Cuisinart TOA-60 vs Breville Compact Smart Oven: Is Paying Twice as Much Actually Worth It?

The Breville Compact Smart Oven costs roughly twice what the Cuisinart TOA-60 does, and for most home cooks, the Cuisinart is the better buy. The TOA-60 includes an air fryer function that the Breville Compact lacks entirely, it runs hotter (up to 450°F vs 450°F on some Breville models, but with faster preheat), and it handles the daily workload of a busy kitchen without fuss. If you specifically need Breville’s more precise temperature control and Element IQ technology for serious baking, the premium makes sense — but that’s a narrower use case than most buyers realize.

Safety First: Both the Cuisinart TOA-60 and Breville Compact Smart Oven reach surface temperatures that can cause burns on contact. Always use oven mitts when removing racks or pans, keep at least four inches of clearance on all sides during operation, never place either unit directly under overhead cabinets, and unplug before cleaning. The TOA-60’s air fryer basket can retain intense heat for several minutes after cooking — treat it like a hot pan, not a salad bowl.

Key Takeaways

• The Cuisinart TOA-60 sits in the mid-range price tier; the Breville Compact Smart Oven is premium — expect to pay roughly double.
• The TOA-60 adds air frying; the Breville Compact does not — this alone is a deciding factor for many buyers.
• Breville’s Element IQ system distributes heat more intelligently, which shows up most clearly when baking cookies or roasting evenly.
• Interior capacity is similar — both fit a 12-inch pizza — but rack positioning and airflow differ noticeably.
• For most everyday users: get the Cuisinart. For dedicated bakers who don’t care about air frying: the Breville earns its price.

What You’re Actually Comparing Here

This isn’t a perfectly apples-to-apples matchup. The Cuisinart TOA-60 is an air fryer toaster oven hybrid. The Breville Compact Smart Oven (BOV650XL) is a refined countertop oven with no air fryer function. They’re competing for the same $100–$250 countertop space, but they prioritize different things. I’ve had both in my kitchen — not simultaneously, because that would be absurd — and the experience of cooking on each one is genuinely different.

The Cuisinart is louder. The fan runs constantly during air fry mode, and the first time I used it I thought something was wrong. It wasn’t. The Breville is quieter, heavier, and feels more like a small appliance you’d find in a culinary school than in a college apartment. Neither description is an insult. They’re just different tools aimed at somewhat different people.

Head-to-Head Specs That Actually Matter

Feature	Cuisinart TOA-60	Breville Compact Smart Oven (BOV650XL)
Price Tier	Mid-range	Premium
Wattage	1,800W	1,800W
Temperature Range	175°F – 450°F	120°F – 450°F
Air Fry Function	Yes	No
Cooking Functions	7 (including Air Fry)	8 (including Proof, Cookies)
Interior Capacity	0.6 cu. ft.	0.45 cu. ft.
Max Pizza Size	12 inches	12 inches
Element IQ	No	Yes
Convection	Yes (fan-forced)	Yes (Element IQ)
Footprint (approx.)	15.5″ W x 16″ D x 14″ H	16″ W x 14.5″ D x 10.5″ H
Interior Light	No	Yes
Rack Positions	2	5

That rack position difference is more significant than it sounds. Five rack positions on the Breville means you have real control over proximity to the heating elements. Two positions on the Cuisinart means you’re working with what you’ve got. For toast and air frying this barely matters. For baking a delicate sponge cake, it matters quite a bit.

Cooking Performance: Where Each One Wins

Air Frying (Cuisinart wins, obviously)

The Breville Compact doesn’t air fry. Full stop. If you want crispy frozen fries, chicken wings with a crunchy skin, or reheated pizza that doesn’t go soggy — the Cuisinart handles all of that on its Air Fryer setting at 400°F for 12–15 minutes, and the results are genuinely good. Not quite as good as a dedicated basket air fryer, but close enough that I stopped using my standalone unit within a week of getting the TOA-60.

The Cuisinart TOA-60 ships with an air fryer rack that looks like a metal mesh tray. Use it. Putting food directly on the regular rack during air fry mode doesn’t circulate heat the same way and you’ll end up with uneven browning — learned that the hard way with a batch of Brussels sprouts that came out half-charred on one side.

Baking and Roasting (Breville wins)

The Element IQ system in the Breville isn’t marketing fluff. It actually adjusts power distribution between the top and bottom heating elements depending on what you’re cooking. Select “Cookies” and more heat comes from below. Select “Roast” and it balances differently. The result is more even browning without rotating pans halfway through, which I used to do religiously with the Cuisinart.

I baked the same batch of chocolate chip cookies in both ovens, same dough, same temperature (325°F), same time. The Breville produced more uniformly golden bottoms. The Cuisinart had a couple of darker spots near the back, where its convection fan creates a slightly hotter zone. Neither batch was bad. But the Breville batch required zero intervention. That consistency, repeated across multiple bakes, is what justifies the price for serious bakers.

Serious Eats has written extensively about what separates a capable countertop oven from a mediocre one, and heat distribution is consistently at the top of that list.

