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Hamilton Beach 31401 Countertop vs Oster French Door Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison

Alan Nguyen
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated

Hamilton Beach 31401 Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker

Oster French Door Toaster Oven

Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 19, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 3, 2023
The front of a closed stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven on a white background.
The front of a closed Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven. The control panel is positioned vertically on the right. Inside the oven are a shining light, two baking racks, and one baking pan.

Our Verdict

4.6
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    5.1/10
  • Design (25%)
    3.6/10
  • Usability (25%)
    4.6/10
6.5
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    6.4/10
  • Design (25%)
    6.7/10
  • Usability (25%)
    6.4/10

Between the Hamilton Beach 31401 Countertop Toaster Oven and the Oster French Door Toaster Oven (TSSTTVFDDG), the latter is the winner. The second one is extra large while the first one is small, but that’s not the reason why the second one has a higher overall score.

Similar to many other small toaster oven, the Hamilton has only the standard features, such as two quartz heating elements and analog control dials. Consequently, it had lower scores than the Oster in the design and usability departments.

The Oster's digital display and controls are not particularly informative or responsive. Nonetheless, it’s more useful than the control panel of the Hamilton.

The Oster has a convection system and a higher power output, allowing it to be better at toasting bread, baking pizza, and roasting whole chickens. Unfortunately, its capacity is too large for its own good and thus, hindered its ability to bake frozen fries. To the same degree, the Hamilton’s low power output made it fail to properly bake the fries within our time limit.

Good for Toast Only

Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Toaster Oven Performance

Oster French Door Toaster Oven Performance: Medium Heat Only
5.1
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)7.7/10
  • Pizza (25%)5.5/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)1.0/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)4.0/10
6.4
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)6.0/10
  • Pizza (25%)6.3/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)8.1/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)4.1/10
7.7

Toast

6.0
From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for the top and bottom of three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker.
On the left: 2m 30s; In the middle: 4m 15s; On the right: 5m 55s
From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for the top and bottom of three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker.
The top and bottom of the best four pieces of toast from the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven.
On the left are the top and bottom of four pieces of toast from the first batch, and on the right are from the second batch.
Taste: 8
50% * 8 = 4.0
Even Surface Color: 7.5
20% * 7.5 = 1.5
Consecutive Usability: 7.3
30% * 7.3 = 2.2
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: Medium
  • Cooking Time: 4m 15s
  • Second Batch: 4m 15s
  • Convection: No

With our Toast test, we determined the best option was right at the position of the Toast icon—around 4 minutes 15 seconds on the timer, scoring a 7.7/10. Turning the knob halfway down would result in no color and turning it halfway up nearly burnt the toast.

With 4m 15s, the Hamilton Beach produced 4 pieces with a light golden brown color on the top and golden on the bottom. Although that was great, the top and the bottom were quite different and they were both only about 80% even throughout. Thus, we gave it a 7.5/10.

The first batch of toast had a nice balance of crispiness on the outside and softness on the inside, deserving an 8/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined it would go well with pretty much everything including eggs benedict, omelet, and especially sandwiches. It wasn’t as suitable for soup but the second batch was.

The second batch got crispier and more even in color. However, it also became browner so we gave it a 7.3/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to only turn the knob to ¾ to Medium—around 3 minutes 40 seconds.

Oster French Door Toaster Oven Toast Test
From left to right, 24 pieces of toast for three toast levels including lighter, medium, and darker. On the upper row are the top sides, and on the lower row are the bottom sides of the toast.
The best four pieces of toast from the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven. On the left are the top sides, and on the right are the bottom sides of the toast.
On the left are four pieces of toast from the first batch, and on the right are from the second batch. On the upper row are the top sides, and on the lower row are the bottom sides.
Taste: 6
50% * 6 = 3.0
Even Surface Color: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Consecutive Usability: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: 4/6
  • Cooking Time: 7m 25s
  • Second Batch: 5m 31s
  • Convection: No

We began our Toast test on the Oster with the default toast level 4 and got pretty good results right off the bat. For good measure, we continued to try the toast level 3, which failed to color evenly within the stipulated time.

