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COMFEE CFO-BB101 vs Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)5.3/10
- Design (25%)2.9/10
- Usability (25%)4.5/10
- Performance (50%)6.8/10
- Design (25%)6.4/10
- Usability (25%)6.2/10
The Breville BOV450XL came out on top against the COMFEE CFO-BB101 throughout all of our performance tests except for only one. These results can provide some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of each of these two small toaster ovens.
The Comfee uses 1000 W to power its two quartz heating elements. Meanwhile, the Breville supplies its four quartz heating elements at 1800 W. This could be the reason why the latter performed better in dishes that require a high temperature (> 400°F). However, we suspect the Breville’s smart heating algorithms might have caused inconsistencies in heat distribution which caused its subpar roasted chicken.
Design-wise, the Breville uses more durable material for its casing and also its accessories. It also has a non-stick interior coating for easy cleaning. While the Breville has a slide-out crumb tray, the Comfee has a detachable crumb tray.
Compared to the Comfee which has no additional features of convenience, the Breville has a number of unique features. Unfortunately, they didn’t prove to be of much use except for the temperature conversion button.
Overall, the Breville BOV450XL is the better performer with additional features and at a higher price. On the other hand, the Comfee saves more space and energy while doing the job to an acceptable degree.
COMFEE Toaster Oven (CFO-BB101) Performance
- Toast (40%)4.5/10
- Pizza (25%)5.0/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.1/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)4.7/10
- Toast (40%)7.8/10
- Pizza (25%)5.5/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.6/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)6.5/10
Toast
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: Medium
- Cooking Time: 3m 50s
- Second Batch: 3m 50s
- Convection: No
It was difficult to perform our Toast test on the Comfee as we couldn’t input the exact cooking time or toast level. This was because the timer for toast was a countdown from 10 minutes without any level or minute indicator.
Our first attempt was 4m 10s, but the toast turned too dark, especially on the bottom side. Then we tried 2m 45s, but it barely acquired any color and we figured out that 3m 30s was possibly the best choice.
However, after many attempts, we couldn’t set the timer exactly as mentioned above and had to evaluate the result of 3m 50s. This strongly affected the oven’s toast score, resulting in a 4.6/10.
After setting it at 3m 50s, the Comfee produced four slices of toast with a golden brown color on the top. However, most of the bottom surface had no color but also just a few dark areas, so it got a 6/10.
The first batch, which was slightly crispy, was passable and our head chef Tuyet Pham gave it a 5.5/10 for taste.
The fact that we couldn’t set an exact timer only worsened the results for the second batch. The top had a large burnt area, the bottom had almost no color, and the toast didn’t become crispy at all. This result made the Comfee fail the consecutive usability section of our toast test and got a 2/10.
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 4/7
- Cooking Time: 3m
- Second Batch: 2m 36s
- Convection: No
After following our Toast test procedures, we determined that this oven’s toasting level 4—3 minutes on the timer—was the best option, giving it a score of 7.9/10. At level 3, the bread was very lightly toasted and at 5 was darker than ideal and had a more uneven surface color.
At toast level 4, the Breville produced 4 pieces with mottled light golden to golden-brown color which looked quite appetizing. The color was not evenly distributed due to the oven’s lack of a convection system, though, so we gave it an 8/10.
The first batch of toast was nicely crispy outside while still soft and moist inside, deserving an 8/10 score for flavor. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined they would go well with pretty much anything including an omelet, eggs benedict, and particularly sandwiches.
Even though the oven automatically adjusted the timer to 2 minutes 36 seconds, the color of the second batch was a bit darker. Also, the second batch was crispier than the first which made it more suitable for soup.
Overall, it’s a 7.5/10 for consecutive usability. Remember to reduce the heat by one level if you want the same result. Thanks to its high wattage, this oven has the fastest cooking time for toast among the toaster ovens we’ve tested thus far.
Pizza
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 11m
- Convection: No
The Comfee wasn’t suitable for baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with a score of 5/10.
