Our recommendations are made independently through Research & Testing. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links.
Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven vs Breville Smart Oven Pro Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)6.3/10
- Design (25%)5.1/10
- Usability (25%)5.5/10
- Performance (50%)6.9/10
- Design (25%)9.3/10
- Usability (25%)8.0/10
The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices (31344DA) is a small toaster oven with mostly standard features, whereas the Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS) is a large convection toaster oven with some fancy details. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the latter is the victor.
The Hamilton is simply equipped with three analog control dials and no interior light for added convenience. It does have a neat roll-top door that moves out of the way to make it easier to bring food in and out of the oven—a plus in our book.
In contrast, the Smart Oven Pro has numerous cooking presets and additional toggle switches for convection, temperature conversion, frozen foods, and internal lighting. Its interior also has a non-stick coating which is rare for toaster ovens of any size.
Compared to its design and usability, the Breville’s performance is a bit of a letdown. Thanks to its high power output and convection system, the Breville was better than the Hamilton in all of our cooking tests including toasting bread, baking pizza, roasting whole chicken, and baking fries. However, the Breville didn’t make it to our top list because its performance scores weren’t as high as other units with the same advantages.
Hamilton Beach Easy-Reach Performance
- 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 (40%)6.8/10
- Pizza (25%)6.8/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.5/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)6.1/10
Toast
- 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.
- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 5/7
- Cooking Time: 5m 13s
- Second Batch: 3m 42s
- Convection: No
We began our Toast test by choosing toast level 4—the middle one out of the 7 options—for 4 pieces which we placed on tray level 2. The four pieces of bread came out only slightly toasted on top. We then chose level 5 and the surface color was more appetizing but less even.
So, we tried again one last time at level 6 but it produced four completely brown pieces of toast which were also a bit dry. In the end, we settled for level 5—5 minutes 13 seconds on the timer—as the best possible option with a score of 6.8/10.
At this level, the toast had a perfect golden brown color around the center of the oven. However, it was lighter the further it got to the rear, so we could only give it a 7/10 for even surface color.
The unevenness also translated to the texture where the toast achieved great crispiness in the golden brown areas but got softer in the lighter areas. This resulted in a 6.5/10 for taste from our chef.
Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined they would be good to have with omelets and sandwiches. They could be served with soups or eggs benedict but wouldn't make a perfect pairing.
We placed the second batch of four in immediately after the first one. We chose level 5 again whereupon the oven automatically deducted the timer to 3 minutes 42 seconds.
Because the oven was already hot, the second batch showed an increase in evenness for both surface color and crispiness deserving a 7/10. This batch would be more suitable for soups.
Pizza
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 4m
- Convection: Yes
For our Pizza test, we didn’t use the pizza presets because they didn’t include the correct size for our choice of pizza. This was also a good chance to test out the Breville pizza pan, but we were surprised to find the overall score ended up at 6.8/10.
Thanks to the oven’s strong power output and convection setting, it only took 4 minutes to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza placed on tray level 2. This was extremely fast and deserved a 10/10 according to our data on average toaster oven performance.
However, the pizza still had a problem with cooking evenness. A quarter of the entire crust was golden brown but the rest of it lacked color. As you can imagine, the golden brown part was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside while the lighter part was simply soft throughout. Thus, we could only give the crust a 6/10.
The same issue applied to the toppings which had a nice caramelization where the crust was golden but not much in the substandard area. The cheese was also not quite melty so the toppings also got a 6/10.
Altogether, our chef gave the pizza another 6/10 after tasting it. We chose not to increase the cooking time of the pizza as it could result in burning the part of the crust and toppings that were already properly baked.
Whole Roasted Chicken
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h
- Convection: Yes
For our Whole Roasted Chicken test, we placed a 3 lb chicken in a belly-up position onto the broiling rack and baking pan combo on tray level 1. The outcome was pretty satisfactory, scoring a 7.5/10.
The Breville took 1 hour to roast the chicken to a desirable color which was our standard for an 8/10. The skin overall had a golden color, especially at the wings and the tips. However, it still had some very light areas.
In addition, when we flipped the chicken after the first 40 minutes, some of the skin on the back of the chicken got stuck to the broiling rack. This was an indication that the skin was soft and didn’t crisp up much despite having the convection fan deployed. Thus, we gave the skin a 7/10.
The oven was able to maintain a good internal temperature so the chicken was cooked all the way through leaving behind no pink spots. However, the cooking time was a little long, so the chicken’s internal temperature ended up at 198°F which was higher than the recommended 180°F by the USDA. We gave the doneness of this chicken an 8.6/10.
Nonetheless, the meat wasn’t dry and combined with the skin it was enough to get a 7/10 for taste from our chef.
Baked French Fries
- 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.
- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 24m
- Convection: Yes
Despite the power draw of 1800 W, the Breville didn’t perform as well in baking french fries as many toaster ovens with the same output earning a 6.1/10. Looking at the results from the Ninja DT201, our assumption was that the broiling rack wasn’t as efficient for this purpose as an air fryer basket.
