Electric Counter-top Ovens, Broilers Or Toaster Ovens
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Kitchen Cooking Appliances · CPSC Code 216
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Electric Counter-top Ovens, Broilers Or Toaster Ovens carry a danger score of 30/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 494 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 30/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 494
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 216 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 30/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume494 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-6%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Electric Counter-top Ovens, Broilers Or Toaster Ovens (CPSC product code 216, in the Kitchen Cooking Appliances category) generate an estimated 494 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 9,889 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 30/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2023 (977 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (81 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 1,736 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the finger (1,314 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,564 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 3.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 647 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 899 | 489 | |
| 5-14 | 616 | 411 | |
| 15-24 | 565 | 577 | |
| 25-34 | 324 | 548 | |
| 35-44 | 322 | 749 | |
| 45-54 | 563 | 1,001 | |
| 55-64 | 498 | 1,024 | |
| 65-74 | 127 | 337 | |
| 75+ | 198 | 643 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| All Parts Body | Electric Shock | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Wrist | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burn, Scald | |
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Avulsion |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
10 YOM BURNT HAND ON A OVEN OVEN DX: BURN
14MOF PRESENTS AFTER FALLING 2 FEET FROM HER BOOSTER CHAIR HITTING THE BACK OF HER HEAD DX: NOT STATED, LEFT WITHOUT BEING SEEN
62YOF, ACCIDENTALLY BURNT HER LEFT INDEX FINGER ON A TOASTER OVEN, BLISTERED NOTED ON EXAM, DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF FINGER OF LEFT HAND
4YOM HIT HIAS FOREARM ON A HOT TOASTER OVEN AT GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF RIGHT FOREARM TBSA 1% *
88YOF REPORTS LOSING BALANCE AND FALLING WHILE TRYING TO GET HER TOASTER OVEN OUT OF A CABINET. DAUGHTER REPORTS THAT SHE HAS HAD MULTIPLE FALLS.SMALL HEMATOMA TO FOREHEAD. C/O RIGHT WRIST PAIN DX: FALL, AMBULATORY DYSFUNCTION, CLOSED FRACTUER OF DISTAL ENDS OF RT RADIUS AND ULNA, CHEST PAIN
38 YOF STATES OVEN LID FELL FROM THE COUNTER AND HIT HER RT LEG/ANKLE DX: ANKLE CONTUSION
5YOF HAS A BURN TO HER LEFT UPPER ARM AFTER SHE ACCIDENTALLY BACKED INTO A TOASTER OVER DX: BURN OF LEFT UPPER ARM
35 YOM CUT FINGER ON A TOASTER. DX FINGER LACERATION
63 YOM INJ RT HAND DROPPED LID OF PIG ROASTER ON HAND AT HOME DX CONTUSION RT HAND ;
58 YOF CUT FINGER ON A TOASTER DX: LAC
46 YOM CUT FINGER ON A TOASTER OVEN. DX FINGER LACERATION
76 YOF INVOLVED IN A KITCHEN FIRE. A TOASTER OVEN CAUGHT FIRE. +FD +SMOKE EXPOSURE. COHGB 2.0 DX SMOKE INHALATION
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
While cooking a frozen pizza in my toaster oven the wires over heated and began smoking. There was no fire in the oven itself. The food was still partially frozen, nothing on the bottom was on fire or smoldering and the element was not burning, smoking or sparking. The overheating/fire/smoke event was entirely contained to the portion of the toaster oven on the right hand side where the controls are located as well as the convection fan.
The unit has two functions: toaster over and toaster. To operate the toaster or oven, you have to slide the level to the appropriate setting. While the oven level with the dial on the off setting, the oven light comes on. The oven portion was used this morning, and the dial turned to the off position after use. Unfortunately, the oven remained in operation although it should have been off. The toaster oven almost set my house on fire. I have photographs of the oven and the unit if needed.
BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster Oven with Natural Convection, Stainless Steel, TO1760SS None of this is a joke. I think the only reason why no lawsuits is because item is cheap, just hurts the poor, and doesnt kill just is a severe burn risk in many ways. Also, for those unconcerned about safety it is in a small category of inexpensive high wattage, small toaster-ovens. Why dangerous? 1) Leak from toaster heats knobs which get as hot as inside of toaster. Steam visible on knobs while heating. 2) Door does not open completely, so easily tips forward toward user and worse hot rack slides out toward user when tips. 3) Poor or zero tactile and audio feedback for off, and hard to turn-off. 4) Worse, just passed the off position is a permanently on position. So easy to accidentally keep on. Fire hazard. They even know it, and warn in big letters what to do in case of fire. Only indicator is subtle light, and very subtle in daytime since it dims (not kidding) when inside reaches set temperature. 5) Small, but BPA containing product poorly labeled. 6) Rack is in contact with glass. I could not maintain any space, even with effort. This is probably why negative reviewers report that glass shatters. The main risk is obviously that heat leaks through backs of knobs to a a virtually unlimited temperature (maybe limit is 450 degrees F, I did not do an experiment) AND easily tips toward user spilling hot rack, and falling. Also, I think Amazon censored my review because I said it should not be sold. They did however answer my phone call, took a report, and processed a return.
Toaster oven being used to cook hamburger .4-5 minutes into use glass door exploded completely blowing handle and glass shards all over kitchen counter,floor and sink.Luckly my wife had stepped into dining room or she could have been seriously hurt.A baby or anyone for that matter in the kitchen at the time of the explosion would be in danger.cleanup was difficult and left scratches on the [REDACTED] floor,glass top stove and counter.we bought this from Macy's less than a year ago.Black and Decker model #to16758type1from spectrum brands,300deming way !Middleton WI 53562
The consumer indicates that she was using the toaster oven when it caught on fire approximately five or six minutes after she had turned it on. There were flames as high as one foot. The consumer unplugged the toaster oven immediately and a few minutes later she poured water on it. The consumer dismantled the unit and kept some of its parts before discarding the others. The consumer indicates that she used her toaster oven at least once daily.
Your toaster broiler oven, model # RTO1400ss, gives off sparks of fire while we HAD in use. we immediately unplugged and stopped usage. The first time there were sparks was August 20, 2011, while being used. Second time of incident was today, September 7, 2011. This time I actually saw the sparks come from the vents on top of oven. It was unplugged.
On April 2,2011 I bought Toaster Oven Broiler from Sears.com. Unfortunately I didn't open package for another couple months. Sears has 90 days satisfaction warranty. In the end of August I tried to return the product because of safety issue, I burned my fingers twice and my wife three times. Sears refused to take product back, claiming expiration of 90 days, so under normal circumstances I wouldn't dispute my fault with that. The problem is this product is health hazard. Now here is the problem: on the front there is a handle that you grab to open up the door, right behind the handle there is a metal strip which is a part of the door frame, this metal strip is about one inch wide and gets extremely hot, now space between the handle and the strip is about one inch. When you grab the handle you will touch this hot metal strip with your fingers (outside part between your knuckles and first joint) and burn yourself painfully. There is no way that normal size person can open that door without hurting itself. Now I went to Home Depot to see other models of toasters and amazingly I found another model made by the same company that looks almost identical and on the top that same metal strip there is plastic strip that provides insulation so you won't get burned. I would like to add that during phone call conversation Sears.com was fully inform about this specific safety hazard yet as of today Sept. 6, 2011 it is still available on Sears.com. On Aug. 26, 2011 I received email from Sears Customer Care, signed [REDACTED] that they won't take this product back because of 90 days policy, never mentioned or even thank for bringing such as serious safety issue up.
1. On bake at any temp. will go to 500 degrees, my temp. knob only goes to 450 degrees. Elements will not shot down. 2. Second one they sent took over a month to get. As you can see on the video's, oven set at 350 goes to (over 500) oven set at 300 goes over 400 degrees. Manufacture won't believe me. Even w/ pictures.
Showing 8 of 647 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens have a danger score of 30/100 (low risk). An estimated 494 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 1,736 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,564 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens?
Of all ER visits involving electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens, approximately 3.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with electric counter-top ovens, broilers or toaster ovens?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Kitchen Cooking Appliances
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 30/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 45-54 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.