The Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker got my dinner on the table in minutes

Who doesn't love a frozen pizza at the end of a long day, when the idea of cooking dinner feels like climbing a mountain? The catch is that the oven takes forever to preheat, and the pizza crust never seems to crisp on the bottom. Enter the countertop pizza maker. It's not unlike a hot plate — you plug it in, it heats up fast and it's ready to go. I decided to put the Betty Crocker Countertop Pizza Maker to the test to see if it could speed up the whole pizza-making process at home, and to determine if it can deliver a better slice.

As Yahoo's resident culinary expert and cookware tester, I've tried plenty of gadgets — everything from garlic presses to milk frothers — but I had never tried a pizza oven or a countertop pizza maker like this one. I embarked on this assignment wondering if this is an appliance that anyone truly needs. Curious whether it was actually worth the kitchen space, I decided to give it a real workout, testing both frozen pizza and fresh dough. Here's what I found.

What I loved

The pizza maker heats up in about three minutes — seriously fast — and once the green light flips on, it's ready to roll. Exactly how hot it gets is a mystery, because the manual doesn't say. (Helpful, right?) Also, both the red and green lights might be on at the same time, which threw me at first, but the manual does mention that's normal.

One of the nice features is that you can use this gadget for way more than just making pizza. The manual suggests trying frittatas, nachos, quesadillas, skillet cookies and more. If your oven's on the fritz, or you just don't want to turn your whole kitchen into a sauna this summer, this could be a real lifesaver.

What I didn't like

I found it frustrating that you can't control or set the temperature at all. Once you plug it in, it's on — full blast — and the only way to shut it down is to unplug it. That meant I had to cross my fingers that the single default setting would work for my Whole Foods 365 frozen pizza, which called for 15 to 18 minutes at 400°F. I checked it at 10 minutes (underdone), then again at 13:20 (a little too done). This device definitely works fast and it calls for a trial-and-error situation that will vary from pizza to pizza.

The resulting pizza was a touch overcooked but the bottom crust was firm and crisp, and the cheese was completely melted — in fact it began to bubble over in a way that was a bit too melted. I'm guessing the plate gets hotter than 400°F, but since there's no temp readout anywhere, it's hard to say for sure.

I also gave it a whirl with a homemade pizza using fresh pizza dough, jarred pizza sauce and shredded cheese. I followed the manual's instructions for a rustic chicken pizza made with fresh dough. It suggested shaping the dough into a 12-inch circle and then par-cooking it for about 4 minutes before topping it with sauce and cheese and cooking it again for 9 to 15 minutes. At 9 minutes, I checked on it and left it in for one additional minute. The fresh pizza browned beautifully on the bottom, but the top left something to be desired. The cheese melted well, but the top of the crust didn't brown or get crispy at all, which was disappointing.

One important heads-up: The handle and the entire unit get very hot to the touch during cooking. Plus, when you open it towards the end, it releases a lot of steam. You should always use caution and an oven mitt or dry dish towel when lifting the lid.

The final verdict

If, for some reason, you are without a working oven or the one you have takes a very long time to preheat, this countertop gadget works. It heats up fast and browns the bottom of the dough very well. If you can get past the lack of control over how hot or at what temperature you cook things, then it's a win.