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Toshiba AC25CEW-BS vs Ninja Foodi XL Pro Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.7/10
- Design (25%)7.5/10
- Usability (25%)6.8/10
- Performance (50%)8.0/10
- Design (25%)8.8/10
- Usability (25%)9.5/10
The Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Convection Toaster Oven and the Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fryer Toaster Oven (DT201) both present in our top list under different categories. Looking at the overall score, the Ninja—as our best large pick— is definitely the winner. However, the Toshiba offers a lot of value in all aspects including design, usability, and especially performance at more than half the price.
The Toshiba has ventilation slats on all sides which is helpful in keeping the oven from overheating. Meanwhile, the Ninja has a thicker casing for better heat insulation.
The AC25CEW-BS has four nichrome heating elements which is less than what the Foodi XL Pro has but still enough for its size. However, it lacks the internal lighting that the Ninja has.
The Toshiba has a straightforward control panel that accomplishes what it set out to do. The Ninja, however, has much better-designed cooking presets and more freedom for control with its toggle switches. Both toaster ovens have an unobstructed cooking chamber and a slide-out crumb tray so they can be cleaned as easily as one another.
For its price, the Toshiba delivered a very solid performance in our cooking tests. The Ninja did perform better with its higher power output and strongest convection settings but that didn’t take away from the Toshiba.
Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven Performance
- Toast (40%)7.2/10
- Pizza (25%)9.1/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.8/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)6.1/10
- Toast (40%)8.3/10
- Pizza (25%)6.5/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)9.0/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)7.8/10
Toast
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 4/6
- Cooking Time: 3m 55s
- Second Batch: 3m 55s
- Convection: No
Following the procedures of our Toast test, we determined that level 4—3 minutes 55 seconds on the timer—was the best option with the score of 7.3/10. The level 3 and 5, in addition to being lighter and darker than ideal respectively, had very uneven surface color.
The toast level 4 of the Toshiba produced four pieces with a light golden brown color but a few areas too light. Due to not having the convection fan running, the color was about 80% even and we could only give it an 8/10.
The first batch of toast was nicely crispy while soft and moist inside so we gave it a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would be great to go with omelet and eggs benedict, as well as good for sandwiches. Although it may not be particularly good for soup, the second batch was.
The second batch was browner and crispier while still being moist so it got a 6.5/10. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to lower it by one level.
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 5/7
- Cooking Time: 5m 15s
- Second Batch: 4m
- Convection: No
We began our Toast test by setting the toast function to level 4. With four slices of bread placed on tray level 3, they came out very light on top. The bottom side had a bit more color but it wasn’t enough.
After that, we cranked the oven up to level 6. That gave us a very even color, but it was too brown. In the end, we settled for toasting at level 5, which ran for around 5 minutes 15 seconds, as the best option, earning a score of 8.3/10.
Under this setting, the toast mostly received a light golden brown color. However, there were various areas that were a bit darker or lighter, possibly due to the bread’s varying thickness. The unevenness in surface color, especially on the bottom, prevented us from scoring it higher than 8.5/10.
Interestingly, this unevenness in the bread gave it a variety of textures throughout which deserved another 8.5/10. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined the toast would go great with pretty much everything including omelets, sandwiches, eggs benedict, and soup.
The light golden brown areas were slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. On top of that, the golden brown areas were crispy all the way through and the light golden areas gave us a different, softer texture.
For the immediate second batch at the same toast level, the oven automatically reduced the time to 4 minutes. This time, the toast had a more even brown color than the first batch. However, there was a more apparent unevenness on the bottom with colors that ranged from white to dark brown.
Nonetheless, nothing was burnt, so it did not taste bitter. The extra crispiness made the toast even better for soup. All in all, the oven got a 7.8/10 for consecutive usability.
Pizza
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 5m 15s
- Convection: Yes
The Toshiba baked a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza evenly throughout in terms of doneness and color earning it a 9.1/10.
