VAL CUCINE 26.3 QT/25 L Extra-Large Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, 10-in-1 Convection Countertop Oven Combination (Black Matte Stainless Steel)

I own a small toaster oven I have used to cook small items for many years. It still works, but the labeling for the settings and temperature knobs are faded. The timer also maxes at 30 minutes—time to upgrade.After reviewing several brands, I chose the Val Cucine air fryer for these reasons: (1) its size: this air fryer is large enough for cooking big ticket items like ribs, pizza, pot roast and whole chicken, but the unit design doesn’t have a huge footprint; (2) it's functionality: this fryer has a variety of settings making it a more versatile option for cooking; (3) its appearance: the black matte with bronze knobs are a nice look in my kitchen; and frankly, the bronze knobs are just groovy; (4) operational cost: it is far less expensive to operate than my oven/range; (5) the height of the unit: I can use a small double broiler in this fryer or add a second wire rack to cook more than one item at a time. This is impossible with my current toaster oven.The digital controls are nice. They are well lit and easy to read—no more worn off temperature controls. The wattage of the light inside the fryer is impressive. It’s very bright and you can leave it on during the entire cooking process.The glass door on the fryer allows for great visibility while cooking—no need to open the unit to view your food. My old toaster oven isn’t tall enough to see anything unless you open the door and there’s no light.I like the functionality of the fryer. Its uses are endless. Recently, I used the air fryer for frozen hash brown patties. I was shocked at how well the air fryer cooked the hash browns. They came out brown and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. They cooked in seven minutes which is an excellent tradeoff to stovetop cooking in oil. Moreover, there’s no oily pan to clean or cooking oil to dispose; this is definite plus for me.Last week, I used the reheat feature to heat leftover cheeseburger macaroni and it came out tasting fresh; unlike the taste I’ve had after zapping it in the microwave.Two nights ago, I cooked a chicken pot pie but accidentally scorched it a little on top. The directions on the box said “bake for 60-65 minutes.” I went the full 65—oops. The air fryer cooks so thoroughly, even 60 minutes was probably unnecessary. The wattage of this oven greatly reduces cooking time.Additional attributes:Some fryers require special equipment for cooking but not Val Cucine. I am using my traditional baking dishes and ceramic cooking bowls which is economical.The Val Cucine is energy efficient using far less electricity than a standard 220 oven and food cooks rapidly.The unit cleans up nicely with warm water and mild dish soap.It’s an attractive fryer that goes well with my other appliances.Temperature settings:The temperature controls caught me by surprise. The temperature taps out at 360◦ for the Bake setting and 450◦ for the Roast setting. At first I freaked when I had to bake thin pork chops at 400◦, but I used the Roast setting and they turned out perfectly in eight minutes. I used the A1 setting for the hash browns and they turned out great.In order to achieve the 400◦ temp for the pot pie, I had to use the roast feature; however, next time I will use the bake setting at 360◦ at 60 minutes to see if the pot pie accurately temps. I’m thinking because this air fryer is so efficient and uses heating elements on the top and bottom of the unit, standard cooking times may not always apply for some food items. I know this is true for convection cooking. Like any appliance, you have to get to know your machine to learn what works best for your personal cooking style.The heating elements:There are four elements at the ceiling of the unit and two on the bottom. I decided against broiling steaks in the fryer one night because two of the four elements on the ceiling of the fryer didn’t engage. I was concerned the steaks wouldn’t cook properly.I contacted the seller and asked if I had a malfunctioning unit but it turns out the two elements in the middle only activate when the air fryer option is in use. [Update] the two heating elements in the middle of the four did indeed kick on using the air fry feature for the hash browns.Wondering if this would affect the way a slice of bread is toasted, I popped a slice of bread into the unit. I set it to max and dialed the toasting darkness all the way up. I observed the piece of bread gradually toasting to a warm shade of brown. Maybe air moves the heat inside the oven allowing it to brown effectively? I’m not sure, but I was like, “Oh wow. It toasts.”This unit has essentially replaced my oven. I have made toast; baked biscuits; roasted chicken; and roasted pork in this air fryer. The cooking process is efficient and less messy than other cooking methods and food tastes fresh after reheating. The air fryer looks great in my kitchen and I’m especially fond of the bronze function controls. I’m looking forward to using the dehydrator and convection feature in the future. I am super pleased with this appliance and I hope it provides me with many years of service.

I wanted to use the product awhile before leaving a review. Let me just say that I love this oven so much I got rid of my microwave!!First,, I’ll start with aesthetics. This bad boy is a beautiful addition to my kitchen. I chose black and stainless steel with the rose gold colored knobs. The knobs smoothly dial to your choice of the function, temperature, and time. The digital display is easy to read and use to make your selections. The programming is also simple to learn and execute.As for the quality of the materials and construction—top notch!! The tray for catching crumbs, the air fryer basket, the baking rack, and the drip/baking/roasting pan are all made of stainless steel. I LOVE the enamel coated, nonstick drip/baking/roasting pan so much that I ordered a second one separately so I can use two pans at once if needed. I use it at least once daily to heat leftovers (they taste much better than microwaving them) or to cook a few slices of bacon.I haven’t had the opportunity to use all the functions yet, unfortunately, but I have been very satisfied with the ones I have used. The toasting function allows you to choose the level of darkness you prefer your item to be toasted and it comes out beautifully and evenly toasted. The air fryer function has built in settings for specific foods and produces perfectly and evenly crisp foods. The reheat and oven functions work perfectly as well. I would say the only thing that may seem negative is that you might burn your food if you set it for the time listed on your food package or recipe directions because for some things/settings it seems to cook faster than usual, and in that case it would be a positive thing because I’m all about efficiency, especially when I’m hangry!! I would just say to keep an eye on things the first time you cook each food in order to get a feel for whether or not it’s cooking faster. After that you’ll know and can “set it and forget it” so to speak as far as setting the length of time for cooking.This little oven is actually not so little when it comes the size and amount of food you can cook. I can fit an 8” x 8” glass dish inside with a little room to spare, so I know a chicken for roasting would fit. I wish I’d had this when we gutted and remodeled our kitchen so we could’ve eaten other things besides microwave meals or eaten out so much.If you’re in the market to buy a toaster/air fryer/oven combo, look no further. You will love this one, and no I have not been paid for this review or given the product to write a trumped up review. This is my honest experience and opinion.

Air fryer can be a pain to clean, with splattered oil (albeit less so) everywhere. But this one does the job and makes cleaning slightly easier than others I've used, especially with the lower heating rods covered rather than exposed. Take care when sliding the grill out, as there are spaces in the side notches which may make the tray drop while sliding. Another design aspect I would love changed is the way the door handle kind of just hits your counter when opened.My feedback on "software-y" aspects include a better "done" notification, and remembering last used settings as default.

The controls are a little funny, but once you get used to it, this is great device!I love leaving the big oven off. I can make pizza, pies and anything in there that isn't full size (like a large lasagna). It is so small I usually preheat for 5 minutes. Never mind preheating a large oven - that used to take forever!We can toast up to 6 pieces of toast, and probably 4 bagel halves at a time.Also, the air fryer is amazing. I like this size/shape better for the counter than those round air friers. The basket holds a lot of food. Best way to reheat leftovers.This gets so much more use than all of our other appliances combined. Highly recommend!

Once you figure out the control quirks it works well BUT the poor-quality components make this a terrible buy. Third one has just gone out in two years of service, company has ghosted us (was supposed to get a refund after second one went out but they made sure to get one to us without our consent). Can't warn against enough!They also have users blocked from reviewing their product on their website.