Hamilton Beach 31401 vs Panasonic FlashXpress Digital Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Hamilton Beach 31401 vs Panasonic FlashXpress Digital Toaster Oven. The second one has slightly higher scores throughout and a higher price.
Specifications
Design
With a basic design, the Hamilton Beach 31401 doesn’t have any exterior feature that stands out. It makes up a little for this with its interior having quartz heating elements with safeguards.
The Panasonic NB-G110P has a high build quality which justifies its price. However, it has no noticeable additional design features compared to other less expensive small toaster ovens—including the Mueller MT-175—besides an interior light and an auto-pull rack.
Usability Comparison
While the Hamilton Beach 31401 doesn’t offer much in terms of usability, it also doesn’t cause any inconvenience. Although the analog control knobs can make it difficult to pinpoint an exact time and temperature, it wasn’t a big problem.
For what it’s worth, the Panasonic NB-G110P had respectable scores in terms of user control and cleanability. However, it lacks premium features of ease of use which can commonly be seen in units of this price range.
Performance Test
Our test results showed that the Hamilton Beach 31401 did a good job of making toast. However, it didn’t perform well in dishes that require a long cooking time and/or a high temperature, including pizza, whole roasted chicken, and baked french fries.
Our resulting test dishes were also mostly lacking in color, except for the toast. This was possibly due to the oven’s low power output in addition to having only two heating elements, unlike the Breville BOV450XL. One solution could be to decrease the amount of food compared to our test amount.
The Panasonic NB-G110P has very powerful heating elements so it could reduce the cooking time. However, the oven had a shortcoming that kept it from being a top contender: uneven heat distribution. Nonetheless, it was able to bake pizzas and roast a whole chicken well.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Lightweight and small size
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Simple control knobs
- Stay-on feature
- Quartz heating elements have safeguards
- Energy-saving
- Energy-efficient quartz and ceramic heating elements
- High-contrast digital display
- Internal lighting available
- Sturdy construction
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Convenient slide-out crumb tray
- No convection fan
- No internal lighting
- No safety mechanism for the door
- No safety mechanism for the door
- Having only one tray level
- Not particularly budget-friendly
Conclusion
The Hamilton Beach 31401 4-Slice Toaster Oven and Panasonic FlashXpress Digital Toaster Oven (NB-G110P) are both small units. The second one has slightly higher scores in every aspect and also a higher price.
Both products have two quartz heating elements, three control dials, and a removable crumb tray. The Hamilton has a basic design with three control dials. On the other hand, the Panasonic has a digital control panel, a unique auto-pull rack, and an interior light that’s rare in a small unit.
The main advantage of the Panasonic is its ability to reach and maintain a high temperature. Although both units have relatively low power draws, the Panasonic has shorter cooking times in all of our tests compared to the Hamilton.
Behind the Comparison
Alan Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer at HealthyKitchen101. His major in English language teaching taught him to present concise information. In addition to his cooking hobby, he values the practical aspects of household appliances.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.
