Our recommendations are made independently through Research & Testing. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links.
Toshiba AC25CEW-BS vs Black and Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.7/10
- Design (25%)7.5/10
- Usability (25%)6.8/10
- Performance (50%)6.1/10
- Design (25%)4.6/10
- Usability (25%)5.5/10
When comparing a high-value toaster oven like the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS with a generic one like the Black and Decker 4 Slice (TO1760SS), the common limitations of a small unit are often highlighted. Of course, the Toshiba is a little more expensive, but it offers a worthwhile trade-off, making it our best value selection.
Much like many other small toaster ovens, the Black+Decker lacks features that improve the design, usability, and most importantly, performance. It only has a low power draw, two quartz heating elements, and three control dials for timer and temperature.
The Toshiba, meanwhile, has a digital control panel with an LCD, three smooth control knobs for accurately adjusting its cooking function, timer, and temperature. In addition to the standard oven rack and baking pan, the oven comes with three more accessories.
The Black+Decker’s performance was above average and it actually had a decent score in toasting bread. However, it was held back severely in our baking pizza and fries tests due to its low power output—a common problem with small units.
The Toshiba had a high power draw to win in toasting bread. This combined with its convection system allowed it to win in baking pizza and fries, then add a rotisserie kit for roasting whole chickens.
Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven Performance
- Toast (40%)7.2/10
- Pizza (25%)9.1/10
- Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)7.8/10
- Baked French Fries (10%)6.1/10
- 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: 4/6
- Cooking Time: 3m 55s
- Second Batch: 3m 55s
- Convection: No
Following the procedures of our Toast test, we determined that level 4—3 minutes 55 seconds on the timer—was the best option with the score of 7.3/10. The level 3 and 5, in addition to being lighter and darker than ideal respectively, had very uneven surface color.
The toast level 4 of the Toshiba produced four pieces with a light golden brown color but a few areas too light. Due to not having the convection fan running, the color was about 80% even and we could only give it an 8/10.
The first batch of toast was nicely crispy while soft and moist inside so we gave it a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would be great to go with omelet and eggs benedict, as well as good for sandwiches. Although it may not be particularly good for soup, the second batch was.
The second batch was browner and crispier while still being moist so it got a 6.5/10. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, remember to lower it by one level.
- 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: Bake
- Temperature: 450°F
- Cooking Time: 5m 15s
- Convection: Yes
The Toshiba baked a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza evenly throughout in terms of doneness and color earning it a 9.1/10.
Even though the Pizza preset of the oven is 450°F for 10 minutes, it only took 5m15s to cook. It was really fast compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. In comparison to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it scored a 9.3/10.
The crust wasn’t dry and turned out a beautiful golden brown with some nicely charred spots. It deserved a 9.5/10. The cheese was also nicely melted and caramelized so it got a 9/10. After tasting, our chef gave the pizza an 8.7/10.
- 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: Rotisserie
- Temperature: 350°F
- Cooking Time: 1h
- Convection: No
Even though we chose a 3 lb chicken—in accordance with our Whole Roasted Chicken test—and despite the 4-pound claim on the label, it barely fit. In addition, there wasn’t enough space below to use the drip pan so cleaning up was a hassle.
Luckily, the fat from the chicken didn’t splatter too much inside the oven. Overall, the Toshiba scored a 7.8/10 for this test.
It took the oven 1 hour, the standard amount of time, to roast the chicken to golden brown so we gave it an 8/10.
The smooth rotation caramelized the chicken skin to a superb color while maintaining the juiciness of the meat. However, the skin wasn’t really crispy without convection so we only gave a 7/10.
The rotation also allowed the whole chicken to be thoroughly cooked in 1 hour with no pink spots. The internal temperature, however, was a bit too high at 207°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F, so it got a 7.8/10.
Even though the chicken was cooked to slightly well-done, the meat was still moist and tender so our chef gave it an 8 for taste.
- 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: Bake
- Temperature: 400°F
- Cooking Time: 20m
- Convection: Yes
The Toshiba did an acceptable job of baking 12 oz of french fries earning a 6.1/10.
Compared to other ovens in our Baked French Fries test, we had to cook the fries for 20 minutes so we could only give it a 5/10. Being baked on a tray and not in an air fryer basket, the fries lacked color resulting in a 6/10.
The fries only crisped up a little on the outside and were considerably moist inside so it’s another 6/10. Our chef gave the resulting fries a 6.7/10 for taste.
- 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.
Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven Design Review
- Exterior (20%)8.0/10
- Interior (30%)6.5/10
- Build Quality (50%)8.0/10
- Exterior (20%)4.0/10
- Interior (30%)1.0/10
- Build Quality (50%)7.0/10
In the Box
- Model: L series - AC25CEW-BS
- Warranty: 1 year (US only)
- User Manual
- Baking Rack
- Baking Pan
- Rack Clamp
- Removable Crumb Tray
- Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
The packaging keeps all the 5 accessories firmly in place while being easy to unbox and convenient to repack. Besides showing some basic information, it also gives instructions on how to unbox properly.
- 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:16.2 oz (460 g)
- Length:19.0" (48.2 cm)
- Width:15.6" (39.6 cm)
- Height:10.8" (27.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Color:Black
- Door Handle:cool-touch
- Tray Indicators:Yes
- Crumb Tray:Removable
One of the strongest points of the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Toaster Oven is plenty of air ventilation — on two sides, the back, the bottom, and the top. It also has strong bottom stands and two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from being too close to the wall.
This was one of the few ovens where our measurements and the manufacturer’s completely coincided at 18.98" x 15.59" x 10.78". We do need to point out that we could see the internal circuits through the ventilation holes although we’re not sure if it affects the oven.
