Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill (TOA-70)

The TOA-70 is Cuisinart's current air fryer toaster oven, the successor to the long-running TOA-60. It is the budget pick on our countertop oven list: it sits in a much lower price class than the Breville, and it toasts better than most costlier ovens in independent testing.

It suits a couple or a family of up to four that wants three things from one box: toast in the morning, air-fried snacks and sides, and a second oven for a small roast or a tray of chicken thighs. It also suits anyone who dislikes touch panels, because it runs on four plain dials.

Skip it if you bake a lot and depend on exact temperatures, or if you want a small appliance for a narrow counter. For toast and reheats in a much smaller space, the Panasonic FlashXpress is the better fit.

Toast. TechGearLab scored the TOA-70 8.3 out of 10 for toasting, tied for the best result among the 11 toaster ovens it tested, and reported toast that came out evenly golden, crisp on the outside and soft within. It gave the oven 9 out of 10 for evenness on a single slice. It toasted a medium batch in about 5 minutes and reached 350°F in 2 minutes, far quicker than the 5.4 minutes the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro needed.

Air frying and roasting. Shouldit's testers gave its air-fried 9-inch pizza and its 3-pound whole chicken their best scores to date, with crisp, evenly golden skin on the bird, and rated frozen fries 9 out of 10 after 15 minutes at 400°F. TechGearLab also found its chicken thighs juicy with crisp skin and its tater tots well crisped. Shouldit credits the top-mounted fan and six quartz elements, four above the rack and two below.

Simple controls. Four dials set time, temperature, function and toast shade, and a button switches the interior light. Bake and broil each come with a low and a high fan setting, and there are separate air fry, grill and warm positions. Shouldit liked the directness of this setup, and it is a real advantage for anyone who finds digital menus fussy.

Accessories and warranty. The box includes a rack, a baking pan, an air fryer basket and a grill and griddle plate. Shouldit reports a three-year warranty in the US and Canada, longer than Breville's two years and Ninja's one.

Temperature accuracy. In TechGearLab's 30-minute test at 350°F, the TOA-70 averaged about 21.7°F hot, the widest error of our four picks. TechGearLab also noted that some foods took a little longer than the package said. For cookies and cakes, check it against an oven thermometer and adjust the dial.

Coarse dials. The dials are simple but not precise. You set time and temperature by eye between printed marks, which works for toast and air frying and less well for recipes with narrow windows. TechGearLab also found the mechanical timer's ticking loud.

Cleaning and browning quirks. Shouldit saw darker and lighter patches on the undersides of toast and found that the baking pan stains easily. It also noted that the interior light turns off when you open the door.

Size. TechGearLab measured it at about 16.5 inches wide, 15.1 deep and 13.7 tall. That is smaller than the Breville but still a full-size footprint, and it needs a few inches of clearance for venting.

Model confusion. The older TOA-60 still appears in some listings, and America's Test Kitchen's experience with it was poor: pale toast, limp air-fried fries and temperatures up to 85 degrees off target. Those results do not describe the TOA-70, but check the model number before you buy.

Against the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, the Breville holds more (nine slices and a 13-inch pizza), has far better temperature accuracy and digital presets, but costs much more and toasted less well in TechGearLab's test. Against the Ninja French Door Premier, the Ninja has a larger 5-quart air fry basket, digital controls and French doors, but only a one-year warranty.

The TOA-70 is the value pick among air fryer toaster ovens: strong toast, good air frying and roasting, dial controls anyone can use and a long warranty. Its temperature runs hot and its dials are coarse, so bakers should look at the Breville. For more ideas, see the kitchen category.