Not only do toaster ovens toast bread and other food items, as the name would imply, but they are also more than capable of performing other culinary functions such as baking and broiling. Most people find that toaster ovens are indispensable for heating things such as pizza and sandwiches.
Black and Decker toaster ovens have smaller capacities than conventional table top ovens and are able to toast bread on both sides simultaneously whereas the conventional versions are not only much bigger but will only toast bread one side at a time. While some models have top and bottom elements for baking and broiling, like the Black and Decker Countertop 6 Slice Toaster-R-Oven CTO650, some older types only come with one element.
Black and Decker toaster ovens are practical for use as a second oven or even for replacing a large oven in order to cut down on energy consumption. Nevertheless, with obvious limited capacity compared to a conventional oven, food preparation results may differ in toaster ovens.
Toaster ovens by Black and Decker come in a range of different sizes, such as the larger versions like the Black & Decker TRO5050A Toast-R-Oven or the smaller, more inexpensive varieties like the Black and Decker Classic Chrome Toaster Oven TRO962. A few older models used to have a pop up feature for toast through the top of the appliance, very much like a standard toaster, but these are much less common nowadays. On the whole, most toaster ovens offer a slow-heat cooking, which comprises of low wattage current continually surging through the top and bottom elements, thereby enabling you to cook different foods concurrently, with a good example being the Black and Decker Toast-R-Oven Classic Countertop Oven/Broiler TRO392.
Another feature some models provide are two shelving settings which are ideal for baking, the Black & Decker 4-Slice Toast-R-Oven, Stainless Steel TRO700S a prime example of this type. Other toaster oven features can consist of special defrost cycles or a porcelain catalytic finish that is able to clean itself constantly under normal cooking temperatures. Close relatives of these toaster type table ovens/broilers are the broiler rotisseries and the smokeless broilers, both of which lack covering but are totally safe for indoor usage as they tend not to smoke or spatter. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the infrared heating element attains temperatures much higher than the smoke range and in so doing surrounds the element with a heat shield, which means that when grease hits the element it disintegrates without creating any smoke. Secondly, a stainless steel reflector pan which is located beneath the broiler rack contains water which any dripping would fall into, thus no spattering.
Kyle Hahn
Kyle's Blog
http://www.kylehahn.net