This oven took 11 minutes, which was over our time limit, to bake the pizza to a desirable outcome. Thus, it failed the cooking time section of our Pizza test.
The crust attained just a light golden color and was very soft, so it got a 6/10. There were some small bits stuck to the baking pan, but they weren’t hard to get rid of.
The toppings had uneven caramelization and were a bit dry throughout, so they scored a 6.5/10. The cheese was slightly melty, but some areas darkened a lot.
Our chef gave the pizza a 6/10 for taste.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 10m 30s
- Convection: No
The Breville oven did not agree with the 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza we tried to bake. We gave it a score of only 5.5/10.
This oven took 10m 30s to bake the pizza which was only slightly longer than the recommended 10 minutes on the label. However, 10 minutes was the time limit of our Pizza test, so it failed the cooking time section.
The crust had a nice golden color but was soft and dry—a possible consequence of the long cooking time. Therefore, we could only give it a 7/10.
The toppings were mostly dry with uneven color. Plus, the cheese wasn’t well melted, so it received a 6.5/10.
After tasting, our chef gave the pizza a 7/10.
Whole Roasted Chicken
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 20m
- Convection: No
The Comfee’s capacity barely fit a 3 lb chicken, which led to some problems during our Whole Roasted Chicken test. Overall, it left a few things to be desired and got a score of 7.1/10.
The oven took 1h 20m to cook the chicken, which was 20 minutes longer than the standard amount of time so it got a 6/10.
Even though we had to rotate the baking pan 3 times during roasting, most of the skin could only get a yellow color, similar to when it’s steamed. The only exception was the middle area, which was close to the upper heating elements and turned a golden brown color.
Nonetheless, the skin was soft so it could only get a 6.5/10. In addition, the skin on the back got stuck to the baking pan when we tried to flip the chicken.
The chicken was thoroughly cooked and the internal temperature was 183-189°F, which was only a little higher than recommended by the USDA, so we gave it a 9.1/10.
The meat was soft and juicy, so our chef gave it a 7/10 for taste.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 5m
- Convection: No
The Breville could barely fit the 3 lb chicken for our Whole Roasted Chicken test and scored a 6.9/10. The chicken grazed the safety guards that protect the upper heating elements while we were putting it in. During the roasting, quite a bit of grease splashed inside the oven and caused the heating elements to smoke a little.
The oven took 1h 5m to cook the chicken which was just 5 minutes longer than what we consider standard, so it got a 7.5/10.
After roasting, the skin had a quite even coloring although a bit too light, and remained soft. We awarded it a 7/10. In addition, the skin on the back got stuck to the baking pan during roasting.
The chicken’s internal temperature was 168-171°F which was very close to the USDA recommendation. However, there were a few pink spots near the bone, so we gave it a 7/10.
Even though the meat was juicy, the unappetizing chicken skin was enough that our chef lowered the score to 6.5/10 for taste.
Baked French Fries
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F.
- Cooking Time: 35 m
- Convection: No
Baking 12 oz of french fries wasn’t a favorable task for the Comfee; it ended up with a 4.7/10.
Even after 35 minutes, the Comfee wasn’t able to produce a notable change in the texture and color of the fries. In addition, as the time limit for our Baked French Fries test was 25 minutes, this oven failed our cooking time criterion.
The fries lacked color, so they got a 6/10. The oven basically thawed the fries without really baking them resulting in soggy fries with a score of 5.5/10. Our chef could only give the fries a 6/10 for taste.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F.
- Cooking Time: 25 m
- Convection: No
The Breville did an acceptable job of baking 12 oz of french fries, scoring a 6.5/10.
It took 25 minutes, the limit of our Baked French Fries test, so this oven got a 5/10.
Except for a few golden pieces, the fries mostly lacked color. They only deserved a score of 7/10.
The fries had a variety of textures, none of which were good. The golden fries were dry and yet only slightly crispy. Also, the ones that lacked color were really soft, so it was only a 6.5/10.