For our Baked French Fries test, we didn’t turn on the Frozen Foods toggle because we needed to keep track of the exact cooking time. The oven took 24 minutes to bake 12 oz of frozen fries on tray level 2 which wasn’t very fast. Compared to many other toaster ovens we’ve tested, it could only get a 6/10 for cooking time.
Even though we gave the fries a toss after the first 10 minutes, they still came out with uneven coloring scoring a 6.5/10. Most of the thinner fries had a pretty good golden color while most of the thicker ones had a much lighter color.
To the same degree, the fries had different textures throughout earning it a 6/10 for this testing component. The pieces with a golden color were crispy outside and soft inside while the lighter ones were mostly just soft all the way through.
With all of that in mind, our chef couldn’t give a score higher than 6/10 after tasting the fries.
Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)2.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
- Exterior (20%)9.5/10
- Interior (30%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
In the Box of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA Easy-Reach
- 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.
- Model: BOV845BSSUSC
- Warranty: 1 year (US only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Broiling Rack
- Pizza Pan
The Breville toaster oven came in an eye-catching box but it was only secured with two foam pads. On the bright side, its accessories including a baking rack, baking pan, broiling rack, and pizza pan were neatly placed in a fitted carton box.
The oven’s user manual explains in detail how each oven function works and includes a number of recipes. To elevate your pizza party, you can opt for the optional pizza crisper, pizza stone, and bamboo cutting board.
Exterior
- 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.
- Weight:18.1 lbs (8.2 kg)
- Length:18.4" (46.7 cm)
- Width:15.9" (40.5 cm)
- Height:10.8" (27.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:Yes
- Crumb Tray:Slide-out
An exterior feature that stood out to us on the Breville is its side-positioned carrying handles which double up as air ventilation holes for the convection system. We were also impressed by the indicators on the glass door that direct you to its three tray levels and many cooking functions.
The Breville has an interesting automatic eject feature for when the oven rack is in the middle guide rail. This is achieved thanks to a magnet in the corresponding position on the oven door.
Further attention to the design shows in the convenient slide-out crumb tray and strong base stands. The oven’s door handle is cool-touch and provides a good grip. Unfortunately, the back buffers are not long enough to create ample space between the back of the oven and the wall.
Our measurements of 18.39" x 15.94" x 10.78" for the oven pretty much coincided with the dimensions provided by the manufacturer—18.5" x 14.5" x 11". The 1.5-inch difference in width is probably because we took the door handle into account.
Control Panel
- 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.
- Type:LCD + 3 control knobs + 5 buttons
- Temperature:120°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 10 hours
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:Yes
- Light Toggle:Yes
- Convection Toggle:Yes
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:Yes
- Audio Cues:No
The Breville has 3 control knobs for function, temperature, and timer. Its five buttons include four toggles for temperature conversion, interior light, convection fan, and Defrost feature. The Start/Cancel button and the digital display both shine red when the oven’s cooking.
The LCD screen will display ‘E01’, ‘E02’, or ‘E05’ 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 of the Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven
- 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.
- Toast (level 1-7)
- Bagel (level 1-7)
- Bake (1 minute - 10 hours)
- Roast (1 minute - 2 hours)
- Broil (300°F, 400°F, 500°F; 1 minute - 20 minutes)
- Pizza (6″-13″; Fresh/Frozen)
- Cookies (1 minute - 1 hour)
- Reheat (1 minute - 2 hours)
- Warm (1 minute - 2 hours)
- Slow Cook (2 hours - 10 hours)
The Breville has 10 cooking functions which make full use of its wide timer and temperature ranges. Functions that allow for the full adjustment of temperature (120°F - 450°F) include Bake, Roast, Cookies, Reheat, and Warm.
The Toast and Bagel functions have 1-7 levels which include predetermined timers for 1-6 slices. This toaster oven went the extra mile as most others don’t take the number of slices into account.
Meanwhile, the pizza function includes presets for sizes ranging from 6" to 13" along with fresh or frozen pizzas. The Broil function has three preset temperatures including 500°F, 400°F, and 300°F for up to 20 minutes.
The Slow Cook function has two settings: ‘LO’ with a timer of 4-10 hours and ‘HI’ with 2-8 hours; and you can further adjust the timer up and down while cooking. After the Slow Cook cycle finishes, this function automatically turns to Keep Warm at 175°F for up to another 2 hours.
Interior
- 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.
- Heating Elements:5 quartz
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:Yes
- Tray Levels:3
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:All three levels
The BOV845BSS has a non-stick interior coating which explains the black color. The black interior isn’t a problem though thanks to the oven’s interior light. When necessary, you can remove the glass cover to change the interior light bulb which is a G9 type, 25 W, 120 V.
Each of the three tray levels has a safety hook to prevent the oven rack from accidently sliding all the way out. However, only the bottom one is positioned further in, specifically for this purpose. The convection system, while quite powerful, is pleasantly quiet.
The Breville has five quartz heating elements that use infrared light to cook. Compared to the more common nichrome heating elements, these heat up and cool down faster while also being easier to clean and more energy-efficient but don’t last as long in terms of durability.
For this unit, each heating element has a safety guard to prevent direct contact with baking pans and trays. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.
