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Instant Omni Plus 18L vs Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison

Alan Nguyen
Reviewer
Tuyet Pham
Professional Chef
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 3, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 19, 2023
The front of a closed stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Countertop Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
The front of a closed silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach with Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.

Our Verdict

8.6
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    8.1/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.7/10
  • Usability (25%)
    8.4/10
5.8
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    6.3/10
  • Design (25%)
    5.1/10
  • Usability (25%)
    5.5/10

The Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven (31344DA) couldn’t hold a candle to the Instant Omni Plus 18L Air Fryer Toaster Oven in all aspects.

While itself isn’t bad, the Hamilton didn’t even make it to our top list for small units. Besides a neat roll-top door that can save some counter space, the oven only has the standard features for a small unit, including two heating elements and analog control dials.

On the other hand, the Instant firmly holds the title of our best air fryer toaster oven. It has a slide-out crumb tray and a touchscreen LCD that allows you to precisely input the timer and temperature as well as keep track of the cooking status.

The Instant has tray position indicators on its glass door and various accessories including a rotisserie kit and air fryer basket, all to accommodate its numerous cooking functions. Coupled with its convection system is a high power output to deliver the utmost performance in every dish, especially when it comes to air frying.

Excellent Air Frying Capabilities

Instant Omni Plus 18L Performance

Hamilton Beach Easy-Reach Performance: Adequate but With a Weakness
8.1
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)7.3/10
  • Pizza (25%)8.6/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)8.4/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)9.3/10
6.3
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)6.7/10
  • Pizza (25%)6.6/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.6/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)3.6/10
7.3

Toast

6.7
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: Level 1; In the middle: Level 2; On the right: Level 3
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 Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer 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: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Consecutive Usability: 7
30% * 7 = 2.1
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: 2/5
  • Cooking Time: 5m 25s
  • Second Batch: 4m 1s
  • Convection: No

Using the steps of our Toast test, we determined that level 2—5 minutes 25 seconds on the timer—was the best option scoring a 7.3/10. In comparison, the level 1 and 3 had a more uneven while being lighter and darker surface color respectively.

The Toast Level 2 of the Instant Omni Plus 18L produced four pieces with an 85% even golden brown color. Since the fan couldn’t be deployed, the toast had some darker spots and lighter areas resulting in a 6/10.

The first batch of toast was nicely crispy while still soft and moist inside and we gave it an 8/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined it would be excellent with omelet and eggs benedict but not so good for sandwiches or soup.

This is one of the few ovens with a smart program that automatically deducts time to reach certain temperatures when the oven’s already hot. Thus, the surface color of the toasts was quite consistent throughout multiple batches. In addition, due to its extra crispiness, the second batch was determined to be good enough for soup.

If you want the second batch to be similar to the first, remember to lower it by one level. Overall, the score for consecutive usability was 7/10.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Toast Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Toast 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 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top 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: 6.8
50% * 6.8 = 3.4
Even Surface Color: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Consecutive Usability: 6.3
30% * 6.3 = 1.9
  • 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.

8.6

Pizza

6.6
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-section of a toaster oven baked pizza slice showing the crust. In the background is a pizza inside a baking tray.
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: 10
20% * 10 = 2.0
Crust: 8
20% * 8 = 1.6
Toppings: 8.2
30% * 8.2 = 2.5
Taste: 8.5
30% * 8.5 = 2.5
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 3m 50s
  • Convection: High

The Instant Omni Plus, having a very strong convection system, did not seem ideal for baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza resulting in an 8.6/10.

A cooking time of only 3m 50s was extremely fast compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. After comparing it to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it was more than enough for a 10/10.

The crust, although golden brown, was a little soft with some lighter and darker areas due to the short cooking time plus strong fan. It got an 8/10.

The entire surface was a little too dry due to all the convection. In addition, while the cheese was nicely melted, caramelization wasn’t even due to the short cooking time. Thus, the final score for the toppings was 8.2/10.

Our chef gave the pizza an 8.5/10 for taste.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Pizza Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster PizzaA toaster oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top inside a baking pan.
Two slices of oven baked 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza with cheese, onions, and green bell peppers on top of one another.
Two hands break apart a slice of pizza with cheese, meat, onions, and green bell peppers on top baked using a toaster oven.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Crust: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Toppings: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
Taste: 6
30% * 6 = 1.8
  • 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.

