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Cuisinart TOB-40N vs Cuisinart TOA-60 Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)8.7/10
- Design (25%)9.2/10
- Usability (25%)7.1/10
- Performance (50%)6.8/10
- Design (25%)6.2/10
- Usability (25%)5.8/10
When comparing performance, we find that the Cuisinart TOA-60 consistently produced excellent results in all the tests. The Cuisinart TOB-40N, on the other hand, pales in comparison although it was able to perform well in making toast, baking pizza, and roasting a whole chicken.
Although both ovens use 1800 Watts of power, foods cooked using the Cuisinart TOB-40N tend to color unevenly due to the absence of a convection system. The oven’s inefficient heating system became obvious when tested for baking french fries.
The ovens have a sturdy build, simplistic design, 100% analog control, and similar size. While both have a slide-out crumb tray and an interior safety hook, the Cuisinart TOB-40N has an added auto-slide rack. Despite both having the standard baking rack and pan, the Cuisinart TOA-6 comes with an air fryer basket, which makes it more versatile in cooking with different methods.
Each oven has a different style of control dials but these are simply a matter of aesthetic preference. However, we do feel the Cuisinart TOA-60’s dials are of better quality.
One customized aspect of the Cuisinart TOB-40N is that it doesn’t have a timer. This means the oven will stay on until the Function knob is physically rotated to Off.
Comparing two different models of the same brand is one of the most practical ways of identifying the desirable qualities of a toaster oven. Between the Cuisinart TOB-40N and the Cuisinart TOA-60, the latter comes out on top in every aspect.
Cuisinart TOA-60 Performance
- Toast (40%)8.1/10
- Pizza (25%)9.6/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)8.5/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)9.2/10
- Toast (40%)7.1/10
- Pizza (25%)6.5/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.4/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)5.1/10
Toast
- 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.
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: Medium
- Cooking Time: 3m 40s
- Second Batch: 3m 40s
- Convection: No
During our Toast test, the Medium level — 3 minutes 40 seconds on the timer — on the Toast knob was the best option, scoring a 7.1/10. Decreasing the time to 3 minutes 25 seconds resulted in a very light color, whereas increasing it to 4 minutes 15 seconds resulted in a significantly dark — although more even — color.
The Medium toast level of the Cuisinart produced 4 pieces with a light golden-brown color. However, without the convection fan, there were some brown areas on the top and dark brown spots on the bottom. Thus, we gave it a 7.5/10.
The first batch of toast was slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, so we gave it a 7/10 for taste. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined they would be great for sandwiches. They may not be ideal to have with soups, egg benedict and omelet, but can be served with these foods as well.
With the same toasting time as the first, the second batch had a brown color and some dark spots on the bottom. Interestingly, this was one of the few ovens where our chef preferred the second batch, thanks to its crispiness being on point.
In the end, it got a 7/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to only turn the knob ¾ of the way to Medium which is around 3 minutes 25 seconds.
Pizza
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 9m
- Convection: No
The Cuisinart did an acceptable job of baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with a score of 6.6/10.
Compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label, this oven was able to bake the pizza slightly faster at 9 minutes. However, that result only scored a 6/10 among the ovens in our Pizza test.
The crust had some charred spots and a little bit of crispiness but was still soft overall, so it got a 6.5/10.
The toppings caramelized unevenly and some areas of the cheese got darkened. Nonetheless, they weren’t dry, so we were able to give them a 7/10.
After tasting the pizza, our chef gave it a 6.5/10.
Whole Roasted Chicken
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 17m
- Convection: No
The Cuisinart was able to comfortably fit a 3 lb chicken for our Whole Roasted Chicken test and scored a 7.4/10.
The oven took 1h 17m to cook the chicken; this was 17 minutes longer than the standard amount of time so it got a 6.3/10.
The skin had an uneven color, ranging from light golden to golden at the ends, and was soft throughout. This was most likely the result of the absence of a convection system; we gave it a 6/10.
The chicken was thoroughly cooked and the internal temperature was 181°F-183°F, which was only a little higher than recommended by the USDA, so we gave it a 9.7/10.
The meat was soft and juicy, deserving a 7.5/10 for taste from our chef.
Baked French Fries
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F.
- Cooking Time: 31 m
- Convection: No
The Cuisinart left a lot to be desired in baking french fries and scored a 5.1/10.
The oven took 31 minutes to bake 12 oz of french fries to an acceptable color and doneness. With our time limit being 25 minutes, it failed the cooking time criterion of our Baked French Fries test.
The fries gained an acceptable color, enough for a 6.5/10. Even though the baking pan was large enough to spread the fries, they still weren’t able to crisp up much and got a 6/10. After tasting the fries, our chef gave them a 6.5/10.
Cuisinart Air Fryer TOA-60 Design Review
- Exterior (20%)9.0/10
- Interior (30%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
- Exterior (20%)7.0/10
- Interior (30%)6.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)6.0/10
In the 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.
