Photo: people.com
What We Like
- Powerful 1800-watt convention fryer
- High 18-quart capacity
- 7 versatile cooking options
- Simplified controls
- Nonstick easy-clean interior
- Quiet convenient operation
What We Don’t Like
- Dial labeling could be better
- Weighty at 21 pounds
Bottom Line
A high food capacity and powerful convection oven combine to make this air fryer a reliable cooking companion, especially for preparing large family meals.
Introduction
For big families looking to prepare healthy meals fast, the Cuisinart TOA-60’s and its large 18-quart capacity are a wise choice. Its powerful convection oven is also great for baking.
With its stainless steel all-metal construction, you can count on the fryer to last a lifetime while providing consistently high cooking performance. The air fryer’s simplified controls also make using it a joy.
Cuisinart TOA-60 Review
Photo: Cuisinart
Cooking Performance: Heavy-Duty Convention Fryer
The highly-acclaimed Cuisinart TOA-60 was designed as a full-size toaster oven, which doubles as a high-performance air fryer. The advantage of this combination is that not only does the appliance support heavy-duty air frying, but you can also bake lots of stuff in it.
This 1800-watt unit is a cooking workhorse, especially because all this power is channeled to a high-performance convection fan for superior heat and air circulation in the oven. Your food is cooked fast, and evenly.
Speaking of food, this consumer unit offers a professional-grade cooking capacity of 0.6 cubic feet, which is equivalent to 18 quarts. With such a large cooking space, there’s a wide variety of foods you can cook, and in large proportions.
If you have a large family, or you’re planning to have some guests over, this fryer will prove to be your best cooking companion. According to the manufacturer, it can bake a 4-pound chicken, fry 3 pounds of chicken wings, toast up to 6 slices of bread, or bake a 12-inch pizza, all family-sized meals.
There are 7 cooking functions (presets) supported by this fryer: air fry, convection bake, warm, bake, convection broil, toast, and broil. All these functions are controlled by simple dial knobs. Though the black dial markings are not the clearest against the silver finish, one does get used to them.
Finally, because a lot of people appreciate quiet appliances, its worth mentioning that as this air fryer is running, you will barely hear it because if features Cuisinart’s Whisper Quiet technology for low-noise operation.
Design: Premium with a Classic Touch
The TOA-60 is, without a doubt, a premium air fryer. It features all-metal stainless steel construction, which guarantee’s the appliance’s durability and lifetime service. It is capable of handling intensive cooking without exhibiting any signs of wear.
Its metallic build contributes to the overall classic look that the air fryer adopts. It has an elegant silver finish and manual dial knobs that fully embrace the classic identity. It is pleasant to look at when sitting at the counter, especially next to other similar appliances.
Because the air fryer has a regular rectangular shape, you will discover that it’s easy to feed contents into the oven and to monitor them as well. Monitoring is enhanced by a built-in light that illuminates the food as it cooks.
The oven door is fitter with a large clear glass, which allows you to monitor the air fryer’s interior as food is being cooked. You can make temperature adjustments based on your observation of the food through this glass.
There’s no ignoring the fact that this air fryer is heavy, at 21 pounds in weight, but because it was designed to sit on the counter and not have to be shifted around, its bulk should not be an issue if you find it a suitable spot where it can be operated from.
Temperature Control: Simplified but Robust
The TOA-60’s temperature control system is simplified because it is entirely manual. The use of manual dial knobs makes controlling the temperature very easy, especially compared to digital controls, which can sometimes prove intimidating and confusing.
There are only 4 knobs on this model, meaning you won’t be spending precious time learning a multitude of functions. For actual temperature adjustment, the second knob allows the selection of temperatures between 250℉ and 450℉. It also has a low-temperature warm function.
Efficient temperature control goes hand in hand with optimal time settings, and there’s a dedicated 60-minute timer knob that supports selections in 10-minute intervals. In the instruction and recipe booklet that comes with your air fryer, there is a list of temperature and time combinations for different types of food and their recommended amounts. Have a look.
Ease of Cleaning: Simplified by Non-stick Interior
It is the minimalist design of the TOA-60 that makes the air fryer easy to clean. That and the fact that its interior has a nonstick coating that effectively repels grease and other substances.
The regular rectangular shape of this air fryer simplifies interior reach and promotes access to all parts of the air fryer. After removing all the interior components, proceed to wipe the air fryer’s interior using a liquid soap solution and a damp cloth or a spray solution on a sponge.
As for the exterior, the goal is to clean it effectively without damaging the silver finish. Therefore, avoid abrasive scrubbers and instead, use a damp towel or cloth to clean the exterior surfaces.
A small caveat in the cleaning of this air fryer is the fact that some of the most heavily-used accessories, the oven rack, baking pan, AirFryer basket, and crumb tray, are all not dishwasher safe. You will need to hand-wash these in hot, sudsy water using a gently scouring pad or brush.
That said, you can always line the baking tray with foil to simplify cleanup. Also, the top interior part of the oven tends to be easily forgotten but is prone to grease accumulation, so ensure you clean that too, especially after cooking greasy foods.
Accessories: Multiple and Handy
Your TOA-60 air fryer will come with several accessories that support versatile meals and cooking styles. You get a baking pan, an oven rack, a crumb tray, and an AirFryer basket. All these accessories are meant to support all the cooking functions your air fryer offers.
The crumb tray comes already positioned inside the air fryer. You can slide it out of the oven’s bottom front for easy cleaning. When toasting, this tray effectively captures all the bread crumbs, preventing them from scattering in the oven.
To optimize the cooking process, it is recommended that you use the AirFryer basket with the AirFry option. Also ensure that this basket is nested in the baking pan, which serves as the drip tray for capturing stray grease.
As for the oven rack, you can use it in 2 positions; the top, and the bottom. It supports a variety of food preparation techniques and is removable for easy cleaning.
Price: Great Value for Money
For less than $200, you are getting an air fryer, an oven, and a toaster, all in one unit. The price that you pay for all this value is, without a doubt, a bargain and unbeatable.
While the air fryer does offer unparalleled cooking versatility, its high food capacity cannot be ignored. For big families and the occasional visits from friends and guests, this air fryer will prove to be an invaluable companion.
Cuisinart does, however, offer some rival models with competitive features. For instance, there’s the cheaper TOA-28, whose functions are similar to those of the TOA-60, but the former’s capacity is smaller, making it ideal for kitchens with limited space, and for individuals or small families.
Then there’s the more advanced and pricier TOA-65, which is a convention air fryer offering the same performance and capacity as the TOA-60, but with a digital control panel for robust functions, more presets, and programming options.
Because the functions and performance that the TOA-60 offers are all premium, choosing this air fryer over its competitors is a no-brainer.
Verdict
A premium, high-performance, and high-capacity air fryer with a powerful convection oven for fast preparation of family-sized meals.
The TOA-60 has proven to bring professional-grade performance to consumer level with its heavy-duty oven, high 18-quart food capacity, and multiple cooking functions. Also, its classic style with manual dials simplifies operation significantly.
Specs
- Product Name: Cuisinart TOA-60
- Product Brand: Cuisinart
- Product Dimensions: 15.5 x 16.0 x 14.0 inches
- Power: 1800 watts, 120 volts
- Thermostat: Yes (Adjustable)
- Fryer Capacity: 0.6 cubic feet (18 quarts)
- Heat Capacity: Up to 450℉
- Material(s): Stainless steel, Nonstick
- Warranty: 3 Years (Limited)
- Product Weight: 21 pounds
Key Features
- Powerful 1800-watt convection fan
- 7 robust functions to support cooking versatility
- High 0.6-cubic-foot (18 quarts) fryer capacity for large meals
- High maximum temperature of 450℉
- Easy-to-clean nonstick interior
- Handy cooking accessories including an oven rack, baking pan, and basket
- Whisper Quiet low-noise operation