You've probably seen the sleek, stainless steel box sitting on a friend’s counter and wondered if it’s actually worth the space. Honestly, I get it. The kitchen appliance market is basically a flooded basement right now. There’s a gadget for everything—egg bites, waffle sticks, vacuum-sealing your leftovers—and most of it ends up in a garage sale within three years. But the cuisinart toaster oven with air fryer is a different breed. It’s the workhorse. It’s the thing you actually use at 11:00 PM when you're craving frozen mozzarella sticks but don't want to wait twenty minutes for a "real" oven to preheat.
Most people buy these because they want to stop deep-frying things in a vat of oil that smells like a fast-food joint for three days. That’s the dream, right? Healthy crunch. But if you think this is just a glorified hair dryer in a box, you’re missing the point. It’s about thermal mass and airflow. Cuisinart basically took their legendary TOB series—the toaster ovens your parents probably had—and shoved a high-velocity fan in the ceiling. The result is a machine that toasts bread better than a cheap pop-up and crisps wings better than a convection oven.
What Actually Happens Inside the Box
Let’s talk about the TOA-60 and its siblings, like the TOA-65 (the digital one). When you flip that dial to Air Fry, you’re engaging a specialized heating element and a fan that moves air at a much higher RPM than a standard convection setting. In a regular oven, the air lazily drifts around. In the cuisinart toaster oven with air fryer, the air is aggressive. It’s violent. It strips away the moisture layer from the surface of your food almost instantly.
That’s how you get the Maillard reaction without a gallon of peanut oil.
I’ve noticed a lot of people complain that these units "run hot." They do. If you follow the temperature instructions on a bag of frozen fries, you’re going to burn them. Period. Most experts, including the folks over at America’s Test Kitchen, suggest dropping the temperature by at least 25 degrees compared to what the recipe says. If a recipe calls for 400°F, set your Cuisinart to 375°F. Trust me on this. The proximity of the heating elements to the food means things happen fast. Really fast.
The Toasting Problem (And Why It Matters)
Can we talk about toast for a second? It’s in the name. "Toaster Oven." Yet, so many air fryer combos fail at this basic task. They either leave the bottom of the bread soggy or turn the top into a charcoal briquette.
Cuisinart actually handles this surprisingly well because they kept the traditional bottom heating elements. You aren't just air-frying your bread; you're actually toasting it. You’ve got specific settings for shade control. It’s not perfect—sometimes the back left corner gets a bit more "tan" than the front right—but compared to those bucket-style air fryers that can't toast a bagel to save their lives, it’s a revelation.
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- The basket is huge. You can fit four pounds of wings in there.
- It looks like a professional tool, not a plastic spaceship.
- The dials are tactile. (Though the digital TOA-65 offers more precision if you’re a control freak).
- Cleaning is... well, it's a toaster oven. It’s a bit of a chore.
If you’re the type who hates scrubbing, you need to be proactive. Grease builds up on the interior walls. If you let it bake on over six months, you’ll never get it off. Pro tip: Wipe the glass door after every greasy cook. Just a quick swipe with a damp cloth saves you hours of scraping later.
Why the Analog Dials Might Actually Be Better
We live in an era where everything has a touchscreen. Your fridge probably has an Instagram app. It’s exhausting. The classic cuisinart toaster oven with air fryer (the TOA-60) uses old-school knobs. There is something deeply satisfying about the click-click-click of a mechanical timer.
There's a practical side to this, too.
Electronics hate heat. Putting a complex motherboard right next to a 450-degree heating chamber is a recipe for a "Product Not Responding" error in two years. The analog dials are rugged. They’re simple. They don't care if the kitchen is humid or if your hands are covered in flour. Sure, you don't get the "Dehydrate" or "Slow Cook" presets found on the digital version, but most people just want to make chicken nuggets and toast.
A Look at the Competition: Ninja vs. Breville vs. Cuisinart
If you’re shopping for one of these, you’ve definitely looked at the Ninja Foodi or the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. It’s a tough neighborhood.
