There are countless air fryers on the market that are vying for your attention, and quite frankly, many of them are fine. Convection heating (which is all air frying is) needs a fan and a heating element, and the cheapest brand will give you just that. That said, there are plenty of thoughtful details that make an appliance truly worth the money. Personally, I’ve been wondering if there possibly was an air fryer out there that didn’t sound like a fire engine—that’s something I’d splurge for. Well, I got my hands on the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven and if you’re like me, this easy-to-use air fryer might be the peaceful appliance you’ve been looking for.
Why this air fryer is special
While both the basket-style and oven-style air fryers use the same convection heating, the design and access angle is different. Although I’ve been Team Basket for years, this Cuisinart is making me doubt myself.
I can absolutely see the appeal of the air fryer toaster oven. The door is hinged and oriented at the front of the machine. The interior is roomy, and has two tray tracks so you can conceivably cook two different items at once. It has the charm of a full-sized conventional oven with the benefits of a countertop convection appliance. Plus, it looks and sounds a lot like an old-school toaster oven, and that familiarity is undeniably comforting.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
The pros and cons of the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The pros
Intuitive knobs
Actually quiet
Large window
The first thing I noticed about this Cuisinart, before even turning it on, is that there is no digital operating panel, no touch screen buttons—instead, there are rotating knobs. Even though I normally expect “modern” to mean lights and digital beeps, the whole air fryer looks sleek and modern without any of that. Many air fryers, and frankly, even microwaves, can get carried away with presets and touch screens, making them rather confusing or thwarting the average user from discovering all the functions. Four knobs—time, temperature, fan function, and toast (it’s a toaster too, after all)—are extremely intuitive. You don’t have to waste any time figuring it out.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Which brings me to my next point: It barely makes a sound. This is hands-down the quietest air fryer I’ve ever used. Now, quietest doesn’t mean much when you know how loud air fryers can be, so let me amend that and say, it is just quiet. The machine performs with flying colors, and even on the “air fry” convection setting (typically the loudest function with the highest fan speed) cooks and crisps with only a gentle hum. I actually had to peer through the window a few times to assure myself it was still on.
The knobs twist with no obnoxious digital “BEEP,” and as far as I can tell, the timers are analog, spring-loaded ones—which means they gently tick away and finish with a gentle, non-digital “ding.” It’s kind of soothing. It might seem silly to go on and on about noise, but in a world of almost constant clicks, beeps, alerts, and timers, it’s nice to have something quiet.
Something else I didn’t know I enjoyed was the large observation window the Cuisinart has on the door. Some basket-style air fryers have windows, but they’re often blocked by the handle. This window is wide, due to the size of the overall appliance, unobstructed, and there is a light you can activate that allows you to see the entire interior quite clearly.
The cons
Large footprint
The only issue I’ve had with this air fryer is that it’s much too big for the counter space that I have available. However, it’s worth noting that I live in an apartment in New York City, a place known for the Empire State Building, great pizza, and ever-decreasing counter space.
The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is 12.25 inches by 15.75 inches by 13.75 inches and the metal housing on top gets hot. I’m noting this because that means you have to keep the top clear, and you can’t use it like a storage shelf. The size might be a no-go for you, but if you’ve been looking for a larger oven-style air fryer, then chalk this up to the Pros List.
Is this air fryer for you?
I would absolutely recommend this air fryer to anyone who has a large kitchen to accommodate the size, folks who prefer the oven-style air fryer over the basket, and anyone looking for a quieter model. I don’t have a napping baby, but if I did I would be on edge starting a Ninja or an Instant air fryer in the next room. The functionality is great—it cooks evenly and quickly—but even a random, off-brand air fryer will do that. It’s these other details, like the knobs, size, and window, that make the Cuisinart stand out.