Our chef gave the fries a 7/10 for taste.
Comfee Small Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)8.0/10
- Interior (30%)1.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)2.0/10
- Exterior (20%)6.0/10
- Interior (30%)4.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)8.0/10
In the Comfee CFO-BB101 Small Toaster Oven Box
- Model: CFO-BB101
- Warranty: 1-year limited (US only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
The packaging has two foam pads to keep the oven firmly in place. However, the two accessories are simply wrapped in plastic and duct-taped to the oven. Comfee also provides a user manual with some simple recipes.
- Model: BOV450XL
- Warranty: 1-year limited
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
On the packaging were some illustrations and basic information, and the oven was couched nicely between two foam pads. Breville’s user manual explains in detail how each oven function works.
The default accessories, a baking rack and baking pan, were packaged in a fitted carton box. You can opt to buy a separate 11” pizza pan and/or a broiling rack to cover more cooking methods.
Exterior
- Weight:5.4 lbs (2.4 kg)
- Length:13.8" (35.2 cm)
- Width:11.2" (28.4 cm)
- Height:8.0" (20.3 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:White
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Detachable
The oven’s casing is painted white but also polished, so you won’t have to worry about it getting dirty easily. Besides the two back buffers that keep the oven from being pushed too close to the wall, the Comfee also features carrying handles on the sides.
What stands out to make an impression is the detachable crumb tray, similar to the Mueller MT-175. You can open it by tilting the unit slightly backward and pushing the dial on the tray towards the rear of the unit.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 13.85" x 11.18" x 8" which only had marginal differences from the manufacturer's 14.6" x 11.4" x 8".
- Weight:10.0 lbs (4.5 kg)
- Length:15.7" (40.0 cm)
- Width:14.2" (36.0 cm)
- Height:8.9" (22.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:Yes
- Crumb Tray:Slide-out
The small size didn’t stop Breville from designing a sturdy stainless steel outer shell. The shape of the back buffers makes it easy to wrap the power cord around them once things have cooled.
Also, the tray-level indicators on the glass door and the slide-out crumb tray are always nice touches. However, the oven’s exterior doesn’t provide good grip points to carry the oven.
We measured the oven’s footprint to be 15.74" x 14.17" x 8.86" which was slightly different in terms of height from the manufacturer’s 16.1" x 14.2" x 10.4".
Control Panel
- Type:2 control knobs
- Temperature:150°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 Comfee simply has two control knobs: one for temperature and the other for time. Even though the timer is set only from 1 minute to 30 minutes, it has a stay-on position.
- Type:LCD display + 1 control dial + 8 buttons
- Temperature:120°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 2 hours
- Indicator Light:No
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:Yes
- Audio Cues:No
The control panel consists of 1 control knob for 8 functions and 4 buttons to set the time, temperature, and/or toasting mode. The digital display and the Start/Cancel button both shine blue when the oven’s plugged in and red when it’s cooking.
Beyond the standard stuff, you’ll find 3 unique buttons: Temperature Conversion (°F-°C), Frozen Foods, and A Bit More. The latter adds a specific amount of time depending on the cooking function.
The LCD screen will display ‘E01’ or ‘E02’ when there is a non-resettable issue with the appliance. When this happens, immediately unplug the cord from the wall outlet and call the Breville Customer Service Center.
The ‘E03’ shows up when the oven temperature exceeds its design limit. Should this occur, unplug your oven, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then plug it back in.
The ‘E04’ appears when the room temperature is below the set minimum. If this happens, unplug the oven and move it to a warmer area.
Cooking Functions Comfee CFO-BB101 Toaster Oven
- Toast
- Bake
- Broil
If you know your way around the kitchen, the bake and broil functions will be all you need.