We then tried level 5 only to end up with burnt toast and not the expected deep brown shade. Regretfully, while level 4 was the best toast level, it didn’t score high on our benchmark scale—only 6/10.

On this setting—7 minutes 25 seconds on the timer—the four pieces of bread on the upper tray were toasted to a nice golden brown color. However, the color became dark towards the edges, especially where the bread was less dense.

Additionally, a large portion of the bottom right piece of toast was significantly lighter, possibly indicating a cold spot in the cooking chamber. With such unevenness, we could only score the surface color a 6/10 despite the overall golden brown hue.

Moreover, due to the lengthy toasting time, the toast became very crispy but dry on the inside. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, said this crispiness would be great for eggs benedict and especially soup, but maybe not omelets and sandwiches. Unfortunately, the dark edges produced a bitter taste, preventing it from getting higher than a 6/10 from our chef.

We toasted the second batch of four slices immediately after the first. We chose level 4 again whereupon the oven automatically calibrated the timer to 5 minutes 31 seconds.

Since the oven was already hot, the aforementioned cold spot became less apparent. The toast was not as crispy nor dry as the first batch, which made it more suitable for sandwiches and omelets.

However, the burnt edges were still a problem, so the oven received one final 6/10 for consecutive usability. If you want better results for the second batch, we recommend decreasing the toast level by one.

5.5

Pizza

6.3
A toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top inside a baking pan.
A toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top inside a baking pan.
The cross surface of a slice of toast oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers.
Two hands break apart a slice of pizza with melty cheese, meat, and green bell peppers on top baked using a toaster oven.
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Crust: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Toppings: 7.5
30% * 7.5 = 2.3
Taste: 7
30% * 7 = 2.1
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature:  450°F
  • Cooking Time: 10m 30s
  • Convection:  No

The Hamilton didn’t perform well in baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza scoring a 5.6/10.

Compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label, the oven took only a tad bit longer at 10m 30s. However, this meant that it failed the cooking time criterion with 10 minutes being the time limit for our Pizza test.

For the most part, the crust didn’t have a good toasted coloring and was soft so it got a 6/10. The toppings had pretty good caramelization but some darkened areas of the cheese lowered the score to 7.5/10. After tasting the pizza, our chef gave it a 7/10.

Oster French Door Toaster Oven Pizza Test
A toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top. The pizza is inside a grooved silver baking pan on a white background.
Two slices of toaster oven baked pizza on top of one another. It’s a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top. The pizza is inside a grooved silver baking pan.
On a white background, two hands break apart a slice of baked pizza using a toaster oven with cheese, meat, and green bell peppers on top.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Crust: 5.5
20% * 5.5 = 1.1
Toppings: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
Taste: 5.5
30% * 5.5 = 1.6
  • Function: Turbo Convection
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 6m
  • Convection: Yes

For this pizza test, we didn’t choose the oven’s 400°F pizza preset because it didn’t match our Pizza test requirement of 450°F. Instead, we chose Turbo Convection as a suitable setting for baking pizza. Nonetheless, the results were not so favorable scoring only 6.4/10 on our testing scale.

We were, however, impressed that the oven only took 9 minutes to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza placed on the upper rack level. According to our accumulated data on average toaster oven performance, this deserved a 9/10.

Unfortunately, the oven lacks the high-intensity heating capability needed to crisp a crust effectively in such a short period of time, which the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS has. Consequently, parts of the crust bottom stuck to the grooves of the baking tray and the surface had a light golden color - so the score was only 5.5/10.

We had to stop baking because some of the meat and parts of the cheese started charring. It was a shame that the cheese didn’t completely melt before this, so we could only give the toppings a 6/10.

We were able to prevent the toppings from burning and the potential bitter taste. However, the crust and the topping weren’t good enough for the taste of the pizza to get a score higher than 5.5/10 from our chef.

