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Black+Decker CTO6335S vs Ninja Foodi XL Pro 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%)8.0/10
- Design (25%)8.8/10
- Usability (25%)9.5/10
Both the Black+Decker CTO6335S and the Ninja Foodi XL Pro (DT201) are large digital convection toaster ovens. The differences between them are the reasons why the first one is our best budget choice while the second is our best large pick.
The CTO6335S scored above average in every aspect, with a low price to boot. On the other hand, the Foodi XL Pro has excellent scores in all departments. Although it’s true that the Ninja is priced three times more.
The DT201 has a larger capacity, more detailed digital display, more toggles switches, and more accessories. Moreover, the Ninja’s higher power output and more powerful convection allowed it to pull ahead in all of our tests, whether it’s toasting bread, roasting chicken, or air frying fries.
The two units’ results in baking pizza are quite even, but we have no doubt that the Ninja would have a higher score if the tested food was fresh pizza.
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%)8.3/10
- Pizza (25%)6.5/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)9.0/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)7.8/10
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: 5/7
- Cooking Time: 5m 15s
- Second Batch: 4m
- Convection: No
We began our Toast test by setting the toast function to level 4. With four slices of bread placed on tray level 3, they came out very light on top. The bottom side had a bit more color but it wasn’t enough.
After that, we cranked the oven up to level 6. That gave us a very even color, but it was too brown. In the end, we settled for toasting at level 5, which ran for around 5 minutes 15 seconds, as the best option, earning a score of 8.3/10.
Under this setting, the toast mostly received a light golden brown color. However, there were various areas that were a bit darker or lighter, possibly due to the bread’s varying thickness. The unevenness in surface color, especially on the bottom, prevented us from scoring it higher than 8.5/10.
Interestingly, this unevenness in the bread gave it a variety of textures throughout which deserved another 8.5/10. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined the toast would go great with pretty much everything including omelets, sandwiches, eggs benedict, and soup.
The light golden brown areas were slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. On top of that, the golden brown areas were crispy all the way through and the light golden areas gave us a different, softer texture.
For the immediate second batch at the same toast level, the oven automatically reduced the time to 4 minutes. This time, the toast had a more even brown color than the first batch. However, there was a more apparent unevenness on the bottom with colors that ranged from white to dark brown.
Nonetheless, nothing was burnt, so it did not taste bitter. The extra crispiness made the toast even better for soup. All in all, the oven got a 7.8/10 for consecutive usability.
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: Pizza
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 5m
- Convection: Low
Our Pizza test was one of the few occasions where we felt the Ninja didn’t measure up to its potential. We suspect the score would be better if we were baking a fresh pizza instead of a store-bought 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza. Anyhow, we settled on a score of 6.5/10 for this test.
After preheating, we placed the baking tray and the pizza at tray level 3 as suggested by the digital display. The oven only took 5 minutes to bake the pizza compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. According to our standards, this deserved a 10/10 for cooking time.
Unfortunately, despite having the convection system on low, the crust was only golden on the side closest to the fan. The other half of the crust lacked color. In addition, such a short amount of time wasn’t enough to crisp any of the crust (even the golden side). Thus, we could only give the crust a 6/10.
The reason we had to stop the cooking so early was that the meat and the bell peppers on the golden half of the crust were beginning to char. Luckily, the toppings on the other half cooked properly. However, it seemed the cheese didn’t have enough time to melt, so the toppings only got a 5/10.
Considering the state of the crust and the toppings, our chef gave the pizza a 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: Air Roast
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 40m
- Convection: Maximum
The strengths of the Ninja really shined through in our Whole Roasted Chicken test, scoring an impressive 9/10. We placed our 3-pound whole chicken in the air fryer basket with plenty of room to spare and slid it onto tray level 3. We also placed a baking pan below to catch any drippings.
With this test, we were able to confirm the manufacturer’s claim that food in this oven didn’t need to be turned, especially when using its air fryer basket. Nonetheless, to stay consistent with our test parameters, we still flipped the chicken after the first 25 minutes.
The oven took only 40 minutes to cook the chicken all the way through and to create an appetizing-looking and crispy skin. It was one of the fastest cooking times among our toaster ovens and deserved a whopping 10/10, on par with the Cosori CO130-AO which uses a rotisserie kit.
