Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CTO6301 Digital Advantage Stainless-Steel 6-Slice Convection Toaster Oven

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

After my horrible experiences with the Black & Decker TRO700S 4-Slice Toast-R-Oven, Stainless Steel, I swore I wouldn't buy another Black & Decker toaster oven. But when I was checking out several toaster ovens at Bed Bath & Beyond, low and behold there was this particular model available. Compared to the other models around, this one had the best combination of features and size for the price. The Krups convection oven felt cheaply made, unwarranted for the price. The other oven I considered, a Kitchen Aid convection oven, was very well made and looked great, except it did not have a convection feature and the elements were poorly exposed. I wanted to check out the Sanyo SK-VF7S Digital Convection Oven, Stainless Steel Finish that has been getting great reviews, but unfortunately this store didn't carry it. So, I decided to take a chance on "fool me thrice, shame on me". At least I could take it back to the local store if it didn't work out.

This Black & Decker oven is much better made than the TRO700S. It's also a bit bigger and has more solid feeling controls. It's also digital, so you don't have an annoying ticking sound while cooking. It also seems more robust than the Sanyo, potentially delivering more value for the money.

The Good: Excellent design, versatile tray system, non-stick inner surface, decent crumb guards over the heating elements, great capacity (it'll even accommodate a 12" pizza), wide viewing area, and even cooking. There are a lot of nice functions, including "bagel"--the bottom heats at half the top temperature, so it doesn't crisp the bottom of the bagel too much (nice). The exterior does get hot, like most toaster ovens, and its even worse with a brushed steel surface; however, the right side (where the convection fan is located) tends not to get scalding hot. The BROIL mode works well, despite not having the convection feature functioning. And although the toasting function takes long to work, it does brown the toast evenly.

The Not-so-good: The digital controls are confusing and take some time to figure out. The directions are OK, not great--but you definitely need to read them. The display does not have a clock, as one usually finds on digital appliances, but this is OK--once you realize it. The unit beeps at you when you select a cooking function, and it's rather loud. The convection feature only works in BAKE mode, not BROIL--I found this strange and disappointing. When you use it, there is no count-down indication of toasting progress (unlike with timed cooking/baking); you just have to trust that it will stop at the right time. Lastly, this product is designed more as an oven than a toaster--a single piece of toast takes about 50% longer to toast than in a conventional toaster. However, the workaround is to move the shelf to the upper position and then just flip the toast once it has browned on one side. Only a minor inconvenience. Also, there is no backlight to the LCD display, so if you're cooking at night in low light it's a little difficult to see the display details.

Overall, I give this unit a thumbs up... for now. I trust that since I didn't find any initial defects, it should operate well going forward. It is not a perfect oven, but then it seems NO company out there is bothering to perfect the convection/toaster oven. Sometimes I think I should go into product design, as I see so many flaws that can be easily avoided. Anyway, you won't go wrong getting this oven. :-)

NOTE: I really recommend seeing a toaster oven in person before buying it. This way you can get a sense of how it looks, feels, and operates. It's that tangible experience you just can't get on-line. Also, you can save more buying it in person (I paid $67 with tax, at BB&B with a 20% off coupon). However, if you aren't able to get to a store that has the appliances you're interested in, then you have to rely on what you see on-line. I hope my review helps you in your decision.

Replaces a similar four year old Black & Decker: Just fits Calphalon 9x13 cake pan - straight up sides, no lip or hand grip! The interior is deeper by 1+ inch and slightly taller (~6in.to element) than old - I think it's great. It's 1500 watts (1200 watt, not enough for me) with digital heat setting and timer; my first test 430 deg. 60 min. If using bake settings, adjust time & temp, then turn on convection. The heating elements are quick and responsive; 2 top and 2 bottom can run simultaneously (bake) and with convection, this thing cooks! Typical meals; pizza, chicken (10 lb, 1-cut @ backbone-lay flat in pan), fish etc., never tried toast. Why not 5 stars? Digital controls require coordination and decent eyesight (also must read instructions) - so not for very young or old. Also requires experimentation to get right i.e timer only begins when initial temperature setting achieved. Surfaces hot: front door is one layer glass (hot!). Warm/hot surfaces are not unusual in this category - for me it's not a problem. For $100 or less, there are not many 1500-watt convection ovens that can fit 13x9" pans (remember no lip grip!), even if just barely. If you have the counter space, OK with digital controls, read instructions, don't mind adapting and experimenting, no issues with very young or old, it may be just what you need. I am very happy with my purchase of this convection oven.

I recently purchased this oven and so far, I am quite pleased with it. For the price, it has many more features than ovens that are substantially more expensive.

The oven feels solid and well built and looks very nice, the brushed stainless steel and black trim are quite sharp and it blends in easily with most modern kitchen appliances. There is no internal oven light but the elements glow enough for you to view the food through the clear glass front making it easy to check on the progress without opening the oven door.

It is a bit larger than a standard toaster oven but can fit substantially larger items inside, including a 12 inch pizza. You should check the dimensions of the appliance before purchasing to make sure it fits your needs and your counters for that matter.

The controls are mostly intuitive but you may have to fiddle around with it a few times before you get the hang of it. There are quite a few different options but they are self explanatory for the most part. The buttons are clearly marked with letters and a picture, which also shows up in the display when activated. The display is bright and easy to read with the digital timer and temperature setting flashing consecutively. The timer can be set for up to two hours, which is a rare find. The oven beeps with each button push and also beeps 3 times when the timer expires. It's loud but not obnoxiously so. The oven temperature can be adjusted by 5 degree increments which believe it or not is quite rare. Many other manufacturers have preset temperatures that don't always make sense and can not be altered, which is far from practical.

The oven preheats quickly and seems to maintain a steady temperature with or without the fan. The fan is surprisingly quiet especially compared with some of the more expensive ovens. Food seems to cook evenly though you do need to make sure you keep items at least 2 inches from the top element or it will burn. Larger items will typically need to be rotated at least once during cooking to ensure even browning. Toasting takes a bit longer than a regular toaster so those of you new to toaster ovens, please keep this in mind. This oven does a nice job of toasting though you may need to adjust the rack and you do need to keep an eye on it until you find the setting that suits you best. The bagel feature is also nice as it toasts the top while only warming the bottom.

The pans included with the oven are the standard broiler pan and baking tray as well as a pizza pan. The pans are a bit flimsy but many regular baking pans will easily fit into this oven and produce better results. Using the pizza pan for baking pizza will result in a very soft crust. If you want it crispy, bake directly on the rack. The rack can be adjusted to four different positions which allows for a bit more flexibility in terms of what you can fit inside the oven. Since the rack is adjustable it is not attached to the door so you have to manually slide it out to remove items but the door opens completely and lies flat so the access to the interior of the oven is easier.

The oven does get quite hot but hey, it is an oven. Just make sure the oven is located in a place where hands would not come into contact with the sides, front and especially the top. Take note of the height of the oven and make sure that there is adequate clearance on the sides and top of the oven before purchasing. The bottom of the oven does not get hot so countertops should not be damaged. The glass door also gets quite hot but the handle remains cool.

The crumb tray pulls straight out from the front and is completely flat so clean up is a snap. The interior of the oven is also easy to clean as is the outside of the oven. The power cord is a bit longer than usual which gives you added flexibility with placing the oven but you have to be careful the cord does not touch the sides of the oven as again, they do get quite hot.

All and all I found this oven to be very much worth the price. It has many more features than more expensive ovens. It looks nice and so far, seems to work quite well.

I bought this toaster oven as a gift for my mother. I read the reviews before buying it, and almost didn't get it. A few were negative and complained about the oven getting too hot while toasting, or the handle being too close to the glass for your fingers to use it. Also, someone mentioned that it took so long to toast a slice of bread. There was a comment on its size being too large. (You should know what size oven you want before you buy any oven.) We are TOTALLY happy with this product, and did not agree with the negative reviews at all. I have waited a while before writing this review, so that I could give an accurate account on our own experience with this oven. We have no complaints whatsoever. My mother is thrilled with it and has toasted, broiled & baked many times. She absolutely loves everything about it. Don't hesitate to buy this oven, you will love it!

I had this for 3 days and it is going back. Looks nice, seems to cook good, but it gets almost as hot on the outside as it does on the inside. I can't believe they can still sell this thing. I've had B&D toaster ovens for years. This one gets HOT on the exterior-all the way around. When I say hot, I mean scalding hot. First time I toasted something I went to wipe a spec of dust off the top and bam first burn. Ok, it's hotter on the outside than the old ones. Next my son went to make toast as he's done for years on the old ones and accidentally touched the side, again burn. Third day, making toast I saw smoke and low and behold the hottest part of this unit is the back where the power cord was melting from the heat. I went to unplug it and accidentally touched the back for asplit second and 2nd degree burn! Unacceptable and definite fire hazard.