8.4

Whole Roasted Chicken

6.6
A whole roasted rotisserie chicken using a toaster oven on an enamel baking pan on a white background.
A whole roasted rotisserie chicken using a toaster oven on an enamel baking pan on a white background.
A tray of whole toaster oven roasted chicken. The thermometer has two probes inside the chicken and displays 178°F and 190°F.
Seven pieces of a carved chicken including a carcass, two breasts, two wings, and two thighs on an enamel baking pan.
The close-up of a pulled-apart roasted chicken thigh. In the background is the rest of the roasted chicken on a tray.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Skin: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Doneness: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Taste: 7
40% * 7 = 2.8
  • Function: Roast
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 50 minutes
  • Convection: Yes

Following our Whole Roasted Chicken test, we chose a 3 lb chicken and it fit without a problem scoring an 8.4/10.

However, cleaning up was a big hassle as there wasn’t enough space below to use the drip pan. Worse still, during cooking fat splashed everywhere inside the oven causing the heating elements to smoke.

The roasting time was 50 minutes which was shorter than average and worthy of a 9/10.

The rotisserie kit and high convection together produced perfectly golden brown crispy skin deserving a 9.8/10. One thing to note is that due to the meat being considerably moist, the skin lost its crispiness in a relatively short time span.

The smooth rotation and high convection also allowed the whole chicken to be thoroughly cooked without any pink spots in just 50 minutes. The internal temperature was only a little higher than the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F at 178-190°F, so it got a 9/10.

The meat was almost fall-off-the-bone. Unfortunately, with it being so moist—to the point of softening the skin, our chef could only give it a 7 for taste.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Whole Roasted Chicken Test
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven Whole Roasted ChickenA whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA backside up on an oven rack and baking pan on a white background.
A whole roasted chicken using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA belly up on an oven 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 displays 174°F and 183°F.
Eight pieces of a carved chicken including two carcass halves, two breasts, two wings, and two thighs on a baking pan.
Two hands pulling apart a roasted chicken thigh. In the white background is the rest of the roasted chicken on a baking pan.
Cooking Time: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Skin: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Doneness: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Taste: 6
40% * 6 = 2.4
  • 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.

9.3

Baked French Fries

3.6
Pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven inside an air fryer basket on a grey background.
Pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven inside an air fryer basket on a grey background.
A close-up of pieces of baked french fries using a toaster oven inside an air fryer basket on a grey background.
Ten pieces of broken-up baked french fries are stacked on top of pieces of whole fries inside an air fryer basket.
Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Color: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Texture: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Taste: 9
40% * 9 = 3.6
  • Function: Air Fry
  • Temperature: 400°F.
  • Cooking Time: 15m
  • Convection: High

The Instant Omni Plus was excellent at baking 12 oz of french fries with a score of 9.3/10.

After performing our Baked French Fries test on different toaster ovens, we came to the conclusion that the ideal cooking time for baked french fries was 15 minutes. However, it wasn’t the fastest one on our list so it scored a 9/10.

The strong convection combined with the air fryer basket produced evenly golden fries worthy of a 9.8/10 for color.

What helped the color also baked perfectly crispy fries while retaining a nice amount of moisture. This earned the oven another 9.8/10 for the texture of baked french fries.

Our chef gave the fries a 9/10 for taste.

Hamilton Beach Easy Reach 4 Slices Toaster Oven Baked French Fries Test
Pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA Toaster Oven on a silver baking pan on a white background.
A close-up of pieces of baked french fries using the Hamilton Beach 31344DA on a silver baking pan on a white background.
Eight 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: 4.5
20% * 4.5 = 0.9
Texture: 4.5
20% * 4.5 = 0.9
Taste: 4.5
40% * 4.5 = 1.8
  • 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.

Modern Technology

Instant Pot Omni Plus Toaster Oven Design Review

Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven Design Review: Some Shortcomings
9.7
design Scores
  • Exterior (25%)9.5/10
  • Interior (30%)9.5/10
  • Build Quality (50%)9.0/10
5.1
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)5.0/10
  • Interior (30%)2.0/10
  • Build Quality (50%)7.0/10

In the Instant Pot Omni Plus 18L Box

In the Box of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA Easy-Reach
An oven rack, air fryer basket, rotisserie kit, lifter, the Instant Omni Plus 18L, user manual, box, and enamel baking pan.
  • Model: 140-4002-01
  • Warranty: 1 year (US and Canada only)
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan
  • Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
  • Air Fryer Basket

Besides keeping all the accessories in place, the packaging also has interesting illustrations for the key information on the Instant Omni Plus 18L. You can quickly access the download page for the Instant Pot App thanks to the QR code on the package and the user manual.

