Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Arrived right on time; package shrink-wrapped in plastic, box was in fine shape, oven fine. Ordered this in order to compare this with a Cuisinart TP-260, their top line toaster oven, in person on my kitchen counter. Also considered the Breville 800 (that I'd examined in stores), but concluded that it was close enough in every way to the Cuisinart that I'd only order the latter for this comparison. I've used a top-line Oster for years with good luck; only the wear and tear on the exterior of my current unit convinced me it was time for a replacement. Ultimately decided to keep this Oster. The fact that it sold for $100 v. $260 (Cuisnart) and $250 (Breville) is a huge plus, but the relative advantages of the Cuisinart were not enough to convince me that it is worth an extra $150. The same can be said for the Breville unit. Construction - stainless steel all exterior surfaces, both units. The Oster is lighter overall, but doesn't feel cheaply made. Hinges for both do not have stops or dampers, but do have identifiable points in the swing that prevent the doors from just dropping open. Short cords, but that's a given for safety. Included bits - Cuisinart has a pizza stone, two racks and a pan. Oster has two racks with a semicircular bulge to accommodate the pizza bulge, one of the racks has wire guides that allow the included pan to be suspended below the rack for broiling. Versatility - Cuisinart has far more built-in functions, but really they are just time/temperature presets. The dual-bake is nice, but for my cooking habits, not relevant. Both have convection fans. (I've never found the feature useful in a toaster oven, and only marginally in my DCS full-size range.) Controls - Both are easily usable, but the Oster is simpler since it is not menu-driven. Actually, probably less confusing for guests, kids and others unfamiliar with the control layout. The Cuisinart's +30 sec control is a nice feature, but not really that big a deal. Size - The Oster is decidedly larger, which was a pivotal advantage for me. (We have plenty of counter space, so it's size is not an issue.) Exterior measures about an inch larger in every dimension. Interior is equally capacious, and very tall. An entire roast chicken will fit in here with lots of height clearance. A Chicago Metallic 10.5" x 15.5" (exterior dimensions) pan slides in, and has another 3" of depth to spare. So does my 15" Lodge cast iron skillet, including the handle. There is a large bulge in the back to allow for the unit to accommodate up to a 16" pizza. (I did measure the depth, and it is in fact 16".) That can be a problem if you have a shallow counter. In my case, the oven goes into a corner so the bulge actually is a very efficient use of otherwise dead space. Cleaning - both units have easy-clean interior surfaces. The Oster front is entirely glass, the Cuisinart is a shaded glass insert surrounded by metal. Interior light - that is a personal matter. The Cuisinart has an interior light, located in the upper right rear corner. Nice feature. The Oster does not. It matters if you want to see what is going on without having to open the door. However, I observed that the Oster's glass door is the entire front, without a metal surround, and it is clear. Combined with a light-colored interior, there is actually plenty of light to see by from the outside. The Cuisinart has a darkened glass insert surrounded by metal, so one cannot really see well regardless of the interior light - even with the light, one would need to open it to see the color of the food anyway. Function - Cannot speak to that for either unit. Haven't yet put the Oster into use, and am returning the Cuisinart. Based on my prior experience with my current Oster, I expect it shall perform quite well. Some people have complained that Osters tend to have very slow toast cycles. I agree with that assessment. However, it is really not an issue for me, and the consistency of the results are a positive in my book. If the unit has issues I will update this review as necessary.