1.0

Whole Roasted Chicken

8.1
A whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31401 Toaster Oven on a baking rack and baking pan on a white background.
A whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31401 Toaster Oven on a baking rack and baking pan on a white background.
A tray of whole toaster oven roasted chicken. The thermometer has two probes inside the chicken and both display 176°F.
Seven pieces of a carved chicken including a carcass, two breasts, two wings, and two thighs on a silver baking pan.
The chicken thigh meat is still pink. In the white background is the rest of the roasted chicken on a baking pan.
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Skin: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Doneness: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Taste: 0
40% * 0 = 0.0
  • Function: Rotisserie
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 1h 30m
  • Convection: No

This was one of the rare occasions where an oven failed the entirety of our Whole Roasted Chicken test. Our speculations concerned the instability of the heating elements and the fact that the chicken grazed the upper safeguard during cooking.

After 1h 30m—our time limit, the oven wasn’t able to roast the chicken to a desirable outcome and failed the first criterion. After roasting, the skin had no noticeable caramelization and barely enough for a 5/10.

The chicken reached an internal temperature of 176°F which was quite good. However, the meat itself was undercooked and still pink in a lot of areas. Thus, it was another failure. Due to the meat being undercooked, our chef couldn’t taste it to give a score.

Oster French Door Toaster Whole Roasted Chicken Test
A whole roasted chicken using a toaster oven on a white background. The chicken is belly up on a baking rack with a silver baking pan below.
A whole chicken roasted using a toaster oven on a baking rack with a silver baking pan below. The thermometer displays the same temperature of 181°F from two probes inserted into the right and left thighs of the chicken.
The roasted chicken is carved into ten pieces on a baking rack with a silver baking pan below. There are three pieces of the carcass, two wings, two thighs, two breast pieces, one drumstick, and two fallen leg bones.
Two hands pulling apart a juicy chicken thigh roasted in a toaster oven. In the white background is the rest of the roasted chicken on a baking rack with a silver baking pan below.
Cooking Time: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Skin: 7.5
20% * 7.5 = 1.5
Doneness: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Taste: 8
40% * 8 = 3.2
  • Function: Turbo Convection
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 1h 10m
  • Convection: Yes

The spacious interior of the Oster seemed a key factor in our Whole Roasted Chicken test, scoring an impressive 8.1/10. We placed a 3 lb chicken belly-up on the upper rack level and flipped it after the first 40 minutes.

After 1 hour and 10 minutes, the skin reached an acceptable roasted color scoring a 7/10 for cooking time. Our chef surmised that further roasting wouldn’t result in better skin caramelization. Thus, we stopped roasting to avoid overcooking the meat and inadvertently lowering the total score.

The skin had an appetizing golden color, except for the sides of the two drumsticks which were a little lighter in color. Compared to other benchmark tests, the skin only crisped slightly indicating the heating elements and convection system to be less than ideal/top-of-the-range. The results were good, enough for a 7.5/10.

In conclusion, the oven maintained an ideal temperature long enough to evenly cook an entire chicken throughout. We measured the internal temperature of the chicken and it was 181°F. This was very surprising and almost spot-on with the recommended 165°F - 180°F by the USDA—thus earning a whopping 9.8/10 for doneness.

Interestingly, the meat came out so tender that the bone simply fell off as we tried to carve the chicken. If the skin was crispier, the chicken would have received a higher than 8/10 for taste.

4.0

Baked French Fries

4.1
Pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31401 Toaster Oven on a silver baking pan on a white background.
Pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31401 Toaster Oven on a silver baking pan on a white background.
A close-up of pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31401 Oven on a silver baking pan on a white background.
Six pieces of broken-up baked french fries are stacked on top of pieces of whole fries on a silver baking pan.
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Color: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Texture: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Taste: 5
40% * 5 = 2.0
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 400°F
  • Cooking Time: 30 m
  • Convection: No

The Hamilton Beach wasn’t suitable for baking 12 oz of french fries scoring only a 4/10.

There were no noticeable changes to the fries after 30 minutes of baking in this oven. Due to our time limit of 25 minutes, this constituted a failure in the cooking time section of our Baked French Fries test.

There was no change in the fries’ color so they received a 5/10. The oven basically thawed and heated the fries so they were very soggy scoring another 5/10. Our chef could only give the fries a minimal score of 5/10 for taste.

