Cuisinart is a well-known company that specializes in providing kitchen appliances for home chefs and professionals. They have unique and innovatively designed products that have made them a popular household name.
One such product is their toaster oven, which has garnered lots of appreciation from the users. It is a multipurpose toaster oven that works as an air fryer, a baking unit, a broiler, and of course, a toaster.
Despite being a good product made by a reliable company, you may face problems using Cuisinart’s toaster oven. Let’s address a few of those here, and see what can be done about them.
Cuisinart Oven Problems
If you had been using your Cuisinart toaster oven for a while and then it stopped working, it means there may be issues with its internal circuit. The problem may lie with the heating element, main switch, solenoid, or thermal fuse. Let’s explore each one:
- Heating Element
The function of this part is synonymous with its name; it is built into the unit to provide heat. If your oven has stopped working suddenly, there is a good chance of a problem with its heating element. In such a case, the solution is to remove the faulty heating element and replace it with a new one.
- Main Switch
The most frequently used part of the unit is its main switch and perhaps the most exposed part as well. If the oven had stopped working suddenly, it could have been due to its main switch.
What we can do in such a case is to unplug the main switch (make sure the electricity is completely cut off!), let it rest for a while, and then clean it. Once you do that, you should re-plug the switch and see if your Cuisinart oven works.
If it still does not work, it has been damaged beyond your scope of repair, so it is better to take it to the service center for repair.
- Solenoid
The heating element we discussed above is powered by the solenoid. If the solenoid has burned out, then your heating element will not work either, resulting in the oven not working. In this case, replacing the solenoid will restore the functionality of the oven toaster.
If the oven stops working, replace the solenoid before replacing the heating element. A solenoid’s chance of getting burned out is much higher, and replacing it is also cheaper.
- Thermal fuse
The thermal fuse is a single-use device that is designed to prevent heat overload, which can damage the oven and its parts. It breaks the circuit in case of a current overload and prevents excessive power from reaching the main switch.
Not only is heat overload dangerous, but the parts damaged can be hard to replace, or the oven can be rendered entirely useless- if not for the thermal fuse. So, if your oven has stopped working suddenly, you must replace the thermal fuse. You must ensure that the ratings of the new fuse match your existing one.
- The Toaster Won’t Start At All
New appliances and their power supplies can get a bit tricky sometimes. If you have just gotten your new Cuisinart toaster oven and it refuses to start, it could be because you are not plugging in the switch correctly.
Plug the power cord of your toaster oven into a socket you are sure is working. If it does not turn on still, try other correctly working sockets in your home.
- The Oven Turns On But Doesn’t Work
If your oven is turning on, there are no issues with its power supply and the power circuit in the oven. The heating function, as we discussed above, is primarily of the heating element and the solenoid.
If the oven is turning on but not producing sufficient heat for the food to cook, it means the wires of your heating element have been broken or damaged. Or your solenoid has burned out. In any case, replacing the heating element and solenoid is the solution here.
- The Oven Turns On, But My food Is Not Heated Evenly:
If your oven is turning on, but you get a dish that is cooked well on one side and undercooked to raw on the other, it again means there is something wrong with your heating element. The heating rods may not be producing equal heat to cook the food well.
One way to check if this is indeed the issue is to check the color of the heating rods. They burn a bright orange glow, so check if one is glowing brighter than the other. If it is, then there is definitely a problem with your heating rods. Getting your rods replaced will solve this issue for you.
- Food Cooked is Soggy
Sometimes the food that is supposed to have a crispy texture may not turn out to be crispy. It might even turn out to be soggy or chewy. This happens when you are frying the foods while there is a heated airflow. Don’t do that to avoid having your food turn out soggy.
What you can also do to get that crisp is lightly spraying your food with oil and then fry it in the toaster oven. This will make sure the food cooked is crispy and cooked to perfection.
- Sparks Inside the Oven
If you see any sparks in the oven, do not use them under any circumstances. As with all other electric appliances, sparks signify wire breakdowns and insulation wear-downs. If the spark gets to interact with any other element, it can be very dangerous and might even cause a fire.
Sparking usually happens because the insulation has broken down. Therefore, getting the insulation fixed will solve this problem for you.
- Toaster Won’t Go Down
If you have been using the Cuisinart for its toasting functions and see that the toaster is not going down at all, it could be because of one of the following reasons. Either there are crumbs accumulated at the bottom of the tray, or the handle of the toaster has broken.
First, clean the crumb tray, take out all the excess crumbs and then try to push the toaster down again. It should work properly this time. If it does not, then you will have to get its handle checked and possibly replaced.
- Faulty Light
The light inside the oven is indicative of all the functions that an oven performs. The light may get dim or stop working altogether. Oftentimes, the light getting dim does not mean there is anything wrong with your range. However, it may, at times, be caused by faults in the motherboard.
You can simply change the light bulbs for them to start working correctly again. If changing the light bulb does not help, it means the issue lies with the motherboard. In this case, you should get it checked by an expert who will fix the problem for you.
- The Oven Smokes
A problem reported with these oven toasters is the coming out of smoke. If your oven is smoking, you can figure out the reason by noticing the color of the smoke. If you are cooking foods that have way too much fat, you will see white or even black smoke coming out.
If the smoke is blue in color, it is because of internal overheating of the components- which is quite dangerous. If the smoke is blue in color, you need to get your circuits checked and replaced as soon as possible.
If the smoke is gray, white, or black, smell and identify if it is coming from the food you are cooking. It is not dangerous in such a case. Though if it bothers you, you can add water to the food you are cooking to offset the fats.
- Food Has a Strange Smell
With regular usage, customers often begin to complain that the food they cook has a strange odor and does not smell like itself. This does not mean there is anything wrong with the oven; it only means you have not cleaned it properly.
Make sure you are cleaning the oven properly and throwing away any crumbs left in it. Every once in a while, deep clean your oven to have it running smoothly and for it to last long.
The Bottom Line
Although Cuisinart ovens are quite durable, they can occasionally run into some problems. We have covered all common problems associated with these ovens in this article. You can refer to this guide to find a quick fix.