Our recommendations are made independently through Research & Testing. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links.
Mueller 4 Slice Toaster Oven vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.0/10
- Design (25%)5.3/10
- Usability (25%)5.2/10
- Performance (50%)6.1/10
- Design (25%)4.6/10
- Usability (25%)5.5/10
Comparing the Mueller 4 Slice Toaster Oven to the Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven shows why the former is our best-value pick for the small category. With similar sizes and prices, the Mueller is obviously the better choice with its higher overall score.
Both toaster ovens have two quartz heating elements and analog control dials. The Mueller, additionally, has a unique detachable crumb tray that makes it easier to clean the interior—a common problem for small units. Most importantly, the Mueller has a higher build quality shown in its thicker casing for better heat insulation and firmer, more precise dials.
What solidified the Mueller’s higher value was its performance score that’s good even in comparison to larger units. Although the two toaster oven have similar power draw and no convection system, the Mueller was better in all of our cooking tests, including toasting bread, baking pizza, roasting whole chicken, and baking pizza.
Mueller 4-Slice Toaster Oven Performance
- Toast (40%)7.5/10
- Pizza (25%)7.6/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.0/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)3.6/10
- Toast (40%)7.1/10
- Pizza (25%)5.6/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.1/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)3.2/10
Toast




- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: ⅓ to Dark
- Cooking Time: 4m
- Second Batch: 4m
- Convection: No
For our Toast test, we started off by trying the Medium Toast setting which was around 3 minutes 5 seconds on the timer. The four pieces of bread on the upper tray level came out only lightly toasted on top except for one golden brown piece. We then cranked it up to the Dark Toast setting—around 4 minutes 50 seconds on the timer—which, unfortunately, burnt the toast a bit.
Finally, we opted for the middle ground which was 4 minutes on the timer—⅓ of the rotation from Medium to Dark. This setting was tricky to get right on the time dial, so we used an external timer. It gave us the best possible toast results from this oven scoring a 7.5/10 in total.
After 4 minutes of toasting, the four pieces of toast had pretty good surface color. However, the colors varied from light golden to golden brown on both the top and the bottom, so we could only give a 7/10.
Luckily, the varied colors partially meant varied textures which were all good and deserving an 8/10. The golden brown areas had a more crispy outside while the light golden areas had a softer inside. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would go great with omelets, eggs benedict, and sandwiches but not so much with soup.
After taking out the first batch, we immediately put four more pieces inside to test the oven’s consecutive usability which ended up at 7/10. Also under the identical toasting time, the four pieces of bread became brown with an increased evenness from the first batch. While the color was a bit darker than ideal, the extra crispiness made the second batch more suitable for soups.




- Function: Toast
- Number Of Slices: 4
- Toast Level: 3/4 to Medium
- Cooking Time: 4m
- Second Batch: 4m
- Convection: No
At the beginning of our Toast test, we turned the toast knob to the Medium Toast icon/setting—around 4 minutes 10 seconds on the timer—which resulted in four slightly burnt pieces of bread. We then chose the setting between Medium and Light, which was around 3 minutes 25 seconds on the timer, but that wasn’t enough time to get an even surface color.
Finally, we figured that around 4 minutes on the timer would yield the best possible result, with a total score of 7.1/10. Since it used an analog control knob, it was quite tricky to precisely choose 4 minutes, and we had to use an external timer.
On this setting, the Black+Decker produced four pieces of toast with a brown-colored top. However, the bottom was slightly charred in some areas and lacked color in others, so we gave the toast a 6.5/10 for even surface color.
Fortunately, the toast was crispy on the outside while still soft and moist on the inside, deserving a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham concluded that it would go great with omelets and eggs benedict, but not so much with soups or sandwiches.
For some reason, despite the identical toasting time, the second batch had a more uneven surface color than the first. The toast had a slightly darker color and crispier texture, which is more suitable for soups, and scored a 6.8/10 for consecutive usability.
Pizza