Capacity
- 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.
- Length:14.2" (36.0 cm)
- Width:13.0" (33.0 cm)
- Height:8.3" (21.0 cm)
The Breville’s cooking chamber has a capacity of 25 liters which is quite common among large toaster ovens. This was one of the rare occasions where the cooking chamber’s volume that we measured matched the manufacturer’s stated capacity.
Many large units can also fit 6 slices of toast but not all can fit a 13-inch pizza like the Breville. This oven can also fit a 9-cup muffin tray or a 4.16-liter Dutch oven.
Power Cord of the Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven
- 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.
- Length:3.3 ft (1.0 m)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1800 W
- Rated Output:110 V - 120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is roughly 39.37"—plenty of length for household use. It does protrude from the bottom of the oven though, which may create inconvenient bends.
Accessories
- 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.
- Length:14.1" (35.8 cm)
- Width:11.6" (29.5 cm)
- Height:0.3" (0.7 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking rack fits perfectly with the guide to prevent accidents when placing food in the oven and has a pattern to keep the baking pan on top of it in place.
Accessories
- 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.
- Length:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Width:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The baking pan has a non-stick enamel coating. However, it’s not big enough to fit into the guide rails which means it can’t fully utilize the capacity of the cooking chamber.
Accessories
- Length:10.8" (27.5 cm)
- Width:8.9" (22.5 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The removable crumb tray is useful for cleaning up crumbs and bits, which can be quite a hassle. However, some of the mess may still fall to the bottom of the oven upon taking out the tray.
- Length:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Width:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The broiling rack fits perfectly on top of the baking pan and shares the same enamel coating. It has grooves and ridges to allow for air circulation around the food as well as holes to allow the grease from the food to drip onto the pan below.
Build Quality
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.
The Breville has a sturdy build and is made from durable stainless steel. The oven has good heat insulation and a good convection system so the casing rarely gets hot to the touch—only after a long cooking time at a high temperature (>400°F).
Its LCD has a good color contrast, the control dials turn smoothly, and the buttons have good responsiveness. On another note, this unit doesn’t provide enough oven racks to make full use of the three tray levels and additional accessories.
Note: This product adheres to the California Proposition 65.
Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
- User Control (30%)9.5/10
- Ease of Use (50%)7.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.0/10
User Control
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.
The timer of the Breville is specified by the minute. The temperature can be adjusted in 5°F/5°C increments by turning the knob slowly and in 10°F/10°C increments by turning the knob fast.
You can freely adjust the time and temperature while the oven is running but will need to press Cancel to change the cooking function. Keep in mind that this may repeat the automatic preheat phase if the temperature is lower than the manufacturer’s set point.
Regarding the extra unique features, the Temperature Conversion button is a nice touch for international users. The convection setting can be applied to almost all cooking functions except for Toast, Bagel, and Broil.
The Frozen Foods button adds a predetermined amount of time but only to the Toast, Bagel, Pizza, and Cookies functions. However, we didn’t find it very helpful since cooking time depends heavily on the food quantity and personal preference.
As for the extra cooking functions, the Pizza presets, with predetermined timers, aren’t very useful as they allow for temperature adjustment but don’t take the current temperature into account. The same goes for the Slow Cook function which has a predetermined temperature that isn’t stated in the manual.
According to our observation, the oven reaches and maintains at 325°F on both Low and High so we didn’t get the point of having two settings. In addition, these temperatures are quite high compared to more common slow cookers’ which are around 200°F on low and 300°F on high.
If you want to adjust the temperature for slow cooking in this oven, you can choose the Bake function for which the timer also reaches ten hours.
Ease of Use
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.
The Breville has an automatic preheat phase for functions that allow for temperature adjustment as mentioned above. According to the manufacturer, this feature will preheat the oven to 75% of the input temperature before sounding an alert. However, our observation showed that it would always preheat to around 300°F taking about 4m 55s regardless of the input temperature.
Due to the eject feature mentioned above, keep in mind to open the door slowly to prevent the rack from sliding too far outward. The door can be kept partially open at an 80° angle to let food cool inside the oven. Doing this doesn’t stop the oven, unlike some others. Be careful as the door can slam shut if you slip while closing.
When the automatic preheat phase or the cooking cycle ends, the interior light will turn on and then turn off after 30 seconds, similar to when you press the light switch. Unfortunately, there’s no way to keep the light on indefinitely.
If not used for 10 minutes, the oven goes into standby mode until you press Start again. Nonetheless, it’s still advised to unplug the oven after use. Your customized setting will remain in the memory of the oven until changed or the oven is unplugged from the power outlet.
Cleanability
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.
Cleaning the Breville was extremely easy thanks to its stainless steel exterior and non-stick interior. There were some tricky nooks and crannies in the cooking chamber but luckily, there was minimal grease splashing after all of our tests.
The enamel baking pan and broiling rack sported some stubborn stains from the roasted chicken even after we washed them with dish soap. Nonetheless, we took care of them quite easily by brushing them with a paste of baking soda and water.
The slide-out crumb tray was also helpful for cleaning up the crumbs but we still had to tilt the oven to get all of the crumbs out.