Black+Decker Convection Toaster Oven (CTO6335S) Review

The silver stainless steel Black+Decker CTO6335S is our first choice for a budget large countertop convection toaster oven. For only $89.43 (at the time of writing), it comes with a durable exterior, good accessories, and the necessary cooking functions.

7.0 Performance

The Black+Decker CTO6335S performed quite well in most of our test dishes except for the baked french fries. We speculated that 1500 W wasn’t able to heat the elements fast enough to keep up with the oven’s large capacity.

7.0 Toast

Scoring Components ↓

With our Toast test, we were able to determine that level 4—5 minutes 10 seconds on the timer—was the best option scoring a 7/10. Levels 3 and 5 respectively had a lighter and darker than ideal, although even, surface color.

The toast level 4 of the Black+Decker scored a 7/10 for color. The four pieces had areas of different colors ranging from golden brown to just slightly golden. This was probably due to uneven heating of the elements and the convection fan not running.

Despite the color, the first batch was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside so we gave it a 7.5/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined that it would go great with eggs benedict and omelet.

Even with the automatic toast time adjustment feature, the quality of the second batch was reduced in every aspect. The color was lighter and the texture was less crispy so we had to give it a 6/10 for consecutive usability. If you want the second batch to be the same as the first, lower the toast level by one.

6.8 Pizza

Scoring Components ↓

The Black+Decker did an ok job of baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza earning it a 6.8/10.

Compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label, it took 7m 30s to bake the pizza, which was fairly solid. However, after comparing it to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, we could only give it a 7.5/10.

The crust had a good golden brown color but was soft and a little dry — possibly due to the longer cooking time. Thus, it could only get a 7/10.

The toppings were mostly dry with an uneven coloring, plus the cheese wasn’t melty so it got a 6.5/10.

In the end, our chef gave the pizza a 6.5/10 for taste.

7.7 Whole Roasted Chicken

Scoring Components ↓

Following our Whole Roasted Chicken test guidelines, we placed a 3 lb chicken on a broiling rack on a baking pan of the Black+Decker with plenty of space to spare. The abundance of space gave it some advantages over smaller units like the Breville BOV450XL despite a lower power output. Overall, the Black+Decker received a 7.7/10 for this test.

It took the oven 1 hour, the standard amount of time, to roast the chicken to a desirable color so we gave it an 8/10. The skin came out a light golden color but it was uneven despite being flipped after the first 40 minutes. In addition, it was soft, so it got a 6.5/10.

The chicken was thoroughly cooked but the internal temperature was a tad bit high at 189°F-192°F compared to the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F so we gave it an 8.8/10. The meat was very juicy but the lack of roasted aroma and crispy skin resulted in a 7.5/10 for taste from our chef.

5.6 Baked French Fries

Scoring Components ↓

With a score of 5.6/10, the Black+Decker left a lot to be desired in the Baked French Fries test. In comparison, the same-sized Cosori CO130-AO did a much better job with its higher power output and air fry basket.

This oven took 25m 50s to bake 12 oz of fries which was just a bit too long over the limit of our Baked French Fries test. Thus, it failed our cooking time section. Coloring was uneven among the fries ranging from nicely golden to almost none so they could only get a 7/10.

The textures were also uneven and, worse, none was particularly good. The golden fries were only a little crispy and the ones that lacked color were soft. Overall, it was a 6.8/10 for this test.

Our chef gave the resulting fries a 7/10 for taste.

6.6 Design

The Black+Decker CTO6335S has a sturdy construction. Standouts for us were the baking pan plus broiling rack combo and the quartz heating elements.

In the Box

• Model: CTO6335S
• Warranty: 2-year limited (not applicable in Latin America)
• User Manual
• Baking Rack
• Baking Pan
• Broiling Rack

The packaging has some eye-catching illustrations and information as well as was able to keep the oven and its three accessories in place. However, there are only two foam pads on the sides to cushion the oven while the accessories are positioned with duct tape.

5.0 Exterior

Despite its large size, the Black+Decker only has air ventilation holes around the side where the convection fan is. The two buffers on the back to keep the oven from being too close to the walls are quite sturdy. Also, a slide-out crumb tray is always a nice touch.

Our measurements of the oven’s footprint were 19.29" x 13.38" x 10.62" which were a lot different in terms of length and height compared to the manufacturer’s 22.8" x 13.4" x 15.5".

