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Mueller 4 Slice Toaster Oven vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison

Mueller 4 Slice vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven. Comparing the two shows why the former is our best-value pick for the small category

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Mueller 4 Slice Toaster Oven vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven

Specifications

Price at publication
$64.55$51.90
Dimensions
L14.96 x W11.61 x H8.86 inchesL15.55 x W11.61 x H8.86 inches
Weight
9.0 lbs (4.1 kg)5.7 lbs (2.6 kg)
Control Type
3 control knobs3 control knobs
Temperature
150°F - 450°F150°F–450°F
Timer
1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on1 minute - 30 minutes + stay-on
Cooking Functions
44
Interior Dimensions
L10.62 x W9.84 x H7.48 inchesL10.83 x W8.66 x H6.69 inches
Capacity
12.81 liters10 liters
Heating Elements
2 quartz2 quartz
Convection Fan
NoNo
Lighting
NoNo

Design

Exterior
Interior
Build Quality
Overall Design Scoring

The Mueller has a standard design for a small oven which further highlights its detachable crumb tray. Its quartz heating elements can be another factor worth considering if you’re into energy efficiency.

Featuring a standard design of a small toaster oven, the Black+Decker TO1760SS has all the basic features, with no noticeable strengths and weaknesses. The quartz heating elements may appeal to you if you want to opt for energy-saving devices.

Usability Comparison

User Control
Ease of Use
Cleanability
Overall Usability Scoring

Similar to most small toaster ovens, the Mueller is easy to operate but not the most convenient to use. For instance, the control panel has a lot of room for errors and the oven’s interior doesn’t have a non-stick coating for easy cleaning.

Due to its small size, the Black+Decker has some obvious limitations when it comes to features of usability, especially compared to our top choices. For example, it has no non-stick coating to help with cleaning, and the control panel has a lot of room for errors. Moreover, its advertised advanced technologies are more misses than hits.

Performance Test

Toast
Pizza
Whole Roasted Chicken
Baked French Fries
Overall Performance Scoring

The Mueller showed its strength in heat distribution with its score in toasting bread, baking pizza, and roasting a whole chicken. However, baking french fries showed its weakness of low power draw which is common in small toaster ovens.

The Black+Decker TO1760SS performed to various degrees throughout our four tests. It was at its best toasting bread despite a minor inconvenience from the timer. With baking pizza, french fries, and roasting a whole chicken, however, the oven’s low power output affected the results by quite a lot.

Overall Scores

Performance
Design
Usability
Overall Scoring

Pros & Cons

  • Lightweight and small size
  • Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
  • Cool-touch door handle
  • Simple control knobs
  • Stay-on feature
  • Quartz heating elements have safeguards
  • Energy-saving
  • Lightweight and small size
  • Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
  • Cool-touch door handle
  • Simple control knobs
  • Stay-on feature
  • Quartz heating elements have safeguards
  • Energy-saving
  • No convection fan
  • No internal lighting
  • No safety mechanism for the door
  • No convection fan
  • No internal lighting
  • No safety mechanism for the door

Conclusion

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.

Behind the Comparison

Headshot of Alan Nguyen
Alan NguyenReviewer

Alan Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer at HealthyKitchen101. His major in English language teaching taught him to present concise information. In addition to his cooking hobby, he values the practical aspects of household appliances.

Headshot of Tuyet Pham
Tuyet PhamProfessional Chef

Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.

Headshot of Lap Vo
Lap VoTest Lead

Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.

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