- Model: TOB-40N
- Warranty: 3-year limited
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
The packaging keeps the oven as well as its two accessories in place. The accessories are also wrapped in carton pads to avoid scratches during transportation. The oven comes with a user manual with recipes and a simple instruction to register your Cuisinart for premium customer service, special offers, and more.
Exterior
- 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.
- Weight:10.0 lbs (4.5 kg)
- Length:15.9" (40.5 cm)
- Width:14.8" (37.7 cm)
- Height:9.0" (22.9 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Black
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Slide-out
The Cuisinart has a stainless steel exterior with a cool-touch door handle. What stands out in this simple design is the slide-out crumb tray. The oven has two buffers at the back to prevent it from being placed too close to the wall. Due to their small size, the carrying handles built-in to the bottom stands are a bit awkward to use when the oven is hot.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 15.94" x 14.84" x 9" which was quite different in terms of width compared to the manufacturer’s 17" x 11.74" x 8.35". This could be because we took the door handle and back buffers into account when measuring the oven’s width while the manufacturer didn’t.
Cuisinart TOA-60 Control Panel
- 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
- Type:3 control knobs + Stop/Start button
- Temperature:100°F - 450°F
- Timer:Not available
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The Cuisinart has 3 control knobs for functions, temperature, and toast/bagel level. The Stop/Start button is only for Toast and Bagel functions.
Cooking Functions
- 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.
- Toast
- Bagel
- Bake
- Broil
- Warm (100°F)
Besides the standard Bake and Broil functions, the Cuisinart has the Warm function which maintains the oven at around 100°F. In addition to a Toast function, this oven has a Bagel function which can be useful for fans of this type of bread.
Interior
- 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.
- Heating Elements:4 nichrome
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:2
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:Yes
Although the TOB-40N has only two tray levels, you can make use of the rack-up and down positions. Interestingly, the door has a hook to automatically pull out the baking tray only on the upper level.
Although the pull-out hook doesn’t work with the baking pan, the interior safety hook does. Unfortunately, the oven doesn’t have internal lighting or a convection system that the same-sized Toshiba AC25CEW does.
Capacity of the Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven
- 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.
- Length:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Width:11.5" (29.3 cm)
- Height:7.1" (18.0 cm)
The Cuisinart has a spacious interior compared to the same-sized Hamilton Beach 31127D. It’s capable of fitting 6 slices of toast in addition to all our test dishes including an 11-inch pizza and a 3 lb whole chicken.
We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 15.8 liters which was different from the manufacturer’s provided 14.15 liters. However, it could just be a difference in measuring standards.
Power Cord
- 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.
- Length:31.1" (79.0 cm)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Power:1800 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 31.1"—plenty long enough for household use—and can be wrapped around the back buffers to save space. It also comes with a plastic lock to keep the cord in place.
Accessories
- 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.
- Length:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Width:11.3" (28.6 cm)
- Height:0.8" (2.0 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.
Accessories
- 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.
- Length:11.7" (29.8 cm)
- Width:11.2" (28.4 cm)
- Height:0.8" (2.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan does the job of catching any drippings to prevent any mess and fire danger from dirty heating elements. It has a coating but is not completely non-stick so it can be prone to some stubborn stains after a hefty roast.
Accessories
- 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.
Build Quality
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 Cuisinart has a sturdy construction and durable material. Its auto-slide rack and slide-out crumb tray show attention to convenience in a simple design. Although the easy-grip dials are a nice touch, they feel flimsy at times.
Cuisinart TOA-60 Usability
- User Control (30%)7.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)7.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)7.5/10
- User Control (30%)7.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
User Control
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 Cuisinart doesn’t have a timer. You simply choose a temperature setting and turn the Function knob from Off to a specific function for the oven to start running. In other words, this oven has a built-in stay-on timer for every function except for Toast and Bagel.
Ease of Use
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.
When the toasting cycle finishes, the oven will beep 5 times and turn off. After you finish using the oven, remember to turn the Function knob to Off. As there is no digital display, you can freely leave this oven plugged in and not worry about power consumption.
Thanks to the safety hook for tray level 2, you can partially slide out the baking tray or rack to reposition the food during cooking. However, this feature makes it quite tricky to remove the tray or rack. Be careful, as the oven can be quite hot to the touch after a long cooking time on high heat.
According to the manufacturer, the Cuisinart has an Always Even Shade Control to monitor the temperature and adjust the timing to consistently toast to the shade selected every time. However, our test result showed no significant improvement even when compared to the Cuisinart TOA-60 of the same brand.
Cleanability
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.
We cleaned the Cuisinart following our toaster oven cleaning guide. The oven has an internal and external coating plus no tricky nooks and crannies so it was easy to clean.
During the roasting of a whole chicken, fat splattered everywhere inside the oven. Nonetheless, we were able to clean it all off, even on the gaps between the heating elements and internal walls. The slide-out crumb tray made it easy to clean up the crumbs but we still had to tilt the oven to remove them all.