The Ninja is great, but it’s often "short." You can’t fit a whole chicken in some of the flip-up models comfortably. The Breville is the gold standard—it’s gorgeous and has incredible temperature logic—but it’s also twice the price. The Cuisinart sits in that "sweet spot." It’s the mid-tier king. You get the internal height to roast a 4-pound bird, the power to air fry, and a price tag that doesn't feel like a car payment.
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One thing Cuisinart does better than the others is the "stay on" feature. Some brands force a timer on you. Cuisinart lets you keep it running, which is great for long roasts, though it’s a bit of a fire hazard if you’re forgetful. Be careful.
Common Pitfalls: Don't Make These Mistakes
I see people using the air fry basket directly over the heating elements without the drip tray. Don't do that. You’ll end up with a smoke alarm concert within five minutes. The grease drips onto the elements, vaporizes, and turns your kitchen into a fog bank. Always, always use the baking pan underneath the air fry basket.
Another thing? Don't crowd the basket.
Air frying relies on—shocker—air. If you stack three layers of fries on top of each other, the middle layer is going to be mushy. You want a single layer. Or, if you’re cooking a lot, you have to be the "shaker." Every five minutes, pull the basket out and give it a good rattle. It keeps the browning even.
The Noise Factor
Is it loud? Sorta.
It’s a high-powered fan, so it sounds like a hairdryer running in the next room. It’s not "wake the neighbors" loud, but you’ll definitely notice it while you're trying to watch TV. Compared to some of the cheaper off-brand air fryers I’ve tested, the Cuisinart has a more "solid" hum. It doesn't rattle or vibrate across the counter.
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Maintenance and Longevity
The warranty is usually three years. In the world of modern appliances, that’s actually pretty generous. Most of these things are built to be replaced, but Cuisinart has a decent track record of honoring that warranty if the fan motor gives up the ghost.
If you want yours to last:
- Don't use abrasive steel wool on the interior. It scratches the coating.
- Use parchment paper on the baking tray (but never in the air fry basket, as it blocks airflow).
- Give it breathing room. Don't shove it tight against the wall or under a low-hanging cabinet. It vents a lot of heat out the back. If you trap that heat, you’ll melt your backsplash or damage the oven's internal sensors.
Real-World Performance: The "Chicken Wing Test"
The true test of any cuisinart toaster oven with air fryer is the chicken wing. No oil. Just dry-rubbed wings in the basket at 400°F (or 375°F if you’re listening to me).
In twenty minutes, the skin is translucent and shattering. The fat has rendered out completely. It’s genuinely better than what you get at most sports bars because it’s not soggy with fryer oil. That’s the "aha!" moment for most owners. When you realize you can have that texture at home without the mess of a deep fryer, the appliance earns its permanent spot on the counter.
Is It Right For You?
If you have a tiny kitchen and you already have a toaster and a convection oven, you might not need this. But if you’re looking to consolidate? It’s a no-brainer. It replaces the toaster, the air fryer, and for 80% of meals, your full-sized oven.
It’s perfect for:
- College students in dorms (if the RA allows it).
- Empty nesters who don't want to heat up a giant oven for two chicken breasts.
- Parents of toddlers who live on a strict diet of frozen nuggets and tater tots.
- Anyone who loves leftovers but hates how the microwave makes pizza crust taste like wet cardboard.
Getting Started: Your First Three Moves
Once you get that box home and tear off the plastic (the smell of "new appliance" goes away after the first 20-minute burn-in cycle, by the way), do these three things:
- The Burn-In: Run the oven empty at 450°F for about 20 minutes in a well-ventilated room. This gets rid of the factory oils and that "metallic" smell before you put food in it.
- The Toast Test: Grab some cheap white bread and fill the rack. See where the hot spots are. Every unit is slightly different. Knowing where the "hot zone" is will save your expensive sourdough later.
- The Bacon Hack: Try air frying bacon. It’s a game changer. Put it in the basket, tray underneath, 400°F for about 8-10 minutes. It stays flat, gets perfectly crisp, and the grease collects neatly in the tray instead of splattering all over your stovetop.
The cuisinart toaster oven with air fryer isn't just a trend. It’s one of those rare instances where a "hybrid" tool actually does both jobs well. It’s rugged, it’s fast, and it makes better leftovers than any microwave ever could. Just remember to watch your temperatures and keep that glass door clean, and you’ll be set for years.