Black+Decker CTO6335S vs Hamilton Beach 31127D Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Black+Decker CTO6335S vs Hamilton Beach 31127D Toaster Oven. A comparison between a budget large toaster oven and an inexpensive medium-sized unit.
Specifications
Design
The Black+Decker CTO6335S has a sturdy construction. Standouts for us were the baking pan plus broiling rack combo and the quartz heating elements.
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
The Black+Decker CTO6335S has an easy-to-use control panel. However, it doesn’t have any features that encompass convenience. Even the automatic preheat feature isn’t very useful. In addition, its door and buttons are a bit dodgy.
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 CTO6335S performed quite well in most of our test dishes except for the baked french fries. We speculated that 1500 W wasn’t able to heat the elements fast enough to keep up with the oven’s large capacity.
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
- Large capacity
- Highly affordable
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- High-contrast digital display
- Sturdy exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Convenient slide-out crumb tray
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Roll-top door
- Cool-touch door handle
- Simple control knobs
- Stay-on feature
- Spacious interior
- Convection fan isn’t all-applicable
- No internal lighting
- Buttons not reliably responsive
- No convection fan
- No internal lighting
- No safety mechanism for the door
Conclusion
The Black+Decker CTO6335S and the Hamilton Beach 31127D went back and forth throughout our performance tests with the former getting a narrow victory. The Black+Decker scored lower on toasting bread then made a comeback baking pizza and fries. A decisive blow, however, was dealt in the chicken-roasting test.
The Black+Decker has a power rating of 1500 W and four quartz heating elements. That isn’t very different from the Hamilton’s 1400 W and four nichrome heating elements. While the Hamilton may run at a steadier temperature, helping it perform better at toasting, it lacks its counterpart’s convection system that improves heat distribution.
Design-wise, the Hamilton uses durable stainless steel and has a neat roll-top door but the Black+Decker edges it out with its tamper-resistant exterior and a slide-out crumb tray. Its extra cooking functions are also more useful to beginner cooks. The Hamilton does have a useful stay-on feature that we thought was worth a few points.
Choose the Black+Decker CTO6335S if you want a large convection toaster oven that won’t cost an arm and a leg. If you don’t need the size, though, the sturdy, medium-sized Hamilton Beach 31127D is also inexpensive.
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.
