Karen Wiggins on July 18, 2016 1 Comment The Goldilocks of Toaster Ovens? We Go Hands-On & Test It Out Table of Contents Get to Know the Unit List of Features Customer Reviews What I Liked About It What I Didn’t Like About It Start Shopping People use toaster ovens for many different reasons. From baking to broiling to roasting, a countertop toaster oven is one of the most versatile cooking appliances you can own. They are quick, convenient and easy to use. However, when it comes to buying a toaster oven, it’s not uncommon for consumers to feel overwhelmed with choices. Generally, most consumers want something that is going to give them the option to cook a variety of different foods, but still remain within their budget. As one of the most popular manufacturers of kitchen appliances, Cuisinart is a well-known brand that garners positive customer reviews across the board. I recently had the opportunity to test out the Cuisinart TOB-40 toaster oven, and it seemed to be right in the Goldilocks zone. So, what’s so special about this toaster oven? Find out in my review below. Find The Best Price: [dfrcs name=”TOB-40″ brand=”cuisinart”] Meet the Cuisinart TOB-40 At the time I write this review, the Cuisinart TOB-40 is currently listed in the top five on the Amazon’s list of bestselling toasters. Not too bad, considering Amazon has over 1,200 toaster ovens listed on the site. The Cuisinart TOB-40 unit has quite a large interior, in which you can fit four bagel halves, an 11” pizza, or six slices of toast. It has four cooking options — broil, bake, bagel, and toast — and boasts and incredible 1800W power rating. Once you open the box, you will notice that the TOB-40 comes with a few accessories, namely a custom-sized baking pan, broiling rack, and oven rack. Setting up this toaster oven is a cinch. You will probably spend more time trying to figure out the best place for it, than you will setting it up. As soon as you pull the door open, the rack slides out automatically and comes with a stay-cool handle. This feature makes using it safer to use than other toaster ovens. The TOB-40 comes allows you to adjust the height of the racks inside. This versatility will certainly come in handy when you start cooking different meals. Although, my favorite feature is probably the removable crumb tray that simplifies the cleaning process. You can even do it without opening the door. The control panel of the Cuisinart TOB-40 is on the side and has dials with a rubberized grip. You use the temperature dial for broiling and baking, and the toast shade dial enables you to set how dark you want your toast. Simply press the start/stop button to get it going or to stop toasting once it becomes as dark as you want. I found this feature to work great for reheating pizza. If you simply leave it on, it will stop automatically. List of Features: The toaster oven comes with a number of additional cool features: A stainless-steel front. Five preset cooking functions. Adjustable rack heights. Removable crumb tray for easy cleaning. A nonstick interior. Dishwasher-safe accessories. Customer Reviews A lot of people have left highly positive reviews for the Cuisinart TOB-40 toaster oven. They have compared it to some excellent other brands, many of which are far more expensive, and t comes out favorable in comparison. People mention that they like the fact that the price of this oven is in the right range because so many cheap models are, well, cheap in both design and feel, while many of the more high-end ovens come with all sorts of unnecessary features. Because most people have all the necessary appliances for methods like frying, baking, grilling, and roasting, they often look for a toaster oven that simply does the last little bits of cooking that can’t be done with any other appliance instead of a device that repeats half the functions other appliances already provide. This is where the Cuisinart TOB-40 seems to shine. Something that most reviewers have mentioned is that it is a very quick machine for those who want to toast something, and the food comes out lovely and crispy. Additionally, they mention that it cooks really evenly. Some people have even mentioned that they had the toaster oven for many years, and it has served them perfectly for all that time. After you take some time to read the reviews left on the Cuisinart TOB-40, it becomes clear as to why this toaster oven is one of the best-selling ovens on Amazon. But, don’t take my word for it, see what others are saying. Click here to read all of the customer reviews on Amazon. What I Liked About the Cuisinart TOB-40: It makes toast very quickly. You can use it to bake potatoes and pizza. The broiling feature is excellent. The crumb tray is easy to remove and clean, and you don’t have to open the door to get it. The inside of the oven is easy to clean, thanks to the nonstick coating. It comes with a range of dishwasher-safe accessories. The machine comes with an extensive manual that also includes some delicious recipes. The toast comes out evenly crispy, not too dry and not too dark. And it only takes about 90 seconds to have toast ready, perfect for those early morning rushes. Once you know which setting is right for your perfect slice of toast, you can simply leave it at that setting, meaning you never have to fiddle with it again. It also comes with standard settings of light, medium, and dark, so it is easy to toast just the way you like it. It has an automatic slide out rack that comes out as soon as you open the door. You never have to worry about burning your hands or having to find an oven glove in order to get to your toast. The price is really fair. While it isn’t the cheapest toaster oven on Amazon, it certainly isn’t the most expensive either. And, considering what you get, it seems that the price is square in the Goldilocks zone. What I Didn’t Like About the Cuisinart TOB-40: Broiling a chicken takes a long time. Although the oven is supposed to be able to fit six slices of bread, it is really hard to actually fit them all in there. There is no timer on the oven. Unfortunately, this can make it more difficult to bake things. However, if you simply want to use it as a toaster, then its lack of a timer doesn’t really matter. It does shut off automatically based how long the machine’s programming believes is necessary to achieve your desired toast darkness, or you can simply press the start/stop button once it reaches the color you like. Some people have mentioned that the heating element starts to melt or warp, often quite rapidly. This is a concern to me, and serves as an important reminder to buy a unit with a solid warranty. The Final Verdict Overall, if you are looking to purchase a new toaster oven that is not complicated to use and can do a bit more than simple toasting, yet doesn’t have so many features that it acts like an entire kitchen in a single machine, then the Cuisinart TOB-40 may just be the perfect fit for you. It is listed at a very fair price, so it suits the majority of budgets, but it has a number of features more commonly found in much more expensive models. This may not be the fanciest toaster oven out there, but it certainly does a great job.
