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Cuisinart TOA-60 vs Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison

Alan Nguyen
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 3, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 19, 2023
The front of a closed Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer. The control panel is positioned horizontally on the upper front. Below the control panel is the door handle. The glass door is covered with an illustration.
The front of a closed silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach with Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.

Our Verdict

8.4
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    8.7/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.2/10
  • Usability (25%)
    7.1/10
5.8
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    6.3/10
  • Design (25%)
    5.1/10
  • Usability (25%)
    5.5/10

It should come as no surprise that the Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Toaster Oven triumphs over the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven (31344DA). The former has higher scores than the latter in each and every one of our criteria. It’s also a few times larger and more expensive than the other but that’s beside the point.

Both are analog toaster ovens, so how come the difference in design score is so massive? To keep it short, the Cuisinart has many more features than the Hamilton, all of which are extremely high quality. The features include six nichrome heating elements, two convection settings, an interior light, a slide-out crumb tray, and an air fryer basket on top of the standard oven rack and baking pan.

The Cuisinart’s solid design features translate to decent usability despite not having digital controls and extra functionality. Its usability score isn’t too high but definitely above the Hamilton’s average score.

With a strong power draw and convection, the Cuisinart easily excelled at all of our performance test, including toasting bread, baking pizza, roasting whole chicken, and air-frying fries. These results cemented its status as our best convection toaster oven.

Benefits of Powerful Convection and Heating

Cuisinart TOA-60 Performance

Hamilton Beach Easy-Reach Performance: Adequate but With a Weakness
8.7
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)8.1/10
  • Pizza (25%)9.6/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)8.5/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)9.2/10
6.3
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)6.7/10
  • Pizza (25%)6.6/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.6/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)3.6/10
8.1

Toast

6.7
From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker. On the upper row are the top sides, and on the lower row are the bottom sides of the toast.
On the left: 2m 30s; In the middle: 4m; On the right: 5m
From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker. On the upper row are the top sides, and on the lower row are the bottom sides of the toast.
The best four pieces of toast from the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer. On the left are the top sides, and on the right are the bottom sides of the toast.
On the left are four pieces of toast from the first batch, and on the right are from the second batch. On the upper row are the top sides, and on the lower row are the bottom sides.
Taste: 9
50% * 9 = 4.5
Even Surface Color: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Consecutive Usability: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: 1/2 Medium
  • Cooking Time: 4 m
  • Second Batch: 4 m
  • Convection: Low (default)

During our Toast test, the Light toast level—around 2 minutes 30 seconds on the timer—gave no color and the Medium one—around 5 minutes on the timer—was too brown even though the color was even. We determined that right in the middle of Medium and Light toast level—around 4 minutes on the timer—was the best option scoring an 8.1/10.

Toasting bread for 4 minutes with the Cuisinart produced 4 pieces with a beautiful golden color throughout thanks to the deployment of the convection fan. This oven was the first one to score a 9/10 for even toast surface color.

The first batch of toast was quite crispy yet very soft inside, worthy of a 9/10. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined they would be great to go with sandwiches, omelet, and eggs benedict. For soup, however, they didn’t cut the mustard but that could be rectified with the extra crispiness of a second batch.

While the second batch had a brown color, it had a few dark spots so it got a 6/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to lower it down to Light—around 2 minutes 30 seconds.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Toast Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Toast From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for the top and bottom of three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker.
The top and bottom of the best four pieces of toast from the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven.
On the left are the top and bottom of four pieces of toast from the first batch, and on the right are from the second batch.
Taste: 6.8
50% * 6.8 = 3.4
Even Surface Color: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Consecutive Usability: 6.3
30% * 6.3 = 1.9
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: Medium
  • Cooking Time: 5m
  • Second Batch: 5m
  • Convection: No

To start off our Toast test, we placed four pieces of bread on the lower tray level and turned the time knob to the point just before the toast icon, which was around 4 minutes 5 seconds on the timer. The bread came out only lightly toasted on top.

Thus, we tried increasing the timer to 5 minutes and had a pretty good result. We then tried increasing the timer again to 7 minutes and 20 seconds just for good measure, but that almost burnt the toast.

With everything in mind, we decided 5 minutes of toasting would yield the best possible result and the final score was 6.7/10. It was quite tricky to get the exact toasting time due to the analog control knob so we used an external timer.

