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Black+Decker Convection (CTO6335S) vs Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.0/10
- Design (25%)6.6/10
- Usability (25%)6.1/10
- Performance (50%)6.3/10
- Design (25%)5.1/10
- Usability (25%)5.5/10
The comparison between the Black+Decker Convection Toaster Oven (CTO6335S) and the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven (31344DA) showcases what a large model can offer and the common limitations of a small one. Not only does the Black+Decker have higher scores in every aspect, it also costs only twice as much as the Hamilton when the typical large toaster oven costs about four times higher.
The Black+Decker is easier to control thanks to its LCD and 13 control buttons for more precise adjustments of timer and temperature. Meanwhile, the Hamilton is simply an analog toaster oven with two control knobs.
The Black+Decker has more heating elements, a higher power output, and a convection system. As a result, it scored higher than the Hamilton in all the performance tests, including toasting bread, baking pizza, roasting whole chicken, and baking fries.
BLACK+DECKER CTO6335S Countertop Convection Toaster Oven Performance
- Toast (40%)7.0/10
- Pizza (25%)6.8/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.7/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)5.6/10
- Toast (40%)6.7/10
- Pizza (25%)6.6/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.6/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)3.6/10
Toast




- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 4/7
- Cooking Time: 5m 10s
- Second Batch: 3m
- Convection: No
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.




- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: Medium
- Cooking Time: 5m
- Second Batch: 5m
- Convection: No
To start off our Toast test, we placed four pieces of bread on the lower tray level and turned the time knob to the point just before the toast icon, which was around 4 minutes 5 seconds on the timer. The bread came out only lightly toasted on top.
Thus, we tried increasing the timer to 5 minutes and had a pretty good result. We then tried increasing the timer again to 7 minutes and 20 seconds just for good measure, but that almost burnt the toast.
With everything in mind, we decided 5 minutes of toasting would yield the best possible result and the final score was 6.7/10. It was quite tricky to get the exact toasting time due to the analog control knob so we used an external timer.
The top of the four pieces of toast had good golden-brown color in areas that were closest to the center of the oven, but was only lightly toasted in areas furthest away from the center of the oven. On the bottom, the lightly toasted areas were even larger, so we gave the toast a 7/10 for even surface color.
The toast was a bit too crispy in the golden-brown areas and a little dry in the lighter areas, so we could only give it a 6.8/10 for taste. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined it would go well with omelets and eggs benedict, but not sandwiches and soups.
The second batch came out brown on both the top and the bottom and crispy throughout, which could be more suitable for soup than the first batch. However, there were still lighter areas on both sides and the bottom even had some burnt ends.
Thus, we could only give the oven a 6.3/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, around four minutes on the timer should be enough.
Pizza




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 7m 30s
- Convection: Yes
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.




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 6m
- Convection: No
We used the Hamilton to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza at 450°F for our Pizza test and the final score was 6.6/10. To our surprise, the oven took 6 minutes to bake the pizza, which was very fast and worthy of a 9/10 for cooking time.
Unfortunately, the crust showed the oven’s uneven heat distribution. The bottom right quarter of the crust almost became brown before the rest could turn an ideal golden-brown color. The crust was also mostly soft, so we could only give it a 6/10.
The same problem also showed in the toppings, giving the oven another 6/10. While the cheese was only slightly melty and most of the meat was not caramelized, some pieces of meat had some burnt ends.
With that said, our chef gave the pizza a final 6/10 after tasting it.
Whole Roasted Chicken





- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h
- Convection: Yes
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.






- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 20m
- Convection: No
The cooking chamber of the Hamilton technically didn’t have enough space for a 3 lb whole chicken as required in our Whole Roasted Chicken test. Thus, we had to place the chicken directly in front of the upper heating element, which led to a number of problems.
On the bright side, the result wasn’t too bad at 6.6/10 for a total score. If you choose to roast a whole chicken in this oven, we recommend flattening the chicken out, cutting it open, or cutting it into pieces.
The oven took 1 hour 20 minutes to roast the chicken, which was 20 minutes longer than the standard cooking time, so we gave it a 6/10.
Looking at the skin, the side that faced the door lacked color due to the lower temperature. In addition, the chicken grazed the upper heating element’s guard a number of times, which caused parts of the chicken to burn and led to the oven smoking during roasting as well as burnt bits on the guards afterward.
The silver lining in this was that the burnt areas actually had a nice golden-brown color. However, due to a lower power draw, the skin on the sides basically had no color. With everything in mind, we could only give the skin a 5/10.
Interestingly, the chicken had near-perfect doneness at 9.8/10. The meat had no pink spots and an internal temperature of 174°F-183°F, which was really close to the USDA recommendation.
The ideal doneness helped maintain the tenderness and juiciness of the meat. However, the skin was really unappetizing, so our chef could only give the chicken a 6/10 for taste.
Baked French Fries