Their website provides the full manual, how-to videos, FAQs, and more. You’ll also need to go there to register your product and activate your warranty.

A box, the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven, a user manual, an oven rack, and a baking pan.
  • 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.

9.5

Exterior

5.0
A closed front of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
A closed front of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
The front of a closed Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Toaster Oven has a control panel and the right has ventilation holes.
The back and left sides of the Instant Omni Plus 18L have air ventilation holes. The back has a power cord and two buffers.
The top of the stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.
On a grey background, the bottom of the stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven has two stands.
  • Weight:
    25.4 oz (721 g)
  • Length:
    16.5" (42.0 cm)
  • Width:
    15.8" (40.0 cm)
  • Height:
    13.9" (35.3 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    Yes
  • Crumb Tray:
    Yes

An example of the Instant Omni Plus 18L’s clever design is the slide-out crumb tray not to mention its two strong base stands as well as air ventilation on two sides and the back. For safety, it has two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from sitting too close to the wall and a cool-touch door handle.

To accommodate its many cooking functions, there are tray-level indicators on the glass door. Our measurements of the oven’s footprint of 16.54" x 15.75" x 13.90" were quite different from the manufacturer’s 12" x 12" x 13.89" in terms of length and width.

We could explain that the difference in width was because we also took the dial and the back buffers into account but not the difference in length. Nonetheless, we didn’t find this to be a problem.

A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
A closed front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with exterior measurements on a white background.
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven ExteriorThe front of a closed Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Toaster Oven has a control panel and the right has holes.
The back of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven has a power cord, two buffers, and holes.
The top, front, and right sides of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven on a white background.
On a white background, the bottom of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA has four stands, holes, and carrying handles on the sides.
  • 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

The black touchscreen LCD of the Instant Omni Plus 18L Air Fryer Toaster Oven has 15 features and a master-control knob.
  • Type:
    black LCD digital touchscreen + one master-control knob
  • Temperature:
    150°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 - 60 minutes
  • Indicator Light:
    Yes
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    Yes
  • Convection Toggle:
    Yes
  • Rotation Toggle:
    Yes
  • Automatic Preheat:
    Yes
  • Audio Cues:
    Yes

This oven has a black LCD digital touchscreen and one master-control knob. The display includes the cooking status bar, functions, and toggles for Light, Convection, and Rotation. Besides the automatic oven preheat feature, it features an audio cue to turn food halfway through the input cooking time.

Audio cues include the beeps when you plug in the oven, select a function as well as adjust time and temperature, and when the oven finishes cooking. According to some reviews we’ve seen, they can be a bit loud, especially for households with children and/or pets. However, they can be turned off by pressing and holding the control knobs for 5 seconds until the screen displays S OFF.

The control panel of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven has 2 control knobs for temperature and timer.
  • 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

Cooking Functions of the Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven
  • Air fry (180°F - 450°F)
  • Broil (350°F - 450°F)
  • Bake (180°F - 450°F)
  • Roast (180°F - 450°F)
  • Dehydrate (85°F - 175°F)
  • Reheat (120°F - 360°F)
  • Warm (170°F - 300°F)
  • Toast (level 1-5)

Even though there’s no Rotisserie function, the oven comes with a tailored rotisserie kit and a Rotation Toggle. Besides making dried fruits, herbs, and meat jerky, the Dehydrate function is also ideal for proofing bread dough at 85°F and Low Convect.

The control panel of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven has 2 control knobs for temperature and timer.
  • 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.

