There are also reports of defective units, settings malfunctioning after many months, and poor customer service from Cuisinart in addressing issues. Beyond preset cooking functions, other convenient features to consider are interior lighting, digital displays, nonstick interiors, cuisinart air fryer oven and automatic shut-off. To evaluate functionality, we looked at the controls and displays. The toaster ovens were split evenly on whether they featured dial or touchpad controls, but every model featured digital displays except for the Black+Decker and the Hamilton Beach.
However, the toaster oven that won our speed test by a large margin was the only one that featured infrared technology. The touchpad controls are easy to navigate and the crumb tray is easy to access. The black and stainless steel design gives it a moderate aesthetic appeal. The chickpeas needed a little bit more time than instructed, but after a couple more minutes in the fryer, they were crunchy with soft interiors. Finally, the kale chips came out perfect; a crispy, healthy snack. You can read our review of the best air fryers, and see how the Cuisinart compares.
The manual says that stirring is only necessary for larger amounts and since the fries were in a single layer, I left them for the full time. It comes with three accessories, a baking tray, air fry basket, and oven rack and inside there are two shelf positions to choose from. There are two grooved rails for placing the oven rack or baking tray, and detailed instructions on where to place them depending on what yor’re cooking and what setting you’re using. For example, use the baking tray or oven rack for roasts and bakes and place nearer the base of the oven. Use the airfryer basket on top of the baking tray for airfrying or grilling and place near the top of the oven, etc.
That’s a pretty impressive eight minute reduction in cook time compared to my normal oven, but the drawback is only being able to bake up small batches. The item measurements vary depending on the brand and model of the air fryer oven. However, the quality of build and design you get with Cuisinart is hard to beat, and the generous three-year warranty is triple what most brands offer. You’ll often find earlier models of Cuisinart air fryer/oven combos on sale too. There is no need to preheat the oven, unless you’re baking cakes, in which case the instruction manual advises preheating for just five minutes in advance. It’s roomy enough to fit a standard-sized cake tin, although we did find our standard muffin trays were too wide for use.
The tray covers the entire bottom of the inside and catches all of the crumbs and fragments that fall during the cooking process. Instead of watching the debris burn at the bottom of your toaster oven over time, you can simply pull the tray out after each use cuisinart choppers and sweep the contents into the trash. If you’re dealing with tougher substances, you can also easily wash the tray. The size of your kitchen and your aesthetic taste will also determine how much of your counter space you want to allow to a toaster oven.
Owner satisfaction ratings are based on the proportion of members who are extremely likely to recommend their toaster oven brand to their friends and family. Another great option is the Toshiba – TL1-AC25CZA(BS), which in our testing proved to be one of the best all-around convection oven toasters on the market. One of the most annoying features of the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is that the accessories must all be hand washed. Considering they’re the perfect size to fit in a dishwasher, it seems crazy to me that Cuisinart didn’t make them dishwasher friendly.
It’s not the kind of appliance that you can out away in a cupboard when you’re not using it, so you’ll need to ensure you have enough countertop space to give it a permanent home. We experimented with a few different positions in our fairly small kitchen, trying to ensure that it was near our extractor fan and wasn’t underneath a wall cupboard, because of the heat. We eventually settled on a deep space where we could pull the oven out to use it. Whatever you’re cooking though, it’s a good idea to keep checking on your food by using the interior oven light or simply opening the door. The oven you choose will largely be determined by your kitchen space, cooking needs, and budget.
Over the course of a week and a half, we air fried, baked, grilled, toasted and roasted anything and everything we could, to check how well each of the separate cooking settings functioned. For people who plan on using their toaster ovens to reheat or cook single servings of food, a small toaster oven that can accommodate four slices of bread or a 9-inch pizza will suffice. The convection toaster ovens weigh significantly more than the others. The Waring is the heaviest at 22.8 pounds, nearly triple the weight of the Panasonic and BLACK+DECKER, which tied for the lightest at 7.5 pounds. Among our finalists, the Breville had the heaviest, sturdiest door.
The reason is simple, all manufacturers offer a standard warranty on their products, generally one year for parts and labor. However, once a year passes you’re responsible for all repair costs and replacement parts if anything happens to your appliance. Extended Warranties are inexpensive and one of the smartest ways to protect your investment. Once the oven cools down, make sure it’s unplugged from the socket and give it a quick wipe with a damp cloth and liquid soap. When we cooked moist food, such as raw potatoes, we found that a lot of condensation escaped out the sides of the oven, causing a little moisture on the countertop. The time it takes to toast a full batch of bread at the medium setting.