The skin was evenly golden from the bottom to the top. It also crisped up nicely around the tips of the wings and drumsticks as well as areas with a lot of fat.
However, it would seem the surface of the chicken cooked so quickly that a lot of the fat didn’t get rendered out from the skin. Thus, while the outer layer of the skin was crispy, the inside was soft. The skin’s softness from the remaining fat, unfortunately, prevented it from scoring higher than 8.5/10.
Checking with a meat thermometer, we found the chicken’s internal temperature to be 194°F-199°F which was quite high compared to the USDA recommended of 165°F-180°F. This was the reason we didn’t continue cooking longer for better skin caramelization. Our chef was afraid that would overcook the chicken. After carving the chicken, we found no pink spots in the meat and gave it an 8.4/10 for doneness.
With such a short cooking time, the meat remained delightfully juicy. Also taking into account the texture of the skin, our chef gave the chicken a 9/10 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: Air Fry
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 19m
- Convection: Maximum
We put 12 oz of frozen fries into the air fryer basket and slid it onto tray level 3. We also gave the fries a toss after the first 13 minutes. The overall score for our Baked French Fries test was 7.8/10.
The oven took 19 minutes to bake the fries which was enough for a 7.7/10. With this oven, our chef had to balance the cooking time with the color of the fries. If we stopped baking too early, the thicker fries would lack color; if too late, the thinner fries might be burnt.
The fries’ colors ranged from light golden on the thicker ones to golden brown on the thinner ones. This unevenness resulted in a 7.5/10.
The colors of the fries largely reflected their texture. The longest and thickest fries had a slightly crispy outside and a very moist interior. Meanwhile, the shortest and thinnest fries were completely crispy all the way through.
The silver lining was that average-sized fries got perfect, crispy surfaces with moist interiors. While the texture varied, none of them were bad, so we gave the overall batch an 8/10.
Considering the varied colors and textures of the fries, our chef awarded them a respectable 8/10 after her taste test.
Black and Decker CTO6335S Design Review
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)7.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
- Exterior (20%)7.0/10
- Interior (30%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
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: DT201
- Warranty: 1 year
- User Manual
- Baking Rack x 2
- Baking Pan x 2
- Broiling Rack
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Air Fryer Basket
The Ninja toaster oven arrived firmly positioned between two foam pads inside an eye-catching package. Its seven included accessories were also fitted nicely in carton boxes. The oven came with a separate user manual, a tips and tricks sheet, and a recipe booklet.
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:26.4 lbs (12.0 kg)
- Length:16.9" (43.0 cm)
- Width:20.3" (51.5 cm)
- Height:13.4" (34.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Removable
The Ninja has many ventilation holes on its casing, especially at the back and on the bottom, to accommodate its extremely powerful convection system. A unique design choice that stood out to us was the fact that the control panel was located on the oven’s cool-touch door handle.
Most ovens situate their control panel on the casing, thus adding to the oven’s footprint. By combining the control panel with the door handle, the oven can also maximize space for its cooking chamber.
You don’t need to worry about the handle slamming to the ground or countertop since the door hinge does a great job of keeping the door firmly in place. While it doesn’t have tray-level indicators on its glass door, the digital display does show the recommended tray level for every function.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprints were 16.93" x 20.28" x 13.34" which jived closely with the manufacturer’s 17.09" x 20.22" x 13.34". For these measurements, we also took into account the door handle and rear buffer.
The oven has a buffer on its backside to prevent it from being pushed too close to the wall. The feature could be a bit longer, in our opinion. We do need to mention that the bulky shape of the oven and its lack of carrying handles may make it difficult to move around.
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:Digital display + 10 buttons
- Temperature:85°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 4 hours
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:Yes
- Light Toggle:Yes
- Convection Toggle:Yes
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:Yes
- Audio Cues:No
When plugged in, the On/Off switch will light up. You then press it to turn on the oven and its digital display. The door handle is black while the digital display is white, creating good color contrasts.
The control panel includes two buttons to adjust cooking functions, two for time, two for temperature, a light toggle, a Start/Stop button, and the ‘2-level’ button.
The ‘2-level’ button is unique to this Ninja. It suggests the best rack levels for cooking two trays of food at the same time. This even allows you to roast a tray of meat and a tray of vegetables at the same time. Everything is explained in detail in the Ninja recipe booklet.
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.