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F.
- Cooking Time: 25m 50s
- Convection: Yes
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.




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 26m
- Convection: No
The Hamilton was at its weakest baking 12 oz of frozen fries for our Baked French Fries test, scoring a 3.6/10.
At 26 minutes, which was over our time limit, the fries still had no significant change in color. Thus, we stopped the baking process and gave the oven a 0/10 for cooking time.
Color-wise, the fries didn’t look much different before and after baking. The only saving grace was that the fries were actually cooked, so we could still give it a 4.5/10 for color.
Similarly, the fries had a texture like they were air-dried, which was still better than boiled french fries that are simply soft and soggy. Thus, it got another 4.5/10.
After tasting this batch of french fries that lacked both color and texture, our chef couldn’t give a higher score than 4.5/10.
Black and Decker CTO6335S Design Review
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)7.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)2.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
In the Black and Decker CTO6335S Convection Toaster Oven Box

- Model: CTO6335S
- Warranty: 2-year limited (not applicable in Latin America)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Broiling Rack
The packaging has some eye-catching illustrations and information as well as was able to keep the oven and its three accessories in place. However, there are only two foam pads on the sides to cushion the oven while the accessories are positioned with duct tape.

- Model: 31344DA
- Warranty: US - 1 year; Canada - 5 years
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Removable Crumb Tray
The Hamilton toaster oven, along with its accessories and a simple user manual, came in a basic cardboard box. The oven is secured with two foam pads and the accessories are duct-taped to it.
Exterior




- Weight:12.9 lbs (5.8 kg)
- Length:19.3" (49.0 cm)
- Width:13.4" (34.0 cm)
- Height:10.6" (27.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Slide-out
Despite its large size, the Black+Decker only has air ventilation holes around the side where the convection fan is. The two buffers on the back to keep the oven from being too close to the walls are quite sturdy. Also, a slide-out crumb tray is always a nice touch.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 19.29" x 13.38" x 10.62" which were a lot different in terms of length and height compared to the manufacturer’s 22.8" x 13.4" x 15.5".






- Weight:6.9 lbs (3.1 kg)
- Length:15.8" (40.0 cm)
- Width:11.9" (30.3 cm)
- Height:8.4" (21.3 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Removable
Although simple, the Hamilton has all the basic exterior features of a toaster oven and also something more: The roll-top door is a neat feature that can make it easier to move food in and out of the oven and save some space on the kitchen counter.
To make it easy to carry the oven, the two sides of the casing have shallow arches. The oven has a cool-touch door handle and two back buffers to prevent it from being too close to the walls.
Our measurements of 15.75" x 11.93" x 8.39" for the oven coincided almost completely with the manufacturer’s 16.12" x 11.93" x 8.97", with marginal differences being less than an inch.
Control Panel

- Type:LCD display + 13 buttons
- Temperature:200°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 2 hours
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:Yes
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:Yes
- Audio Cues:No
The control panel consists of an LCD digital display, two buttons to adjust time and temperature, a timer toggle, a convection toggle, eight buttons for functions, and a start/stop button.

- Type:2 control knobs
- Temperature:200°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The Hamilton has two simple control knobs: one for temperature and one for time. The timer has a stay-on setting to help with its short range, similar to many other small toaster ovens.
The temperature knob indicates the lowest temperature setting to be 200°F, which is quite limited. Interestingly, however, we could actually set the temperature as low as 120°F by only turning the knob until we heard a small clank before the 200°F mark.
Cooking Functions of the Black and Decker CTO6335S Digital Convection Toaster Oven

- Cookies
- Pizza
- Frozen snacks
- Potato
- Bake
- Broil
- Toast
- Bagel
The eight cooking functions are useful for beginners and experienced cooks can freely adjust the time and temperature of each to their liking.

