I’ve spent way too much time staring at kitchen appliances that promise the world and deliver a lukewarm bagel. Most "all-in-one" gadgets are just mediocre at five things instead of being great at one. But then there’s the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70. It’s a mouthful of a name. Honestly, it looks like a standard toaster oven from the outside, but it’s trying to solve a very specific problem: the fact that most air fryers can't sear a steak to save their lives.
Kitchen space is precious.
If you're like me, your counters are already fighting a losing battle against a coffee maker, a blender, and maybe a rogue pile of mail. Adding a dedicated air fryer and a separate indoor grill? Forget about it. The TOA-70 enters the chat as a 1800-watt powerhouse that claims to replace your toaster, your convection oven, your air fryer, and your George Foreman grill. It’s a bold claim. Cuisinart has been in this game since Carl Sontheimer introduced the food processor to America in the 70s, so they have the pedigree. But does this specific model actually justify its footprint?
What Makes the TOA-70 Different From the TOA-60?
Most people get confused here. You’ll see the TOA-60 everywhere—it’s the classic model. The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70 is the evolution. The big "aha!" moment for this machine is the dual-sided grill and griddle plate.
It’s made of non-stick die-cast metal.
One side has those raised ridges you want for getting grill marks on a piece of salmon or a flank steak. Flip it over, and it’s a flat griddle for smash burgers or eggs. This isn't just a gimmick. In the older models, you were basically just "air baking" meat on a mesh tray. It worked, but the texture was always a little... sad. By adding a high-heat plate that sits right over the bottom heating elements, Cuisinart actually lets you sear.
The temperature goes up to 450°F. That’s hot enough to actually move the needle on a piece of protein. It uses eight different functions: Air Fry, Convection Bake, Convection Broil, Bake, Broil, Warm, Toast, and—obviously—Grill.
The Reality of Air Frying in a Toaster Oven
Let’s talk about the physics of air frying. Traditional pod-style air fryers (think Ninja or Philips) are great because they are small, vertical, and the fan is right on top of the food. They create a wind tunnel. Toaster oven styles, like this Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70, have a wider footprint.
You get more surface area.
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This means you can lay out 20 chicken wings in a single layer without overlapping them. Overlapping is the death of crispiness. In a pod fryer, you’re shaking the basket every five minutes like a madman. In the TOA-70, you just slide the rack in and let the convection fan do the heavy lifting. The fan in this unit is surprisingly quiet, too. I’ve used some cheaper off-brand ovens that sound like a jet engine taking off in the kitchen. This one is more of a polite hum.
One thing to watch out for: it runs hot. Like, really hot. If a recipe tells you to air fry at 400°F, you might want to dial this back to 375°F until you get the hang of it. Cuisinart’s heating elements are efficient, and because the interior is stainless steel, the heat reflects everywhere. It's easy to go from "perfectly golden" to "burnt offering" in about 90 seconds.
Grilling Indoors: Expectation vs. Reality
Can it replace an outdoor Weber? No. Of course not. You aren't getting that charcoal smoke flavor. But for a Tuesday night when it’s raining and you want a burger? It’s surprisingly capable. The die-cast grill plate retains heat much better than the thin wire racks found in most ovens.
When you use the Grill function, the TOA-70 engages the top and bottom elements. You place the grill plate on the bottom rack position. Because the space inside is relatively small, the radiant heat is intense.
- The Pro: You get actual sear marks.
- The Con: Smoke happens.
If you’re grilling a fatty ribeye, you better have your range hood fan on high. It’s a small price to pay for a steak that doesn't taste like it was steamed, but it's something many "expert" reviews conveniently forget to mention. The non-stick coating on the grill plate is decent, but don't go at it with metal tongs. Treat it like a Teflon pan.
Size, Capacity, and the "Whole Chicken" Test
The interior is 0.6 cubic feet. In real-world terms, that’s about 3 pounds of wings, a 12-inch pizza, or a 4-pound chicken.
It’s the sweet spot for a family of four.
If you try to jam a 6-pound bird in there, the top of the breast is going to be touching the heating elements. Don't do that. Stick to smaller roasting chickens. The beauty of the TOA-70 is the height. Many air fryer ovens are too shallow, meaning you can't actually bake a loaf of bread or a tall casserole. This one has enough vertical clearance that you don't feel limited.