- 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
- Type:LCD display + 3 control knobs + Stop/Start button
- Temperature:150°F - 450°F timer
- Timer:1 minute - 2 hours
- Indicator Light:No
- Status Bar:No
- Light Toggle:No
- Convection Toggle:No
- Rotation Toggle:No
- Automatic Preheat:No
- Audio Cues:No
The control panel consists of an LCD digital display, 3 control knobs for functions, temperature, time, and the stop/start button. The glossy plastic knobs turn smoothly and seem durable.
- 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 of the Toshiba Digital Toaster Oven
- Toast (level 1-6, without convection)
- Bake (150°F - 450°F, without convection)
- Broil (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Pizza (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Cookies (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Defrost (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Reheat (150°F - 450°F, with convection)
- Rotisserie (150°F - 350°F, without convection)
- Keep warm (100°F - 180°F, without convection)
- Convection (150°F - 450°F)
One may argue that 10 cooking functions are too many but they are helpful for beginners in the kitchen. The Rotisserie and the Keep Warm functions are the two that stand out from the rest.
- 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:4 nichrome
- Convection Fan:Yes
- Lighting:No
- Tray Levels:3
- Rotisserie:Yes
- Safety Hook:No
The Toshiba has 4 nichrome heating elements and 3 tray levels which are standard for its size. This oven has a convection system which is always a plus but it doesn’t have an interior light like many other units of the same size, e.g, the Breville BOV845BSSUSC. It received an extra point thanks to its rotisserie socket and bracket.
- 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
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:12.2" (31.0 cm)
- Height:9.3" (23.5 cm)
True to the description, it can fit a 12-inch pizza. However, it can’t fit 6 slices of toast or a 4-pound chicken but is big enough for 4 slices of toast or a 3-pound chicken.
We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be 23.3 liters which was a bit different from the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 25 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 of the Toshiba AC25CEW-BS Digital Toaster Oven
- Length:15.7" (39.9 cm)
- Type:3-prong plug
- Power:1500
- Rated Output:120
The length of the power cord is roughly 15.7"—ideal for household use. It’s also long enough to wrap firmly around the two back buffers.
- 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:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:11.3" (28.7 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The shape of the baking rack makes it easier to remove either with gloves or clamps.
- 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:11.7" (29.8 cm)
- Width:9.4" (23.9 cm)
- Height:0.9" (2.4 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The baking pan has ridges and grooves which can give your food attractive roasting marks and catch the dripping better. However, it’s a little smaller than the oven capacity and has a coating but isn’t completely non-stick.
- 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.
Accessories
- Length:7.5" (19.2 cm)
- Width:2.2" (5.5 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rack clamp fits the baking pan and rack nicely but doesn’t have a good handle. Nonetheless, not all ovens come with a clamp like this so it’s a plus.
- Length:10.7" (27.2 cm)
- Width:7.7" (19.5 cm)
- Height:0.8" (2.0 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
Crumbs can be quite a hassle to clean up, but the removable crumb tray makes it easier to remove them from the oven’s floor. Nonetheless, be careful, as some crumbs may still fall to the bottom of the oven as you take the tray out of the oven.
Accessories
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:11.0" (27.9 cm)
- Height:1.2" (3.1 cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Not advisable
The crumb tray is a useful accessory — crumbs being quite a hassle to clean up. However, some still fell to the bottom of the oven as we removed the tray. Also, upon cleaning the crumb tray after the roasted chicken test, we found it showed signs of oxidation from catching the drippings.
Accessories
- Length:12.6" (32.0 cm)
- Width:9.8" (25.0 cm)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The rotisserie kit does a fantastic job of securing the chicken thanks to the angle-adjustable 2-pronged forks. The structure of the forks, however, isn’t particularly strong leading to possible slight bending. Also, in the aftermath of the roasted chicken test, a screw of the rotisserie kit had rusted slightly.
Build Quality
The Toshiba AC25CEW-BS is quite robust while still relatively light and small. It also has more air ventilation holes than a number of other toaster ovens including the Instant Omni Plus 18L and Cuisinart.
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.
Toshiba Digital Convection Toaster Oven Usability
- User Control (30%)9.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.0/10
- User Control (30%)6.0/10
- Ease of Use (50%)5.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)6.0/10
User Control
The Toshiba has 10 functions to choose from. However, the convection fan isn’t applicable to all of them. Nonetheless, you can always choose Convection, then set the desired temperature and time. The temperature can be adjusted in 10°F increments.
The large and detailed timer from one minute to two hours is a strong point of this oven. It’s also specified by the minute.
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
The oven door has a heat-resistant handle and tray-level indicators on the glass. The casing has good heat insulation and only gets too hot to the touch at 450°F.
The Toshiba doesn’t have an automatic preheat phase like many other digital models, e.g., the Instant Omni Plus 18L. The digital display automatically turns off after a period of no interaction. After the oven finishes cooking, you will hear a very clear beep similar to when you’ve just plugged in.
There’s no audio cue when you’re adjusting the knobs. Furthermore, if you need to readjust the setting during cooking, you have to press stop and repeat all the inputs. The only thing you can adjust during cooking is the timer.
It’s hard to keep the door partially open and there’s no internal lighting. Also, this oven doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, unlike some others.
Although the accessories fit well, removing the rotisserie kit from the oven can be a little tricky even with the lifter. With a little practice, however, it’ll become much easier.
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 cleaned the Toshiba following our toaster oven cleaning guide. Thanks to its internal and external coating and lack of difficult nooks and crannies, cleaning was pretty straightforward. In addition, enough space has been left between the heating elements and internal walls to facilitate cleaning.
Roasting a whole chicken with the rotisserie kit left some difficult stains on the ceiling but a paste of baking soda and water did the trick. One minor inconvenience was that some crumbs still fell onto the internal floor and we had to pick them up anyway.
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.