9.5

Interior

2.0
The Instant Omni Plus 18L’s cooking chamber has 2 bottom heating elements, 3 guide rails, a rotisserie socket and bracket.
The Instant Omni Plus 18L’s cooking chamber has 2 bottom heating elements, 3 guide rails, a rotisserie socket and bracket.
The 2 bottom quartz heating elements of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven have guards.
The cooking chamber ceiling of the Instant Omni Plus 18L Toaster Oven has two quartz and one swirl nichrome heating element.
The cooking chamber’s right wall of the Instant Omni Plus 18L has four guide rails, a rotisserie socket, and a shining light.
  • Heating Elements:
    4 quartz and 1 nichrome
  • Convection Fan:
    Yes
  • Lighting:
    Yes
  • Tray Levels:
    4
  • Rotisserie:
    Yes
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The Instant Omni Plus has four golden quartz heating elements. These pipes use infrared light to cook, which produces more heat and also cools down faster.

They are also easier to clean and more energy-efficient but don’t last as long in terms of durability. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

Featuring safety guards, the heating elements are kept out of direct contact with baking pans and trays. The oven even includes a coil nichrome heating element at the top, specifically for broiling.

To top it off, this oven has a powerful and not noisy convection system as an interior light. In addition to 4 tray levels, you can make use of the baking rack with its rack-up and down positions.

 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven InteriorThe Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guars and 2 guide rails.
 Hamilton Beach easy reach 4 slices toaster Oven InteriorThe Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven’s cooking chamber has 2 quartz heating elements with guars and 2 guide rails.
The Hamilton Beach 31344DA has 1 bottom heating element with a guard and 2 guide rails on its right cooking chamber wall.
The opened roll top door and upper heating element with a guard of the silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven.
  • 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 of the Instant Pot Omni Plus 18L

Capacity
An opened front of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven with interior measurements on a white background.
  • Length:
    13.8" (35.0 cm)
  • Width:
    12.6" (32.0 cm)
  • Height:
    8.7" (22.0 cm)

The Instant Omni Plus can comfortably fit a 12-inch pizza or a 4-pound chicken which is true to its description. However, it can’t quite fit 6 slices of toast. Moreover, when roasting only a 3-pound whole chicken with the rotisserie kit, there wasn’t enough space to fit a baking pan below. This wasn’t the case with a larger unit like the Cosori CO130-AO.

We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be roughly 24.6 liters—a lot different from the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 18 liters. However, this could be because we measured from the cooking chamber’s walls to walls whereas the manufacturer stopped before reaching the heating elements.

An opened front of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Roll Top Toaster Oven with interior measurements on a white background.
  • 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

Power Cord of the Hamilton Beach Roll-Top Toaster Oven
A three-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
  • Length:
    2.8 ft (0.9 m)
  • Type:
    3-prong plug
  • Power:
    1800 W
  • Rated Output:
    120 V ~ 60 Hz

The power cord is roughly 33.46"—more than long enough for household use. However, the cord can’t fully wrap around the two back stands as they are too high up.

A two-pronged plug power cord. In the background is the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach 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.

Baking Rack

Accessories

Baking Rack
A stainless steel baking rack of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    12.4" (31.5 cm)
  • Width:
    11.4" (29.0 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.4 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.

A stainless steel baking rack of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • 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.

Baking Pan

Accessories

Baking Pan
An enamel baking pan of the stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    13.8" (35.0 cm)
  • Width:
    12.4" (31.5 cm)
  • Height:
    1.8" (4.6 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

Thanks to its perfect size, the baking pan does a great job of catching the meat juice and drippings from the air fryer basket. Thus, it helps prevent making a mess and avoid the danger of fire from dirty heating elements. Keep in mind that the dishwasher can damage the enamel coating.

A silver baking pan of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach With Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • 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.

Rotisserie Kit and Lifter

Accessories

Removable Crumb Tray
A rotisserie kit and lifter of the stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    13.4" (34.0 cm)
  • Width:
    11.4" (29.0 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.4 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The rotisserie kit does a perfect job of securing a chicken thanks to the 4-pronged forks with adjustable angles.

The structure of the forks isn’t very strong so parts can get bended although not by much.

A removable crumb tray of the Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach Roll Top Door Toaster Oven on a white background.
  • 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.

Air Fryer Basket

Accessories

A stainless steel air fryer basket of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.
  • Length:
    14.6" (37.0 cm)
  • Width:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Height:
    2.0" (5.1 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The air fryer basket has a good elevation to help with heat circulation around the bottom of the food.

