I have had this Cuisinart Toaster since August last year and use it several times a week for baking or rear. I cook mostly for one person (me) and I do not like to warm up my big oven just to cook a chicken breast or two.
It always works fine. Heat is even (no "hot spots" that I can find) and heaters to the desired temperature quickly. I have used it to cook pizza, chicken of all kinds, fish (it does really well sizzling Bacon-wrapped scallops) and fried vegetables. I like that it has two rack positions, and you can "flip" rack, so you have four height options for rack.
One of its strongest points is the interior size. You can fit a very large pot inside without any problems. It is a bit on the bulky side - the footprint is only slightly larger than my old toaster oven, but this is slightly higher. Something to think about - you need some space for this. I have it hidden in a corner of my kitchen sink base cabinet, and it is kind of the way until I'm ready to use it.
It is also easy to clean - partly because of the size of the interior, and partly because of their easy to remove crumb tray.
Now, for less design errors. The stainless steel trim on the glass door below the handle wraps around the inside of the door, which means that it is exposed to heat from the oven. It also means that the portion of the trim on the * outside * heats up at the same temperature. The handle itself remains cool, but to trim stripe underneath gets hot enough to burn. I am a new and burns on my left hand while I write this from tonight's adventures with roasted potatoes. I've been here for over six months, used it dozens of times and I still manage to burn myself on it once every two weeks or so. You really have to be careful. Either use an oven mitt, or use a hot plate and hold it so that it covers the trim strip.
This is not a fatal flaw in my opinion - it's more of a disadvantage, but one that can cause some pain that you are not careful. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could -
Toast
It toasts evenly and there are seven levels of work-related opportunity to choose from. But that does not toasted dark brown without bread for two times.
~ Edit 05/22/2009
Pressing 4-6 record button you can get darker toast in the first attempt. ~
Baking
SFB 155 cooks pretty evenly to a toaster. Mine seems to run warm, clear baked a couple of minutes faster than my regular oven. I have baked cakes, banana bread, chicken, frozen french fries, frozen fried chicken, baked potatoes and corn bread in it. They all came out very well.
Rear
I cooked chicken and it came out very well. The broiling pan that comes with it is very robust. And props the door open part way.
Other Features
* Crumb catcher ... I like it. No more dodging the heating element when cleansing, prepared from the spill.
* It has handles on the outside of the bottom, which is handy for turning the unit around when you want to empty the crumb tray.
* Two positions for the racks. And the railing itself is designed to sit higher or lower on each item, if you turn one way or another.
* The manual. It has tips for optimal roasting rack positioning, etc.
* Construction. This unit seems pretty robust.
Cons
* Cord. At 30 "tall, is just the other side of the device. I bought a heavier cord household extension works well. At first I used a regular string, but when I used the oven just to toast it was almost too hot to touch.
* Price. Surely someone who can do as good a kiln for less!
* Footprint. My bread maker takes up less desk space. Currently oven sits on top of my microwave.
* The timer ... hans piercing. On the other hand, it is hard to miss.
Bottom line
I like my new toaster oven, and have recommended it to friends who bought one for himself. Like many reviews of toaster ovens have said they do not make them like they used to. I will say this is the way they used to do them, but you sure pay a premium for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment