I’ve walked away and not had something anywhere close to done, came back when timer went off two minutes later and those items were burned. I turn it down lower then what I have with my other toaster ovens but it still cooks things really quickly. Besides using my oven every day, I usually clean it after each use. In fact as i’m writing this review it’s making me want to go out and purchase a different toaster oven that will clean so much better and cook more evenly instead of burning my stuff. I’ve even tried using magic erasers on this toaster and those don’t even get it clean.
The exorbitantly priced Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven produced the most evenly browned toast of any model we tested. That said, it took about 7 minutes to get those unparalleled results. To be fair, it’s a countertop oven, not a toaster oven, so a slower cooking time is to be expected. We think it’s best for people who don’t have space for a full-size oven in their home, or for those who have a lot of counter space and need an additional oven.
However, when you open the oven door, you’ll find the rack position numbers printed on the side of the oven. But you’ll still have to consult the user manual to know where the racks should be placed for each cooking function, which is a little inconvenient. Due to the interior not having a non-stick coating, there were some permanent stains on the cooking chamber’s ceiling and the upper heating element’s guard. Even though the Mueller only has three simple control dials, there are a few things to keep in mind. For the timer knob, when setting it to less than 10 minutes, always rotate past 10 minutes and then rotate back to the desired time. The Hamilton Beach has enough capacity for 6 slices of toast, a 3 lb chicken, or a 12-inch pizza.
This countertop oven is available in several different variations. For example, some of these ovens have doors that roll back and open upward instead of downward, making it easier to take food in and out. We found the same heating map inconsistency when toasting bagels. The oven is only big enough to toast two full bagels at a time.
The Cuisinart has four slots for the racks, with metal hooks that pull out the middle rack when the door is opened. It was one of the fastest models to preheat to 350 °F, taking just hamilton beach over three minutes. Some toaster ovens (ones with convection technology, like our larger pick) can even work with air frying recipes, though that may require some adjustments.
If there’s counter space in front of it, the handle would hit the counter. If it’s placed close to the edge of a counter, the hinge would get jarred. Since most of the door is glass, I suggest not slamming it in either direction and making it a point to close it gently. While it fits under my kitchen cabinets, I wouldn’t recommend using it in that location because of the heat it produces.
We also like that the FlashXpress beeps when the cycle has finished and turns itself off automatically (as does our other pick, the Cuisinart). This model also has an oven light, which is rare for toaster ovens at this price level. However, for the best results, we’d still recommend waiting a couple of minutes for the unit hamilton beach toaster oven to preheat. What’s convenient about 100% analog toaster ovens is that it’s very simple to adjust time and temperature during cooking. When the timer runs out, a bell will sound and the oven will shut off. Afterward, you can freely leave it plugged in and not worry about power consumption as it has no digital display.
The half-bagel slices in the front toasted perfectly, while those in the rear of the oven were paler and less crispy. Overall, we gave the Easy Reach higher than average marks for toasting and feel it does an acceptable job with this metric. Most of the frozen items we heated came out a little undercooked after the recommended cooking time.
We also ran a bonus round to evaluate how well each oven could crisp up the skin on chicken thighs—a very telling test, as very few models excelled at this task. We stopped the baking after 27 minutes as the fries weren’t getting any more colors. This, nonetheless, was over our time limit of 25 minutes, so it was a 0/10. The Mueller could barely fit a 3 lb chicken for our Whole Roasted Chicken test. If you were to purchase this oven and use it to roast a whole chicken, we recommend cutting it open or chopping it into pieces beforehand. The toasting controls can be hard to figure out to avoid burning your toast.
None of the parts are coated with a nonstick finish and hand washing is recommended. The aluminum baking pan became quite stained and we weren’t able to get it completely clean. This is an authentic manufacturer-sourced part which is specially designed for use with Hamilton Beach countertop ovens. It is an identical replacement for a missing or damaged rotisserie rod/fork that was included with a new unit. Please make sure to check the owners manual for the correct application of this component.