The top of the four pieces of toast had good golden-brown color in areas that were closest to the center of the oven, but was only lightly toasted in areas furthest away from the center of the oven. On the bottom, the lightly toasted areas were even larger, so we gave the toast a 7/10 for even surface color.

The toast was a bit too crispy in the golden-brown areas and a little dry in the lighter areas, so we could only give it a 6.8/10 for taste. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined it would go well with omelets and eggs benedict, but not sandwiches and soups.

The second batch came out brown on both the top and the bottom and crispy throughout, which could be more suitable for soup than the first batch. However, there were still lighter areas on both sides and the bottom even had some burnt ends.

Thus, we could only give the oven a 6.3/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, around four minutes on the timer should be enough.

9.6

Pizza

6.6
A toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top. The pizza is inside a grooved silver baking pan on a white background.
A toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top. The pizza is inside a grooved silver baking pan on a white background.
The cross-section of a toaster oven baked pizza slice showing the pizza crust. In the background is a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top inside a grooved silver baking tray.
Two hands break apart a slice of baked pizza using a toaster oven with melty cheese, meat, and green bell peppers on top. In the background is a pizza on top of a grooved baking tray.
Cooking Time: 10
20% * 10 = 2.0
Crust: 9.2
20% * 9.2 = 1.8
Toppings: 9.8
30% * 9.8 = 2.9
Taste: 9.5
30% * 9.5 = 2.9
  • Function: Bake with high convection
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 3m 30s
  • Convection: High

The Cuisinart baked a very appetizing 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza scoring a 9.6/10 despite using only the included baking pan.

Compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label, it only took 3m 30s to bake the pizza which was extremely fast. In comparison to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it deserved a whopping 10/10.

The crust came out a tempting golden brown with some nicely charred spots—if a little soft due to the short cooking time. Thus, it got a 9.2/10.

The pizza itself also had excellent even coloring all over from the good convection system. Thanks to the high and steady temperature, the melted cheese was also perfectly caramelized earning it a 9.8/10.

After tasting, our chef gave the pizza a 9.5/10.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Pizza Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster PizzaA toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top inside a baking pan.
Two slices of oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top of one another.
Two hands break apart a slice of pizza with cheese, meat, onions, and green bell peppers on top baked using a toaster oven.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Crust: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Toppings: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
Taste: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 6m
  • Convection: No

We used the Hamilton to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza at 450°F for our Pizza test and the final score was 6.6/10. To our surprise, the oven took 6 minutes to bake the pizza, which was very fast and worthy of a 9/10 for cooking time.

Unfortunately, the crust showed the oven’s uneven heat distribution. The bottom right quarter of the crust almost became brown before the rest could turn an ideal golden-brown color. The crust was also mostly soft, so we could only give it a 6/10.

The same problem also showed in the toppings, giving the oven another 6/10. While the cheese was only slightly melty and most of the meat was not caramelized, some pieces of meat had some burnt ends.

With that said, our chef gave the pizza a final 6/10 after tasting it.

8.5

Whole Roasted Chicken

6.6
A golden brown whole roasted chicken using a toaster oven on a white background. The chicken is spread out and back-side up inside an air fryer basket with a silver baking pan below.
A golden brown whole roasted chicken using a toaster oven on a white background. The chicken is spread out and back-side up inside an air fryer basket with a silver baking pan below.
A tray of whole toaster oven roasted chicken. The thermometer has two probes inside the chicken and displays 205°F and 207°F.
The golden brown roasted whole chicken is carved into seven pieces inside an air fryer basket with a silver baking pan below. There’s a carcass, two breast pieces, two wings, and two thighs.
Two fingers holding a juicy chicken thigh roasted in a toaster oven. The skin is golden brown and the meat is thoroughly cooked.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Skin: 9.5
20% * 9.5 = 1.9
Doneness: 8
20% * 8 = 1.6
Taste: 8
40% * 8 = 3.2
  • Function: Bake with high convection
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 50m
  • Convection: Yes

Following our Whole Roasted Chicken test, we placed a 3 lb chicken inside an air fryer basket on top of a baking pan and it fit without a problem. Although the air fryer basket had plenty of space, the pan was quite rigid so we had to be extra careful when taking it out to flip the chicken.

