The Hamilton Beach Convection 6 Slice Toaster Oven/Broiler 31180 is cleverly shaped with a flat front and rounded rear that allows it to accommodate unusual sized items, including a 12-inch round frozen pizza.

This unit is predominantly black, with stainless-steel front and rear panels and a full-view glass door. The glossy black enamel finish not only looks elegant but wipes clean easily.

The Hamilton Beach Convection Toaster Oven is both versatile and functional, with settings for convection, broil or bake/toast, as well as a 30-minute timer and temperature control gauge (200-450 degrees Fahrenheit plus broil/toast). Three easy-to-use stay-cool dials control the various functions and settings and a power on light signals that the unit is working.

Several key features on this unit deserve mention. A built-in convection fan can be activated by turning the control dial to the convection setting. This function uses an internal fan to move the heated air around the oven chamber for more thorough cooking -- up to 25 percent faster than toaster ovens without this feature.

The unit's 30-minute timer functions as an "on" switch, signals completion with an audible bell tone, and automatically shuts off the power when the set time has elapsed. For longer cook times, you can either reset the timer or use the "stay on" setting, which then needs to be shut off manually.

The unit measures 18 inches wide by 14.5 inches deep by 11 inches tall at its widest points. We liked the extra-long door handle, which runs the full length of the door and provides plenty of air space between the handle and the door to prevent scorched knuckles. We noticed, however, that we had to be careful to continue to hold the handle as the door is lowered to its fully open position, since the weight of the glass door gains momentum and wants to drop open. A specially designed pivot hinge keeps the door from closing too quickly and also lets it stay in a semi-open position in case you want to leave an item in the turned off oven to cool gradually.

There are three rack positions so you can select the height that best suits the food being cooked. On the lowest position, the Convection Toaster Oven can accommodate a 5-pound roast or chicken. The unit also comes with two wire racks so you can cook or toast on two levels.


Pros: Multi-level cooking/toasting, 30-minute timer, convection fan, large interior can fit a 12-inch pizza
Cons: Bulky housing takes up extra counter space