My more expensive, super fancy Krups toaster oven recently kicked the bucket after about 4-5 yrs of service, and it was time to replace it. While my Krups was a good toaster oven (before it died), it took up a lot of space on the counter, it was expensive to buy, and frankly it had a lot of features (convection) and interior space that I just don't use and don't think are necessary in a toaster oven. So when I shopped for a replacement, I decided to go downmarket a bit.Problem is, the toaster oven market is bifurcated towards two extremes and IMO neither is ideal. On the low end, are super cheap pieces of junk. On the higher end, are expensive behemoths that take up all your counter space and have a lot of features that most of us will never use. Now I'll admit, for someone who lives in say a small apartment and doesn't have a regular oven, the second type may make sense. But I live in a house with a regular kitchen and I have a regular oven and a cooktop, as well as a gas grill and a big green egg. What this means is, I'm not going to be roasting a whole chicken or searing steaks or baking any cakes or cooking thanksgiving dinner in my toaster oven. What I mostly use my toaster oven for is 1) toast! and 2) heating up things like leftover pizza or empanadas or really anything else that will get soggy in the microwave but you don't want to wait for the regular oven to preheat when alls you want to do is heat up a single item, and 3) odd things like maybe an open faced sammich or something. So really, anything small that you want to heat up quickly yet still have it be crispy. I have a hunch a large percent of toaster oven owners use them pretty much like I do and want a quality product but don't want a $300 large convection toaster oven taking up all our counter space, but also don't want to trust the $20 hunk of junk that looks like it will die in 2 weeks and can't toast evenly.This toaster oven is a good choice because:1) It's simple - toast, bagel, bake, broil. The analog controls are simple to use, and unlike a digital keypad it "remembers" what your last setting was (for say toast darkness or oven temp), which you are likely to use repeatedly. Some reviews complained the controls are hard to read, and I don't find this to be a problem although I do have good near-sight vision. The crum tray is easy to remove, clean, and replace.2) It works - nice even toasting. Heats up quickly for reheating items. I was surprised at how light it was out of the box, but it works well so this doesn't appear to be a problem.3) It's a fair price - way cheaper than the expensive convection ovens, but not so cheap as to be garbage4) Small footprint - doesn't take up much counter space yet still big enough for everything I want a toaster oven to do. Honestly if something can't fit in this thing I have no problem firing up the regular oven.Now, there seem to be 2 basic complaints on this model and I don't find either to be a problem:1) No timer - who cares? I'm only using it for toast (which does shut off when it reaches desired darkness) and to heat up small stuff that only takes a few minutes, I can hang around and keep an eye on it. Again, this seems like more of a problem for people who want to bake a cake or something and I don't know why you'd want to use a toaster oven to do that.2) A lot of people complain that the toast comes out too dark - I'm puzzled by these complaints as I find it extremely easy to set the toaster to desired darkness. The medium setting comes out pretty much what I'd expect medium toast to be, and more importantly you have infinite adjustability with the analog controls so it shouldn't take you much experimenting to figure out how you want it. One person even complained they had this for over a month and couldn't get toast that wasn't burned - I'd say this person either got a defective unit, or they are severely challenged when it comes to the operation of small electronics and/or employing the trial and error method.Overall - there should be more toaster ovens in this segment. If you don't routinely roast whole prime ribs or do hard core baking in your toaster oven, this should suit your needs well.Edit: Well, 3 1/2 years later, one of the coils was coming apart and my girlfriend threw the Cuisinart away because she claims that's a fire hazard! Replacement is a Kitchenaid unit purchased from Costco (which also doesn't have a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles, although it's a bit bigger). The new Kitchenaid definitely does not toast as quickly or evenly as the trusty old Cuisinart! I wish we'd just bought another as it's replacement. 3 1/2 years isn't too bad for a toaster oven that was used fairly often and not really taken care of, rarely cleaned etc. I stand by my old 5 star review.

Reliable Everyday Toaster Oven with a Classic FeelThis Cuisinart Custom Classic Toaster Oven has quickly become one of those countertop appliances I find myself using daily. It’s compact enough to fit nicely without taking over the counter, but roomy enough inside to handle toast for the family, a small pizza, or reheating leftovers. The brushed stainless and black design looks sharp and fits well with other kitchen appliances.What stands out is its simplicity—no overcomplicated digital controls, just straightforward dials that are easy to use and reliable. Toast comes out evenly browned once you get a feel for the right settings, and the broiler function works surprisingly well for things like open-faced sandwiches or quick melted cheese toppings. It heats up fast, so I often use it instead of the full-sized oven to save time and energy.Cleanup is simple with the crumb tray, though like most toaster ovens, it’s best to give it a quick wipe down regularly to avoid buildup. The exterior does get hot during use, so it’s good to keep that in mind if you’ve got limited counter space or little ones around.Bottom line: A dependable, no-frills toaster oven that does its job well and looks good doing it. Perfect for everyday kitchen use when you want quick, consistent results without fuss.