Unfortunately, while cooking the chicken, fat splashed everywhere inside the oven leading to some smoking. All things considered, the Cuisinart earned an 8.5/10 for this test—on par with a good toaster oven that uses a rotisserie kit like the Instant Omni Plus 18L.

It took 50 minutes to roast, which is shorter than average and deserving of a 9/10.

Despite not having a rotisserie kit, we were able to achieve adequately crispy skin with an even golden brown color scoring a 9.5/10. We did it by spreading the chicken out and flipping it after the first 40 minutes of cooking.

High convection and flipping helped the chicken to be thoroughly cooked without any pink spots in just 50 minutes. However, the internal temperature was a little too high at 205-207°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F, so it got an 8/10.

Due to being spread out, the wings were extremely crispy and deliciously fall-off-the-bone. However, the wings and the breast ended up a little dry so our chef gave the chicken an 8/10 for taste.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Whole Roasted Chicken Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven Whole Roasted ChickenA whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA backside up on an oven rack and baking pan on a white background.
A whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA belly up on an oven rack and baking pan on a white background.
A tray of whole toaster oven roasted chicken. The thermometer has two probes inside the chicken and displays 174°F and 183°F.
Eight pieces of a carved chicken including two carcass halves, two breasts, two wings, and two thighs on a baking pan.
Two hands pulling apart a roasted chicken thigh. In the white background is the rest of the roasted chicken on a baking pan.
Cooking Time: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Skin: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Doneness: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Taste: 6
40% * 6 = 2.4
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 1h 20m
  • Convection: No

The cooking chamber of the Hamilton technically didn’t have enough space for a 3 lb whole chicken as required in our Whole Roasted Chicken test. Thus, we had to place the chicken directly in front of the upper heating element, which led to a number of problems.

On the bright side, the result wasn’t too bad at 6.6/10 for a total score. If you choose to roast a whole chicken in this oven, we recommend flattening the chicken out, cutting it open, or cutting it into pieces.

The oven took 1 hour 20 minutes to roast the chicken, which was 20 minutes longer than the standard cooking time, so we gave it a 6/10.

Looking at the skin, the side that faced the door lacked color due to the lower temperature. In addition, the chicken grazed the upper heating element’s guard a number of times, which caused parts of the chicken to burn and led to the oven smoking during roasting as well as burnt bits on the guards afterward.

The silver lining in this was that the burnt areas actually had a nice golden-brown color. However, due to a lower power draw, the skin on the sides basically had no color. With everything in mind, we could only give the skin a 5/10.

Interestingly, the chicken had near-perfect doneness at 9.8/10. The meat had no pink spots and an internal temperature of 174°F-183°F, which was really close to the USDA recommendation.

The ideal doneness helped maintain the tenderness and juiciness of the meat. However, the skin was really unappetizing, so our chef could only give the chicken a 6/10 for taste.

9.2

Baked French Fries

3.6
Pieces of golden baked french fries using a toaster oven inside a stainless steel air fryer basket on a grey background.
Pieces of golden baked french fries using a toaster oven inside a stainless steel air fryer basket on a grey background.
A closeup of pieces of golden baked french fries using a toaster oven inside a stainless steel air fryer basket on a grey background.
Pieces of golden baked french fries using a toaster oven. Nine pieces of broken-up fries are stacked on top of pieces of whole fries inside an air fryer basket.
Cooking Time: 10
20% * 10 = 2.0
Color: 9.5
20% * 9.5 = 1.9
Texture: 9.2
20% * 9.2 = 1.8
Taste: 8.7
40% * 8.7 = 3.5
  • Function: Bake with high convection
  • Temperature: 400°F
  • Cooking Time: 12m
  • Convection: High

The Cuisinart baked some excellent french fries scoring a 9.2/10.

It took only 12 minutes to cook 12 oz of french fries which was very fast. In fact, it’s the fastest one throughout our Baked French Fries test so far so it scored a perfect 10/10.

Due to the shorter cooking time than ideal, the color wasn’t entirely even but was good enough for a 9.5/10.

The fries were crispy and golden on the outside while moist on the inside thanks to the strong convection and the air fryer basket. Thus, we gave it a 9.2/10 for texture.

