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, 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.
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.
However, I was impressed with the bake and convection bake functions which are very speedy compared to my standard oven and do, I think, compensate for the air fryer performance. The toasting was fine, but you’ll need to turn toast for best results. I used the broil (rather than convection broil) setting and added sausages to the air fry basket so that excess fat would drip out into the tray below. It got off to a slow start and they took 10 minutes to brown, then I turned them and after only five more minutes they were browned all over and cooked right through. Browning was a little patchy but inside the sausages were moist and meaty. I think next time, I’d try the convection broil function for a faster cook, though I wasn’t unhappy with the result.
The only exception to this is the toast function, where you choose a ‘shade’ from the dial from 1 through, with 1 being the shortest toasting time. This digital, compact toaster oven has 10 settings to cook anything quickly and thoroughly, at a great price. The LCD digital display utilizes a soft blue backlight that prevents eyestrain. The auto shut-off is a convenient feature for multi-taskers who can’t always reach their food immediately.
We programmed the pizza function, which is pre-set at 450℉ for 15 minutes, and the oven heated to 450℉ in 45 seconds. The auto shut-off feature is an added benefit for anyone who has a habit of being forgetful or leaving their food unattended. The auto-eject rack is a luxury, but makes your food more easily accessible and lowers the chance of accidental burns. In addition to the clearly marked buttons and dials, the glass door provides indications for where you should place your wire rack for each cooking function.
The Pizza function uses convection, and the pizza was done in 13 minutes. For this 2021 update, we tested the 1700-watt Toshiba – TL1-AC25CZA(BS), and it’s one of the best newer toaster ovens on the market. This all-around winner can pretty much do it all, even roast a whole chicken on a rotisserie spit. The Toshiba is approximately the size of a microwave, so it doesn’t take up much real estate on your countertop.
Having completely renovated her current house, Helen reviews kitchen appliances from her open plan kitchen at home in a beautiful Berkshire village. When she’s not working, Helen can be found enjoying the local countryside or dreaming about her next house renovation project. Having completely renovated her current house, Helen reviews kitchen appliances from her open-plan kitchen at home in a beautiful Berkshire village.
The toast setting works by emitting even heat from the top and bottom of the oven, similar to the way a 2 or 4-slice slot toaster emits heat on two sides of the bread simultaneously. For this setting, we placed the wire racks on the middle level of the toaster ovens. For the five finalists that allowed us to choose a level, we set the toaster ovens to level two.
Our goal was to thoroughly defrost and heat the pizza so the cheese was melted and gooey and crust was browned and crispy. The design is somewhat dated, but the black and stainless steel makes it moderately attractive. It lacks an interior light, but the simple, clearly marked buttons and dial selector are redeeming qualities. While the brushed stainless steel is virtually the same, the clean, modern design remains second to our top pick. Sporting a more approachable price tag without sacrificing the sharp look or any important features, the Cuisinart Deluxe Convection claimed the runner-up spot.
A formidable size, the Cuisinart also boasts a high 1800 watts in order to preheat quickly and cook effectively. The cooking results of the Cuisinart were nearly identical to the Breville. While toast cuisinart air fryer oven evenness was not achieved, all of the other food items succeeded as expected. When we tested the convection mode, it produced exceptionally light, moist cupcakes compared to the other finalists.