I’ve had mine for over 6 months now and absolutely no complaints!!! Awesome air fryer! I don’t know how I survived without one in my life before! Fits perfectly on my counter top. Super easy to use. The French doors are nice! Extra supplied trays are great to swap out depending on what you’re cooking. I can cook entire dinners for my family with it or just heat up some lunch real quick too! The French doors do not completely seal together so you will get a little bit of smoke coming through if you are cooking something that may drip on the burners below. But just use the supplied pan tray and it catches the drippings and cuts down on that. All the trays can be easily washed by hand in the sink or just throw in the dishwasher. Very quiet operation, the finished beep warning is nice and can be heard from in the house. Machine shuts itself off.

I see a lot of people expecting perfection when this is not the flagship model. Expect less and don't punish the manufacturer for your choice. Although this is not the top tier full featured "convection" or "air fryer" with a heat circulating fan it does bake which is what I wanted it to do. It has a smaller foot print and it cost a third the price of a top tier convection oven. It comes with a 3-year warranty which is better than many. It also has old fashioned knobs and avoids potential problems with an LED digital menu. This one is a simple but nice quality toaster oven. It is much better quality than typical toaster ovens which can be quite flimsy. This is solid, sturdy and looks nice. It might be the cream of the crop in toaster ovens if only it had an internal light. I have not reduced it by any stars merely because of that though. It is great to have dry heat for small things without having to fire up the full size oven.I have previously experienced a top model dying out of the blue with a non-repairable error code. A plus, this is non-digital but if this one dies it cost a third the price. So far so good. I have baked scones and it fulfilled my needs. I did not want another convection oven. Some of the convection ovens suffer from a fan shrill. My previous convection oven produced a shrill but only when it was being used. I have read how some of these emit a shrill when the oven is idle and it stops only when you use it. Because this is not a convection or air fryer oven there is no fan in this model to shrill.Some people have complained about this not having a timer which shuts off the oven after a set time. How many full sized ovens have timers like that? Do you care that those don't have timers? You can live without a timer. It is a matter of expecting everything when you were not willing to pay for The Everything model. This one could benefit from larger text and a more prominent pointer on the knobs but it is not worthy of a star penalty. I can feel the pointer and I memorized the temperature positions easily. 5 stars does not mean perfection. It means it is good for what it is. This is not the flagship model. If you want that then expect to pay 3-4 times more to get everything. Or you can adjust to appropriate expectations and be happy.

Great toaster oven at a great price!And being that it’s a Cuisinart makes it even better. It’s built well and works exactly as it should.

