Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I decided to purchase this toaster oven a couple of weeks ago when my 12+ y.o. Oster had clearly reached the end of its useful life. I extensively researched the competition on this and other websites before choosing this Cuisinart model. The features that were "must-haves" for me were an easy-clean nonstick interior and the convection option. I did not want a rotisserie - which I would never use - an air-fryer, or a dehydrator function. I also had specific space requirements (measure, measure, MEASURE before buying any appliance!) and wanted a timer that exceeded a 1 hr. limit (some products only go to 30 min., which is useless for baking potatoes, etc.), and this oven's timer goes up to 2 hrs. before automatically shutting off. Everything about this Cuisinart model fit the bill, and at a very reasonable price, considering the obvious step-up in quality and features over my old oven. The controls are easy to use and there is a blue-backlit digital display. It is also quite a bit larger, enabling food prep for at least 3 adults for many items such as frozen french-fries, dinner rolls, baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, etc. - which is primarily what I use my toaster oven for, to save having to turn on my convection wall oven. So far, I have made all of these items, plus toasting small slices of "artisan" bread that are too small for my Cuisinart pop-up toaster. I have been really very pleased with the oven's performance: the food bakes/toasts much more evenly and quickly than in my old oven, particularly when using the optional convection fan (there is an on/off button for that, and it is very quiet when running.) Also the chimes that sound when the oven is done pre-heating (which is does quickly) and the timer goes off aren't loud or obnoxious - but there is the ability to disable those if you find it bothersome. I have not used the broiler function since that can get messy, and I'd rather use my self-cleaning wall over for that. I have had good success with all of my Cuisinart appliances, (which also includes a waffle-maker and food-processor,) so I was confident in purchasing this brand. The toaster oven comes with a three-year limited warranty, and several recipes are also included in the product manual. I really hate the idea of throwing away manufactured items into a landfill after only a few years usage, so I prefer buying quality. Now for what I consider two design-flaws. A minor one: while a clock feature is included to always display time-of-day on the screen (which is back-lit only when the oven is in use), the product manual states very clearly that the oven should be unplugged when not in use. Huh?? Of course, that then zeroes the clock back out, so what is the point of having a clock function if you have to reset it every time you use the oven?? Personally, I don't need another "vampire appliance" sucking juice when not in use - and I already have digital clocks on both my wall oven and built-in microwave,, so this feature is useless to me. I thought at first that perhaps there was a "delayed start" cooking-function that used the time-of-day to work, but no, no such thing. Oh well. I do question the need to unplug the oven every time you're done using it, but I can see why they put that in the manual, because of the OTHER design flaw: the exterior of this oven (besides the handle) gets VERY hot when in use - which the manual clearly warns about. SO, to completely guard against the oven being accidentally turned on - say by a child - you'd want to unplug it, as it is definitely a safety issue. On one of my first uses of the oven, I went to reach around the side of it to get to one of my canisters, (which are several inches away from the oven), and just brushed the underside of my forearm against the corner of the oven and that was enough to slightly burn my skin. You have to give the unit adequate clearance, as the manual states, and there are bumpers in the back of the unit so that it can't be pushed up too close to a vertical surface, and nothing should be left on top of the oven. You also must make sure not to have the electric cord too close to the oven, as contact with the oven could melt it. What also bothers me about all this, though, besides the safety aspect, is that so much heat is escaping the appliance - which is an obvious waste of energy. It seems to me that the oven could have been better insulated to alleviate this. All in all, I'm quite happy with this toaster oven and hope to get many years use out of it. While I can recommend it, I thought it important to honestly present all the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself if it's right for you.