Side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus.
Cuisinart TOA-26 Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Most VersatileInstant Vortex Mini Air Fryer (2-Quart)
Best for BeginnersPrice
$100-$150
$50-$60
Summary
The only small air fryer that also toasts, bakes, broils, and makes pizza — all in a compact footprint. Good Housekeeping's top-tested air fryer toaster oven, it browned wings in 20 minutes and fries in 15.
Serious Eats' top pick for small air fryers after testing six models head-to-head. It produced the crispiest fries in the fastest time (14 minutes) thanks to a shallow basket that puts food closer to the heat source.
Pros
- 6 cooking modes: air fry, toast, convection bake, convection broil, pizza, warm
- Fits 1 lb of wings with room to spare plus 1 lb of fries in a single layer
- Mechanical dials are intuitive and durable
- Salmon came out tender and flaky with crisped skin in testing
- Fastest cook times tested — crispy fries in 14 minutes, wings in 30
- Shallow basket puts food closer to heat for better crisping
- Flip reminder feature prevents overcooking without babysitting
- Dishwasher-safe basket for easy cleanup
Cons
- No built-in timer — you have to track cooking time yourself
- Larger footprint (18"W) than basket-style air fryers
- Fries came out slightly drier than preferred in GH testing
- More expensive than standalone mini air fryers
- 2-quart capacity is tight — limited to smaller single-serving portions
- Only 4 cooking settings — less versatile than larger models
- Bulkier design than the Cosori despite similar capacity
Our take
If you're replacing both a toaster and an air fryer, this is the move. It does both jobs well enough that you won't miss having separate appliances, and it's significantly cheaper than Cuisinart's full-sized version.
Serious Eats doesn't hand out top picks lightly, and this one earned it by cooking faster than everything else tested. The flip reminder and simple dial make it genuinely foolproof for first-time air fryer owners.
Buy
