Review: See photos of foods I have cooked in this air fryer. I bought it primarily for use as a small countertopoven more than as an alternative to pan-frying, and this model (called simply “compact air fryer” not “air fryer/convection/toaster oven” was less expensive than most other oven-like options, despite the fact that it has convection-oven fans that circulate hot air around the whole space. Unlike the more expensive versions by Cuisinart and others, this model (about $94 when I got it, down to $85 now) only has heat elements at the top (and has only two controls, the temperature dial and the on-off/timer dial. It is only possible to turn on for a timed duration, maximum 60 minutes (I haven’t used it for anything longer than 30 minutes so far, and since I can be distractible, I prefer to limit how much I can burn things with the auto-off timer feature. It’s probably a good choice for anyone with distractibility or memory problems to prevent fires. However, the top-only heat elements mean that, while the bottom of things gets *cooked*, it doesn’t really get *browned* unless you flip it halfway through. That’s why they don’t call this model a toaster even though you can toast in it, just one side at a time.
Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven Review
Introduction
Hi. Today, when I was sitting at home, I went to the kitchen to cook, but just when I went to the kitchen, I remembered that my oven was broken. So when I was looking for a quality oven suitable for my budget, I came across a great product. “Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Airfryer Toaster Oven” I like the oven so much that I will introduce this product to you because I think it is one of the things that must be in your kitchen.
| Pros |
|---|
| Since the product is compact, it will easily fit anywhere in your kitchen. |
| This product, which is very easy to use, offers many beautiful and simple options. |
| The product’s price is much more affordable than other equivalent products. |
| It is very easy to clean and use because it has a compact structure. |
| Cons |
|---|
| It was hard to get the food in and out because it was small. |
| The door is not a good option on an air fryer. Very difficult to get the hot food out and very difficult to clean. |
| After an average of six months of using the timer, most users have reported that the timer has deteriorated. |
History of Cuisinart
Carl Sontheimer, an M.I.T. student, motivated by his love of French cuisine, invented Cuisinart in 1971. Cuisinart and its principal product, the food processor, were born due to this. Cuisinart debuted its brand during a trade fair in Chicago in January 1973. However, Cuisinart’s success was restricted initially until a commendation in Gourmet magazine assisted boost sales.
Cuisinart sales increased throughout the 1970s due to the company’s affiliation with top chefs like James Beard, a personal friend of Carl Sontheimer. Cuisinart became a prime component in inclusive design after hiring Marc Harrison to offer Cuisinart’s goods accessible to everyone, even people with impaired movement or vision.
Cuisinart was in economic chaos and experiencing weak demand by the mid-to-late 1980s. In 1987, a consortium of investors paid $42 million for Sontheimer’s stake in the firm. The firm declared bankruptcy in August 1989. Conair purchased the firm for $27 million as a result of this.
After introducing the company to you, I think it’s time to move on to the product itself.
TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a great price-performance product produced by the Cuisinart brand that appeals to the middle-income segment.
Speaking of the TOA-26 Compact Toaster Oven in general, it is an easy-to-use, easy-to-clean and versatile product with very good temperature control. Now I will explain these topics one by one to you and make an evaluation.
1- Easy-to-Use
When the Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven arrives, it is already installed. So you don’t need to do any extra setup. Apart from that, the use of the product is also quite simple. Since it is a compact product, it can be put anywhere in your kitchen. There are three different setting options available on the TOA-26. The first of these is for the air fryer.
You can adjust here according to what you want to do. The second setting option is for temperature. The temperature setting of TOA-26 is between 250 and 450 Fahrenheit. The last option is the toast setting. Toast options are as follows; dark, med, and light.
2- Easy-to-Clean
Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven is, as the name suggests, a compact oven. So when you need to clean, you can move the oven as you like and access its interior and surfaces as you wish. Apart from this, the trays with the product provide a great advantage for cleaning because they have a non-stick surface. On the other hand, the fact that the air fryer and toaster oven sections are not separate can create a disadvantage because you may need to clean them even after a simple toaster oven use.
3- Versatile
Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Toaster Oven offers you a wide range of cooking options. If I have to count them, there are six different cooking options: AirFry, bake, broil, pizza, toast, and warm. The air fry feature in the Cuisinart TOA-26 creates strong hot air circulation.
It distributes the temperature evenly thanks to the powerful fans in the product instead of applying a direct temperature to the product you are cooking. Pizza, another option of the Cuisinart TOA-26, is a mode created for cooking pizza, as the name suggests. Cuisinart TOA-26’s toaster oven option, which is the most enjoyable option, in my opinion, allows you to fry your bread wonderfully. This model also has an extra setting option in the Cuisinart TOA-26.
4- Temperature Control
One of the control settings on the Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven is made specifically for temperature adjustment. This setting option allows you to adjust the temperature between 250 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also raise the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but to do this, you must first activate the toaster option since the product does not provide precise temperature control. Therefore, this product may not be suitable for you. But if you are a home cooker, the temperature setting will be enough for you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven is not a very high-quality but budget-friendly product that I can recommend to you. The product has negative sides as well as positive sides. Although it is generally easy to use and clean, it has some problems.
If you are a home cooker and you do not want to exceed your budget, it is one of the products that should be in your kitchen. The most common problem with the product is to take something out of the oven or put something in it while the oven is running, but you can solve this problem simply with kitchen gloves. In short, the positive sides of the product are more than the negative sides. Therefore, it is a product that I can recommend.
Top Amazon Customer Comments
Kieran McCarty – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kieran McCarty – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Love this handy appliance. I’ve used the air fryer, toaster, bake & broil feature and all work great. Looks nice on my counter as well. I LOVE it.
Jan – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: The fryer is nice looking. Cleaning isn’t bad. Cooked a T-bone steak and was very impressed. The instruction book was slim on details.
annie2020 – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: I bought this in anticipation of a future kitchen remodel, planning to use it in a temporary kitchen (which I’ll set up in a bathroom.) So even though I liked the larger Cuisinart model at first look, I decided this smaller unit will fit in my space much better. And I’m glad I got the smaller one – it’s more than sufficient if cooking for just a few people (and it’s a lot less expensive!)
MZ – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Like the ease of use. Used to prepare meals. Salmon was the best I have ever made. Done perfectly. Really glad I bought it.
Coach – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Product cooks fantastic. The basket is covered with sharp edges and I cut myself many times trying to clean it. Do I have a defective basket?
P. Verhagen – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Cooks food perfect. Great for quick meals
P. Verhagen – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: We had one of those big black ugly egg shaped things.