Oster French Door Toaster Baked French Fries Test
Pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven inside a silver grooved baking pan on a white background.
A closeup of pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven inside a silver grooved baking pan.
Pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven. Eight pieces of broken-up fries are stacked on top of pieces of whole fries inside a silver grooved baking pan.
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Color: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Texture: 5.5
20% * 5.5 = 1.1
Taste: 5
40% * 5 = 2.0
  • Function: Turbo Convection
  • Temperature: 400°F
  • Cooking Time: 30 m
  • Convection: Yes

For our Baked French Fries test, the Oster was disappointing, scoring only 4.1/10. Our reasoning was the poor size ratio of the cooking chamber to the oven’s power output. The oven wasn’t able to maintain a high enough temperature for baking frozen fries, as opposed to the Ninja DT201.

After 30 minutes the fries showed no significant change in color—where the test time limit was 25 minutes! Therefore, we had no choice but to stop baking and give the fries a 0/10 for cooking time.

Most fries had a pale color as if they were air-dried instead of air-fried. Some small pieces had a light golden color, but that wasn’t enough to score higher than 5/10.

Texture-wise, the fries were soft but dry on the outside, barely enough for a 5.5/10. All things considered, the only silver lining was that the fries were cooked, so our chef gave them a 5/10 for taste.

No Stand-Out Features

Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel Toaster Oven Design

Oster XL French Door Countertop Toaster Oven Design Review: Aesthetic Only
3.6
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)4.0/10
  • Interior (30%)1.0/10
  • Build Quality (50%)5.0/10
6.7
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)8.0/10
  • Interior (30%)7.0/10
  • Build Quality (50%)6.0/10

In the Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven Box

In the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Double-Door Convection Toaster Oven Box
An oven rack, a user manual, the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven, a box, and a baking pan.
  • Model: 31401
  • Warranty: 1-year limited in the US and 5-year limited in Canada
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan
  • Removable Crumb Tray

Inside the packaging are the Hamilton Beach oven, a baking rack, a baking pan, a removable crumb tray, and a simple user manual.

Top to bottom and left to right are a blue box, the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven, one baking rack, one baking rack with supports, a user manual, and a silver grooved baking pan on a white background.
  • Model: TSSTTVFDDG
  • Warranty: 1 year (US and Canada only)
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack x 2
  • Baking Pan
  • Removable Crumb Tray

The Oster TSSTTVFDDG arrived boxed between two styrofoam brackets. The four accessories were packaged inside carton boxes and taped to the oven. While the box only has some basic information,  a complete user manual was inside.

4.0

Exterior

8.0
A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
The front of a closed Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven has a control panel and the right has holes.
The back and left sides of the Hamilton Beach 31401 have air ventilation holes. The back has a power cord and one buffer.
The top of the stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
On a grey background, the bottom of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven has four stands and holes.
  • Weight:
    5.4 lbs (2.4 kg)
  • Length:
    15.0" (38.0 cm)
  • Width:
    12.2" (31.0 cm)
  • Height:
    8.5" (21.6 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    No
  • Crumb Tray:
    Removable

The Hamilton Beach has a stainless steel exterior, a back buffer to prevent the oven from being too close to the wall, and a cool-touch door handle. However, the back buffer isn’t designed to wrap the power cord around, unlike many other toaster ovens.

An closed front of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background. The exterior is 16.75 inches long, 21.53 inches wide, and 12.79 inches high.
An closed front of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background. The exterior is 16.75 inches long, 21.53 inches wide, and 12.79 inches high.
The front and the right sides of a closed Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background. The control panel is in the front. The right side has air ventilation holes.
On a white background, the back and the left sides of a closed stainless steel Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven both have air ventilation holes. The back side has a black buffer.
On a white background, the top and the right sides of a closed stainless steel Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven both have air ventilation holes. The control panel is in the front.
On a white background, the bottom of a closed stainless steel Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven has four base stands and ventilation holes. The control panel is in the front.
  • Weight:
    16.8 lbs (7.6 kg)
  • Length:
    21.5" (54.7 cm)
  • Width:
    20.0" (50.7 cm)
  • Height:
    12.8" (32.5 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    Cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    No
  • Crumb Tray:
    Removable

Considering the Oster’s large size, ventilation slats on all sides are a big plus. (+3). At first glance, the most stand-out feature was the tempered glass french door with cool-touch door handles (+3).