Even though the Pizza preset of the oven is 450°F for 10 minutes, it only took 5m15s to cook. It was really fast compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. In comparison to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it scored a 9.3/10.
The crust wasn’t dry and turned out a beautiful golden brown with some nicely charred spots. It deserved a 9.5/10. The cheese was also nicely melted and caramelized so it got a 9/10. After tasting, our chef gave the pizza an 8.7/10.
- Function: Pizza
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 5m
- Convection: Low
Our Pizza test was one of the few occasions where we felt the Ninja didn’t measure up to its potential. We suspect the score would be better if we were baking a fresh pizza instead of a store-bought 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza. Anyhow, we settled on a score of 6.5/10 for this test.
After preheating, we placed the baking tray and the pizza at tray level 3 as suggested by the digital display. The oven only took 5 minutes to bake the pizza compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. According to our standards, this deserved a 10/10 for cooking time.
Unfortunately, despite having the convection system on low, the crust was only golden on the side closest to the fan. The other half of the crust lacked color. In addition, such a short amount of time wasn’t enough to crisp any of the crust (even the golden side). Thus, we could only give the crust a 6/10.
The reason we had to stop the cooking so early was that the meat and the bell peppers on the golden half of the crust were beginning to char. Luckily, the toppings on the other half cooked properly. However, it seemed the cheese didn’t have enough time to melt, so the toppings only got a 5/10.
Considering the state of the crust and the toppings, our chef gave the pizza a 6/10 after tasting it.
Whole Roasted Chicken
- Function: Rotisserie
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h
- Convection: No
Even though we chose a 3 lb chicken—in accordance with our Whole Roasted Chicken test—and despite the 4-pound claim on the label, it barely fit. In addition, there wasn’t enough space below to use the drip pan so cleaning up was a hassle.
Luckily, the fat from the chicken didn’t splatter too much inside the oven. Overall, the Toshiba scored a 7.8/10 for this test.
It took the oven 1 hour, the standard amount of time, to roast the chicken to golden brown so we gave it an 8/10.
The smooth rotation caramelized the chicken skin to a superb color while maintaining the juiciness of the meat. However, the skin wasn’t really crispy without convection so we only gave a 7/10.
The rotation also allowed the whole chicken to be thoroughly cooked in 1 hour with no pink spots. The internal temperature, however, was a bit too high at 207°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F, so it got a 7.8/10.
Even though the chicken was cooked to slightly well-done, the meat was still moist and tender so our chef gave it an 8 for taste.
- Function: Air Roast
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 40m
- Convection: Maximum
The strengths of the Ninja really shined through in our Whole Roasted Chicken test, scoring an impressive 9/10. We placed our 3-pound whole chicken in the air fryer basket with plenty of room to spare and slid it onto tray level 3. We also placed a baking pan below to catch any drippings.
With this test, we were able to confirm the manufacturer’s claim that food in this oven didn’t need to be turned, especially when using its air fryer basket. Nonetheless, to stay consistent with our test parameters, we still flipped the chicken after the first 25 minutes.
The oven took only 40 minutes to cook the chicken all the way through and to create an appetizing-looking and crispy skin. It was one of the fastest cooking times among our toaster ovens and deserved a whopping 10/10, on par with the Cosori CO130-AO which uses a rotisserie kit.
The skin was evenly golden from the bottom to the top. It also crisped up nicely around the tips of the wings and drumsticks as well as areas with a lot of fat.
However, it would seem the surface of the chicken cooked so quickly that a lot of the fat didn’t get rendered out from the skin. Thus, while the outer layer of the skin was crispy, the inside was soft. The skin’s softness from the remaining fat, unfortunately, prevented it from scoring higher than 8.5/10.
