I bought this originally as a replacement for a toaster, but find myself baking a lot more now that I have it.What separates this model from the others is it is roomy enough to bake a small pizza or a large steak inside.This really comes in handy if you hate heating up a large oven (and the whole house) just to bake a small item.
The oven comes with a broiling pan in addition to a grill rack and it heats up very quickly thanks to four separate heating elements; two above and two below.A blue indicator on the front of the oven lights up when it's turned on and a safety feature turns off the heating elements automatically when the oven door is opened.Three separate knobs control how you want to use it.One selects the temperature you wish (up to 450 degrees), another timer selects how long you wish to bake (up to 30 minutes), and a third and less-useful timer is designed strictly for toasting.Allegedly you can set it to light, medium, and dark for perfect toasting but the oven's definition of light, medium, and dark may vary from yours depending on whether you're toasting a thin, light item like white bread or a thicker item such as an english muffin or bagel.One minor annoyance is you have to remember to make sure the temperature gauge is flipped over to the "toast" setting when using this third knob or the oven won't come on at all.
A nice feature is a slide-out tray that can catch crumbs and drippings so the underside of the oven isn't dirtied.Black and Decker recommends you do not use it when toasting items, but I haven't had any problems as long as I keep it clean. They claim the tray and the rest of the interior are non-stick but don't believe it.Once you start grilling, you'll be scrubbing away just as much as a regular oven.Perhaps I'm a clean-freak, but in spite of the slide-out tray I usually place a broiler pan underneath the rack for grill items just so I won't have to scrub the heating elements.It catches all the juices so the oven stays clean but when cooking this way you'll have to flip your chicken or steaks as it won't grill both sides evenly.
Like regular baking items, plan on scrubbing the grill and pans after you're done.Just sticking them in a dishwasher won't get them clean enough.The oven has a rounded glass window that cleans easily enough without removal.This thing can get pretty hot when it's going so you'll need to give it space on each side for it to ventilate properly.It comes with a thick, industrial-grade power cord, but even then I worry the oven can get hot enough to melt through it (no problems so far.)The unit comes with a one-year warranty, but the warranty registration asks enough suspicious questions (e.g. what interests do you like, how much do you make) that your information is likely being sold to mailing lists, telemarketers, and other scum.I'll pass.
Finally, my only major gripe is in regards to the reason I bought the thing in the first place.It's just not a very good replacement for a regular toaster.Even though it heats up quickly, the fact that the interior is so big and roomy means it will take twice as long to toast a piece of bread.It also tends to toast items rather unevenly for some reason.If you're buying it as a supplement to your regular oven, then I say get it.If you're simply looking for something to toast bread, bagels, or muffins, you'll probably be better off with a standard toaster.
Hope the review helped.
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Black & Decker TRO651 Toast-R-Oven, WhiteProduct Description: Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks, this versatile toaster oven-toasts, cooks, broils and reheats a variety of foods.Enjoy your favorite muffins, individual pizzas, casseroles or small chicken parts-cooked to perfection right on your countertop
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I loved the style, functions and even toasting of this model!Too bad the slice rest are a little flimsy; made of cheap metal.After three days, one bent, using the high-lift feature.Which caused it to get stuck down and not raise anymore; If Oster would use a different type or grade metal; it would be A Great Toaster!Needless to say I had to return it to Wal-Mart yesterday, and I searched for a different make with sturdier rest.Respectfully Submitted, John W. Adam