Our chef gave it an 8.7/10 for taste.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Baked French Fries Test
Pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA Toaster Oven on a silver baking pan on a white background.
A close-up of pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA on a silver baking pan on a white background.
Eight pieces of broken-up baked french fries are stacked on top of pieces of whole fries on a silver baking pan.
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Color: 4.5
20% * 4.5 = 0.9
Texture: 4.5
20% * 4.5 = 0.9
Taste: 4.5
40% * 4.5 = 1.8
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 400°F
  • Cooking Time: 26m
  • Convection: No

The Hamilton was at its weakest baking 12 oz of frozen fries for our Baked French Fries test, scoring a 3.6/10.

At 26 minutes, which was over our time limit, the fries still had no significant change in color. Thus, we stopped the baking process and gave the oven a 0/10 for cooking time.

Color-wise, the fries didn’t look much different before and after baking. The only saving grace was that the fries were actually cooked, so we could still give it a 4.5/10 for color.

Similarly, the fries had a texture like they were air-dried, which was still better than boiled french fries that are simply soft and soggy. Thus, it got another 4.5/10.

After tasting this batch of french fries that lacked both color and texture, our chef couldn’t give a higher score than 4.5/10.

Simple but Effective

Cuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60 Design Review

Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven Design Review: Some Shortcomings
9.2
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)9.0/10
  • Interior (30%)9.5/10
  • Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
5.1
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)5.0/10
  • Interior (30%)2.0/10
  • Build Quality (50%)7.0/10

In the Box

In the Box of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA Easy-Reach
Top to bottom and left to right are a baking rack, baking pan, three documents, the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer, and a box.
  • Model: TOA-60
  • Warranty: 3 years (US and Canada only)
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan
  • Air Fryer Basket

The user manual provides numerous recipes with all the ingredient measurements, specific cooking functions, temperatures, and times. The package also comes with a simple instruction to register your Cuisinart for premium customer service, special offers, and more. Within the warranty period, the manufacturer has their own satisfaction guarantee policy.

A box, the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven, a user manual, an oven rack, and a baking pan.
  • Model: 31344DA
  • Warranty: US - 1 year; Canada - 5 years
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan
  • Removable Crumb Tray

The Hamilton toaster oven, along with its accessories and a simple user manual, came in a basic cardboard box. The oven is secured with two foam pads and the accessories are duct-taped to it.

9.0

Exterior

5.0
A closed front of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background. The exterior is 16.34 inches long, 15.16 inches wide, and 13.58 inches high.
A closed front of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background. The exterior is 16.34 inches long, 15.16 inches wide, and 13.58 inches high.
The front and the right sides of a closed Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background. The control panel is in the front. The right side has air ventilation holes.
On a white background, the back and the left sides of a closed stainless steel Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer both have air ventilation holes. The back side has two black buffers.
On a white background, the top of a closed stainless steel Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer. In the front are the door handle and the control panel with four control knobs.
On a white background, the bottom of a closed stainless steel Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer has four base stands and two carrying handles on the sides.
  • Weight:
    21.0 lbs (9.5 kg)
  • Length:
    16.3" (41.5 cm)
  • Width:
    15.2" (38.5 cm)
  • Height:
    13.6" (34.5 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    Cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    No
  • Crumb Tray:
    Slide-out

With its simple design, the slide-out crumb tray of the Cuisinart really stands out. The side handles make it easy to carry. It also has two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from being too close to the wall.

Our measurements of the oven’s footprint of 16.34" x 15.16" x 13.58" pretty much coincided with the manufacturer’s 16" x 15.5" x 14" with marginal differences being less than an inch.

A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven ExteriorThe front of a closed Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Toaster Oven has a control panel and the right has holes.
The back of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven has a power cord, two buffers, and holes.
The top, front, and right sides of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven on a white background.
On a white background, the bottom of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA has four stands, holes, and carrying handles on the sides.
  • Weight:
    6.9 lbs (3.1 kg)
  • Length:
    15.8" (40.0 cm)
  • Width:
    11.9" (30.3 cm)
  • Height:
    8.4" (21.3 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    Cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    No
  • Crumb Tray:
    Removable

Although simple, the Hamilton has all the basic exterior features of a toaster oven and also something more: The roll-top door is a neat feature that can make it easier to move food in and out of the oven and save some space on the kitchen counter.

To make it easy to carry the oven, the two sides of the casing have shallow arches. The oven has a cool-touch door handle and two back buffers to prevent it from being too close to the walls.

