22723 page, the red 22724 page and their shared Use & Care guide 840319501.