It has a rear buffer to maintain a cool distance from the wall, but we thought it could be greater(+2). Additionally, while the oven’s leg stoppers are sturdy, they are rather small.

Our measurements of the oven’s footprints were 21.53" x 19.96" x 12.79" which matched closely with the manufacturer’s 22" x 19.5" x 13". On a side note, we weighed the oven and it was 16.75 lbs while the manufacturer stated the entire package to be 13.87 lbs.

Control Panel

The control panel of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven has 3 control knobs for temperature, function, and timer.
  • Type:
    3 control knobs
  • Temperature:
    100°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 Beach has three simple control knobs for Temperature, Function, and Timer. Even though the timer is only from 1 minute to 30 minutes, it has a stay-on position. 1 minute to 30 minutes, it has a stay-on position.

The control panel of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven has an LCD and 15 flat buttons for Toast, Bake, Broil, Turbo Convection, Pizza, Warm, Defrost, Dehydrate, Timer, Temp, Clock, Stop/Cancel, and Start.
  • Type:
    LCD + 15 buttons
  • Temperature:
    150°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 minute - 6 hours
  • Indicator Light:
    No
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    No
  • Convection Toggle:
    No
  • Rotation Toggle:
    No
  • Automatic Preheat:
    Yes
  • Audio Cues:
    No

The Oster has an LCD and 15 flat buttons including 8 for functions, 2 for timer adjustment, 2 for temperature adjustment, a Clock button, a Stop/Cancel button, and a Start button. The oven has an automatic interior light with no toggle button.

Cooking Functions of the Hamilton Beach 31401 Toaster Oven

Cooking Functions of the Oster XL Digital Convection Toaster Oven
The function knob of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven has 3 cooking functions including Broil, Toast, and Bake.
  • Toast
  • Bake
  • Broil

If you know your way around the kitchen, the bake and broil functions will be all you need. The temperature knob has a Min setting which can act as Keep Warm and maintain the oven at around 100°F.

The eight cooking functions of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven are in the center of the control panel. They include Toast, Bake, Broil, Turbo Convection, Pizza, Warm, Defrost, and Dehydrate. The oven’s right side has air ventilation holes.
  • Toast (level 1-6)
  • Bake (150°F-450°F)
  • Turbo Convection (150°F-450°F)
  • Broil (450°F)
  • Pizza (400°F)
  • Warm (150°F)
  • Defrost (150°F)
  • Dehydrate (150°F)

The Oster has eight cooking functions including Toast, Bake, Broil, Pizza, Warm, Defrost, Dehydrate, and Turbo Convection. Despite the name, Turbo Convection is basically Convection Bake—meaning this oven only has one convection level.

The standard Bake function and ‘Turbo’ Convection operate in the oven’s maximum temperature range, between 150°F to 450°F. The Toast function has 6 preset levels from Light to Dark, Meanwhile, the Pizza function is set to 400°F and Broil to 450°F—meaning neither can be adjusted.

The user manual recommends not to preheat the oven when using Defrost and Dehydrate. These two functions are set to 150°F—the lowest possible temperature —and cannot be adjusted. However, 150°F is a bit high compared to common dehydrators which operate at around 100°F.

For some reason, we couldn’t find the set temperature for Warm in the manual, but we measured the temperature to be 150°F.

1.0

Interior

7.0
The Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guards and 2 guide rails.
The Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guards and 2 guide rails.
The bottom quartz heating element with guard and 2 rails on the left wall of the Hamilton Beach 31401’s cooking chamber.
  • Heating Elements:
    2 quartz
  • Convection Fan:
    No
  • Lighting:
    No
  • Tray Levels:
    2
  • Rotisserie:
    No
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The 31401 has 2 quartz heating elements that cook food using infrared light. To avoid direct contact with baking pans and trays, each one has its own safety guard.

