Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Digital Convection Toaster Oven Review
Overall Verdict
The Toshiba Toaster Oven AC25CEW is a product that offers the most value for its price among our best toaster ovens. With its convection system, it was able to perform well in all of our cooking tests. Its various functions and accessories are helpful for both newcomers in the kitchen and experienced cooks.
Minimizing inconvenience and the danger of electric shocks, correctly-sized accessories are proof of good design. In addition, this oven comes with a rotisserie kit which is a rare accessory in this price range.
Technically though, it doesn’t excel at anything or offer anything unique.
Things We Like
- Highly affordable
- Good value in terms of functionality and accessories
- Lightweight but sturdy design
- Easy-to-turn knobs
- High-contrast digital display
- Cool-touch door handle
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
Things We Don’t Like
- No safety mechanism for the door
- Convection fan isn’t all-applicable
- No internal lighting
The black stainless steel Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven gives you more bang for your buck. For just around $100 (at the time of writing), you’ve got yourself a well-designed oven with all the necessary cooking functions and accessories.
7.7 Performance
The Toshiba Toaster Oven AC25CEW did well in all of our performance tests, mainly thanks to its convection system. It also got plus points for the convenient accessories, putting it above many of the same-sized units, e.g., the Hamilton Beach 31127D.
We thought its results in toasting bread, roasting a whole chicken, and baking french fries could have been better with a higher power output though. Surprisingly, it was excellent at baking pizza despite its 1500 W of power.
7.2 Toast
Following the procedures of our Toast test, we determined that level 4—3 minutes 55 seconds on the timer—was the best option with the score of 7.3/10. The level 3 and 5, in addition to being lighter and darker than ideal respectively, had very uneven surface color.
The toast level 4 of the Toshiba produced four pieces with a light golden brown color but a few areas too light. Due to not having the convection fan running, the color was about 80% even and we could only give it an 8/10.
The first batch of toast was nicely crispy while soft and moist inside so we gave it a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would be great to go with omelet and eggs benedict, as well as good for sandwiches. Although it may not be particularly good for soup, the second batch was.
The second batch was browner and crispier while still being moist so it got a 6.5/10. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to lower it by one level.
9.1 Pizza
The Toshiba baked a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza evenly throughout in terms of doneness and color earning it a 9.1/10.
Even though the Pizza preset of the oven is 450°F for 10 minutes, it only took 5m15s to cook. It was really fast compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. In comparison to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it scored a 9.3/10.
The crust wasn’t dry and turned out a beautiful golden brown with some nicely charred spots. It deserved a 9.5/10. The cheese was also nicely melted and caramelized so it got a 9/10. After tasting, our chef gave the pizza an 8.7/10.
7.8 Whole Roasted Chicken
Even though we chose a 3 lb chicken—in accordance with our Whole Roasted Chicken test—and despite the 4-pound claim on the label, it barely fit. In addition, there wasn’t enough space below to use the drip pan so cleaning up was a hassle.
Luckily, the fat from the chicken didn’t splatter too much inside the oven. Overall, the Toshiba scored a 7.8/10 for this test.
It took the oven 1 hour, the standard amount of time, to roast the chicken to golden brown so we gave it an 8/10.
The smooth rotation caramelized the chicken skin to a superb color while maintaining the juiciness of the meat. However, the skin wasn’t really crispy so we only gave a 7/10. This wouldn’t have been a problem if the rotisserie function had applied convection mode like other functions.
The rotation also allowed the whole chicken to be thoroughly cooked in 1 hour with no pink spots. The internal temperature, however, was a bit too high at 207°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F, so it got a 7.8/10.
Even though the chicken was cooked to slightly well-done, the meat was still moist and tender so our chef gave it an 8 for taste.
6.1 Baked French Fries
The Toshiba did an acceptable job of baking 12 oz of french fries earning a 6.1/10.
Compared to other ovens in our Baked French Fries test, we had to cook the fries for 20 minutes so we could only give it a 5/10. Being baked on a tray and not in an air fryer basket, the fries lacked color resulting in a 6/10.
The fries only crisped up a little on the outside and were considerably moist inside so it’s another 6/10. Our chef gave the resulting fries a 6.7/10 for taste.
7.5 Design
The Toshiba Toaster Oven AC25CEW is light, sturdy, and boasts a good design that encompasses its accessories. Features that stand out for us are its many ventilation holes, sturdy stands, and lightweight structure.
In the Box
- Model: L series - AC25CEW-BS
- Warranty: 1 year (US only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Rack Clamp
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
The packaging keeps all the 5 accessories firmly in place while being easy to unbox and convenient to repack. Besides showing some basic information, it also gives instructions on how to unbox properly.
