Considering it’s such a cheap model, we were impressed by the Hamilton Beach’s ability to toast evenly. Visit frugalhotspot.com to see what’s new and to check out deals from Costco. Other options may be available at costco.com cuisinart toaster costco for a delivered price. With a sleek design, this stainless steel Cuisinart toaster accommodates all types of bread selections and shade preferences. I didn’t go into the purchase with high demands or expectations.
The only difference I can detect is the improvement of the control buttons, now rectangular with the button labels on the faceplate so they don’t wear off. I can’t compare to the Panasonic model, but this does have an internal fan to circulate air in convection mode. In addition to the 3-year warranty, it comes with Costco’s return policy so I figured I can’t go wrong. I’ve only owned it for a few hours so I can’t provide a review, but so far so good.
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 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. Air fryer toaster oven combo ovens can have up to 13 different functions, which is great if you plan on using this for many different purposes, like roasting, baking or even bread proofing. If you really want a toaster oven with an air fryer function you’ll use on occasion, we recommend choosing a top toaster oven model with a couple extra bells and whistles.
We wish it had additional cooking programs and that the recipes were more enticing and better written. And although the June is larger than most toaster ovens, its capacity is still limited compared with that of a full-size oven, especially if you plan to prepare food for four or more people. We also looked at smart toaster ovens, such as the exorbitantly priced June Oven; it boasts an HD camera , carbon fiber heating elements, and two convection fans. We recognize that for some, a level of automation could prove helpful, so we’ll continue to test smart ovens. But we haven’t yet tested one where the features feel worth the investment for most people. Rather, air fryers are more like a supercharged convection oven, circulating hot air with a fan and hitting food more rapidly than most ovens.
We also used an AI-powered analysis tool to scan 6,500-plus customer reviews across nine toaster ovens to identify what made some models better or worse than others. I liked the simple and straightforward cooking programs — not too few and not too many. The Cosori is also a smart air fryer so you can control it from your phone via an app. This wasn’t something I found particularly useful, but it’s there if you want it. The app also has more than 100 recipes to try, which is great for air fryer inspiration.
This article was updated in February 2023 to ensure all picks are in stock and reflect accurate pricing. Our top picks, based on testing notes from the Good Housekeeping Institute, remain the same. We appreciated the compact size of the Breville Compact Smart Oven , but it didn’t do well in many of our tests. It also costs more than the Panasonic FlashXpress, which we like better overall. The undersides of the bread we toasted in the KitchenAid were more unevenly browned than the tops. The Zojirushi ET-WMC22 toasted so unevenly that the bread looked like someone with terrible aim had zapped it with a laser.
Air fryers also typically have a larger fan that works quicker and is positioned on top of the heating elements versus a convection oven with a smaller fan located in the back or side of the oven. Ultimately, the best air fryer toaster ovens heat up quickly and make crispier food in less time than convection ovens. If you get a toaster oven with a convection setting, you can also use it for air frying . While the fan isn’t quite as powerful as the ones in most pod-shaped air fryers or air fryer toaster ovens, it produces similar results. After years of testing, we’ve found that convection toaster ovens and air fryer toaster ovens are actually more versatile appliances than pod-shaped air fryers . That’s because a toaster oven can fit more food at once, and in our experience it cooks more evenly.
However, it’s difficult to determine exactly where the dial should be placed for your preferred toast shade. Eventually, we were able to find the sweet spot on the dial for our desired doneness, but it took multiple attempts. That said, the toast came out remarkably even for a toaster oven of this caliber. Like most toaster ovens, the Hamilton Beach cuisinart air fryer oven will get hotter after each batch of toast you make in a row. You’ll need to reduce the toast shade setting for each subsequent batch you make to prevent the bread from burning. The oven cavity is large enough to fit a 5.5-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven or a 6-quart Lodge Dutch oven —just know that their weight will cause the oven rack to bend slightly.