- Function: Toast
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 9m
- Convection: No
For its low power draw, the Mueller did pretty well in our Pizza test with a score of 7.6/10.
The oven took 9 minutes to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza which was slightly faster than the label’s recommended 10 minutes. However, compared to our tested toaster ovens, it could only be a 6/10.
The crust had a golden color all the way through and the inside was still moist. If only the crust was a bit more crispy, it would’ve gotten higher than an 8/10.
The toppings were also caramelized quite evenly from the meat and veggies to the cheese, worthy of another 8/10. The cheese was nicely melted but the areas closer to the back of the cooking chamber were more caramelized compared to the rest.
With both the crust and the toppings being 8/10, our chef had no reason to give the pizza one final 8/10 for taste.




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 13m
- Convection: No
The low power output of the Black+Decker held it back in our Pizza test, where a high temperature of 450 °F was required; it scored a 5.6/10. The oven took 13 minutes to bake a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza, which was longer than our time limit of 10 minutes, resulting in a 0/10.
Fortunately, the other aspects were quite solid, even though the oven’s internal temperature couldn’t be maintained at 450 °F. The crust had a nice golden color but it was a bit soft, so it got a 7/10.
The toppings had reasonably even caramelization throughout and the cheese was slightly melted—enough to score another 7/10. Taking the crust and toppings into account, our chef gave the pizza one last 7/10 for taste.
Whole Roasted Chicken






- Function: Toast
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 20m
- Convection: No
The Mueller could barely fit a 3 lb chicken for our Whole Roasted Chicken test. Nonetheless, the result was quite decent at 7/10 in total. If you were to purchase this oven and use it to roast a whole chicken, we recommend cutting it open or chopping it into pieces beforehand.
We first placed the chicken backside down on the baking pan. When we slid the pan in, the top of the chicken breast grazed the upper heating element’s guard and was seared.
After the first 40 minutes, we flipped the chicken to find out that parts of the skin on the back got stuck to the baking pan. Then, when we reinsert the pan, the same problem with the breast happened to the back. Luckily, they weren’t burnt.
However, even after 1 hour and 20 minutes, most of the chicken skin still hasn’t reached a desirable color. The chicken, for the most part, looked like it was steamed and not roasted, so we gave the skin a 5.5/10.
Nonetheless, our chef decided to stop the roasting as the color wouldn’t improve anyway and to avoid overcooking the meat. This cooking time was the equivalent of a 6/10 according to our data.
With such a long cooking time, the meat had no pink spots. However, the chicken’s internal temperature was 185°F-192°F, higher than the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F. Thus, we gave it an 8.7/ for doneness.
While not the most appetizing looking, the meat was very juicy. That, combined with the slight caramelization on the skin, was enough for a 7.5/10 for taste from our chef.






- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h 30m
- Convection: No
During our Whole Roasted Chicken test, the 3 lb chicken touched the upper heating element’s guard. This heavily seared the middle part of the chicken and made a mess inside the cooking chamber. If you were to roast a chicken in this oven, we recommend cutting open the chicken or chopping it into pieces beforehand.
The final test score of 6/10 made us speculate that the oven’s lower output also hindered its performance, even though the required temperature was only 350°F. The Black+Decker took 1 hour 20 minutes to roast the chicken, compared to the standard one hour, so it got a 6/10.
The skin had almost no color, except for the areas near the upper heating element, and was still very soft; we could give it just a 5/10. That being said, increasing the cooking time further would reduce the score for the skin and risk overcooking the chicken.
The only upside to the long cooking time and low oven temperature was the doneness of the chicken. The meat had no pink areas and the chicken’s internal temperature was 185°F–187°F, which was very close to the USDA recommended 165°F–180°F.
This partially helped maintain the juiciness of the meat, but the unappetizing skin gave our chef no choice but to give the chicken a 5/10 for taste.
Baked French Fries