8.0 Exterior
One of the strongest points of the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven is plenty of air ventilation — on two sides, the back, the bottom, and the top. It also has strong bottom stands and two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from being too close to the wall.
This was one of the few ovens where our measurements and the manufacturer’s completely coincided at 18.98" x 15.59" x 10.78". We do need to point out that we could see the internal circuits through the ventilation holes although we’re not sure if it affects the oven.
Control Panel
The control panel consists of an LCD digital display, 3 control knobs for functions, temperature, time, and the stop/start button. The glossy plastic knobs turn smoothly and seem durable.
Cooking Functions
- Toast (level 1-6, without convection)
- Bake (150°F - 450°F, without convection)
- Broil (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Pizza (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Cookies (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Defrost (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Reheat (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Rotisserie (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Keep warm (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Convection (150°F - 450°F)
One may argue that 10 cooking functions are too many but they are helpful for beginners in the kitchen. The Rotisserie and the Keep Warm functions are the two that stand out from the rest.
6.5 Interior
The Toshiba has 4 nichrome heating elements and 3 tray levels which are standard for its size. This oven has a convection system which is always a plus but it doesn’t have an interior light like many other units of the same size, e.g, the Breville BOV845BSSUSC. It received an extra point thanks to its rotisserie socket and bracket.
Capacity
True to the description, it can fit a 12-inch pizza. However, it can’t fit 6 slices of toast or a 4-pound chicken but is big enough for 4 slices of toast or a 3-pound chicken.
We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be 23.3 liters which was a bit different from the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 25 liters. However, it could just be a difference in measuring standards.
Power Cord
The length of the power cord is roughly 15.7"—ideal for household use. It’s also long enough to wrap firmly around the two back buffers.
Accessories: Baking Rack
The shape of the baking rack makes it easier to remove either with gloves or clamps.
Accessories: Baking Pan
The baking pan has ridges and grooves which can give your food attractive roasting marks and catch the dripping better. However, it’s a little smaller than the oven capacity and has a coating but isn’t completely non-stick.
Accessories: Rack Clamp
The rack clamp fits the baking pan and rack nicely but doesn’t have a good handle. Nonetheless, not all ovens come with a clamp like this so it’s a plus.
Accessories: Removable Crumb Tray
The crumb tray is a useful accessory — crumbs being quite a hassle to clean up. However, some still fell to the bottom of the oven as we removed the tray. Also, upon cleaning the crumb tray after the roasted chicken test, we found it showed signs of oxidation from catching the drippings.
Accessories: Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
The rotisserie kit does a fantastic job of securing the chicken thanks to the angle-adjustable 2-pronged forks. The structure of the forks, however, isn’t particularly strong leading to possible slight bending. Also, in the aftermath of the roasted chicken test, a screw of the rotisserie kit had rusted slightly.
8.0 Build Quality
The Toshiba AC25CEW-BS is quite robust while still relatively light and small. It also has more air ventilation holes than a number of other toaster ovens including the Instant Omni Plus 18L and Cuisinart.
6.8 Usability
The Toshiba AC25CEW Toaster Oven isn’t difficult to use but it’s not particularly convenient either. The accessories show signs of attention to detail but not so much the user interaction.
9.0 User Control
The Toshiba has 10 functions to choose from. However, the convection fan isn’t applicable to all of them. Nonetheless, you can always choose Convection, then set the desired temperature and time. The temperature can be adjusted in 10°F increments.
The large and detailed timer from one minute to two hours is a strong point of this oven. It’s also specified by the minute.
5.0 Ease of Use
The oven door has a heat-resistant handle and tray-level indicators on the glass. The casing has good heat insulation and only gets too hot to the touch at 450°F.
The Toshiba doesn’t have an automatic preheat phase like many other digital models, e.g., the Instant Omni Plus 18L. The digital display automatically turns off after a period of no interaction. After the oven finishes cooking, you will hear a very clear beep similar to when you’ve just plugged in.
There’s no audio cue when you’re adjusting the knobs. Furthermore, if you need to readjust the setting during cooking, you have to press stop and repeat all the inputs. The only thing you can adjust during cooking is the timer.
It’s hard to keep the door partially open and there’s no internal lighting. Also, this oven doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, unlike some others.
Although the accessories fit well, removing the rotisserie kit from the oven can be a little tricky even with the lifter. With a little practice, however, it’ll become much easier.
8.0 Cleanability
We cleaned the Toshiba following our toaster oven cleaning guide. Thanks to its internal and external coating and lack of difficult nooks and crannies, cleaning was pretty straightforward. In addition, enough space has been left between the heating elements and internal walls to facilitate cleaning.
Roasting a whole chicken with the rotisserie kit left some difficult stains on the ceiling but a paste of baking soda and water did the trick. One minor inconvenience was that some crumbs still fell onto the internal floor and we had to pick them up anyway.