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The Knob Situation
I have to be honest: the knobs are a bit old school. In an era where everything has a touchscreen and an app, Cuisinart stuck with mechanical dials. Some people hate this because it’s hard to be precise. Setting the timer for exactly 6 minutes is a guessing game on a dial.
However, there’s a massive benefit to this.
Mechanical parts last. I’ve seen countless digital air fryers end up in landfills because a capacitor on the motherboard fried or the LCD screen went blank. With the TOA-70, you turn a dial, and a circuit closes. It’s tactile. It’s simple. If you’re a stickler for precision, buy a 5-dollar digital kitchen timer to use alongside it.
Cleaning Is the Greatest Challenge
Any air fryer is a nightmare to clean if you let it go. The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70 is no exception. The interior is stainless steel, which looks great when you unbox it, but it will develop "character" (grease stains) over time.
The air fry basket is mesh.
If you’re cooking something breaded, bits of dough are going to get stuck in those tiny holes. My advice? Get a firm nylon brush. Soak the basket in hot, soapy water immediately after use. If you let that grease bake on during the next three meals, you'll never get it off. The drip tray is also prone to staining, so some people line it with foil—just make sure you aren't blocking any airflow paths if you go that route.
Common Misconceptions About the TOA-70
A lot of people think "Air Fry" is a magical new technology. It’s not. It’s just high-speed convection baking. The reason the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70 performs better than a standard oven's "convection" setting is the proximity of the food to the fan and the speed of that fan.
Another misconception is that it’s "healthy" no matter what. Sure, you're using less oil than deep frying. But if you're grilling a pound of bacon on the griddle side, it's still bacon. Use it for the texture, not just as a health tool.
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The "Toast" setting is actually quite good, which isn't always true for combo units. It has a dedicated shade logic dial. It can handle 6 slices of bread at once, and it browns them evenly on both sides. This sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how many $200 air fryers leave the bottom of the toast white as a sheet.
Technical Specifications for the Nerds
For those who want the nitty-gritty details before dropping the cash, here is how the machine actually stacks up:
The exterior dimensions are roughly 12.25" x 15.75" x 13.75". It weighs about 25 pounds, so it’s not something you want to be moving in and out of a pantry every day. Find a spot for it and leave it there. It operates at 120V and pulls 1800 watts, which is the limit for most standard household outlets. Don't run a microwave and this oven on the same circuit at the same time unless you enjoy resetting your circuit breaker.
The accessories included are the oven rack, baking pan, air fryer basket, and the dual-sided grill/griddle plate. All of these are proprietary to this model, though you can find third-party 12-inch pizza stones that fit perfectly.
Is It the Right Choice for You?
If you already own a high-end toaster oven and a separate air fryer, you don't need this. You’re just buying a smaller version of what you have.
But if you are starting from scratch, or if your current toaster oven is a 10-year-old relic that smells like burnt crumbs, the TOA-70 is a top-tier replacement. It’s especially good for apartment dwellers. When you don't have a backyard for a grill, having a machine that can actually put a crust on a burger is a game changer.
It’s also great for "re-heating" culture. Microwaved pizza is soggy. Oven-reheated pizza takes 15 minutes to preheat. The TOA-70 heats up almost instantly and makes leftover pizza taste better than it did the night before.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
If you decide to pick up the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill TOA-70, do these three things immediately to ensure it lasts and performs:
- The Burn-Off: Before cooking any food, run the oven on "Bake" at 450°F for about 20 minutes in a well-ventilated room. Most factory-new appliances have a protective oil coating on the elements that will smell like burning plastic the first time they get hot. Get that out of the way before your chicken is in there.
- Adjust Your Temps: Always start 25 degrees lower than what the recipe or the back of the frozen fry bag says. Check the food halfway through. This oven is aggressive.
- Buy a Box of Parchment Paper: Use it on the baking tray (not for air frying or grilling) to keep the tray from getting permanently stained. It makes cleanup five times faster.
The TOA-70 isn't perfect. The dials feel a bit dated, and the exterior gets hot to the touch. But in terms of sheer versatility and the quality of the "grill" function, it’s currently one of the most practical pieces of kitchen hardware on the market. It does the job of four appliances without being a "jack of all trades, master of none." It’s actually pretty good at most of them.