Checking with a meat thermometer, we found the chicken’s internal temperature to be 194°F-199°F which was quite high compared to the USDA recommended of 165°F-180°F. This was the reason we didn’t continue cooking longer for better skin caramelization. Our chef was afraid that would overcook the chicken. After carving the chicken, we found no pink spots in the meat and gave it an 8.4/10 for doneness.
With such a short cooking time, the meat remained delightfully juicy. Also taking into account the texture of the skin, our chef gave the chicken a 9/10 for taste.
Baked French Fries
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 20m
- Convection: Yes
The Toshiba did an acceptable job of baking 12 oz of french fries earning a 6.1/10.
Compared to other ovens in our Baked French Fries test, we had to cook the fries for 20 minutes so we could only give it a 5/10. Being baked on a tray and not in an air fryer basket, the fries lacked color resulting in a 6/10.
The fries only crisped up a little on the outside and were considerably moist inside so it’s another 6/10. Our chef gave the resulting fries a 6.7/10 for taste.
- Function: Air Fry
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 19m
- Convection: Maximum
We put 12 oz of frozen fries into the air fryer basket and slid it onto tray level 3. We also gave the fries a toss after the first 13 minutes. The overall score for our Baked French Fries test was 7.8/10.
The oven took 19 minutes to bake the fries which was enough for a 7.7/10. With this oven, our chef had to balance the cooking time with the color of the fries. If we stopped baking too early, the thicker fries would lack color; if too late, the thinner fries might be burnt.
The fries’ colors ranged from light golden on the thicker ones to golden brown on the thinner ones. This unevenness resulted in a 7.5/10.
The colors of the fries largely reflected their texture. The longest and thickest fries had a slightly crispy outside and a very moist interior. Meanwhile, the shortest and thinnest fries were completely crispy all the way through.
The silver lining was that average-sized fries got perfect, crispy surfaces with moist interiors. While the texture varied, none of them were bad, so we gave the overall batch an 8/10.
Considering the varied colors and textures of the fries, our chef awarded them a respectable 8/10 after her taste test.
Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)8.0/10
- Interior (30%)6.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)8.0/10
- Exterior (20%)7.0/10
- Interior (30%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
In the Box
- Model: L series - AC25CEW-BS
- Warranty: 1 year (US only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Rack Clamp
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
The packaging keeps all the 5 accessories firmly in place while being easy to unbox and convenient to repack. Besides showing some basic information, it also gives instructions on how to unbox properly.
- Model: DT201
- Warranty: 1 year
- User Manual
- Baking Rack x 2
- Baking Pan x 2
- Broiling Rack
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Air Fryer Basket
The Ninja toaster oven arrived firmly positioned between two foam pads inside an eye-catching package. Its seven included accessories were also fitted nicely in carton boxes. The oven came with a separate user manual, a tips and tricks sheet, and a recipe booklet.
Exterior
- Weight:16.2 oz (460 g)
- Length:19.0" (48.2 cm)
- Width:15.6" (39.6 cm)
- Height:10.8" (27.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Black
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:Yes
- Crumb Tray:Removable
One of the strongest points of the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven is plenty of air ventilation — on two sides, the back, the bottom, and the top. It also has strong bottom stands and two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from being too close to the wall.
This was one of the few ovens where our measurements and the manufacturer’s completely coincided at 18.98" x 15.59" x 10.78". We do need to point out that we could see the internal circuits through the ventilation holes although we’re not sure if it affects the oven.
- Weight:26.4 lbs (12.0 kg)
- Length:16.9" (43.0 cm)
- Width:20.3" (51.5 cm)
- Height:13.4" (34.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Removable
The Ninja has many ventilation holes on its casing, especially at the back and on the bottom, to accommodate its extremely powerful convection system. A unique design choice that stood out to us was the fact that the control panel was located on the oven’s cool-touch door handle.
Most ovens situate their control panel on the casing, thus adding to the oven’s footprint. By combining the control panel with the door handle, the oven can also maximize space for its cooking chamber.
