Practical Appliance or Passing Fad? Cuisinart Air-Fryer Toaster Oven Review

It seems as if there is an air fryer to suit every type of kitchen and every type of home cook these days. As air fryer sales have ballooned, so have their capacity and functions. They can be as small as 2 quarts all the way up to nearly 30 quarts for toaster-oven air fryers. Plus, they do more than just air-fry. They can perform everything from pressure-cooking to baking—making them the new multifunctional wonders of the kitchen.

The Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven is just one of these all-purpose appliances, but after I tested nine large air fryers, it turned out to be one of my favorites. It’s not surprising, however, as Cuisinart has been a favorite brand of foodies for 50 years, starting with its food processor in 1973. Now the brand offers a variety of kitchenware, including everything from appliances to utensils.

I tested the Cuisinart in my kitchen for 3 weeks, air-frying chicken wings and french fries, as well as baking cookies and toasting bagels and bread. When I kept coming back to it—even when I wasn’t performing more tests—I knew this product was a winner. It was easy to use, produced delicious foods, and even looked great on the counter.

Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven: At a Glance

Rating: 9/10

PROS

• Powerful heating browns foods beautifully and cooks quickly for a toaster-oven model
• Stainless steel exterior gives it a high-end look likely to complement most kitchens
• Dual-cook function allows users to cook using 2 methods

CONS

• Runs hot; users must watch food closely until they are more familiar with how this model works
• Crumb tray and wire rack are not dishwasher-safe

Get the Cuisinart large air fryer at: 

• Amazon for $239.95
• Wayfair for $239.95
• The Home Depot for $299.95
• Best Buy for $239.95
• Cuisinart for $239.95

What is the Cuisinart AirFryer toaster oven?

The Cuisinart TOA-65 is a toaster oven–style air fryer with an 18-quart capacity. It has a whopping 18 functions, including five air-fryer presets for specific foods like chicken wings and frozen snacks. This toaster-oven air fryer boasts an 1,800-watt motor that powers its wide temperature range from just 80 degrees up to 450 degrees. That range allows home cooks to use this small-but-mighty appliance for everything from proofing bread dough to browning the tops of cheesy dishes such as nachos or lasagna.

The Cuisinart air fryer measures 14 inches tall by 15.75 inches wide by 14 inches deep, making it large enough to toast six slices of bread, bake a 12-inch pizza, and roast a 4-pound chicken. The spacious interior features a nonstick surface and an oven light. This stainless steel toaster- oven air fryer comes with an oven rack, an air-fryer basket, and a baking pan.

In my testing, the Cuisinart TOA-65 cooked most foods faster than the three other toaster-oven air fryers. This was due in part to the fact that only the Bake and Pizza functions required preheating. For all other functions, I could put the food in right away, which cut down on overall cook time, compared to similar models, by about 3 to 4 minutes.

How easy is the Cuisinart air fryer to use?

In testing, I found that the Cuisinart was very easy to use. A single dial controls several cook functions, air-fry presets, temperature, and time. There are also five buttons: Start/Stop, Light, Air Fry, Convection (fan speed), and Defrost (for frozen foods). Pushing the dial displays all the options on the LCD screen, and rotating it to the right scrolls through the cooking functions, such as toast, bake, or roast. To use the air-fry function, I pressed the Air Fry button and then used the dial to scroll through the preset options, such as wings or fries. After pushing the dial to select an option, I could adjust the temperature and time by turning the dial and pressing it to confirm.

As I used the Cuisinart, I especially liked that I could simply look through the window to check on the food rather than pressing a pause button and pulling out a basket as I had to do with the egg-shaped air fryers. The window helped me avoid overcooking foods and assess whether I needed to adjust the rack or rotate the food. In short, it helped me learn how to use the appliance faster.

Cleanup is fairly easy as well. Though the crumb tray and wire rack are not dishwasher-safe, the air-fryer basket and drip pan are, which is great because those are the two accessories that get dirty the quickest.

Does the Cuisinart air fryer make good food?

In testing, the Cuisinart TOA-65 scored second in food ratings, though just barely, to the Cosori, which ranked Best Overall among nine large air fryers. However, because of this product’s broad functionality, I cooked a slightly wider range of foods with the Cuisinart air-fryer toaster oven, namely bread and baked goods.

I was wowed by the golden-brown color and crispness that I got on chicken wings with the Cuisinart. It cooked 2 pounds of chicken wings in about 25 minutes. All I had to do was pat them dry and lightly season them, and they came out great.

The Cuisinart also did well with broccoli, which is a somewhat finicky vegetable to roast, as the florets can burn easily while the stems remain undercooked. In testing, the florets were crisp enough without being overdone, and the stems were tender, all in about half the time it takes to roast broccoli in an oven.

Given that it’s also a toaster, I put bagels and bread in it as well. Though cooking does take about 2 minutes longer than it would with a regular toaster, it toasts more evenly. Another upside is that it fits up to six slices of bread, so more hungry bellies can enjoy their toast at the same time.

I also found that it reheated food well, particularly foods that should be crispy, like wings and french fries. It was as convenient as a microwave (and nearly as fast) but yielded the results of an oven. It’s really the best of both worlds.

Is the Cuisinart air fryer worth it?

In our Best Large Air Fryers guide, products range in price from about $100 to $400. At its list price of $299.99, the Cuisinart toaster-oven air fryer is on the higher end. However, its versatile design enables it to do so much more than egg-shaped air fryers, and with fewer accessories. While egg-shaped air fryers can accommodate baked goods such as cookies, muffins, or cakes, they sometimes require special pans that suit that specific air fryer. With a model like the Cuisinart, you could use smaller baking pans that you already have. It could also replace a toaster for those who want to conserve countertop space. In short, its versatility may be worth the higher price tag for many shoppers.

Is the Cuisinart air fryer right for your kitchen?

The Cuisinart toaster-oven air fryer suits any busy home cook who wants to air-fry delicious foods but would like the convenience of a multifunctional product. Not only does the Cuisinart make air-fryer favorites, such as french fries and wings, but it can also serve as a toaster, oven, microwave, and more.

That said, you may want to clear some space on your countertop for this large air fryer. Though it’s not exceptionally large compared to similar products, it does weigh 26.4 pounds. At that hefty weight, taking it in and out of a cabinet is not exactly convenient. However, its sleek, all-stainless exterior suits a variety of kitchen decors and coordinates with other large appliances. Plus, as easy as it is to use for so many cooking methods, there’s a good chance you’d want it out most of the time anyway.

Where to Buy the Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven

Get the Cuisinart large air fryer at: 

• Amazon for $239.95
• Wayfair for $239.95
• The Home Depot for $299.95
• Best Buy for $239.95
• Cuisinart for $239.95

Meet the Tester

As Editor of Product Reviews at BobVila.com, Beth Cranston designs the testing guidelines and rubrics for the product reviews team. She has been a writer and editor for over a decade, with a focus on all things home since 2017, covering everything from kitchen design ideas to electrical plans for home remodeling blogs. An avid home cook, she believes that everyone should know how to reverse sear, that deglazing is the best way to clean a pan, and that no appliance should collect dust.