Many people search the internet for the differences between Cuisinart tob-135 vs tob-195. And what they usually find is that there are a lot of folks that like both of them. But, that doesn’t exactly tell you how these machines measure against one another.
Toaster ovens are popular because they offer a lot people a practical alternative to using the large oven and/or the microwave. Your main oven can heat up not only the kitchen, but the whole house. And I think that most would agree that food reheated in a toaster oven taste much better than in the microwave.
Below, you should find most if not all of the answers to the most important questions that you might have about these two mini-ovens.
Click here to see price for tob-135
Click here to see price for tob-195
Table of Contents
Appearance and Size
Both of these ovens are dressed in stainless steel. I love the look of stainless, but it does have its downsides, namely fingerprints and smudges. Stainless is beautiful and can definitely add a touch of class to a kitchen, but appliances that get used often will show everything. You will either need to accept that you will need to wipe it down often or accept the smudges (don’t worry, you can get stainless steel wipes, these work well.
I like the design of the tob-135 a lot better than the tob-195. On the tob195, the control panel is affixed to the bottom of the unit and it kind of sticks out. It looks kind of awkward. I haven’t come across many countertop ovens that shape like this. Most little toaster ovens have the controls located on the side of the machine.
These machines are about the same size. The tobb-135 measures 9.3 inches tall x 18.3 inches long x 15.3 inches in depth and the tob-195 measures about 10 inches tall x 18.5 inches across 17 inches deep. Both units have an internal capacity of .6 square feet. Either will take up a nice amount of space and you should make sure that you want to commit that kind of countertop space.
Convection Ovens
Both of these units are convection ovens that have a huge advantage over conventional ovens. With large fans to circulate the warm air inside the oven, these ovens heat up a lot faster.
The result is that convection ovens are a lot more efficient and better able to produce consistent results. There are fewer cool spots in convection ovens and the temperature should be more consistent throughout.
Toast and Bagel
A lot of people love these ovens because of their great performance with toasters and ovens. Both of these machines have intuitive shade controls. There is the technology inside both of these machines that ensures an even temperature and consistent toast shade.
Get more details on the Cuisinart tob-135
Get more details on the Cuisinart tob-195
Both units have top and bottom heating elements but when you select the bagel mode, the top element remains on while the bottom one shuts off. This creates a bagel with a crispy top and soft chewy bottom. This function works the same for both units.
About that Capacity
Both of these toaster ovens are rated at .6 cubic-foot capacity, but what does that really mean to you. In real terms, that means that you can fit a 12-inch pizza, a whole chicken (around 4 to 5 pounds), 6 slices of toast (bagel halves).
This gives you a lot of room to work with. No, I wouldn’t want to prepare an entire Thanksgiving meal in these things, but it could definitely be a nice little helper for the holidays.
Control Panel
The tob-135 has a digital interface, you press a button to select one of the pre-programmed functions then you use the dial to program that function, i.e. toast shade or broil temperature.
With the tob-195, the interface is all digital touch buttons. There is no dial to program a temperature, instead, there are up and down arrows. I like the interface of the 135 a lot better because it seems easier to use. The functions are pretty much the same, even though they are labeled a little differently.
Easy-of-Use
The 195 and 135 have a nonstick coating that protects the interior from big messes that are sure to take place. I’m usually not a huge fan of nonstick for frying pans and other similar applications because over time, it starts to come off from constant contact.
But for toaster ovens, it should be okay because you should only have to wipe the interior down with a damp cloth. The nonstick, along with the easy to empty crumb tray makes these machines very easy to clean.
The control panels are both easy to use but I think that the tob-135 with it’s larger, blue backlit LED display, is easier to use.
Warranty
Both of these toaster ovens are backed by a 3-year warranty.
Summary
I think that both of the toaster ovens in the Cuisinart tob-135 vs tob-195 are pretty good choices. However, if I had to choose between the two, I’d go with the 135. It seems to be easier to use and it looks better – the 195 has an awkward design in my opinion. I think that the performance will be about even for both units.
Cuisinart tob-135 – Check Price
Cuisinart tob-195 – Check Price
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