- Air Fry (250°F–450°F)
- Whole Roast (250°F–450°F)
- Air Roast (250°F–450°F)
- Bake (180°F–450°F)
- Dehydrate (85°F–200°F)
- Pizza (180°F–450°F)
- Bagel (level 1-7, 1-9 slices)
- Toast (level 1-7, 1-9 slices)
- Broil (HI or LO)
- Reheat (100°F–450°F)
Each cooking function on the Ninja has its own temperature range to match the function’s purpose. What’s special about this model is that each function deploys a specific convection level and a specific number of heating elements, each tailored to the dishes stated in the recipe booklet.
Whole Roast, for example, uses a high fan speed and the rear convection heat source to provide rotisserie-style results. Air Roast uses the maximum fan speed and the rear convection heat source to quickly cook food for a crispy outside and juicy inside.
Air Fry also uses the maximum fan speed and the rear convection heat source to cook food as quickly as possible for the crispiest results. Pizza uses the rear convection heat source but a low fan speed to avoid drying the pizza crust and toppings too much.
Bake operates the same way as Pizza. The same goes for Dehydrate, which has a lower temperature range for removing moisture from foods.
The remaining cooking functions don’t deploy the convection fan. Broil activates the top heating elements on the high setting to provide top-down heat for a crispy finish. On the other hand, Reheat activates the top and bottom heating elements on the high setting.
Toast also activates the top and bottom heating elements but on the medium setting to quickly and evenly brown both sides of your bread. Bagel, however, activates the top heating elements on the medium setting and the bottom heating elements on the high setting. This is because the recipe book instructs you to place the bagel slices cut-side up.
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:5 quartz + 1 nichrome
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:Yes
- Tray Levels:4
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The best aspects of the DT201 are its convection system and heating elements. Together, these two systems are designed to eliminate the need for rotating your pans or flipping foods halfway through cooking, a fact that we confirmed with our performance tests.
The convection fan provides airflow of up to 130 CFM (cubic feet per minute). Such a powerful convection system would usually be very noisy but thanks to the door’s tight seal, it wasn’t a problem.
The Ninja has three quartz heating elements on top and two on the bottom; most other similarly-sized units have four in total. What really separates this oven from the rest, however, is its third heat source in the rear, right where the convection fan sits. This nichrome heating element surrounds the convection fan cavity to properly and consistently heat the airflow.
The quartz heating elements heat food directly using infrared light, so airflow isn’t always important. Meanwhile, nichrome heating elements heat up the air around them, so their effectiveness can be improved with the help of convection systems.
The cooking chamber has four tray levels with engraved numbers 1-4 from the bottom up. It also has a coating but it’s not 100% non-stick, so it may be prone to stubborn stains.
Of course, an oven like this won’t lack an interior light. While this oven isn’t designed to accommodate a rotisserie kit, its performance showed that it could provide the same results.
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:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Width:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Height:11.0" (27.9 cm)
The Ninja has the largest cooking chamber out of all the toaster ovens we’ve reviewed so far, measuring around 30.82 liters. While the manufacturer didn’t state a specific capacity, this unit could comfortably accommodate a 12-pound turkey.
Each rack level can also fit nine slices of toast or a 12-inch pizza. With the 2-level even cooking feature, you can roast a 5 lb whole chicken and a tray of vegetables at the same time.
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:3.2 ft (1.0 m)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1800 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 38 inches — plenty for household use. Unfortunately, the oven doesn’t have a storage place for the cord. The rear buffer is also not designed to wrap the cord around.
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:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Width:11.5" (29.3 cm)
- Height:0.3" (0.7 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The Ninja comes with two baking racks which fit perfectly with the rail guides to prevent accidents when moving food in or out.
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:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Width:14.5" (36.8 cm)
- Height:1.0" (2.6 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The Ninja comes with two baking pans to make the most out of its capacity. They are designed to be smaller than the baking racks and too short to reach the upper guide rail.
They have an enamel coating which is non-stick and easy to clean. Note that citric acid from citrusy fruits can damage this coating.
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:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Width:13.5" (34.4 cm)
- Height:1.0" (2.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The broiling rack is designed to fit nicely onto the baking pans and also has an enamel coating. It has grooves and ridges which can give your roast dish that grill-like appearance. The holes at the bottom allow grease to drain from the food onto the baking pan below.
