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(More customer reviews)After my horrible experiences with the Black & Decker TRO700S 4-Slice Toast-R-Oven, Stainless Steel, I swore I wouldn't buy another Black & Decker toaster oven. But when I was checking out several toaster ovens at Bed Bath & Beyond, low and behold there was this particular model available. Compared to the other models around, this one had the best combination of features and size for the price. The Krups convection oven felt cheaply made, unwarranted for the price. The other oven I considered, a Kitchen Aid convection oven, was very well made and looked great, except it did not have a convection feature and the elements were poorly exposed. I wanted to check out the Sanyo SK-VF7S Digital Convection Oven, Stainless Steel Finish that has been getting great reviews, but unfortunately this store didn't carry it. So, I decided to take a chance on "fool me thrice, shame on me". At least I could take it back to the local store if it didn't work out.
This Black & Decker oven is much better made than the TRO700S. It's also a bit bigger and has more solid feeling controls. It's also digital, so you don't have an annoying ticking sound while cooking. It also seems more robust than the Sanyo, potentially delivering more value for the money.
The Good: Excellent design, versatile tray system, non-stick inner surface, decent crumb guards over the heating elements, great capacity (it'll even accommodate a 12" pizza), wide viewing area, and even cooking. There are a lot of nice functions, including "bagel"--the bottom heats at half the top temperature, so it doesn't crisp the bottom of the bagel too much (nice). The exterior does get hot, like most toaster ovens, and its even worse with a brushed steel surface; however, the right side (where the convection fan is located) tends not to get scalding hot. The BROIL mode works well, despite not having the convection feature functioning. And although the toasting function takes long to work, it does brown the toast evenly.
The Not-so-good: The digital controls are confusing and take some time to figure out. The directions are OK, not great--but you definitely need to read them. The display does not have a clock, as one usually finds on digital appliances, but this is OK--once you realize it. The unit beeps at you when you select a cooking function, and it's rather loud. The convection feature only works in BAKE mode, not BROIL--I found this strange and disappointing. When you use it, there is no count-down indication of toasting progress (unlike with timed cooking/baking); you just have to trust that it will stop at the right time. Lastly, this product is designed more as an oven than a toaster--a single piece of toast takes about 50% longer to toast than in a conventional toaster. However, the workaround is to move the shelf to the upper position and then just flip the toast once it has browned on one side. Only a minor inconvenience. Also, there is no backlight to the LCD display, so if you're cooking at night in low light it's a little difficult to see the display details.
Overall, I give this unit a thumbs up... for now. I trust that since I didn't find any initial defects, it should operate well going forward. It is not a perfect oven, but then it seems NO company out there is bothering to perfect the convection/toaster oven. Sometimes I think I should go into product design, as I see so many flaws that can be easily avoided. Anyway, you won't go wrong getting this oven. :-)
NOTE: I really recommend seeing a toaster oven in person before buying it. This way you can get a sense of how it looks, feels, and operates. It's that tangible experience you just can't get on-line. Also, you can save more buying it in person (I paid $67 with tax, at BB&B with a 20% off coupon). However, if you aren't able to get to a store that has the appliances you're interested in, then you have to rely on what you see on-line. I hope my review helps you in your decision.
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Black & Decker CTO6301 Digital Advantage Stainless-Steel 6-Slice Convection Toaster OvenA useful addition to any busy kitchen, this convection toaster oven helps make mealtime a snap, whether keeping up with the everyday demands of an on-the-go family or cooking for a crowd during the holidays when additional cooking space comes in handy. Its user-friendly, push-button control panel and digital display help ensure easy programming. The oven's heat can be adjusted up to 450 degrees F, and its functions consist of toast, broil, bake, and convection bake (convection cooking helps food cook quickly and evenly with no hot spots). Use the appliance for anything from toasting up to six slices of bread at time to broiling a chicken or baking a casserole or pizza for dinner--its extra-deep curved interior makes it possible to accommodate larger size dishes and pies up to 12 inches. It also offers preset function buttons for automatically cooking a variety of popular menu items such as bagels, pizzas, frozen snacks, potatoes, and cookies. Other highlights include a 120-minute timer that shuts off automatically after the elapsed time, an audible bake and toast signal bell, a nonstick interior, upper and lower oven-rack positions, an "on" indicator light, and a glass door for viewing the cooking process at a glance. Accessories include a pizza pan, a baking pan, and a removable crumb tray. With its beautiful, brushed-stainless-steel exterior, the toaster oven measures approximately 17-3/4 by 14 by 11-1/2 inches.
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