How well does it broil a steak, cook pork chops, bake a macaroni &amp; cheese casserole or a homemade lasagna, bake a potato, cook a self-rising dough pizza or make some shish kebob? Anyone tried it with these kind of dishes? I need a toaster oven that can...
1868461
I've owned the TCO650 for about 6months now and feel that I can answer your question. I cook about 10 lbs of food per week and haven't used my full-sized oven since (unless I am cooking for a party). The toaster oven is BIG, and even the back of the unit is rounded so you can fit pans that have large rims. I find that the toaster oven bakes quickly and very evenly. Since it is much smaller in size, is heats quickly and stays hot. I usually bake at 25 degrees lower than packages ask for. This oven only allows you to set the temperate in 25 degree increments (300, 325, 350, etc). Setting a casserole on the lower level helps it bake more evenly and prevents burning on the top by keeping distance between the top of the food and the burners on the top side of the unit. I would say that this unit is up to the task, especially for the price. I bought it through Amazon for $--Fifty--Five when it was on sale but if it was stolen I would gladly pay 2-3x the price--well worth the money. The only disadvantage (and this is a disadvantage that I find with all electric cookers) is the the broil is never as good as a gas broiler. It heats more evenly and doesn't get that char/crisp that a gas broiler can do. But all in all definitely go for this toaster is you're looking for one that replaces a full sized oven!
380262
Yes it does. You can toast, bake, broil and warms food up. It has a oven rack (which has two positions. the top position has a 50% stop feature so the rack stops halfway out of oven and it can be removed also), broiling rack, baking pan/ drip tray, a slide out crumb tray and a cord storage spot. I have only mostly done toasting so far, but I do like this Cuisinart. Hopes this helped.
193367
Hi. Real life customer here. I had one of these in Australia for about a year (they seem more popular there and you can buy them at most appliance retailers). We loved it so much we hunted one down in the US when we moved there earlier this year. It does a brilliant job of giving you the taste and crispiness of fried food without any of the oil. It really works. It is good for frozen fries, chicken nuggets and other types of frozen oven bake style fried foods. Heating in an oven gives a good result but this is much faster and is just like it has been freshly fried...with zero oil. It is also brilliant at reheating takeout. No more yuk cold McDonald's fries when you get home with your burger. It is not a straight replacement for a deep fryer though. I sometimes use it to cook fried chicken, but I coat the chicken pieces in seasoning, then shallow fry in a frypan for 2-3 minutes each side just to get some oil into the pieces and then put in the air fryer for 10 minutes. They come out perfect. My mum skips the shallow fry step but just sprays some oil (Pam) on them then air fries them. They come out pretty good but I find them a little dryer - not quite golden KFC style. I've not tried baking with it, though I have done nachos in it which turned out well. Also anything you want to cook in a batter will still need to be 'sealed' by shallow frying it first before moving to the air fryer. To be honest, we mostly use it for frozen fried foods (fries, chicken pieces) because it is fast and gives a perfect result...and it is worth it just for this!
498794
I have a halogen oven, I use it for smaller foods that need to be cooked in a short time, it seems to take longer but it cooks very evenly. I think if mine were bigger it would be ideal for a large broiler type item, like a roasted chicken or roast. Its great for rewarding pizza and similar items.
1002711
I have only used it to bake pizza and am very happy with the results. It hadn't occurred to me to use it for other food that would be best if turned over. I'll try using it that way.
732247
I found this Proctor Silex toaster oven to heat very uneven for everything. Also always felt hot from the outside... was very poorly made. I returned it and bought and Oster, toaster/convection over. A little more money but well worth it. I have it for a year now and make almost all my meals in it! Great toast too! I hope this helps.
1141838
I have never used "broil" but grill is fine. I crisp up day old deep fried shrimp. I have never tried to toast bread but some of the other reviewers have suggested you use your toaster. I have had this unit since about June 10th of 2011 and am very pleased with it. I would buy it again.
1169514
I suppose you could but wouldn't be best suited for that purpose. I wouldn't. It is more of a devise to cook meats. I don't eat much beef but basically use it for chicken breasts; pork chops, salmon and fish. It does great. I haven't had a stove hooked up for 3 years. I have a toaster oven, microwave, nuwave pic and the nuwave mini. It does it for me as a single person who lives alone. It is really a cooker; not like a toaster oven so wouldn't make toast in it.
1237568
you can toast bread, bagels, make or reheat pizza. It browns all those things. Cannot cook or bake meat or other things. Takes 5 mins on the "bake" setting of 425 to toast a bagel or toast 2 pieces of bread. But I was able to get rid of my toaster oven using this for more counter space.
1211142
The oven does allow for toast, english muffins and bagels but it isn't a "toaster" per se. The elements are stronger and you heat a larger area than you need. I keep a small toaster for breads because it is faster and more efficient. The elements in the oven are really for other baked items like cookies, pizzas, pre-heated meat products like pop corn chicken or chicken fingers, fish/chicken patties, etc.. I say pre-heated because it can quickly cook the exterior before the inside gets cooked due to proximity to the elements.