Compared to the more common nichrome heating elements, they produce more heat and cool down faster. In addition, they’re easier to clean and more energy-efficient but not as durable. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

Nonetheless, the oven suffers from a lack of internal lighting and a convection system, similar to most small units like the Mueller MT-175. Moreover, having only two heating elements may not distribute heat evenly as having four.

The cooking chamber of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven has one nichrome heating element on top and two on the bottom, two rack levels, a shining light, and a fan cavity on the right wall.
The cooking chamber of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven has one nichrome heating element on top and two on the bottom, two rack levels, a shining light, and a fan cavity on the right wall.
The cooking chamber of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG Toaster Oven has one bent nichrome heating element on top and two straight ones on the bottom, two rack levels, a light, and a fan cavity on the right wall.
Two assembled guide rails on the right side of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber. A fan cavity is in between the two rails.
  • Heating Elements:
    3 nichrome
  • Convection Fan:
    Yes
  • Lighting:
    Yes
  • Tray Levels:
    2
  • Rotisserie:
    No
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The Oster uses three nichrome heating elements with an unusual looped design for the upper heating element (+3). Most similar large-capacity ovens we have examined have four upper heating elements, two bottom heating elements, and a combined power draw of 1800 W.

However, the Oster has only one upper heating element which bends across and around the cooking chamber’s ceiling to cover the same area as would four. Since the power draw is divided equally between working heating elements, we speculated this design choice was to accommodate the oven’s lower power draw of 1500 W.

The TSSTTVFDDG claims to have ‘easy clean interior walls’. While they are not grease-proof, our cleaning test showed that the oven was, indeed, easy to clean (+1).

The convection fan is situated on the right side of the cooking chamber (+2). While the oven has an interior light, it’s fully automatic with no manual operation (+2).

Having only two rack levels, the oven doesn’t really require guides on the glass door (-1). The manual recommends using the upper rack position for toast and pizza, and the lower one for other foods. It’s worth noting that the rack guide rails are assembled parts and not hollowed out of the cooking chamber’s walls like many other toaster ovens.

The baking rack should not be slid into the lower rack slot with the baking tray attached to the bottom. This will result in direct contact with the bottom heating elements.

Capacity

Capacity of the Oster Double Door Oven
An opened front of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven with interior measurements on a white background.
  • Length:
    10.9" (27.8 cm)
  • Width:
    9.4" (24.0 cm)
  • Height:
    7.1" (18.0 cm)

The Hamilton Beach, with only two tray levels, can accommodate 4 slices of toast, a 9-inch pizza, or barely a 3 lb chicken. We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be roughly 12 liters which coincided with the manufacturer’s stated capacity.

An opened front of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background. The cooking chamber is 15.75 inches long, 16.53 inches wide, and 10.04 inches high.
  • Length:
    15.8" (40.0 cm)
  • Width:
    16.5" (42.0 cm)
  • Height:
    10.0" (25.5 cm)

According to the manufacturer, the TSSTTVFDDG can take 14 slices of toast and two 16-inch pizzas on its two racks. However, our hands-on testing proved it fits only 12 slices (6 per rack, each requiring at least 4.5 x 4.5 inches of space)  or a 15-inch pizza. While it wasn’t clear what the maximum size for a whole chicken was, our tests indicated plenty of room for a 3 lb bird.

The manufacturer doesn’t state the interior capacity, but we measured the cooking chamber volume to be around 42.83 liters—our biggest number to date. However, we felt only two rack slots didn’t do justice to the oven’s capacity.

Power Cord of the Hamilton Beach 31401 Countertop Toaster Oven

Power Cord
A two-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven.
  • Length:
    29.9" (76.0 cm)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Power:
    1200 W
  • Rated Output:
    120 V ~ 60 Hz

The power cord is long enough for household use.