Update: I contacted Amazon and asked for a pro-rated price for a replacement because the front bottom heating element now is shaped like an elongated "L". I looked over many of the old reviews, and a failed heating element is a common theme. Many people think the bad heating element is a fire hazard. I'm guessing not, but that doesn't change things because there still could be a safety issue.By the way, Amazon kicked the ball down the road and gave me Cuisinart links. I was surprised, frankly. Amazon is usually more helpful than that. If Amazon really cared, they could put pressure on Cuisinart to give FREE returns, not the ones with "handling" and mailing costs. If they DON'T want to use their marketing muscle, they should just pull the Cuisinart line (that would be the pro-active response)--or, at the very least, stop selling this product.In the meanwhile, I suggest anyone else who had heating rod problems to rewrite your reviews and give it one star.Mine is three and a half years old. I noticed "bumps" on the heating element in front lately, so, based on the other reviews I've read, I'm guessing we're due for a heating element failure. My wife loves this unit. While it does have flaws that are mentioned by other reviewers too (knobs hard to read, uneven toasting sometimes, too hot on the outside, "steam" coming out door so you mistakenly worry there's a fire), we've been pleased overall. It's nice looking, it does the job of a small oven, and it fits a small counter space. We liked it enough to get one as a present for our daughter-in-law last year.If Cuisinart would only make the heating elements available for consumer replacement, this would be a gem. I mean, how hard would it be to replace them for a reasonably handy person? And, let's face it, the heating elements are usually the first thing to go.Update #2 When Cuisianart belatedly replied to my inquiry about my bad heating element, I sent them this message:"When I did not hear back from Cuisinart in a reasonable amount of time, I tried the seller, Amazon. They allowed me to return the unit for a full refund. I bought a Hamilton Beach toaster oven, even though Amazon would have given me another Cuisinart like the one I had. I really appreciated Amazon's prompt attention to the matter. All I was looking for, really, was an appropriate amount taken off the price of the new unit I needed to purchase. But Amazon went the extra mile."Your company [Cuisinart] should know that many reviewers who have had a similar problem--and there are MANY--worry about fires caused from the deformed heating element. I would say you have a potential class action liability on your doorstep, and your company chooses to ignore it, playing this game of low-level customer service instead. You know, there is NOTHING on the Cuisinart website that addresses this problem in any way. Amazing.Sadly, the toaster oven worked nicely; too bad the planned obsolescence is three years or less."This was the email I got from Cuisinart Customer Service (belatedly):"Subject: bad heating element in toaster ovenValued Customer,Thank you for your inquiry. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. In order to properly assist you, we are in need of the serial number from the bottom of the unit. We will also need to know whether or not this unit has been replaced previously. Please reply, with all previous correspondences attached, to this email, along with the color of the unit, and your complete shipping address. We invite you to call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-726-0190. Please keep in mind the Customer Service Agent will not have access to your e-mail information. The hours of operation are 7 AM -11 PM EST Monday through Friday and 9 AM - 5:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, excluding major holidays."

I liked this unit which I had for 3 years until it just stopped working the other day. The reason I will not replace it with the same model are a few things: Aside from the major issue of it ceasing to work at all, a couple performance issues - Simple toast takes much longer than a conventional toaster or flatter unit. Uneven heating of things which take up the entire tray (ie: pizza). Mechanically speaking, there is no timer. So unless the unit decides it thinks what your cooking is done, it never shuts off (never leave it unattended.) The knob labels eventually wear off so you cannot see the settings (I had to print out labels and put on the unit.) I may try to Ninja Foodi or Flip next.What I did like about the unit was that it was not massive in size (12x17x9). It was very quiet (no obtrusively loud buzzers nor repeating beeps.) There is no fan making additional noise after the unit is done cooking.

I absolutely love this Cuisinart toaster oven. It heats evenly, toasts beautifully, and gives food that perfect crispy finish without drying it out.My favorite thing to make is a fresh mozzarella and tomato bagel with a little salt and pepper. The bagels come out so crunchy and golden that they’re honestly better than the ones from the deli around the corner. The outside gets perfectly crisp while the cheese melts just right.It’s easy to use, heats up quickly, and has become one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen. Definitely one of my favorite purchases

We purchased this oven to replace our broken pop up toaster. It's a very straight forward, easy to operate machine. If you are looking for something with all kinds of bells and whistles you may want to look at other options. It does a great job of toasting bread, which is what we were looking for, but it's so handy for warming up leftovers or even cooking. With just the two of us we often do not use our range oven, we just cook our meat in the toaster oven on bake or broil. This machine runs about the cost of a decent pop up toaster and does so much more, I would never go back.

Perfect size for our small kitchen. Toasts evenly. Great for baking meals for one or two. Easy cleanup with the pull out crumb tray. Recommended.

This oven is a bit bigger and fancier than my old Betty Crocker one. It has multiple functions which I have tried and work great. It's extra large for bigger meals and has a nice look. I don't like the black exterior but looking at the stainless steel one, it would have cost $30+ more for a stainless steel one and more functions/features I probably wouldn't use. I normally just bake in my oven.I am curious about that metal piece in the oven on the left hand side. I find it gets in the way when you are baking at the middle level. Does anyone know what this is for? I love the fact that the crumb tray is a removable tray vs the hinged one from my old oven. If you're looking for durable, affordable, and stylish, this oven fits the criteria.Pros:StylishMulti functionsPull out crumb trayLarge cooking surfaceCons:Black exteriorNo timer

Although this toaster is a little larger than what we were looking for, it has performed perfectly so far and looks nice on the counter. The hooks on the door that pull out the rack are very handy and have made removing items from the toaster very easy. The toasting function is very consistent, and the unit heats up fairly quickly for broiling or oven functions.

Functional unit that is the perfect fit. Not to big or small. Controls are easy to understand and use. Excellent cooking and toasting results.