You don’t need to worry about the handle slamming to the ground or countertop since the door hinge does a great job of keeping the door firmly in place. While it doesn’t have tray-level indicators on its glass door, the digital display does show the recommended tray level for every function.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprints were 16.93" x 20.28" x 13.34" which jived closely with the manufacturer’s 17.09" x 20.22" x 13.34". For these measurements, we also took into account the door handle and rear buffer.
The oven has a buffer on its backside to prevent it from being pushed too close to the wall. The feature could be a bit longer, in our opinion. We do need to mention that the bulky shape of the oven and its lack of carrying handles may make it difficult to move around.
Control Panel
- Type:LCD display + 3 control knobs + Stop/Start button
- Temperature:150°F - 450°F timer
- Timer:1 minute - 2 hours
- Indicator Light:No
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The control panel consists of an LCD digital display, 3 control knobs for functions, temperature, time, and the stop/start button. The glossy plastic knobs turn smoothly and seem durable.
- Type:Digital display + 10 buttons
- Temperature:85°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 4 hours
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:Yes
- Light Toggle:Yes
- Convection Toggle:Yes
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:Yes
- Audio Cues:No
When plugged in, the On/Off switch will light up. You then press it to turn on the oven and its digital display. The door handle is black while the digital display is white, creating good color contrasts.
The control panel includes two buttons to adjust cooking functions, two for time, two for temperature, a light toggle, a Start/Stop button, and the ‘2-level’ button.
The ‘2-level’ button is unique to this Ninja. It suggests the best rack levels for cooking two trays of food at the same time. This even allows you to roast a tray of meat and a tray of vegetables at the same time. Everything is explained in detail in the Ninja recipe booklet.
Cooking Functions of the Toshiba Digital Toaster Oven
- Toast (level 1-6, without convection)
- Bake (150°F - 450°F, without convection)
- Broil (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Pizza (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Cookies (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Defrost (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Reheat (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Rotisserie (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Keep warm (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Convection (150°F - 450°F)
One may argue that 10 cooking functions are too many but they are helpful for beginners in the kitchen. The Rotisserie and the Keep Warm functions are the two that stand out from the rest.
- Air Fry (250°F–450°F)
- Whole Roast (250°F–450°F)
- Air Roast (250°F–450°F)
- Bake (180°F–450°F)
- Dehydrate (85°F–200°F)
- Pizza (180°F–450°F)
- Bagel (level 1-7, 1-9 slices)
- Toast (level 1-7, 1-9 slices)
- Broil (HI or LO)
- Reheat (100°F–450°F)
Each cooking function on the Ninja has its own temperature range to match the function’s purpose. What’s special about this model is that each function deploys a specific convection level and a specific number of heating elements, each tailored to the dishes stated in the recipe booklet.
Whole Roast, for example, uses a high fan speed and the rear convection heat source to provide rotisserie-style results. Air Roast uses the maximum fan speed and the rear convection heat source to quickly cook food for a crispy outside and juicy inside.
Air Fry also uses the maximum fan speed and the rear convection heat source to cook food as quickly as possible for the crispiest results. Pizza uses the rear convection heat source but a low fan speed to avoid drying the pizza crust and toppings too much.
Bake operates the same way as Pizza. The same goes for Dehydrate, which has a lower temperature range for removing moisture from foods.
The remaining cooking functions don’t deploy the convection fan. Broil activates the top heating elements on the high setting to provide top-down heat for a crispy finish. On the other hand, Reheat activates the top and bottom heating elements on the high setting.
Toast also activates the top and bottom heating elements but on the medium setting to quickly and evenly brown both sides of your bread. Bagel, however, activates the top heating elements on the medium setting and the bottom heating elements on the high setting. This is because the recipe book instructs you to place the bagel slices cut-side up.