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 Ninja’s casing is made of durable and thick stainless steel which gives the oven good heat insulation. Thus, during our tests, the oven’s exterior only got hot to the touch after cooking for a long time at a high temperature (>400°F).
The digital display has a good color contrast which makes it easy to see—an advantage compared to the Instant Omni Plus 18L. Its buttons are highly responsive and very sturdy. All of the accessories are designed well to fit their purposes and make the most out of the oven’s capacity.
Unfortunately, possibly due to uneven metal expansion, the pans that we received bent when heated. Even though they flattened out again once they cooled, this was still a manufacturing flaw.
Moreover, the light button seemed to be broken when we received the oven. We could sometimes turn the light on and sometimes not. Nonetheless, we deemed these flaws to be specific to our particular unit, so we didn’t deduct too many points in terms of build quality.
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%)9.9/10
- Ease of Use (50%)9.9/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.0/10
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 control panel of the Ninja is far from simple but the digital display presents all the information in a way that’s pleasing to the eye and not at all complicated. In addition, its buttons are really straightforward.
The timer adjusts in 1-minute increments when under 1 hour and 5-minute increments when over 1 hour. You can also hold the +/- buttons for 2 seconds to activate faster scrolling in 5-minute increments.
The temperature can be increased in 5-degree increments. You can also hold the +/- buttons for 2 seconds to activate faster scrolling in 10-degree increments.
For the Toast and Bagel functions, the preset temperature is 450°F, similar to all toaster ovens. Adjusting the Temp/Shade and Time/Slice buttons simply changes to a predetermined cooking time.
The best part, however, is that you can select the number of bread slices and toast up to 9 slices at once. You can also manually adjust the time once cooking has started to better choose your preferred shade of browning. This toasting performance really puts the Ninja in a class of its own.
The Air Roast and Air Fry functions are basically distinguished by their tray positioning, especially when cooking two trays at the same time. To utilize the Air Roast function, for instance, you can place the meat dish on tray level 1 and the vegetable dish on level 3. As for the Air Fry function, you can cook two trays of the same food to the same results by placing them on tray levels 2 and 4.
The Dehydrate function is another stand-out feature in our minds. The recipe booklet outlines instructions for several types of food. You can purchase additional dehydration accessories to dehydrate up to 4 levels at one time. The Reheat function can also be used to keep your food warm at around 120°F.
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.
The oven has a short automatic preheat phase which lasts 1 minute 25 seconds and heats the oven to around 200°F. While this feature wasn’t very useful in practice, the oven still reaches the correct temperature extremely quickly. All cooking functions use this phase except for Toast, Bagel, Broil, Dehydrate, and Reheat.
Whenever you select a function, the oven will display the optimal oven rack position. As you cycle through functions, you’ll notice the tray-level recommendations change for the best results. When the door is open, display settings freeze to prevent any accidental changes to the cooking cycle.
The 2-level even cooking feature allows you to cook two sheet pan meals at once which can be very helpful for big gatherings or weekly meal prep. The door hinge allows for partial opening at any angle greater than 75° which most toaster ovens can’t do.
The manufacturer’s claim of ‘30% faster cooking than a traditional full-size convection oven’ was a bit arbitrary. The same goes for ‘up to 30% crispier results vs. a traditional convection oven’. Nonetheless, our performance tests did show crispier and juicier results than many other toaster ovens.
We also couldn’t confirm the claim of ‘up to 50% more even baking results vs. a leading countertop oven’. Our observations of the cooking process did show, however, that the oven distributed heat so evenly that there was no need to flip food midway through the bake.
Keep in mind that opening the door stops the oven but not the interior light. During the cooking process, the light will turn off automatically after one minute, and there’s no way to keep it on.
The oven turns off automatically after 10 minutes of no interaction. Nevertheless, we still suggest you unplug the oven after use for safety reasons.
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.
The exterior’s stainless steel finish made it very easy to clean. In addition, the interior has plenty of space, so the grease rarely reached the cooking chamber’s walls.
However, the interior doesn’t have a non-stick coating so we had to put in a little effort to clean the grease. We were also worried that grease could have splashed inside the fan cavity.
The baking pans and broiling rack are easy to clean thanks to their enamel coating. The small downside to this was that the stains that did appear stuck out like a sore thumb.
We could remove most bits that fell off our food thanks to the removable crumb tray. Plus, when the door was fully opened, its hinge left a small space where we could just sweep the remaining crumbs out.