- Function: Toast
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 27 m
- Convection: No
Our Baked French Fries test brought out the Mueller’s weakness of not being able to maintain a high temperature due to its low power draw. Its even heat distribution couldn’t help much if the temperature wasn’t high enough, so the final score was 3.6/10.
We stopped the baking after 27 minutes as the fries weren’t getting any more colors. This, nonetheless, was over our time limit of 25 minutes, so it was a 0/10.
The fries had no significant color change and barely enough for a 4.5/10. We ended up with 12 oz of frozen fries that were more similar to being dried in an oven than being baked, so we gave them another 4.5/10 for texture.
Fortunately, the fries were cooked through and not soggy, so our chef could give them a 4.5/10 for taste and not a zero.




- Function: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 30 m
- Convection: No
While conducting our Baked French Fries test, the Black+Decker’s weakness in maintaining a high temperature became more apparent, and it scored a 3.2/10.
To start with, it took 30 minutes to bake 12 oz of frozen fries; this was way longer than our limit of 25 minutes and resulted in a score of 0/10. Despite the long time duration, the fries had almost no color, so we could only give it a 4/10.
The same can be said for the texture of the fries which was not crispy, earning it another 4/10. Overall, the fries appeared more boiled than oven-baked, so our chef had to give it one last 4/10 for taste.
Stainless Steel Mueller 4-Slice Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)5.0/10
- Interior (30%)1.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)8.0/10
- Exterior (20%)4.0/10
- Interior (30%)1.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
In the Mueller MT-175 Small Toaster Oven Box

- Model: MT-175
- Warranty: 1 year
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
The Mueller toaster oven came in a basic packaging and positioned with two foam pads. The included accessories were simply duct-taped to the oven. Inside the box are also a user manual and a simple recipe booklet.

- Model: TO1760SS
- Warranty: 2 years (US and Canada only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Removable Crumb Tray
The Black+Decker toaster oven is simply positioned with two foam pads inside the packaging. To the same degree, its two accessories are wrapped in a carton sheet and duct-taped to the oven. There is a simple user manual inside the box.
Exterior







- Weight:9.0 lbs (4.1 kg)
- Length:15.0" (38.0 cm)
- Width:11.6" (29.5 cm)
- Height:8.9" (22.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Gray
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Detachable
As simple as it is, the Mueller has all the standard exterior features of a small toaster oven but also something more. The bottom of the oven acts as a detachable crumb tray which not only makes it easy to remove the falling bits and crumbs but also to clean the entire interior.
The oven has a cool-touch door handle and back buffers to prevent it from being too close to the wall. Unfortunately, it has no cord storage or carrying handles.
Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 14.96" x 11.61" x 8.86" which pretty much coincided with the manufacturer’s 14.84" x 11.85" x 8.86". However, the weight of the oven by itself was already 9 lbs whereas the label said the entire box was 7.63 lbs.






- Weight:5.7 lbs (2.6 kg)
- Length:15.6" (39.5 cm)
- Width:11.6" (29.5 cm)
- Height:8.9" (22.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Silver
- Door Handle:Cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:No
- Crumb Tray:Removable
The Black+Decker has a basic stainless steel casing and a back buffer to prevent the oven from getting too close to the wall. Our measurements of 15.55" x 11.61" x 8.86" showed a slight difference in the length and height of the oven compared to the manufacturer’s 16.9" x 11.63" x 9.07", but that wasn’t an issue. The large cool-touch door handle provides a good grip.
Control Panel of the Small Mueller MT-175

- Type:3 control knobs
- Temperature:150°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The Mueller has a basic analog control panel with three dials for temperature, function, and time. The time dial has a stay-on setting to help with its short range, similar to many other small toaster ovens. Interestingly, while the max temperature setting was 450°F, we actually recorded the internal temperature of the oven reaching 500°F on the said setting.