Interior
- Heating Elements:4 nichrome
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:3
- Rotisserie:Yes
- Safety Hook:No
The Toshiba has 4 nichrome heating elements and 3 tray levels which are standard for its size. This oven has a convection system which is always a plus but it doesn’t have an interior light like many other units of the same size, e.g, the Breville BOV845BSSUSC. It received an extra point thanks to its rotisserie socket and bracket.
- Heating Elements:5 quartz + 1 nichrome
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:Yes
- Tray Levels:4
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The best aspects of the DT201 are its convection system and heating elements. Together, these two systems are designed to eliminate the need for rotating your pans or flipping foods halfway through cooking, a fact that we confirmed with our performance tests.
The convection fan provides airflow of up to 130 CFM (cubic feet per minute). Such a powerful convection system would usually be very noisy but thanks to the door’s tight seal, it wasn’t a problem.
The Ninja has three quartz heating elements on top and two on the bottom; most other similarly-sized units have four in total. What really separates this oven from the rest, however, is its third heat source in the rear, right where the convection fan sits. This nichrome heating element surrounds the convection fan cavity to properly and consistently heat the airflow.
The quartz heating elements heat food directly using infrared light, so airflow isn’t always important. Meanwhile, nichrome heating elements heat up the air around them, so their effectiveness can be improved with the help of convection systems.
The cooking chamber has four tray levels with engraved numbers 1-4 from the bottom up. It also has a coating but it’s not 100% non-stick, so it may be prone to stubborn stains.
Of course, an oven like this won’t lack an interior light. While this oven isn’t designed to accommodate a rotisserie kit, its performance showed that it could provide the same results.
Capacity
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:12.2" (31.0 cm)
- Height:9.3" (23.5 cm)
True to the description, it can fit a 12-inch pizza. However, it can’t fit 6 slices of toast or a 4-pound chicken but is big enough for 4 slices of toast or a 3-pound chicken.
We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be 23.3 liters which was a bit different from the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 25 liters. However, it could just be a difference in measuring standards.
- Length:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Width:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Height:11.0" (27.9 cm)
The Ninja has the largest cooking chamber out of all the toaster ovens we’ve reviewed so far, measuring around 30.82 liters. While the manufacturer didn’t state a specific capacity, this unit could comfortably accommodate a 12-pound turkey.
Each rack level can also fit nine slices of toast or a 12-inch pizza. With the 2-level even cooking feature, you can roast a 5 lb whole chicken and a tray of vegetables at the same time.
Power Cord of the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Digital Toaster Oven
- Length:15.7" (39.9 cm)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1500
- Rated Output:120
The length of the power cord is roughly 15.7"—ideal for household use. It’s also long enough to wrap firmly around the two back buffers.
- Length:3.2 ft (1.0 m)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1800 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 38 inches — plenty for household use. Unfortunately, the oven doesn’t have a storage place for the cord. The rear buffer is also not designed to wrap the cord around.
Accessories
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:11.3" (28.7 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The shape of the baking rack makes it easier to remove either with gloves or clamps.
- Length:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Width:11.5" (29.3 cm)
- Height:0.3" (0.7 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The Ninja comes with two baking racks which fit perfectly with the rail guides to prevent accidents when moving food in or out.
Accessories
- Length:11.7" (29.8 cm)
- Width:9.4" (23.9 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan has ridges and grooves which can give your food attractive roasting marks and catch the dripping better. However, it’s a little smaller than the oven capacity and has a coating but isn’t completely non-stick.
- Length:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Width:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Height:1.0" (2.6 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The Ninja comes with two baking pans to make the most out of its capacity. They are designed to be smaller than the baking racks and too short to reach the upper guide rail.
They have an enamel coating which is non-stick and easy to clean. Note that citric acid from citrusy fruits can damage this coating.
Accessories
- Length:7.5" (19.2 cm)
- Width:2.2" (5.5 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rack clamp fits the baking pan and rack nicely but doesn’t have a good handle. Nonetheless, not all ovens come with a clamp like this so it’s a plus.