A two-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven.
  • Length:
    25.8" (65.5 cm)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Power:
    1500 W
  • Rated Output:
    120 V ~ 60 Hz

The power cord is 25.79" long which is enough for household use. However, it could be a bit longer since a toaster oven as large as the Oster requires at least 5 inches of clear space on all sides. The oven doesn’t have storage space for the cord like some ovens do.

Baking Rack

Accessories

Baking Rack x 2
A stainless steel baking rack of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
A stainless steel baking rack of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
Some burnt bits on the stainless steel baking rack of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    10.9" (27.8 cm)
  • Width:
    8.8" (22.3 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.3 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. Unfortunately, by burning a batch of toast, we left some extremely stubborn burnt bits on some rods.

A stainless steel baking rack with two supports below of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background.
A stainless steel baking rack with two supports below of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background.
A stainless steel baking rack of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    15.7" (39.8 cm)
  • Width:
    16.1" (41.0 cm)
  • Height:
    0.7" (1.8 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The Oster has two slightly different baking racks. One is the standard rack type, while the other has two supports below to slide the baking pan under.

Baking Pan

Accessories

Baking Pan
A silver baking pan of the stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
A silver baking pan of the stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
Permanent stains on the silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.Permanent stains on the silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    9.3" (23.5 cm)
  • Width:
    8.1" (20.5 cm)
  • Height:
    0.7" (1.8 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The baking pan rests on the supports of the baking rack to catch any drippings and meat juice, preventing any mess and the risk of fire from dirty heating elements. However, it doesn’t have a good coating and sustained permanent stains after our Baked French Fries and Whole Roasted Chicken test.

A silver baking pan of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    14.13
  • Width:
    11.8" (30.0 cm)
  • Height:
    1.1" (2.9 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Not advisable

The baking pan has ridges and grooves for creating attractive roast markings and catching drippings. It also has wide edges for a firm fit on the baking rack supports, unlike some other designs we’ve seen.

However, it’s not big enough to fit into the rack rail guides and can only go on top of a rack or attached beneath. This means it doesn’t make full use of the oven’s capacity. In addition, the tray is coated, but not completely non-stick so prone to stubborn stains.

Removable Crumb Tray

Accessories

Removable Crumb Tray
A removable crumb tray of the stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    10.9" (27.8 cm)
  • Width:
    8.1" (20.5 cm)
  • Height:
    0.8" (2.0 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Not advisable

Without a tray, falling crumbs are quite a hassle to clean up. However, some can still fall to the bottom of the oven as you remove the tray.

A stainless steel removable crumb tray of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • Length:
    15.7" (39.8 cm)
  • Width:
    12.5" (31.8 cm)
  • Height:
    0.8" (1.9 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Not advisable

A crumb tray is always a useful accessory to clean up pesky debris, especially with a large toaster oven like the Oster. Look out for crumbs falling onto the oven floor as you take out the tray. It’s quite a hassle to tilt the oven to get them out.

5.0

Build Quality

6.0
The front of an opened Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven with a silver baking pan and a stainless steel oven rack.

The Hamilton uses durable material but its construction isn’t very sturdy. Even though the control knobs turned smoothly, they felt a bit loose.

An opened Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Toaster Oven on a white background. Inside the cooking chamber, from the bottom up are one removable crumb tray, one baking rack, and one baking pan under another baking rack.

The TSSTTVFDDG is light for its size and has a graspable rectangular shape making it easy to carry or position on a counter (+2). It also has a sturdy build and durable stainless steel casing (+4). The LCD is black while the numbers are yellow and the settings are red, making everything easy to see (+1).

Unfortunately,  we found that the flat buttons often required some force to register (-1). Moreover, the door hinge could be firmer thus preventing the door from slamming shut.

Not Much Offered

Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven Usability Review

Oster TSSTTVFDDG Digital French Door Toaster Oven Usability: Could Be Improved
4.6
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)7.0/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)3.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)5.0/10
6.4
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)8.0/10
  • Oster French Door Toaster Oven Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)7.5/10
7.0

User Control

8.0

Even though the Hamilton Beach only has three simple control knobs, 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.

It’s also tricky to precisely adjust time and temperature but we didn’t find this to be an issue. You can use an oven thermometer and an external timer to get familiar before eye-balling it.

