Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I may never use my full-sized oven again!, April 3, 2001
This review is from: Black & Decker CTO8100 Dining-In Electronic Countertop Toaster Oven, Black (Kitchen)
I received this toaster-oven for Christmas as a gift from my husband. My original toaster oven (also Black and Decker) was on it's last leg, and I needed a replacement fast! I told my husband to get a BIG one, and he did great. This oven can hold a 9 x 13 pan for cooking. I actually cooked a family-sized lazagna in it for dinner last week. Here is some info you may find helpful. The Temperature dial ranges from 200-450 degrees. I find this to be an acceptable range for cooking almost anything. The Toast feature has a button for starting the toasting process and a button for stopping the process. It also has a button for adjusting the darkness of the top side of your toast. I find this to be a handy feature for toasting hambuger buns on one side only. I can toast 6 slices of bread for breakfast all at the same time in this roomy toaster oven. The Timer is my favorite feature. It can be set for up to 90 minutes. Or, you can set it to stay on if you need longer than 90 minutes of cook time. On timed settings, the timer automatically shuts off the oven when the time ends. This means I don't have to put the baby down and come rushing into the kitchen to keep dinner from burning if the timer goes off. I can simply relax and finish feeding the baby, then go into the kitchen and announce that dinner is ready. The crumb tray comes out for easy cleaning, but I haven't had to clean it often. I try to keep the pan in the oven for anything that might spill over to avoid a big mess. Yes, $110 seems like a lot for a toaster oven, but there are many things to think about when making this purchase. First, the toaster oven uses less electricity than the full-sized oven, and it has no preheat time. That can save quite a bit on your electricity bill in itself. Second, this oven is roomy. That means that you can cook almost anything in it that you can fit in a 9 x 13 pan. Third, the automatic timer is a great feature to keep you from being "tied" to the kitchen while cooking.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Oven, Fair Toaster, October 27, 2001
This review is from: Black & Decker CTO8100 Dining-In Electronic Countertop Toaster Oven, Black (Kitchen)
When I purchased this oven last year it replaced a General Electric toaster oven bought new in 1982, and it was still working great (gave it to my sister). I wanted more capacity and my old oven was small. I went shopping and soon discovered that although many of the toaster ovens were fairly large on the outside (particularly the Cuisinart), they weren't very large on the inside. This oven was the exception. It's almost like an oven-and-a-half in width compared to the others. From the reviews I've read by others, possibly quality control is a problem with this oven. Mine has been perfect. Absolutely no problems. My oven is extremely accurate by thermometer and easily bakes 8x8 square cakes and 8 or 9-inch round pans. It'll take a 9x13 pan, but it can't be a pan with handles on the end or it won't fit. In hot weather this oven replaces my full-sized one. I have baked everything under the sun in it. It does beautiful broiling; I've done dozens and dozens of hamburger patties and legions of steaks. The oven is large enough to do whole chickens or 6-8 leg quarters at a time. Naturally, it can accommodate 4-5 baked potatoes. The coils stay far enough from the food that I don't get burns on the top or bottom of food. The back of the oven is about 5-10 degrees hotter than the front while baking but that's not all that unusual with conventional ovens. Why only 4 stars in my rating? I agree with others that the toaster may be considered marginal at best. I also agree that it's probably because the toast is so far from the top and bottom coils. There must be a point from which further coil location can't be compensated for. It's acceptable toast, and I seldom eat toast for itself, but if I were a toast enthusiast I'd consider this a serious defect. I bought this toaster oven for its size and oven capability. I've been very pleased. The easy cleaning with the slide-out crumb tray is an added bonus.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Mini-Oven, toaster and it's safe too!, January 13, 2003
This review is from: Black & Decker CTO8100 Dining-In Electronic Countertop Toaster Oven, Black (Kitchen)
I recently almost started a fire with my previous toaster oven when I inadvertently left something on top of it while I was toasting. The shell of the toaster got so hot it melted and burned the item that was resting on top of it. In my shopping for a new toaster oven, looking for a model that had a "cool wall," that is, an oven that doesn't get hot on the outside was a must. After extensive searching I chose the B&D Dining IN. At any price, this was the only one with the "cool wall" and the range of features. Some ovens had "cool handles" that remained cool so you could move the oven while it was hot but I don't think that makes it safe enough. We have children and absent minded adults living in our home. We need totally safe appliances. Even when I am broiling the outside of this oven is perfectly cold. There have been many negative comments regarding the quality of the toasting. I haven't had any problems, but then again, I am not obsessed with perfect toast. We put bread in and it comes out toasted. In addition to toasting, it's so big that I use it to cook regularly instead of using the big oven. When it gets dirty it's so much easier to clean than a big oven or even other toaster ovens because of the removeable crumb tray. I also really like the cooking options. Turn the timer to the left and the oven reamins on - turn the knob to the right and you have a traditional timer which will turn the oven off automatically after the time you set it to has run out. Shop around and check for features. I think that combination of features available in the B&D Dining In Toaster Oven will out distance any other toaster oven on the market at any price.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2115|R34X336MIL0PS9;2115|R2K3QR84OPGMBZ;2115|R1BWDH662TF630;
|