The FlashXpress made crispy-yet-melty Bagel Bites that were more consistently browned from one edge of the pan to the other. Some ovens’ results weren’t dark enough; others were overdone or unevenly cooked. This cuisinart toa60 was also one of the only models in this price range that could bake chicken thighs with a golden brown, crispy skin. Up against bigger, more expensive toaster ovens, the FlashXpress more than held its own.
That said, avoid larger toaster ovens with only a couple of elements because they won’t be able to distribute heat evenly. The more heating elements a toaster oven has, the bigger and more expensive it will be. However, in our research, we’ve found that toaster ovens have a longer life expectancy than slot toasters. If you don’t have room for both appliances in your kitchen, we’d recommend getting a toaster oven instead. Anything lightweight such as an individual slice of bread, or leafy greens, is likely to get blown around the cooking cavity, and unlikely to brown and crisp evenly. Similarly, large joints of meat, such as a whole chicken, will fill the air frying drawer and mean the hot air can’t circulate, so it also won’t be evenly crisped and browned.
It’s just frustrating, this toaster tells you which slot to use for one slice, which is what you’ll use most often, and of course that happens to be the slot that has the most uneven toasting. If you’re an individual or a couple with small appetites, this small capacity air fryer is ideal. A more compact version of the Instant Vortex , turned out crisp, evenly browned fries and succulent chicken during our testing. While you can’t cook different foods at different temperatures at the same time, this grill creates great char and crispier air-fried foods, and can even cook meat and fish from frozen.
While Costco is promoting these deals as being available from November 25 to 28, these are all available online at the Black Friday sale price starting on November 24. I’ve used several brands of food processors over the years, both in my home kitchen and the EatingWell Test Kitchen, and Cuisinart is hands-down my favorite cuisinart air fryer oven brand. If you’ve been wanting to get a food processor, this is a great deal to add to your shopping cart. “It performed the slice-bread test very well, but you’re really buying this for the design.” “This is a gorgeous toaster that will consistently deliver the brown level that you would expect on each of the numbers.”
It’s best to experiment with a few slices of bread to figure out what each setting on your toaster produces and find the settings that meet your preferences. The KitchenAid KCO211BM Digital Countertop Toaster Oven didn’t toast as evenly as our picks, and several slices of bread were burned in patches on the bottom. The Cuisinart TOB-40 Custom Classic Toaster Oven Broiler is easy to use, but on its medium setting, bread became too dark. Also, this model has no timer, so you’ll have to keep a close watch on your food to prevent it from overcooking.
These small-but-mighty knives are great for prepping produce and tedious kitchen tasks. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. Christine is a freelance writer specializing in food, culture, travel, wine, and cheese. Her work has appeared in VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Epicurious, Travel + Leisure, and Allrecipes.