Yes, what eactly is that 'hmmm' sound coming from this unit whenever it's plugged in? Has anyone else heard it? Appears to be some kind of transformer or power supply humming that energizes the display, which should be the only thing on, when this device is OFF, right? Hmmm....

Aside from this minor annoyance, all I can say is this is a terrific product, replaces my old B&D toaster oven "Dining In" oversized, white unit. The white was looking more yellow than white (due to age & heat), so it was time to upgrade to the new black & stainless look. And look good it does, blending well with other newer appliances. The push button quick settings are awesome, it even sets the appropriate time for perfect toast, bagels, pizza, potatoes, frozen foods, and yes, a 12" pizza will fit comfortably inside. Another great feature, the slide out crumb tray has no edges (where the crumbs invariably get stuck) so this is an easy wipe clean affair. The front glass is convex, along with the rear oven wall, so as to maximize interior volume. The beeps associated with the buttons are a bit loud, so you late night snackers, beware, you will wake up the heaviest of sleepers, and you'll hear "...eating again? Get back to bed!" for sure.

Overall, I am very pleased and recommend it highly. As for reliability ... hmmm .... we'll see ...

This is a very early review but after my last purchase of a countertop oven - I am just so glad to have a good experience, I didn't want to wait. To share: If you are looking for a cool touch exterior oven, skip this. That is a rare quality in a countertop oven and one that I don't care about. I only use countertop ovens and have for years now. (The regular oven pulls 3500 watts - and is much larger than most people need.) I bake several times a week which includes casseroles, pizzas, muffins, appetizers, biscuits, quick breads - you name it, I bake it. I don't hesitate because I am not using the 'big' oven. This oven has some very nice features - esp when you consider the price.

* Convection fan you can elect to turn on
* Preprogrammed functions such as cookies, pizza, potatoes, etc.. These set the temp and time for you. You can adjust them.
* Preheat function - preheats quickly, beeps when it reaches temp
* Good internal clearance for casserole dishes
* Holds my favorite 9x12 pansChicago Metallic Commercial 12-1/4-by-9-Inch Small Jelly Roll Pan which I purchased from Amazon.com.
* I had no problems reading the display.
* Bakes relatively evenly not perfect but most any oven, even the big one, has hot spots
* Uniform baking on the bottom of my delicate rolls - nice golden brown.
* Good overall size, highly usable.
* Removable crumb tray
I don't know how long this oven will last and will update this review as I continue to test. I search a lot for the right countertop oven and this one has turned out to be a great surprise. I knew after reading the user guide that this was a good choice - they actually articulated the fact that when using convection, lower the temp by 25 degrees. Something I learned years ago by trial. Oh, and it looks nice.

Update 12-25-08 I have now baked pizzas, muffins, biscuits, and casseroles in this oven. Everything has baked nice and even which is really impressive for such an affordable oven. In looking at the elements, they look like the quartz heating elements I have seen in other brands I have owned. That might explain why it comes up to temperature so quickly and the even baking. B&D should advertise that more if that is the case. The size has still been just right too. Not too small, not too large. When using the convection fan, it does shorten the cooking time.

I purchased this convection oven to replace the smaller toaster oven I have. With a family of 5, the smaller toaster oven I had was just too small to really ever use. This toaster oven is a nice size and can cook a 12" pizza too. So far, I've used the machine to bake chicken, toast bagels, and bake potatoes. So far, so good. The only complaint I have is that there is only one shelf to bake with. A second shelf would of made this machine a 5 star product. I purchased this at a locat Target on sale for $69.99 org. $89.99. I like that it has the push button features so you don't have to mess with chinsy dials. This machine is so much more energy effiecient then heating up the entire oven just to make rolls, or garlic bread! I find with toaster ovens, you get what you pay for, this machine is worth every penny! Great Product! I highly recommend!

I purchased this product for a gift for someone in my family. Feedback from my family was positive in every way. Becausse of its size, its convection capability, the variety of baking/toasting settings and its overall smart appearance, they stated that this toaster oven is the most versitile small appliance in their kitchen. Needless to say, they were thrilled with their gift.

Purchased this yesterday and tried it out. Most everything works fine, but a couple of the preset buttons don't operate properly. When you select a preset item, you are suppose to be able to change the temperature setting provided you do so within the limited time frame. On most of the presets, this works but, on a couple it just does not respond at all. You can, of course do all the settings manually but, you're paying for the preset programming. Since this is a computer or programming glitch, and the unit is computer controlled, it is not an acceptable flaw. Also, as noted, it gets hot on all sides, top and bottom! Be very careful about clearances and childrens reach.