Control Panel

The control panel consists of an LCD digital display, two buttons to adjust time and temperature, a timer toggle, a convection toggle, eight buttons for functions, and a start/stop button.

Cooking Functions

• Cookies
• Pizza
• Frozen snacks
• Potato
• Bake
• Broil
• Toast
• Bagel

The eight cooking functions are useful for beginners and experienced cooks can freely adjust the time and temperature of each to their liking.

7.0 Interior

The Black+Decker only has two tray levels but you can make use of the flippable rack to effectively create two more levels. The oven has a convection system but no internal lighting—unlike the Ninja DT201—which can be an inconvenience considering the interior is black.

The oven has quartz heating elements that use infrared light to cook. They have their own safety guards to prevent direct contact with baking pans and trays.

Compared to the more common nichrome heating elements, they produce more heat and cool down faster. They are also more energy-efficient and easier to clean but don’t last as long in terms of durability. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

Capacity

The CTO6335S can comfortably fit 6 slices of toast, a 12-inch pizza, and a 3 lb whole chicken. While the manufacturer didn’t state the oven’s capacity, we measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be around 23 liters.

Power Cord

Even though the length of 24.8" is enough for household use, the power cord protrudes from the bottom of the oven reducing the usable length. In addition, it’s not long enough to wrap around the two back buffers.

Accessories: Baking Rack

The baking rack can be placed in the oven either way up, effectively adding two more tray levels for the oven.

Accessories: Baking Pan

The baking pan is large and, being 100% compatible with the broiling rack, it catches all the drippings. This prevents any hot mess from dirtying the heating elements thus mitigating that potential fire hazard. However, it’s not 100% non-stick so you may have some stubborn stains to deal with after a heavy roasting session.

Accessories: Broiling Rack

The broiling rack is designed to fit the baking pan perfectly while the holes are there to help with air circulation around the food. It doesn’t have a coating though so it may be prone to stains, caramelized bits of food, and discoloration.

7.0 Build Quality

The Black+Decker CTO6335S is equipped with a tamper-resistant screw to prevent removal of the outer cover. However, the bottom tray can easily slide out and the door can also open if you tilt the oven.

Throughout our tests, we noticed that the oven’s large capacity is somewhat counteracted by its power output of 1500 W. We speculated on its ability to perform more efficiently if it were 1800 W.

6.1 Usability

The Black+Decker CTO6335S has an easy-to-use control panel. However, it doesn’t have any features that encompass convenience. Even the automatic preheat feature isn’t very useful. In addition, its door and buttons are a bit dodgy.

8.0 User Control

The Black+Decker has 8 functions but the convection toggle is only applicable to Bake. There’s an indicator light for when a function starts and stops — which are two separate buttons on the control panel.

For all functions except Toast and Bagel, you can push the increment and decrement buttons once to change the temperature in increments of 5°F and hold to change in increments of 25°F. After pressing the Timer button, the same goes for cooking time but in increments of 1 minute and 10 minutes. For Toast and Bagel, simply choose a level from 1 to 7.

Unfortunately, even though the label shows a stay-on function, we couldn’t find it in the control panel or the user manual. A small thing we didn’t like about the buttons was that they sometimes didn’t respond well.

5.0 Ease of Use

For all functions except for Toast and Bagel, the Black+Decker has an automatic preheat feature. This will always heat the heating elements to 350°F, which takes around 4m 20s, before starting the actual timer. Then, the internal temperature will gradually stabilize around your input temperature.

One thing to note is that you cannot change the temperature or time during the automatic preheat cycle. You can only do so once the oven reaches the selected temperature.

Keep in mind that the oven’s exterior gets hot to the touch quite quickly. In addition, it doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, unlike some others. The door also can’t be opened partially.

This oven beeps with each push of a button and does so three times when it finishes cooking. The oven always remembers the last selected setting until it’s unplugged. It’s advised to unplug the oven after you finish using it as the digital display doesn’t turn off after a period of no interaction.

6.0 Cleanability

We cleaned the Black+Decker following our toaster oven cleaning guide. With the oven having an internal and external coating, cleaning was quite straightforward.

However, even with the slide-out crumb tray, we still had to tilt the oven to get all of the crumbs out. In addition, some of them got stuck inside the heating element safeguards and we had no way of getting them out.

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