Toast (closer than you’d expect)

Both do fine. The Breville has a dedicated Toast function with shade settings and auto-eject (a genuinely nice feature — the rack slides partway out when done). The Cuisinart’s toast is more of a manual affair: set the temperature around 450°F, pick Bake or Broil, watch it. I prefer the Breville for toast purely because of auto-eject. Small thing. Weirdly important at 7 a.m.

Reheating

The TOA-60’s air fry function makes it genuinely superior for reheating food in a toaster oven. Leftover fries? 375°F air fry for 5 minutes and they’re actually crispy again. The Breville reheats fine using convection, but there’s no comparison when it comes to getting that crust back on reheated takeout food.

Design, Build Quality, and Daily Usability

The Breville feels more expensive because it is. The stainless steel exterior is heavier gauge, the knobs have a satisfying resistance, and the interior light (which the Cuisinart lacks entirely) makes it easy to check on food without opening the door. Small ergonomic things add up.

The Cuisinart’s dial and button controls work fine but feel plasticky in spots. The exterior does get hot — noticeably hotter than the Breville’s exterior during extended cooking — so placement matters. Keep it away from anything flammable and don’t rest your forearm on the door while checking food.

Cleaning is roughly comparable. Both have crumb trays. The Cuisinart’s interior is a bit easier to wipe down because the enameled coating on the walls is more forgiving. The Breville’s interior is matte finish and can stain more visibly from oil splatter. A toaster oven non-stick liner mat is worth it for either one if you cook proteins regularly.

One edge case I haven’t seen covered elsewhere: the TOA-60’s air fry basket is not dishwasher-safe according to Cuisinart’s manual, even though it looks like it should be. I hand-wash it. The Breville’s rack and pan are dishwasher-safe, which is actually a meaningful convenience difference if you cook dinner in it every night.

Who Should Actually Buy Which One

Buy the Cuisinart TOA-60 if you want an all-in-one unit that air fries, toasts, bakes, and broils without spending premium money. It’s the practical choice for busy households, small apartments, and anyone who makes frozen food or reheats takeout more often than they bake croissants. You can find rack and pan accessories at most kitchen stores — a toaster oven baking pan sized for the TOA-60’s interior expands what you can cook significantly.

Buy the Breville Compact Smart Oven if you bake often and want consistent, even results without babysitting the oven. Also if the interior light and auto-eject toast function matter to you (they matter more than you think). And if air frying isn’t part of your cooking life at all, the Breville’s premium is easier to justify — you’re not paying for a feature and also missing one.

There’s a third path worth mentioning: if you want Breville’s cooking quality AND air frying, look at the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV900BSS). It’s significantly more expensive than either of these models, but it doesn’t make you choose. For a broader look at smaller options, the best mini toaster ovens roundup covers units that cost even less than the TOA-60 if space or budget is truly tight.

The Verdict

Most people buying in this price range should get the Cuisinart TOA-60. It does more. It costs less. The air fry function alone sets it apart, and the cooking performance across toast, bake, and broil is genuinely good — not Breville-good, but good enough that the difference won’t show up in most weeknight dinners. The Breville Compact Smart Oven is a better oven in a narrow technical sense, and that matters if baking is your primary use case. But paying twice the price for more even cookies while giving up air frying is a trade most home cooks won’t be happy they made six months later.

If you’re still unsure about the heating capabilities of these units, it helps to understand how hot a toaster gets and how that translates to actual cooking performance. Both of these ovens hit 450°F, but how they get there and how evenly they hold it is where they diverge.

?Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Breville Compact Smart Oven have an air fryer?

No — the Breville Compact Smart Oven (BOV650XL) does not include an air fry function. If you want Breville quality with air frying, you’d need to step up to the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which costs considerably more. The Cuisinart TOA-60 is the better choice if air frying is a priority.

Is the Cuisinart TOA-60 worth it compared to the Breville?

For most home cooks, yes — the Cuisinart TOA-60 offers more cooking functions (including air frying) at roughly half the price of the Breville Compact Smart Oven. The Breville produces more consistent baking results due to its Element IQ system, but the gap isn’t large enough to justify double the cost unless baking is your primary use. The Cuisinart wins on value and versatility for everyday cooking.

What is the interior capacity of the Cuisinart TOA-60 vs Breville Compact Smart Oven?

The Cuisinart TOA-60 has a 0.6 cubic foot interior, slightly larger than the Breville Compact Smart Oven’s approximately 0.45 cubic feet. Both fit a 12-inch pizza. The difference shows up when you’re trying to cook larger cuts of meat or use bigger baking pans — the Cuisinart gives you a bit more room to work with.

How hot does the Cuisinart TOA-60 get?

The Cuisinart TOA-60 reaches a maximum temperature of 450°F, which is hot enough for most home cooking tasks including air frying, broiling, and pizza. The minimum setting is 175°F, which works for keeping food warm. The Breville Compact Smart Oven also tops out at 450°F but can go as low as 120°F, useful for proofing bread dough.

Which toaster oven is easier to clean — Cuisinart TOA-60 or Breville Compact?

The Cuisinart TOA-60’s enameled interior wipes down more easily after cooking, and its crumb tray is simple to remove. The Breville’s rack and baking pan are dishwasher-safe, which gives it an edge for nightly use. One thing to note: the TOA-60’s air fryer basket is hand-wash only per Cuisinart’s manual, so factor that in if easy cleanup is a priority for you.