▁bread ▁s lices ▁( or ▁other ▁food ▁items ) ▁are ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁ra ck ▁which ▁has ▁heat ▁elements ▁above ▁and ▁below ▁it , ▁and ▁the ▁door ▁is ▁closed . ▁The ▁controls ▁are ▁set ▁and ▁actu ated ▁to ▁to ast ▁the ▁bread ▁to ▁the ▁desired ▁don eness , ▁where up on ▁the ▁heat ▁elements ▁are ▁switched ▁off . ▁In ▁most ▁cases ▁the ▁door ▁must ▁be ▁opened ▁manually , ▁though ▁there ▁are ▁also ▁to aster ▁o vens ▁with ▁doors ▁that ▁open ▁automatically . ▁Because ▁the ▁bread ▁is ▁horizontal , ▁a ▁to aster ▁o ven ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁cook ▁to ast ▁with ▁to ppings , ▁like ▁gar lic ▁bread , ▁m elt ▁sand wich es , ▁or ▁to asted ▁che ese . ▁To aster ▁o vens ▁are ▁generally ▁slower ▁to ▁make ▁to ast ▁than ▁pop - up ▁to aster s , ▁taking ▁ 4 – 6 ▁minutes ▁as ▁compared ▁to ▁ 2 – 3 ▁minutes . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁automatic - to ast ing ▁settings , ▁to aster ▁o vens ▁typically ▁have ▁settings ▁and ▁temperature ▁controls ▁to ▁allow ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁app liance ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁o ven . ▁ ▁Ext ra ▁features ▁on ▁to aster ▁o vens ▁can ▁include : ▁He ating ▁element ▁control ▁options , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁" top ▁brown " ▁setting ▁that ▁powers ▁only ▁the ▁upper ▁elements ▁so ▁food ▁can ▁be ▁bro iled ▁without ▁heat ▁from ▁below . ▁Multiple ▁sh elf ▁ra cks ▁– ▁Having ▁options ▁for ▁position ing ▁the ▁o ven ▁sh elf ▁gives ▁more ▁control ▁over ▁distance