- Not available
Not having multiple functions doesn’t affect a toaster oven’s mechanism, which is to heat air up to a certain temperature to cook food. However, it does mean that the user won’t have any way to operate only the upper or lower heating elements individually.
Interior



- Heating Elements:4 quartz
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:2
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The Black+Decker only has two tray levels but you can make use of the flippable rack to effectively create two more levels. The oven has a convection system but no internal lighting—unlike the Ninja DT201—which can be an inconvenience considering the interior is black.
The oven has quartz heating elements that use infrared light to cook. They have their own safety guards to prevent direct contact with baking pans and trays.
Compared to the more common nichrome heating elements, they produce more heat and cool down faster. They are also more energy-efficient and easier to clean but don’t last as long in terms of durability. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.




- Heating Elements:2 quartz
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:2
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The Hamilton shares the same lack of interior features, including a convection system and an interior light, similar to many other units of the same size. The design didn’t allow for maximum use of the space inside the cooking chamber even though it had two tray levels like most other small toaster ovens, including the Mueller MT-175.
It also only has two quartz heating elements, which can usually lead to uneven heat distribution compared to four or more heating elements. Nonetheless, they use infrared light to cook, which makes the process faster and more energy-efficient than the more common nichrome heating elements.
They also cool down faster and are easier to clean but not as durable. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.
Capacity

- Length:14.2" (36.0 cm)
- Width:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Height:7.9" (20.0 cm)
The CTO6335S can comfortably fit 6 slices of toast, a 12-inch pizza, and a 3 lb whole chicken. While the manufacturer didn’t state the oven’s capacity, we measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 23 liters.

- Length:11.0" (27.9 cm)
- Width:9.84
- Height:7.5" (19.0 cm)
While we couldn’t find the manufacturer’s capacity, we measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 13.28 liters. The 31344DA can accommodate four slices of toast or a 9-inch pizza, but not a 3-pound chicken due to insufficient height.
Power Cord the Black And Deck Convection Toaster Oven

- Length:24.8" (63.0 cm)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1500 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
Even though the length of 24.8" is enough for household use, the power cord protrudes from the bottom of the oven reducing the usable length. In addition, it’s not long enough to wrap around the two back buffers.

- Length:34.6" (88.0 cm)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Power:1200
- Rated Output:120
The power cord has enough length for household use and an oven this size— roughly 34.65". The fact that it protrudes from the bottom of the oven may lead to some inconvenient bends, though.
Accessories

- Length:14.2" (36.0 cm)
- Width:10.0" (25.4 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.2 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking rack can be placed in the oven either way up, effectively adding two more tray levels for the oven.

- Length:11.0" (27.9 cm)
- Width:9.3" (23.5 cm)
- Height:1.0" (2.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking rack has two supports below to slide the baking pan in. It fits perfectly with the guide to prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven. The supports narrow at the back to prevent the pan from sliding out, but the entire thing doesn’t conform perfectly.
Accessories

- Length:13.3" (33.8 cm)
- Width:10.2" (25.8 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan is large and, being 100% compatible with the broiling rack, it catches all the drippings. This prevents any hot mess from dirtying the heating elements thus mitigating that potential fire hazard. However, it’s not 100% non-stick so you may have some stubborn stains to deal with after a heavy roasting session.

- Length:9.9" (25.2 cm)
- Width:8.3" (21.2 cm)
- Height:0.6" (1.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan fits nicely below the rack to catch any meat juice and drippings, which helps prevent any mess and the risk of fire from dirty heating elements. Keep in mind that it isn’t 100% non-stick, so it may be prone to stubborn stains after a hefty roast. During our performance tests, the pan bends when heated but luckily didn’t cause any issues.
Accessories

- Length:11.7" (29.7 cm)
- Width:8.7" (22.0 cm)
- Height:0.7" (1.9 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The broiling rack is designed to fit the baking pan perfectly while the holes are there to help with air circulation around the food. It doesn’t have a coating though so it may be prone to stains, caramelized bits of food, and discoloration.