- Length:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Width:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Height:1.0" (2.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The broiling rack is designed to fit nicely onto the baking pans and also has an enamel coating. It has grooves and ridges which can give your roast dish that grill-like appearance. The holes at the bottom allow grease to drain from the food onto the baking pan below.
Accessories
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:11.0" (27.9 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.1 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The crumb tray is a useful accessory — crumbs being quite a hassle to clean up. However, some still fell to the bottom of the oven as we removed the tray. Also, upon cleaning the crumb tray after the roasted chicken test, we found it showed signs of oxidation from catching the drippings.
- Length:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Width:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Height:0.7" (1.8 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The removable crumb tray is a useful accessory for cleaning up pesky crumbs. The tray also fits perfectly with the oven’s shape so as to minimize crumbs falling onto the oven’s floor when you take it out.
Accessories
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:9.8" (25.0 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rotisserie kit does a fantastic job of securing the chicken thanks to the angle-adjustable 2-pronged forks. The structure of the forks, however, isn’t particularly strong leading to possible slight bending. Also, in the aftermath of the roasted chicken test, a screw of the rotisserie kit had rusted slightly.
- Length:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Width:11.3" (28.8 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The air fryer basket fits with the guide rails, unlike many other toaster ovens that have a basket which fits inside the baking pan,e.g., the Cuisinart TOA-60. Of course, you’ll still need to place a baking pan below to catch drippings. However, this design choice, combined with its fishnet structure, allows for plenty of space and maximizes heat circulation around the food.
Build Quality
The Toshiba AC25CEW-BS is quite robust while still relatively light and small. It also has more air ventilation holes than a number of other toaster ovens including the Instant Omni Plus 18L and Cuisinart.
The Ninja’s casing is made of durable and thick stainless steel which gives the oven good heat insulation. Thus, during our tests, the oven’s exterior only got hot to the touch after cooking for a long time at a high temperature (>400°F).
The digital display has a good color contrast which makes it easy to see—an advantage compared to the Instant Omni Plus 18L. Its buttons are highly responsive and very sturdy. All of the accessories are designed well to fit their purposes and make the most out of the oven’s capacity.
Unfortunately, possibly due to uneven metal expansion, the pans that we received bent when heated. Even though they flattened out again once they cooled, this was still a manufacturing flaw.
Moreover, the light button seemed to be broken when we received the oven. We could sometimes turn the light on and sometimes not. Nonetheless, we deemed these flaws to be specific to our particular unit, so we didn’t deduct too many points in terms of build quality.
Toshiba Digital Convection Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)9.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.0/10
- User Control (30%)9.9/10
- Ease of Use (50%)9.9/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.0/10
User Control
The Toshiba has 10 functions to choose from. However, the convection fan isn’t applicable to all of them. Nonetheless, you can always choose Convection, then set the desired temperature and time. The temperature can be adjusted in 10°F increments.
The large and detailed timer from one minute to two hours is a strong point of this oven. It’s also specified by the minute.
The control panel of the Ninja is far from simple but the digital display presents all the information in a way that’s pleasing to the eye and not at all complicated. In addition, its buttons are really straightforward.
The timer adjusts in 1-minute increments when under 1 hour and 5-minute increments when over 1 hour. You can also hold the +/- buttons for 2 seconds to activate faster scrolling in 5-minute increments.
The temperature can be increased in 5-degree increments. You can also hold the +/- buttons for 2 seconds to activate faster scrolling in 10-degree increments.
For the Toast and Bagel functions, the preset temperature is 450°F, similar to all toaster ovens. Adjusting the Temp/Shade and Time/Slice buttons simply changes to a predetermined cooking time.
The best part, however, is that you can select the number of bread slices and toast up to 9 slices at once. You can also manually adjust the time once cooking has started to better choose your preferred shade of browning. This toasting performance really puts the Ninja in a class of its own.
