Customer Reviews

Black & Decker TRO480BS Toast-R-Oven 4-Slice Toaster Oven

5 star:		(237)
4 star:		(171)
3 star:		(56)
2 star:		(47)
1 star:		(115)

 

 

We looked at a number of ovens and wanted something that did the basic things and didn't take up too much space. No convection (we have a convection oven) and no digital - its just a basic appliance. We looked at the B&D 240 but this just seemed too basic and too flimsy. Then we saw this one. It has all the basics, it's a good, small size and its silver / black which matches our kitchen. It has 3 controls (as compared to the basic model w/ 2) making it easy to select temp, function and time. The handle is securely attached to the glass door -the metal ends wrap around the glass so it won't fall off (a complaint about other ovens). It has a nice slide out crumb tray that has access from the front with the oven door close - this makes it very easy to empty. Nicely toasted our first bagel in just a few minutes and it was very evenly browned, something our regular toaster did not do well at all.

Pros
Gets hot fast
Basic controls work well
Easy access crumb tray
Even toasting and heating

Cons
Not many
The top and sides do get hot so don't store anything on this!

I rate this toaster oven 5 stars, not because it is the biggest, best toaster oven out there, but because for the PRICE, it's a great mid-size countertop oven, it's very attractive, it has good basic features with easy dials, and toasts evenly and has a good size interior. Amazon ought to carry this themselves and offer free shipping. I actually got mine from a department store this week for a cheaper price (loss leader probably).

That other post with 1 star was kind of bizarre, getting the wrong rack?? Maybe he got a return or something but these come very well packed. A few features I like about this one is the wire shelf is reversible, no surprise there, but turned one way, it has a wire lip that the enclosed tray can slide under attached, which helps during the baking process to catch any overflow drips. Then your baking pan can sit right on top of the rail. I also like the pull out crumb tray from the front, easy to clean and put al. foil. The sides have little hooks that the wire rack can slide into and it pulls out the rack a slight bit when you open the oven, makes it easy to grab your toast. The front handle is screwed in, all very secure. The cord is shorter than most, but I consider this a plus. Most people place the oven right by a plug anyway and too long of a cord gets in the way. It's long enough to pull the oven out to the front of the counter tho if you are cleaning behind, etc.

Black & Decker made a good one with this model.

My toaster broke after seven years and I wanted a unit that would toast and broil. Didn't need a convection oven. I found this unit and was very happy about the price. It is quite attractive and matches my stainless and black kitchen. The first thing I did after cleaning the unit was make toast. I wanted to see how evenly it toasted. I must say I was quite surprised at how quickly and evenly it toasted. So I'm already a happy camper. The door has a nice size handle. The unit does get hot, but from what I read most toaster ovens do. Will write another review after I've had this for awhile.

Update-2/10/10 I have had this toaster over for awhile now and I am very happy with it! It still toast bagels & bread very evenly. I have put 4 slices of Orowheat bread in it and it still toasted it evenly. It doesn't take as long as my regular toaster did. So I am still a happy camper. The best part is it is not very expensive! Wow to get what you want and not have to pay a high price! Woohoo!!

This toaster is five star to me because you can't beat the price and the performance. I am not comparing it to the expensive convection ovens. For an very inexpensive toaster oven you just can't beat the features, the price and the performance. It toasts evenly. It bakes evenly. I tried to bake some Pillsbury Crescent rolls and it did a better job than my regular oven. It has a wonderful timer feature that you can set up to 20 minutes. You can also opt to leave it on in the stay on mode. There are toaster settings. Best to watch the item you are toasting the first few times and know the time for your specific bread. It holds three large bakery style loaf bread slices. It does so much more quickly than the last Black and Decker model I had. The pull our crumb tray feature is a real time saver. Whether I need to cook fish, meat, or heat a hot sandwich, toast, or reheat...I find it incredibly wonderful for the price. THere are small saftey protusions in the back of unit so you keep it the proper distance from any touching surface. What more can I say? If you want a toaster over that is not reinventing the wheel then this is the model!! How can you beat $26.99?! Besides all this it does look nice. It is compact at just 9" deep x 16" long x 8.5" tall. Amazon had the wrong size listed on their site. I bought it from SEARS because they had a much better price.