- Length:10.8" (27.5 cm)
- Width:8.9" (22.5 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The removable crumb tray is useful for cleaning up crumbs and bits, which can be quite a hassle. However, some of the mess may still fall to the bottom of the oven upon taking out the tray.
Build Quality

The Black+Decker CTO6335S is equipped with a tamper-resistant screw to prevent removal of the outer cover. However, the bottom tray can easily slide out and the door can also open if you tilt the oven.
Throughout our tests, we noticed that the oven’s large capacity is somewhat counteracted by its power output of 1500 W. We speculated on its ability to perform more efficiently if it were 1800 W.

The Hamilton’s exterior shell is made from alloy steel, which has a higher tensile strength than stainless. We speculated the reason for this choice was to have the roll-top door—which can be easily removed for cleaning—more durable.
The casing also seems to have good heat insulation and only got hot to the touch after a long cooking time at a high temperature (>400°F). The knobs turn smoothly and have a contoured design for better grip.
Black+Decker Countertop Convection Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)8.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
- User Control (30%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
User Control
The Black+Decker has 8 functions but the convection toggle is only applicable to Bake. There’s an indicator light for when a function starts and stops — which are two separate buttons on the control panel.
For all functions except Toast and Bagel, you can push the increment and decrement buttons once to change the temperature in increments of 5°F and hold to change in increments of 25°F. After pressing the Timer button, the same goes for cooking time but in increments of 1 minute and 10 minutes. For Toast and Bagel, simply choose a level from 1 to 7.
Unfortunately, even though the label shows a stay-on function, we couldn’t find it in the control panel or the user manual. A small thing we didn’t like about the buttons was that they sometimes didn’t respond well.
The user control of the Hamilton cannot be any easier with just two knobs. Nonetheless, there are a few things to keep in mind. For the timer knob, when setting it to less than 10 minutes, always rotate past 10 minutes and then rotate back to the desired time.
To select the Toast function, you’ll need to turn the temperature knob to the maximum, indicated by the Toast icon. This is consistent with the fact that for all toaster ovens, their toast function has an endpoint temperature of 450°F.
Similar to other manual toaster ovens, it can be tricky to precisely set time and temperature. This can be easily dealt with, however, by using an external timer and an oven thermometer for more accurate measurements.
Ease of Use
For all functions except for Toast and Bagel, the Black+Decker has an automatic preheat feature. This will always heat the heating elements to 350°F, which takes around 4m 20s, before starting the actual timer. Then, the internal temperature will gradually stabilize around your input temperature.
One thing to note is that you cannot change the temperature or time during the automatic preheat cycle. You can only do so once the oven reaches the selected temperature.
Keep in mind that the oven’s exterior gets hot to the touch quite quickly. In addition, it doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, unlike some others. The door also can’t be opened partially.
This oven beeps with each push of a button and does so three times when it finishes cooking. The oven always remembers the last selected setting until it’s unplugged. It’s advised to unplug the oven after you finish using it as the digital display doesn’t turn off after a period of no interaction.
To remove the door, you simply need to fully open it, then pull straight up. The door can’t be kept partially open to let food cool inside the oven. With two control knobs, it’s easier than ever to readjust cooking settings.
The cooking cycle finishes when the timer reaches O (off). When this happens, the oven will ding once and shut off. As it has no digital display, you can freely leave this oven plugged in without worrying about power consumption.
Cleanability




We cleaned the Black+Decker following our toaster oven cleaning guide. With the oven having an internal and external coating, cleaning was quite straightforward.
However, even with the slide-out crumb tray, we still had to tilt the oven to get all of the crumbs out. In addition, some of them got stuck inside the heating element safeguards and we had no way of getting them out.



Due to its design, the Hamilton was more tricky to clean than anticipated. Because the chicken grazed the upper heating element’s guard during our test, it left some permanent stains there. Luckily, the heating element itself was intact.
As the oven doesn’t have a non-stick interior coating, there were also permanent grease stains on the cooking chamber’s ceiling. Some discoloration even made it to the top of the casing due to it not being stainless steel and the shape of the door.
In addition, the grease splashed into some tricky spots on the door, but it can be thoroughly wiped off after removing the door. The baking pan sustained some stubborn stains as well, but we were able to brush them off with a paste of baking soda and water.