Black and Decker 4 Slice vs Hamilton Beach 31127D Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Black and Decker 4 Slice vs Hamilton Beach 31127D Toaster Oven. The latter is a bit better in every aspect, including design, usability, and performance.
Specifications
Design
Featuring a standard design of a small toaster oven, the Black+Decker TO1760SS has all the basic features, with no noticeable strengths and weaknesses. The quartz heating elements may appeal to you if you want to opt for energy-saving devices.
The design of the Hamilton Beach 31127D is basic with a simple stainless steel exterior. The oven has a similar capacity as other medium-sized toaster ovens, with greater length and width but less height. Its roll-top door is a unique feature that we found useful.
Usability Comparison
Due to its small size, the Black+Decker has some obvious limitations when it comes to features of usability, especially compared to our top choices. For example, it has no non-stick coating to help with cleaning, and the control panel has a lot of room for errors. Moreover, its advertised advanced technologies are more misses than hits.
Although the Hamilton Beach 31127D doesn’t invest much in convenience, it also doesn't pose any problems. You may not be able to select an exact time and temperature with the analog control knobs, but realistically, you don’t lose much precision.
Performance Test
The Black+Decker TO1760SS performed to various degrees throughout our four tests. It was at its best toasting bread despite a minor inconvenience from the timer. With baking pizza, french fries, and roasting a whole chicken, however, the oven’s low power output affected the results by quite a lot.
The Hamilton Beach 31127D did a good job at making toast but struggled with french fries. We suspect its 1400 W power draw isn’t sufficient for its capacity, so it couldn’t quite maintain high temperatures. Of course, the lack of a convection system didn’t help either. A more preferable but still affordable choice could be the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Lightweight and small size
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Simple control knobs
- Stay-on feature
- Quartz heating elements have safeguards
- Energy-saving
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Roll-top door
- Cool-touch door handle
- Simple control knobs
- Stay-on feature
- Spacious interior
- No convection fan
- No internal lighting
- No safety mechanism for the door
- No convection fan
- No internal lighting
- No safety mechanism for the door
Conclusion
The match between the Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven (TO1760SS) and the Hamilton Beach 31127D 6 Slice Toaster Oven all comes down to size. The latter is just a little bit better in every aspect, including design, usability, and performance.
Both units have a pretty high build quality as evident in their sturdy build and firm control dials. The two have similarly simple interiors with no interior light. Exterior-wise, the Hamilton wins due to its thicker casing for better heat insulation and a neat roll-top door for saving some counter space.
The Hamilton’s larger footprint allow it to have more cooking space than the Black+Decker. This made it easier for us to put food in and out of the oven durings our tests and also to clean up afterward.
Both toaster ovens didn’t have a convection system, so the Hamilton’s higher power output gave it the necessary edge in every dish including toasting bread, baking pizza, roasting whole chicken, and baking fries.
Behind the Comparison
Alan Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer at HealthyKitchen101. His major in English language teaching taught him to present concise information. In addition to his cooking hobby, he values the practical aspects of household appliances.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
