Black+Decker Convection (CTO6335S) vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison

With our Toast test, we were able to determine that level 4—5 minutes 10 seconds on the timer—was the best option scoring a 7/10. Levels 3 and 5 respectively had a lighter and darker than ideal, although even, surface color.

The toast level 4 of the Black+Decker scored a 7/10 for color. The four pieces had areas of different colors ranging from golden brown to just slightly golden. This was probably due to uneven heating of the elements and the convection fan not running.

Despite the color, the first batch was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside so we gave it a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would go great with eggs benedict and omelet.

Even with the automatic toast time adjustment feature, the quality of the second batch was reduced in every aspect. The color was lighter and the texture was less crispy so we had to give it a 6/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, lower the toast level by one.

At the beginning of our Toast test, we turned the toast knob to the Medium Toast icon/setting—around 4 minutes 10 seconds on the timer—which resulted in four slightly burnt pieces of bread. We then chose the setting between Medium and Light, which was around 3 minutes 25 seconds on the timer, but that wasn’t enough time to get an even surface color.

Finally, we figured that around 4 minutes on the timer would yield the best possible result, with a total score of 7.1/10. Since it used an analog control knob, it was quite tricky to precisely choose 4 minutes, and we had to use an external timer.

On this setting, the Black+Decker produced four pieces of toast with a brown-colored top. However, the bottom was slightly charred in some areas and lacked color in others, so we gave the toast a 6.5/10 for even surface color.

Fortunately, the toast was crispy on the outside while still soft and moist on the inside, deserving a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham concluded that it would go great with omelets and eggs benedict, but not so much with soups or sandwiches.

For some reason, despite the identical toasting time, the second batch had a more uneven surface color than the first. The toast had a slightly darker color and crispier texture, which is more suitable for soups, and scored a 6.8/10 for consecutive usability.

The Black+Decker did an ok job of baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza earning it a 6.8/10.

Compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label, it took 7m 30s to bake the pizza, which was fairly solid. However, after comparing it to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, we could only give it a 7.5/10.

The crust had a good golden brown color but was soft and a little dry — possibly due to the longer cooking time. Thus, it could only get a 7/10.

The toppings were mostly dry with an uneven coloring, plus the cheese wasn’t melty so it got a 6.5/10.

In the end, our chef gave the pizza a 6.5/10 for taste.

The low power output of the Black+Decker held it back in our Pizza test, where a high temperature of 450 °F was required; it scored a 5.6/10. The oven took 13 minutes to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza, which was longer than our time limit of 10 minutes, resulting in a 0/10.

Fortunately, the other aspects were quite solid, even though the oven’s internal temperature couldn’t be maintained at 450 °F. The crust had a nice golden color but it was a bit soft, so it got a 7/10.

The toppings had reasonably even caramelization throughout and the cheese was slightly melted—enough to score another 7/10. Taking the crust and toppings into account, our chef gave the pizza one last 7/10 for taste.

Following our Whole Roasted Chicken test guidelines, we placed a 3 lb chicken on a broiling rack on a baking pan of the Black+Decker with plenty of space to spare. The abundance of space gave it some advantages over smaller units like the Breville BOV450XL despite a lower power output. Overall, the Black+Decker received a 7.7/10 for this test.

It took the oven 1 hour, the standard amount of time, to roast the chicken to a desirable color so we gave it an 8/10. The skin came out a light golden color but it was uneven despite being flipped after the first 40 minutes. In addition, it was soft, so it got a 6.5/10.

The chicken was thoroughly cooked but the internal temperature was a tad bit high at 189°F-192°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F so we gave it an 8.8/10. The meat was very juicy but the lack of roasted aroma and crispy skin resulted in a 7.5/10 for taste from our chef.

During our Whole Roasted Chicken test, the 3 lb chicken touched the upper heating element’s guard. This heavily seared the middle part of the chicken and made a mess inside the cooking chamber. If you were to roast a chicken in this oven, we recommend cutting open the chicken or chopping it into pieces beforehand.

The final test score of 6/10 made us speculate that the oven’s lower output also hindered its performance, even though the required temperature was only 350°F. The Black+Decker took 1 hour 20 minutes to roast the chicken, compared to the standard one hour, so it got a 6/10.

The skin had almost no color, except for the areas near the upper heating element, and was still very soft; we could give it just a 5/10. That being said, increasing the cooking time further would reduce the score for the skin and risk overcooking the chicken.

The only upside to the long cooking time and low oven temperature was the doneness of the chicken. The meat had no pink areas and the chicken’s internal temperature was 185°F–187°F, which was very close to the USDA recommended 165°F–180°F.

This partially helped maintain the juiciness of the meat, but the unappetizing skin gave our chef no choice but to give the chicken a 5/10 for taste.

With a score of 5.6/10, the Black+Decker left a lot to be desired in the Baked French Fries test. In comparison, the same-sized Cosori CO130-AO did a much better job with its higher power output and air fry basket.

This oven took 25m 50s to bake 12 oz of fries which was just a bit too long over the limit of our Baked French Fries test. Thus, it failed our cooking time section. Coloring was uneven among the fries ranging from nicely golden to almost none so they could only get a 7/10.

The textures were also uneven and, worse, none was particularly good. The golden fries were only a little crispy and the ones that lacked color were soft. Overall, it was a 6.8/10 for this test.

Our chef gave the resulting fries a 7/10 for taste.

While conducting our Baked French Fries test, the Black+Decker’s weakness in maintaining a high temperature became more apparent, and it scored a 3.2/10.

To start with, it took 30 minutes to bake 12 oz of frozen fries; this was way longer than our limit of 25 minutes and resulted in a score of 0/10. Despite the long time duration, the fries had almost no color, so we could only give it a 4/10.

The same can be said for the texture of the fries which was not crispy, earning it another 4/10. Overall, the fries appeared more boiled than oven-baked, so our chef had to give it one last 4/10 for taste.