I don't have major issues with this unit. It came in with the gray powder coated metal cover panel on the front snapped on incorrectly. I was able to loose the screws, bump it up and fix the issue myself. The unit looks very stylish, heats up fairly quickly. My other issues are, 1. There's not much room for your food in the oven. One 6" chunk of garlic bread in, and the bread is almost brushing the top of the oven, made the top of the bread very easily burnt, and center not fully heated. Slicing the bread into half will solve the issue, but if you have a bigger piece, you will probably end up heating it in the big monster oven, and forget about this unit; 2. The metal body gets REALLY REALLY hot with each use. Make sure you do not put anything on top of oven.

I really like this Toaster Oven. I had a Black & Decker toaster oven for many years and was happy until one of the elements blew out. Then I started using a new Oster that I had received as a gift. It lasted about one year. At first I was not going to purchase this one because it seemed TOO Large as per the measurements given in the item description which turned out to be wrong (12-2/5 by 18-8/9 by 15 inches ). The actual measurements of this oven are 15 3/4" wide, 8" high, and 9" deep (at the widest part on the bottom). The item description size was way off and it seemed like it was going to be a monstrosity on the counter. It turns out it is just an average size oven. It works great. Toasts and broils VERY fast and the timer is quiet. Looks stylish too. What more do you want from a toaster oven? The only two issues are that the power cord is shorter than expected. It just about reaches the outlet where it is placed, and there are only two heating elements. But it works very well. I really like the slide out crumb catcher. Very easy to clean. You don't have to lift the oven up and open the bottom to clean it like most toaster ovens.

Purchased to replace our poor, deceased Hamilton Beach toaster oven. Do not try to warm delicate items like croissants because:
1. Both top and bottom elements come on when baking. This will char the item. There is no difference between toasting and baking. This seems to be a common characteristic of all toaster ovens these days.
2. The thermostat is inaccurate. I calibrated it with an accurate temperature meter. Here's what I found:
Setting -> Actual
150 -> 225
200 -> 300
250 -> 335
300 -> 370
350 -> 450

This toaster oven toasts toast very evenly and works very well. But, it has a dangerous design flaw. It is easily to leave on by mistake. If you stop the toaster before the timer runs out you must turn the timer dial counter-clockwise back to the off position. However, if you accidentally turn the dial too far you will set the toaster to stay on. Its easy to make this mistake, even after you are aware of it.

This may be a fine toaster oven for the money. I won't know because I'm returning it after just one use (per the instructions, I set it to 350 degrees and let it heat for 15 minutes to burn off manufacturing oils prior to cooking). That was enough for me. The body of this toaster oven, especially the top, gets way too hot. So hot, in fact, that it heats up my kitchen more than my regular oven does. And frankly, I'm concerend about it being a fire hazard. There is, in fact, a warning printed across the top that reads CAUTION HOT SURFACE. This thing is obviously not insulated. Also, the ticking timer is annoying to the nth degree. Way too loud. Try watching TV or having a conversation with what sounds like a loud time bomb ticking away for 15 or 20 minutes. It can be clearly heard in the next room. Just a dumb, dumb design. I don't care if it cooks well or not. Back to Amazon it goes.

After many good years with my old B&D toaster oven, it was time to get a new one. That's an understatement . . . when your daughter scream's, "Dad the toaster oven is on fire, come quick" . . . well its time to get a new one. Actually what happened on the old toaster oven was the button you push down to toast, got stuck, and her 2 mini bagels caught on fire. Of course she pushed the button down left the room, and came back to "toasty conditions". The handle melted, the toaster oven was history. I liked the old toaster oven for the simple reason it was easy to toast bread, bagels, etc. You push down the lever and it toasts the same every time.

Of course, B&D probably went to the "twist the dial" timer toaster option after a few of these older toaster ovens caught on fire, the way ours did. It's not just B&D toaster ovens that have saddled the consumer with the new twist the dial toaster oven, others have the same unfortunate feature. The main reason I don't like this "twist the dial" to toast option is because you don't get the same result each time you toast. Each time you have to guess at where to stop the timer, resulting in either an "not toasted enough" result, or a "too toasted" result. Maybe in time, I will get used to the new dial option.

This toaster over gets three stars. It's OK, or good enough, but nothing to write home about. In addition to not having the old push down button, and toast lever, it has cheap, light, feel to it. Also, the the wire grill that you lay the item you want toasted (or baked) on, has a "hook" on it, which enables it to slide out as you open the door, but many times does not close very smoothly, you have to "jimmie" it a bit to close. In my opinion, a poor design.

In summation: an OK toaster oven, it functions, but nothing special.