9.0

Build Quality

7.0
The front of an opened Instant Omni Plus 18L with a rack, a baking pan, an air fryer basket, a lifter, and a rotisserie kit.
The front of an opened Instant Omni Plus 18L with a rack, a baking pan, an air fryer basket, a lifter, and a rotisserie kit.
An oxidized slide-out crumb tray of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven on a grey background.

The Instant Omni Plus 18L is a well-built and intricate piece of equipment, to say the least. It provides a helpful cooking status bar, smart programs, and automatic features. The oven does consume a lot of electricity so make sure your outlet can provide and handle 1800 W.

The meticulous design shows in the bottom tray, safeguards for heating elements, and cooling fan for its mainboard. However, the bottom tray can easily slide out if you tilt the oven. Also, during our roasting of a whole chicken, the hot drippings created some oxidation on the crumb tray.

The front of an opened Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Toaster Oven with a removable crumb tray, baking pan, and oven rack.

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.

Not Yet Technological Perfection

Instant Omni Plus 18L Usability

Hamilton Beach 4-Slice Easy-Reach Toaster Oven Usability: Not Much To Offer
8.4
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)9.9/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)8.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)7.0/10
5.5
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)6.0/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
9.9

User Control

6.0

The Instant Omni Plus 18L has 8 settings to choose from but can serve more than 10 functions. Although the LCD display could be improved with better contrast, it’s not a big problem.

The master-control knob can be confusing for first-timers but it should take little effort to get familiarized with it. The temperature can be adjusted in 1°F increments by turning the knob slowly and in 10°F increments by turning the knob fast. Also, the timer is specified by the minute.

If you want to readjust the setting during cooking, simply tap the feature and adjust it with the knob. Don’t tap Cancel as it will reset your inputs and repeat the automatic preheating.

The convection setting is applicable to almost all except for toast. One thing to note from the manual is that most recipes recommend reducing the temperature by 25°F when convection is on.

The convection fan speeds can toggle between high and low which is not very common for ovens, especially at the same price range. The two exceptions are Air Fry which always uses High Convect and Warm using Low Convect.

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.

8.0

Ease of Use

5.0

When you adjust temperature and time for a function, the Instant Omni Plus saves your setting for next time use. After the oven finishes cooking, it will beep and automatically switch to Keep Warm mode until the display shows End.

After a period of no interaction, the digital display will show the word OFF similar to when you’ve just plugged it in. You’ll then need to push the knob once to turn it on. It’s advised to unplug the oven after you finish using it.

The light automatically turns off after 30 seconds of no interaction and turns on 30 seconds before finishing cooking. Opening the oven door pauses the cooking but the light stays on for another 30 seconds. Closing the oven door resumes the cooking but it will go into stand-by mode resetting all inputs after 5m30s.

Taking the rotisserie kit out of the oven can be a bit tricky even with the lifter. However, with a bit of practice, it’ll be no problem at all. The oven has good heat insulation, so the casing doesn’t get too hot to the touch at 350°F and 400°F but be careful at 450°F.

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.

7.0

Cleanability

6.0
Grease on the slide-out crumb tray inside the cooking chamber of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
Grease on the slide-out crumb tray inside the cooking chamber of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
The cleaned cooking chamber floor and 2 bottom heating elements of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven.
Brushing the stained upper quartz heating elements of the Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven.

We cleaned the Instant Omni Plus 18L following our toaster oven cleaning guide. Despite having an internal and external coating, it still wasn’t easy to clean due to some very tricky nooks and crannies. The small gaps between the heating elements and internal walls didn’t help either.

Most of the mess came from the considerable fat splatter from roasting a whole chicken. It left difficult stains on the heating elements and their safeguards which were already tricky to clean.

With the removable oven-bottom tray, cleaning up the crumbs was extremely easy but we still had to tilt the oven to get all of the crumbs out. On the bright side, having thought it would be difficult to clean caramelized bits of food from the air fryer basket due to the fishnet design, we were happy to find this wasn’t the case.

Permanent stains on the Hamilton Beach 31344DA’s upper heating element guard, cooking chamber’s ceiling, and casing’s top.
Permanent stains on the Hamilton Beach 31344DA’s upper heating element guard, cooking chamber’s ceiling, and casing’s top.
The cleaned baking pan of the silver Hamilton Beach 31344DA 4-Slice Easy Reach with Roll Top Door Toaster Oven.

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.