211717
yes it can do bacon...it does fish chicken steaks...even roasted potatoes....I got it for my sister who is legally blind...she has problems using a regular oven as she can burn herself but this has kept her from that...she loves it....!!!! uses it daily....I also got her the microwave egg cooker..she can now boil eggs without being scared of using the stove...
1931625
If it broils you can use that for toasting. Way back in the day, we had to do that with our regular oven. You just have to stand there and watch the bread as it browns. Don't leave it or it will burn!
1512670
I wound not recommend it. The manual says the oven should not be used more than 30 minutes at a time.I actually tried to bake a regular size russet potato and the outside of the oven gets really hot after 20 minutes.The potato was not cooked all the way after 20 minutes. So I aborted the toaster oven and used a standard oven.The manual also states the oven is not ideal to cook thick food items. The technology is not made for that.Also the timer on this toaster oven only goes to 25 minutes. However you can always add more time to the timer as needed.This oven has no problem cooking hash browns or sliced potatoes though. I wound not recommend it. The manual says the oven should not be used more than 30 minutes at a time.I actually tried to bake a regular size russet potato and the outside of the oven gets really hot after 20 minutes.The potato was not cooked all the way after 20 minutes. So I aborted the toaster oven and used a standard oven.The manual also states the oven is not ideal to cook thick food items. The technology is not made for that.Also the timer on this toaster oven only goes to 25 minutes. However you can always add more time to the timer as needed.This... » Read More I wound not recommend it. The manual says the oven should not be used more than 30 minutes at a time.I actually tried to bake a regular size russet potato and the outside of the oven gets really hot after 20 minutes.The potato was not cooked all the way after 20 minutes. So I aborted the toaster oven and used a standard oven.The manual also states the oven is not ideal to cook thick food items. The technology is not made for that.Also the timer on this toaster oven only goes to 25 minutes. However you can always add more time to the timer as needed.This oven has no problem cooking hash browns or sliced potatoes though. « Show Less
1781354
I've used mine as a slow cooker, stove top cooker, and oven. It's one of my favorite appliances (and I've tried MANY during the last 29+ years of marriage.) I've had great results with it and am getting ready to buy a second one for my 23yo son who LOVED the spaghetti and meatballs I made in mine.
741902
I have -- more than once! It worked beautifully. A part of using a pan like this well, I think, is knowing not only the properties of the pan, but the habits of your oven. I use a sort of tired electric stove, and instead of pre-heating oven and pan, I usually oil well, put a little extra flour in the pan before putting the dough in, and let the oven and pan slowly heat together. That means I do end up cooking the bread for, say, closer to 40 minutes than 30, but the results have been delicious. The lid does a good job of helping the crust balance crispness and moisture. One thing to note: the dome on the lid is rather flat, so if your risen dough (even after punching down) does a really BIG second rise while it's cooking, it is going to bump against the lid. The one time that happened to me, it just meant the top was a little indented rather than really round, which doesn't bother me. In any case, it's cooked evenly and tasted great every time I've done it. I'm about to cook a couple of loaves to take with me for the holidays, in fact. :)
2192264
I am a Senior Citizen and use 2 mini size nuwave ovens because the large size is too tall for my counter. I really like the mini size ovens. They are very lightweight and easy to clean and do a good job cooking. There is enough space by using two of them to cook meat in one and veggies or whatever in the other. She wouldn't be able to cook a casserole or bake a cake of course. So it would depend on what she would want to cook in it. As I have gotten older I tend to fix simple things and try to eat low fat which the nuwave ovens are great for. I have had mine for several years and haven't had any problems with the dome cracking like the larger ones. I am a Senior Citizen and use 2 mini size nuwave ovens because the large size is too tall for my counter. I really like the mini size ovens. They are very lightweight and easy to clean and do a good job cooking. There is enough space by using two of them to cook meat in one and veggies or whatever in the other. She wouldn't be able to cook a casserole or bake a cake of course. So it would depend on what she would want to cook in it. As I have gotten older I tend to fix simple things and try to eat low fat which the nuwave ovens are great for. I have had mine for several years and haven't... » Read More I am a Senior Citizen and use 2 mini size nuwave ovens because the large size is too tall for my counter. I really like the mini size ovens. They are very lightweight and easy to clean and do a good job cooking. There is enough space by using two of them to cook meat in one and veggies or whatever in the other. She wouldn't be able to cook a casserole or bake a cake of course. So it would depend on what she would want to cook in it. As I have gotten older I tend to fix simple things and try to eat low fat which the nuwave ovens are great for. I have had mine for several years and haven't had any problems with the dome cracking like the larger ones. « Show Less
1834389
I have this model and it works great. Prime Rib, chicken is awesome on it. Found pork roast smoked up the room too much from fat on roast but it was good tasting.