- Type:3 control knobs
- Temperature:150°F - 450°F
- Timer:1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on
- Indicator Light:Yes
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The Black+Decker has 3 control dials, one each for temperature, functions, and timer. The oven will start running when you turn the timer dial and the indicator light glows red.
Cooking Functions

- Toast
- Bake
- Broil
- Keep warm
Different from most other toaster ovens, the Mueller’s Bake function only uses the lower heating elements as opposed to lower and upper. The Broil function still uses only the upper heating elements.
The Toast function is where both the lower and upper heating elements work. Nonetheless, the oven still provides all the basic functions for its intended purposes.

- Toast
- Bake
- Broil
- Warm
The Black+Decker serves the three basic functions of a toaster oven: Toast, Bake, and Broil. If you know your way around the kitchen, Bake and Broil are all the functions you’ll need.
The Warm function maintains the oven at around 150°F, which is the common lowest temperature for most analog ovens. However, that’s a bit higher than most digital ovens’ warm function, which maintains around 100°F–-120°F.
Interior



- Heating Elements:2 quartz
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:2
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
Similar to many other small toaster ovens, including the Comfee CFO-BB101, the Mueller lacks a convection fan and an interior light. In addition, it only has two heating elements which can usually lead to uneven heat distribution compared to four or more heating elements.
These heating elements are made of quartz which uses infrared light to cook foods faster than the more common nichrome counterparts. Quartz heating elements also cool down faster, are more energy-efficient and easier to clean but not as durable.
However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains. This is why they usually have guards which this oven also has.




- Heating Elements:2 quartz
- Convection Fan:No
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:1
- Rotisserie:No
- Safety Hook:No
The TO1760SS has only one tray level, while most other same-sized units, including the Mueller MT-175, have at least two. Moreover, it doesn’t have an interior light or a convection system: two common weaknesses of small toaster ovens.
The oven has two quartz heating elements, which may not distribute heat as evenly as four or more will do. Nonetheless, they are easier to clean and more energy-efficient than the more common nichrome variety. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.
These heating elements use infrared light to cook, which makes the process quicker. They cool down faster too, but are not as durable.
Capacity of the Mueller 4-Slice Toaster Oven

- Length:10.6" (27.0 cm)
- Width:9.8" (25.0 cm)
- Height:7.5" (19.0 cm)
We could fit four slices of toast, a 9-inch pizza but we could barely fit a 3 lb chicken inside the Mueller, unlike the same-sized Breville BOV450XL. We measured the cooking chamber volume to be around 12.81 liters, slightly different than the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 11.67 liters. However, it could just be a difference in measuring standards.

- Length:10.8" (27.5 cm)
- Width:8.7" (22.0 cm)
- Height:6.7" (17.0 cm)
The Black+Decker has a standard capacity for a small oven—10 liters, 4 slices of toast, a 9-inch pizza, and barely enough for a 3 lb chicken. This was one of the rare occasions where the cooking chamber’s volume that we measured matched the manufacturer’s stated capacity.
Power Cord

- Length:30.7" (78.0 cm)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Power:1100 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord is 30.7 inches long, suitable for household use. Unfortunately, the oven doesn’t have any storage space for it.

- Length:25.6" (65.0 cm)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1150 W
- Rated Output:120 V ~ 60 Hz
The power cord has a good length for household use—roughly 25.59". However, the oven doesn’t have any storage space for it.
Accessories

- Length:10.5" (26.7 cm)
- Width:8.8" (22.4 cm)
- Height:0.5" (1.3 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The two sides of the baking rack have slight curves upward at an angle to keep the baking pan in place. It fits perfectly with the guide to help prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.

- Length:10.8" (27.4 cm)
- Width:8.3" (21.2 cm)
- Height:0.6" (1.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking rack fits perfectly with the guide, which helps prevent accidents when placing food in the oven.
Accessories

- Length:10.2" (25.8 cm)
- Width:7.9" (20.0 cm)
- Height:0.6" (1.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan doesn’t fit into the guide rails and has to on top of the rack. This may prevent the full use of the oven’s capacity and lead to some inconveniences during cooking.
On the bright side, the pan has ridges and grooves to give your food attractive roasting marks and catch the dripping better. It has a coating but is not completely non-stick so you may need to watch out for some stubborn stains after a hefty roast.