- Toast (7 levels, 4 slices maximum)
- Bagel (7 levels, 4 slices maximum)
- Bake (1h 30m maximum)
- Broil (High and Low levels, 20 minutes maximum)
- Pizza (55 minutes maximum)
- Roast (1h 30m maximum)
- Cookies (55 minutes maximum)
- Reheat (370°F maximum)
For safety reasons, all cooking functions have a predetermined timer limit after which the oven stops cooking. If you want to continue cooking, simply operate the oven in standard mode. The High setting of the Broil function does the job faster than Low and you’ll need to experiment with it to learn how quickly it cooks.
Interior
- Heating Elements:2 quartz
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:2
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The CFO-BB101 uses 2 quartz heating elements which use infrared light to cook. Each one has its own safety guard to prevent direct contact with baking pans and trays.
Compared to the more common nichrome heating elements, the quartz heating elements produce more heat and cool down faster. They’re also easier to clean and more energy-efficient. However, they are not as durable and will suffer from permanent stains if grease splashes onto them while cooking.
Similar to most small toaster ovens, the oven doesn’t have internal lighting or a convection system and it only has two tray levels. In addition, while it’s common for units this size to have two heating elements, we usually found a less even heat distribution compared to units with four or more heating elements.
- Heating Elements:4 quartz
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:3
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The Breville’s interior has a non-stick coating, 4 heating elements, and 3 tray levels (quite rare for its size). However, it has no internal lighting or convection system.
The oven uses 4 quartz heating elements, each with its own safety guard to prevent direct contact with baking pans and food. Unlike the more common nichrome style, these don’t heat the air in the oven, but rather radiate the infrared heat directly to the food or pan.
Overall, they produce more heat and cool down faster than nichrome. In addition, they’re easier to clean and are more energy-efficient but not as durable. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.
Capacity
- Length:10.2" (25.8 cm)
- Width:9.6" (24.5 cm)
- Height:6.9" (17.5 cm)
Although compact, the Comfee has enough capacity for 4 slices of toast, a 9-inch pizza, and barely enough for a 3 lb chicken. We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 11 liters which was slightly different from the manufacturer’s provided 10 liters. However, it could just be a difference in measuring standards.
- Length:11.5" (29.2 cm)
- Width:11.0" (27.9 cm)
- Height:6.7" (17.0 cm)
The BOV450XL had enough space for four slices of toast, an 11-inch pizza, or barely a 3 lb whole chicken.
We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be 13.86 liters compared to the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 12.74 liters. However, it could just be because we measured from the cooking chamber’s walls to walls whereas the manufacturer stopped before reaching the heating elements.
Power Cord of the Comfee Small Toaster Oven
- Length:26.4" (67.0 cm)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Power:1000 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 26.37"—enough length for household use. However, the back buffers aren’t designed to wrap the cord around, unlike many other toaster ovens.
- Length:40.9" (104.0 cm)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1800 W
- Rated Output:110 V - 120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 40.94"—plenty of length for household use—and can be wrapped around the back buffers for storage. The plug also has a nice little handle which makes it easier to grab.
Accessories
- Length:10.2" (25.8 cm)
- Width:8.3" (21.0 cm)
- Height:0.4" (1.1 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rack fits perfectly with the guide, which helps prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.
- Length:11.5" (29.2 cm)
- Width:10.3" (26.3 cm)
- Height:0.3" (0.7 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rack fits perfectly on the guide rails, which helps prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.
Accessories
- Length:10.2" (25.8 cm)
- Width:7.9" (20.0 cm)
- Height:0.7" (1.7 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan has ridges and grooves which can give your food attractive roasting marks and catch the dripping better. However, its coating isn’t completely non-stick, so it may be prone to some stubborn stains after a hefty roast.
- Length:10.6" (27.0 cm)
- Width:10.6" (27.0 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel with enamel coating
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
Although the baking pan is a bit smaller than the rack, it still has more than enough space for a 3 lb chicken. Thus, it keeps most of the mess off the heating elements.
However, even with the enamel coating, the chicken skin still stuck to the pan during our roasting test. Also worth noting is that the dishwasher can damage this coating.