Our measurements of 15.75" x 11.93" x 8.39" for the oven coincided almost completely with the manufacturer’s 16.12" x 11.93" x 8.97", with marginal differences being less than an inch.

Cuisinart TOA-60 Control Panel

Control Panel
From left to right, the control panel of the stainless steel Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer has four control dials for on/oven timer, temperature, function, on/toast timer, and a light toggle.
  • Type:
    4 control knobs
  • Temperature:
    200°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 - 60 minutes
  • Indicator Light:
    Yes
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    Yes
  • Convection Toggle:
    No
  • Rotation Toggle:
    No
  • Automatic Preheat:
    No
  • Audio Cues:
    No

The control panel is completely analog with four control knobs and a light toggle

The control panel of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven has 2 control knobs for temperature and timer.
  • Type:
    2 control knobs
  • Temperature:
    200°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on
  • Indicator Light:
    Yes
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    No
  • Convection Toggle:
    No
  • Rotation Toggle:
    No
  • Automatic Preheat:
    No
  • Audio Cues:
    No

The Hamilton has two simple control knobs: one for temperature and one for time. The timer has a stay-on setting to help with its short range, similar to many other small toaster ovens.

The temperature knob indicates the lowest temperature setting to be 200°F, which is quite limited. Interestingly, however, we could actually set the temperature as low as 120°F by only turning the knob until we heard a small clank before the 200°F mark.

Cooking Functions

Cooking Functions of the Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven
From left to right, the control panel of the stainless steel Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer has four control dials for on/oven timer, temperature, function, on/toast timer, and a light toggle.
  • Toast (Light - Medium - Dark)
  • Air fry
  • Bake with low / high convection
  • Broil with low / high convection
  • Warm (200°F)

If you know your way around the kitchen, the bake and broil functions with low or high convection will be all you need.

The control panel of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven has 2 control knobs for temperature and timer.
  • Not available

Not having multiple functions doesn’t affect a toaster oven’s mechanism, which is to heat air up to a certain temperature to cook food. However, it does mean that the user won’t have any way to operate only the upper or lower heating elements individually.

9.5

Interior

2.0
The cooking chamber ceiling of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Toaster Oven has a convection fan cavity and four nichrome heating elements. The cooking chamber also has a safety hook on the left and interior light on the right.
The cooking chamber ceiling of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Toaster Oven has a convection fan cavity and four nichrome heating elements. The cooking chamber also has a safety hook on the left and interior light on the right.
The cooking chamber ceiling of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Toaster Oven has two bottom nichrome heating elements. The cooking chamber has two guide rails with a safety hook on the left.
The cooking chamber ceiling of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Toaster Oven has a convection fan cavity and four nichrome heating elements. The cooking chamber also has a safety hook on the left for the upper guide rail.
  • Heating Elements:
    6 nichrome
  • Convection Fan:
    Yes
  • Lighting:
    Yes
  • Tray Levels:
    2
  • Rotisserie:
    No
  • Safety Hook:
    Tray Level 2

For the Cuisinart, its convection fan runs as standard with most cooking functions except for Warm. It runs on the low setting for Non-Convection settings and on a high setting for Convection settings.

In addition, the oven has two heating elements at the bottom and four at the top which allows for more even heat distribution. It also has an interior light that you can turn on and off with a switch. It only has two tray levels but you can make use of the rack-up and down positions.

 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven InteriorThe Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guars and 2 guide rails.
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven InteriorThe Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guars and 2 guide rails.
The Hamilton Beach 31344DA has 1 bottom heating element with a guard and 2 guide rails on its right cooking chamber wall.
The opened roll top door and upper heating element with a guard of the silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven.
  • Heating Elements:
    2 quartz
  • Convection Fan:
    No
  • Lighting:
    No
  • Tray Levels:
    2
  • Rotisserie:
    No
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The Hamilton shares the same lack of interior features, including a convection system and an interior light, similar to many other units of the same size. The design didn’t allow for maximum use of the space inside the cooking chamber even though it had two tray levels like most other small toaster ovens, including the Mueller MT-175.

It also only has two quartz heating elements, which can usually lead to uneven heat distribution compared to four or more heating elements. Nonetheless, they use infrared light to cook, which makes the process faster and more energy-efficient than the more common nichrome heating elements.