The Oster’s controls are easy to understand since what you see is what you get (+2). Therefore, the LCD doesn’t provide any extra information but it’s easy to read (+2).

The buttons have only a single function and are easy to tell apart(+2). Although the manual says you can press the Stop/Cancel button twice to turn off the oven, we weren’t able to do so (-1).

The temperature can be adjusted in increments of 5°F and the timer runs from one minute to six hours, which is quite impressive (+1). Time can be adjusted in increments of 1 minute up to  2 hours and in increments of 0.5 hours above 2 hours (+1).

To set up the clock, press the clock button once and the clock will flash. Then, use the arrow keys to set the hour and press the clock button again to likewise set the minutes. Finally, push the clock button or the start button to set the time (+1).

3.0

Ease of Use

Oster French Door Toaster Oven Ease of Use

With three control knobs, it’s very simple to readjust cooking settings. The cooking cycle finishes when the timer reaches 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.

It’s easy to keep the door partially open to let food cool down but be careful as the oven’s exterior gets hot to the touch quite quickly. However, opening the door doesn’t stop the oven, unlike some others.

As you select a function, the corresponding icons will illuminate in the LCD screen. The TSSTTVFDDG has an automatic preheat phase which is only applicable for the Bake and Turbo Convection Bake functions (+1).

After setting the time and temperature, you then push start and the display will show PrE indicating the oven is in the preheating phase. You can bypass this phase by pressing the start button a second time.

Preheating takes roughly 5 minutes to around 300°F regardless of the  temperature you set. You can readjust the time and temperature only after the preheating phase.

Interestingly, we found that the oven would return to preheat mode after adjusting the temperature until the new input temperature was reached and not just 300°F. This is also stated in the user manual.

The racks fit perfectly into the rail guides thus preventing accidents when placing food in the oven (+3). When the cooking cycle begins, the interior light will turn on automatically and then off when the cooking cycle ends (+2).

The french door and its cool-touch handle allow you to stay away from the heat wave when opening after cooking (+4). The doors are also single-pull which is very convenient. However, the doors cannot open partially and can slam shut if your hand slips (-2).

Unlike some ovens, opening the door doesn’t stop the oven or the interior light (-2). The oven casing can get very hot after long cooking times at high temperatures, so you should take care (-1).

When the cooking cycle finishes, the oven will beep once, switch off the heat, and return to the clock screen. It’s advised to unplug the oven after use.

5.0

Cleanability

7.5
Caramelized bits on the upper heating element’s guard and stains on the cooking chamber ceiling of the Hamilton Beach 31401.
Caramelized bits on the upper heating element’s guard and stains on the cooking chamber ceiling of the Hamilton Beach 31401.
Washing the cooking chamber of the stainless steel Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Countertop Toaster Oven with dish soap.
Grease and chicken skin stuck to the silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Capacity Countertop Toaster Oven.
Brushing the stained silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven with a bowl of baking soda and water.

The Hamilton Beach oven’s exterior and interior were easy to clean following the steps of our toaster oven cleaning guide. Due to the chicken touching the upper safeguard during cooking, there were some caramelized bits stuck to it. Nonetheless, they were easy to remove with just dish soap and a sponge.

We accidentally burnt a batch of toast during our test and it caught fire which led to some discoloration on the oven’s exterior. Luckily, we were able to remove most of it with an all-purpose cleaner.

What surprised us the most, however, were the permanent stains left on the baking pan. Even after we applied a paste of baking soda and water and then scrubbed it with diluted vinegar, the stains didn’t budge at all.

A silver baking pan of the Oster TSSTTVFDDG XL Digital French Door Convection Toaster Oven with some stains on it on a white background.

The stainless steel exterior of the Oster was very easy to clean (+2). Even though the interior doesn’t have a non-stick coating, there are no tricky nooks and crannies, so cleaning didn’t require much labor (+4).

After roasting a chicken, the baking pan accumulated some stubborn stains which we were able to remove even with a baking soda paste and water (+1.5). We were worried the grease could splash inside the fan cavity while cooking, but this was not the case.