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COMFEE Toaster Oven (CFO-BB101) vs Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)5.3/10
- Design (25%)2.9/10
- Usability (25%)4.5/10
- Performance (50%)6.3/10
- Design (25%)5.1/10
- Usability (25%)5.5/10
The Comfee Toaster Oven (CFO-BB101) and the Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices (31344DA) are two standard, small units that each have a quirk in their design. The latter costs a bit more but in return, has a slightly better overall score than the former.
The Comfee has a detachable crumb tray which usually helps with cleaning the inside. However, the Comfee’s cooking chamber is so small that the tray doesn’t help much.
The Hamilton has a roll-top door that moves out of the way while you bring food in and out as well as while you clean. It also helps save some counter space while doing so.
Other than their quirks, both toaster ovens only have two quartz heating elements and a few analog control dials. The aspect that separates them is the fact that the Hamilton has a much higher build quality than the Comfee.
The Hamilton has a thicker casing for better heat insulation. Its dials are also firmer and easier to precisely adjust than the Comfee’s.
Both toaster ovens have relatively low power outputs and no convection system. The Comfee scored higher than the Hamilton in roasting whole chicken and baking fries but lower in baking pizza. What really brought down the Comfee was its bad toast results—a test that takes up a large portion of our evaluation.
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%)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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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.
Comfee Small Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)8.0/10
- Interior (30%)1.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)2.0/10
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)2.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
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: 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: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: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: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: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 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.

- 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: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: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: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:11.0" (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 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: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: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:11.0" (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: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: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.
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 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.
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%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
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 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
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.
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 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.



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.