They also cool down faster and are easier to clean but not as durable. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

Capacity of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven

Capacity
An opened front of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background. The cooking chamber is 12.59 inches long, 11.4 inches wide, and 7.08 inches high.
  • Length:
    12.6" (32.0 cm)
  • Width:
    11.4" (29.0 cm)
  • Height:
    7.1" (18.0 cm)

Besides a 12-inch pizza or a 4-pound chicken, the TOA-60 is one of the few that actually fits 6 pieces of toast even though just barely. We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be roughly 17 liters which coincided with the manufacturer’s provided capacity.

An opened front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with interior measurements on a white background.
  • Length:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Width:
    9.84
  • Height:
    7.5" (19.0 cm)

While we couldn’t find the manufacturer’s capacity, we measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 13.28 liters. The 31344DA can accommodate four slices of toast or a 9-inch pizza, but not a 3-pound chicken due to insufficient height.

Power Cord

Power Cord of the Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven
A two-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer.
  • Length:
    29.5" (75.0 cm)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Power:
    1800 W
  • Rated Output:
    120 V ~ 60 Hz

Even though the power cord length is enough for household use—roughly 29.52", it doesn’t fully wrap around the two back buffers.

A two-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven.
  • Length:
    34.6" (88.0 cm)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Power:
    1200
  • Rated Output:
    120

The power cord has enough length for household use and an oven this size— roughly 34.65". The fact that it protrudes from the bottom of the oven may lead to some inconvenient bends, though.

Baking Rack

Accessories

Baking Rack
A stainless steel baking rack of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background.
  • Length:
    12.6" (32.0 cm)
  • Width:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.4 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The rack fits perfectly with the guide, which helps prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.

A stainless steel baking rack of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Width:
    9.3" (23.5 cm)
  • Height:
    1.0" (2.5 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The baking rack has two supports below to slide the baking pan in. It fits perfectly with the guide to prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven. The supports narrow at the back to prevent the pan from sliding out, but the entire thing doesn’t conform perfectly.

Baking Pan

Accessories

Baking Pan
A silver baking pan of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background.
  • Length:
    12.4" (31.6 cm)
  • Width:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.2 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The baking pan has a coating but is not completely non-stick so you may end up with some stubborn stains after a hefty roast. It does, however, easily catch any meat juice and drippings from the air fryer basket. Thus, it prevents mess and avoids any danger of fire from dirty heating elements.

A silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach With Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    9.9" (25.2 cm)
  • Width:
    8.3" (21.2 cm)
  • Height:
    0.6" (1.5 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The baking pan fits nicely below the rack to catch any meat juice and drippings, which helps prevent any mess and the risk of fire from dirty heating elements. Keep in mind that it isn’t 100% non-stick, so it may be prone to stubborn stains after a hefty roast. During our performance tests, the pan bends when heated but luckily didn’t cause any issues.

Air Fryer Basket

Accessories

Removable Crumb Tray
A stainless steel air fryer basket of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background.
  • Length:
    11.1" (28.2 cm)
  • Width:
    9.4" (24.0 cm)
  • Height:
    2.2" (5.7 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The air fryer basket’s decent elevation really helps to circulate heat around the bottom of the food.

A removable crumb tray of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    10.8" (27.5 cm)
  • Width:
    8.9" (22.5 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.4 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Not advisable

The removable crumb tray is useful for cleaning up crumbs and bits, which can be quite a hassle. However, some of the mess may still fall to the bottom of the oven upon taking out the tray.

9.0

Build Quality

7.0
The front of an opened Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a white background. From the bottom up are one baking rack, one baking pan, and an air fryer basket.

The build of the Cuisinart TOA-60 nails simplicity and durability from the materials to the user controls. That does, however, make it a little heavier than some of the same-sized ones we’ve tested including the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS and Instant Omni Plus 18L.

It’s also a little taller due to the convection fan being top, rather than side-mounted. Nonetheless, the slide-out crumb tray and carrying handles show attention to convenience.

The front of an opened Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven with a removable crumb tray, baking pan, and oven rack.

The Hamilton’s exterior shell is made from alloy steel, which has a higher tensile strength than stainless. We speculated the reason for this choice was to have the roll-top door—which can be easily removed for cleaning—more durable.