- Length:9.0" (22.9 cm)
- Width:7.9" (20.0 cm)
- Height:0.6" (1.5 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan rests on the supports of the baking rack, which saves a bit of space in the cooking chamber. However, this means the pan will be shorter in length than the rack.
The pan does the job of catching any meat juices and drippings. This helps prevent any mess and the risk of fire from dirty heating elements. However, it doesn’t have a good coating and thus sustained some stubborn stains after our Whole Roasted Chicken test.
Build Quality

For a simple small toaster oven, build quality is all about how durable it is and if it works properly. The Mueller accomplishes that with a sturdy stainless steel casing and smooth-turning dials.

The Black+Decker has a sturdy build and is made from durable stainless steel. The dials turn smoothly and are polished for aesthetics and easy cleaning.
The oven, equipped with a tamper-resistant screw to prevent removal of the outer cover, contains no user-serviceable parts. This means you need to refer service to qualified service personnel if an issue crops up and not attempt self-repair.
Muller 4-Slice Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)4.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)7.0/10
- User Control (30%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
User Control
Even though the Mueller only has three simple control dials, 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 always tricky to precisely adjust time and temperature for an analog-control toaster oven and this one is no different. Nonetheless, you can use an external timer and an oven thermometer to get more accurate readings.
If you frequently use the stay-on feature, you can turn off the oven by rotating the function dial to Off instead of the timer.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using Black+Decker’s three simple control knobs. For the timer knob, always rotate past 10 minutes and then rotate back to the desired time when setting it to less than 10 minutes.
It’s also tricky to accurately adjust time and temperature. Normally, you can use an oven thermometer and an external timer to get around this. However, if you check the pointer, you'll find that the temperature knob of this unit is off by around 50°F. Evidently, when we set the temperature to 450°F for our pizza test, the oven heated up to only around 405°F.
Ease of Use
What’s convenient about 100% analog toaster ovens is that it’s very simple to adjust time and temperature during cooking. When the timer runs out, a bell will sound and the oven will shut off. Afterward, you can freely leave it plugged in and not worry about power consumption as it has no digital display.
The door can open at any angle < 50° to let food cool down inside the oven. However, keep in mind that opening the door doesn’t stop the oven. The exterior shell isn’t very thick, so it gets hot to the touch quite quickly during cooking.
The manufacturer claims the Black+Decker has the EvenToast Technology™ which toasts bread 30% more evenly. However, we didn’t notice an increase in evenness in our Toast test. Their Natural Convection technology certainly didn’t change the fact that this unit doesn’t have the convection fan that comes with several advantages.
With three control knobs, it’s very simple 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.
It’s easy to keep the door partially open to let food cool down; however, be vigilant as the door can slide all the way down on the rare occasions when the oven is tilted. Opening the door doesn’t turn off the oven, unlike some other models.
Cleanability




We clean the stainless steel exterior with no problem. However, after the chicken test, there were burnt bits stuck to the upper heating element’s guard and grease on the cooking chamber’s ceiling. There was ample space between the ceiling and the upper heating element, so we proceed to try every cleaning method possible.
Unfortunately, we could only scrub off the bits. Due to the interior not having a non-stick coating, there were some permanent stains on the cooking chamber’s ceiling and the upper heating element’s guard.
Luckily, the heating element itself was intact. Also, we were able to remove the stubborn stains on the baking pan by brushing them with a paste of baking soda and water.



While the interior of the Black+Decker didn’t have a non-stick coating like the Breville BOV450XL, it was easy to clean because there were no tricky nooks and crannies. The removable crumb tray made it easy to clean up the crumbs, though we still had to tilt the oven to remove the last of them.
During our Whole Roasted Chicken test, the chicken touched the upper heating element’s guard and left some permanent discoloration there, even after we cleaned up the burnt bits. There were also some permanent stains on the cooking chamber’s ceiling.