The Air Roast and Air Fry functions are basically distinguished by their tray positioning, especially when cooking two trays at the same time. To utilize the Air Roast function, for instance, you can place the meat dish on tray level 1 and the vegetable dish on level 3. As for the Air Fry function, you can cook two trays of the same food to the same results by placing them on tray levels 2 and 4.
The Dehydrate function is another stand-out feature in our minds. The recipe booklet outlines instructions for several types of food. You can purchase additional dehydration accessories to dehydrate up to 4 levels at one time. The Reheat function can also be used to keep your food warm at around 120°F.
Ease of Use
The oven door has a heat-resistant handle and tray-level indicators on the glass. The casing has good heat insulation and only gets too hot to the touch at 450°F.
The Toshiba doesn’t have an automatic preheat phase like many other digital models, e.g., the Instant Omni Plus 18L. The digital display automatically turns off after a period of no interaction. After the oven finishes cooking, you will hear a very clear beep similar to when you’ve just plugged in.
There’s no audio cue when you’re adjusting the knobs. Furthermore, if you need to readjust the setting during cooking, you have to press stop and repeat all the inputs. The only thing you can adjust during cooking is the timer.
It’s hard to keep the door partially open and there’s no internal lighting. Also, this oven doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, unlike some others.
Although the accessories fit well, removing the rotisserie kit from the oven can be a little tricky even with the lifter. With a little practice, however, it’ll become much easier.
The oven has a short automatic preheat phase which lasts 1 minute 25 seconds and heats the oven to around 200°F. While this feature wasn’t very useful in practice, the oven still reaches the correct temperature extremely quickly. All cooking functions use this phase except for Toast, Bagel, Broil, Dehydrate, and Reheat.
Whenever you select a function, the oven will display the optimal oven rack position. As you cycle through functions, you’ll notice the tray-level recommendations change for the best results. When the door is open, display settings freeze to prevent any accidental changes to the cooking cycle.
The 2-level even cooking feature allows you to cook two sheet pan meals at once which can be very helpful for big gatherings or weekly meal prep. The door hinge allows for partial opening at any angle greater than 75° which most toaster ovens can’t do.
The manufacturer’s claim of ‘30% faster cooking than a traditional full-size convection oven’ was a bit arbitrary. The same goes for ‘up to 30% crispier results vs. a traditional convection oven’. Nonetheless, our performance tests did show crispier and juicier results than many other toaster ovens.
We also couldn’t confirm the claim of ‘up to 50% more even baking results vs. a leading countertop oven’. Our observations of the cooking process did show, however, that the oven distributed heat so evenly that there was no need to flip food midway through the bake.
Keep in mind that opening the door stops the oven but not the interior light. During the cooking process, the light will turn off automatically after one minute, and there’s no way to keep it on.
The oven turns off automatically after 10 minutes of no interaction. Nevertheless, we still suggest you unplug the oven after use for safety reasons.
Cleanability
We cleaned the Toshiba following our toaster oven cleaning guide. Thanks to its internal and external coating and lack of difficult nooks and crannies, cleaning was pretty straightforward. In addition, enough space has been left between the heating elements and internal walls to facilitate cleaning.
Roasting a whole chicken with the rotisserie kit left some difficult stains on the ceiling but a paste of baking soda and water did the trick. One minor inconvenience was that some crumbs still fell onto the internal floor and we had to pick them up anyway.
The exterior’s stainless steel finish made it very easy to clean. In addition, the interior has plenty of space, so the grease rarely reached the cooking chamber’s walls.
However, the interior doesn’t have a non-stick coating so we had to put in a little effort to clean the grease. We were also worried that grease could have splashed inside the fan cavity.
The baking pans and broiling rack are easy to clean thanks to their enamel coating. The small downside to this was that the stains that did appear stuck out like a sore thumb.
We could remove most bits that fell off our food thanks to the removable crumb tray. Plus, when the door was fully opened, its hinge left a small space where we could just sweep the remaining crumbs out.