Cuisinart TOB-80 Review – A Compact Toaster Oven

Cuisinart TOB-80 is one of the company’s more affordable toaster oven models. The features are basic for people who need it for small and simple meals. Whether this would be sufficient for your needs would depend on your intended use. At the same time, we also need to know if the oven performs up to expectations and if there are any flaws that could make it a poor buy. This review will try to look into these issues and highlight them for the benefit of prospective buyers.

Can The Cuisinart TOB-80 Fit On Your Countertop?

There is really no one feature that makes the TOB-80 stands out from its competitors. But if you are looking for a small toaster oven from a reputable manufacturer that is also affordable, this just makes it worth a serious look.

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The dimensions for the Cuisinart TOB080 are 14.5″ (W) x 11.1″ (D) x 8.2″ (H). The depth is excluding the handle which juts out by about 2″. As for the interior measurements with usable area, they are roughly 10″ (W) x 9.5″ (D) and 4″ (H). Basically, it can fit 4 slices of bread or a 9″ pizza. So, it is a compact model that won’t eat up much of your countertop space. For a unit with an even smaller footprint, you can also take a look at the Panasonic NB-G110P Flash Xpress.

Other notable features of this Cuisinart model include the following:

• Total shade control dial – There is a dial to specifically control the toast darkness level. Turn it to your desired shade from light to dark within the marked settings on the dial. You can also choose to stop the toasting mid-cycle by turning the dial back to the Off position. This gives you more flexibility to get that perfect toast each time.
• 4 key functions – A dial function with 4 modes of operation are included : toast, bake, broil and keep warm. Choose your setting, adjust the temperature and then turn the oven on. With just 3 control dials, it is simple to operate unlike digital ovens with numerous options and buttons to press. A very similar 4-slice toaster oven with control dials is the Black & Decker TO1332SBD.
• Auto slide-out rack – Hands-free slide out rack makes it convenient to get to your food when the door is opened. It sure beats having to pull the rack out with a tong or oven mitt each time your food is done.
• Nonstick interior – The nonstick interior means clean up is easy after cooking is done. Wiping with a damp cloth with a mild liquid soap solution is all it takes to keep it spotless. The racks and trays are also dishwasher-safe.

For a demonstration of this unit, watch this short video clip below:

Cuisinart TOB-80 Vs TOB-40

The Cuisinart TOB-40 is the more expensive of the two. It is bigger as it can accommodate 6 slices of bread compared to 4 for the TOB-80. It is about 2″ wider and 1.5″ deeper.

The wattage is also different with the TOB-40 being the more powerful model. It uses 1800 watts compared to 1400 watts for the TOB-80. Weighing nearly 13 lbs, it is also a more solid unit. Features-wise, it has an additional bagel function and a Start/Stop button for added convenience.

At the time of writing, the TOB-40 is selling for about $30 more. The additional cost is certainly much more than what we expected but then again, if the size is not big enough for your family, you can’t settle for a compact model either.

Should You Buy The Cuisinart TOB-80 Compact Toaster Oven?

Pros

1. Small – Yes, this is the selling point of this unit. Compact means it is a space-saving toaster oven for those who have a lack of space in their kitchen. With a brushed stainless steel exterior, it should go well with most other kitchen appliances so that it can blend in nicely with most kitchen decor.
2. Does a nice job – It performs well overall with quick heating and mostly even shade for your toast. Most buyers are happy with their toast results.
3. No frills – This helps to keep the cost down which makes it affordable for the Cuisinart brand name. As mentioned, the functions are basic but you can get it for less than $50 in exchange. Many branded toaster ovens will cost more such as the Waring Pro WTO450 which also has a capacity for 4 slices of bread but costs about $10 more than the Cuisinart TOB-80 at the time of this review.

Cons

1. Dial difficult to turn – Some buyers have raised the complaint that the toast shade button is difficult to turn. It is a little too stiff and a few even had the dial malfunctioned within months.
2. No stop button – What this means is that you need to turn the toast shade dial anti-clockwise to the Off position if you want to stop the toasting mid-way. Because the dial is difficult to turn as mentioned above, some users choose to unplug the unit to stop the cycle instead. So, this poor design is a hassle if you set your toast shade darker than necessary at the beginning.
3. No timer – While there is a timer for toasting, there is no separate timer for the baking and broiling functions. You will have to manually turn off the oven for these two cooking modes.

Good for space-saving, this compact toaster oven is suitable for toasting, re-heating pizzas and leftovers and baking simple stuff. Bear in mind that it is small and it is more for cooking small, basic meals. If you have a family, we think a bigger unit like the Waring Pro TCO650 would be a better buy.

Moreover, we feel the toast shade setting design can be improved. We prefer to see a Start/Stop button available to easily cancel a toasting cycle when there is a need. So, the bottomline is we are not too enthusiastic to recommend a buy for the Cuisinart TOB-80 compact toaster oven. For a premium brand name, it could be better made. Otherwise, it is not much difference to other basic units like the Black & Decker TO1303SB which will save you some money with its lower price.

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