Build Quality
Being a compact product, it’s understandable that the Comfee doesn’t have as many design features as bigger toaster ovens. Even though the price of this product is quite reasonable, it doesn’t have a very sturdy build. In addition, the door can open if you tilt the oven.
The Breville is well-constructed and durable with a high power rating of 1800 W. All of its parts fit nicely and work smoothly, especially the LCD display and the buttons.
Thanks to the good insulation of the casing, the oven gets hot to the touch only after cooking for a long period of time at high heat.
Comfee CFO-BB101 Small Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)5.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)4.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)5.0/10
- User Control (30%)8.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)4.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
User Control
Even though the Comfee has only two simple control knobs for time and temperature, there are a few things to keep in mind. For the timer knob, when setting it to less than 5 minutes, always rotate past 5 minutes (Med) and then rotate back to the desired time.
For the temperature knob, both the heating elements function when the oven is set from 150°F to 450°F. On Bake, only the bottom element functions, and the oven’s internal temperature is maintained at approximately 400°F-425°F. On Broil, only the top element functions, and the temperature stays steady at approximately 425°F-450°F.
The other problem relates to time and temperature, both of which cannot be adjusted precisely. Nonetheless, you can get used to adjusting time and temperature on this oven after a few times. You can also use an oven thermometer and an external timer to help with this.
The Temperature Conversion button is a nice touch for international users. The cooking time can be adjusted in increments of 1 minute and the temperature in increments of 5°F. For some reason, this differs from what the user manual states.
The manual says that the FROZEN FOODS button adds the right amount of additional time needed to defrost the target foods in the Toast, Bagel, Pizza, Cookies, and Bake functions. However, we didn’t find it very useful since cooking time depends heavily on the food quantity and personal preference.
The A BIT MORE button, where each press adds a pre-set amount of time to each function, has a similar problem. It only seemed useful when the oven was still cold and we wanted to skip the preheating phase.
Ease of Use
With two control knobs, it’s very simple to adjust time and temperature during cooking. When the timer runs out, a bell will sound and the oven will shut off. The oven does not have a digital display, so you can freely leave it plugged in and not worry about power consumption.
It’s easy to keep the door partially open to let food cool down, but keep in mind that this doesn’t stop the cooking. Also, be careful as the oven’s exterior gets hot to the touch quite quickly.
The Breville has an automatic preheating phase that lasts 1m 45s. Our tests saw it reaching around 180°F in that time. The temperature alert will sound when the oven reaches your selected temperature. Then, it will sound three times at the end of the cooking cycle.
It’s very easy to adjust cooking settings during use, especially compared to an analog unit like the Mueller MT-175. However, even though this oven doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, the door won’t stay partially open – it’s all or nothing.
According to the manufacturer, the Element iQ System’s smart algorithms focus power where and when it’s most needed, creating ideal cooking conditions every time. However, we didn’t notice a significant difference in performance when comparing it to other ovens of the same size/wattage.
If it’s not actively cooking, the oven will go into STANDBY mode after 10 minutes with no interaction. Although unplugging the oven resets your customized setting, Breville recommends doing so anyway after you finish using it.
Cleanability
We cleaned the Comfee following our toaster oven cleaning guide without much problem. Thanks to the detachable crumb tray, not only were we able to remove the crumbs, we also had better access to clean the oven’s interior.
However, some of the crumbs got stuck inside the bottom heating element’s guard. As for the baking pan, without a good coating, it got a slight discoloration after our Whole Roasted Chicken test.
We cleaned the Breville in accordance with our toaster oven cleaning guide. Thanks to the stainless steel exterior and non-stick interior, it was very easy to clean. Removing crumbs was also easy thanks to the slide-out crumb tray, although we still had to tilt the oven to get the last of them out.
The upper heating elements got stained by smoke from splattered grease during our roasted chicken test. Fortunately, we had no problem removing the stains by brushing the elements with a paste of baking soda and water. We were also able to easily scrub the burnt chicken skin off of the baking pan.