The casing also seems to have good heat insulation and only got hot to the touch after a long cooking time at a high temperature (>400°F). The knobs turn smoothly and have a contoured design for better grip.

Limited, but Not Problematic

Cuisinart TOA-60 Usability

Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven Usability: Not Much To Offer
7.1
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)7.0/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)7.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)7.5/10
5.5
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)6.0/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
7.0

User Control

6.0

The Cuisinart has seven settings to choose from including both Broil and Bake with high and low convection. The four control knobs for Time, Temperature, Functions, and Toast are as straightforward as possible.

The user control of the Hamilton cannot be any easier with just two knobs. Nonetheless, there are a few things to keep in mind. For the timer knob, when setting it to less than 10 minutes, always rotate past 10 minutes and then rotate back to the desired time.

To select the Toast function, you’ll need to turn the temperature knob to the maximum, indicated by the Toast icon. This is consistent with the fact that for all toaster ovens, their toast function has an endpoint temperature of 450°F.

Similar to other manual toaster ovens, it can be tricky to precisely set time and temperature. This can be easily dealt with, however, by using an external timer and an oven thermometer for more accurate measurements.

7.0

Ease of Use

5.0
Cuisinart TOA-60 Ease of Use Video
Cuisinart TOA-60 Ease of Use Video 1

The safety hook for tray level 2 allows you to partially slide out the baking rack or tray to reposition the food during cooking. However, this feature makes it quite tricky to remove the tray or rack.

Although the oven has good heat insulation, the casing can still get quite hot to the touch after 400°F, especially after a long cooking time. After the oven finishes cooking, you will hear a very clear ding.

Opening the oven door stops it from cooking while also turning off the light but doesn’t stop the timer. Having no digital display, you can freely leave this oven plugged in and not worry about power consumption.

To remove the door, you simply need to fully open it, then pull straight up. The door can’t be kept partially open to let food cool inside the oven. With two control knobs, it’s easier than ever to readjust cooking settings.

The cooking cycle finishes when the timer reaches O (off). When this happens, the oven will ding once and shut off. As it has no digital display, you can freely leave this oven plugged in without worrying about power consumption.

7.5

Cleanability

6.0
Caramelized meat juice and grease on the silver baking pan of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a grey background.
Caramelized meat juice and grease on the silver baking pan of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer on a grey background.
On a grey background, one hand brushing the silver baking pan of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer with baking soda and water, the other holding a spray bottle of vinegar and water.
A hand brushing the stained upper heating elements’ ends inside the cooking chamber of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer with baking soda and water.

We cleaned the Cuisinart following our toaster oven cleaning guide. The internal and external coating of the oven made it easy to clean. It does have some tricky nooks and crannies but all in all, they’re not too difficult.

Cleaning up the crumbs was extremely easy thanks to the slide-out crumb tray but we still had to tilt the oven to remove all the crumbs. We thought the fishnet design of the air fryer basket might make it difficult to clean any caramelized bits of food but that didn’t happen.

During the roasting of a whole chicken, fat splattered everywhere inside the oven. It left some stubborn stains on the insulators at the ends of the heating elements. Even with a paste of baking soda and water, we weren’t able to remove them.

Fortunately, there were no drippings on the crumb tray so no worries of oxidation. In addition, we’re happy to report that the gaps between the heating elements and internal walls were large enough to clean.

Permanent stains on the Hamilton Beach 31344DA’s upper heating element guard, cooking chamber’s ceiling, and casing’s top.
Permanent stains on the Hamilton Beach 31344DA’s upper heating element guard, cooking chamber’s ceiling, and casing’s top.
The cleaned baking pan of the silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach with Roll Top Door Toaster Oven.

Due to its design, the Hamilton was more tricky to clean than anticipated. Because the chicken grazed the upper heating element’s guard during our test, it left some permanent stains there. Luckily, the heating element itself was intact.

As the oven doesn’t have a non-stick interior coating, there were also permanent grease stains on the cooking chamber’s ceiling. Some discoloration even made it to the top of the casing due to it not being stainless steel and the shape of the door.

In addition, the grease splashed into some tricky spots on the door, but it can be thoroughly wiped off after removing the door. The baking pan sustained some stubborn stains as well, but we were able to brush them off with a paste of baking soda and water.