I recently tried out the Black & Decker TRO480BS Toast-R-Oven 4 slice toaster oven for a time period of six weeks. I did this so that I could provide a detailed review to anyone who is considering purchasing this Black & Decker toaster oven. I put away my usual toaster oven for the duration of the review period so I could get a clear idea of how this unit performs with regular daily usage. Here is my review.
This is an inexpensive toaster oven; it will cost you about $37, and that includes the shipping costs. Expectations for this toaster oven should be set with that in mind. I removed my new toaster oven from the box and inspected it. It has a nice, somewhat updated look to it. The front is mainly stainless steel; the sides and handle are black. This model has dials rather than digital controls; those are a combination of black and stainless steel. The timer only goes to 30 minutes, however, there is an “always on” option. The construction and material quality are decent for this toaster oven’s price range: not too cheap feeling or looking, yet not overly solid or sturdy. The toaster oven has one oven rack with two settings to choose from. A baking pan is included.
I like to start out a toaster oven review period by making toast. Four slices don’t fit comfortably in; this is true of most “4 slice” toaster oven models. So I went with two slices of whole grain bread. This toaster oven heated up quickly and toasted very quickly. The toast was good. I noticed during this initial use that this toaster oven gets quite hot on the outside; this is a very common issue with toaster ovens, especially cheaper ones. This is not a problem for me, but may be something to keep in mind if you have young children in your kitchen.
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This Black & Decker toaster oven boasts 1200 watts of power; this is quite impressive in this low price range. It shows with this unit’s quick heat and ability to reach a temperature of 450 degrees F. This makes this toaster oven ideal for things like quickly broiling a steak or pork chop. Some models just don’t get hot enough for those tasks; not an issue with this Black & Decker toaster oven.
I did find the size somewhat limiting. I normally use a larger unit. This Black & Decker toaster oven is not small by any means; it can fit a nine-inch pizza. However, you may not be able to cook all of your complete meals in this toaster oven. It does work well for single dish items, such as casseroles. I also used this toaster oven often to bake dinner rolls while my main dish was in the full-sized oven. It was nice to have two different ovens set at two different temperatures for perfect baking of each item.
I must caution you about the timer on this toaster oven. More than once during the review period I accidentally set the oven to the “always on” setting when I thought I was turning it off. The “always on” setting is just past the “off” setting; turn too far and you’ll make the same mistake. I became accustomed to this after the first few days, and it was not a problem after I knew to look out for it.
Overall, I think this Black & Decker toaster oven has a lot to offer for its price. It is mid-sized, so this may not be the best option for you if you want a larger model to take the place of your full-sized oven. But for small to medium items, this toaster oven works quite well. It does not have the convection baking found on more expensive models, but again this Black & Decker toaster oven is inexpensive and a decent value. Visit Toaster Oven Reviews for more information on this toaster oven and many more. You’ll find thousands of reviews as well as a handy toaster oven buying guide to help you along the way.
Heather Krasovec, creator of Toaster Oven Reviews, uses her extensive experience in food based industries to help consumers make better choices when stocking their kitchens.
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