The Proctor-Silex 4-slice Toaster Oven/Broiler 31955 has a unique rounded design with a sliding glass door that economizes counter space. This space saving cylindrical unit measures 16.9 inches wide, 13.4 inches deep and 10 inches tall at its widest points. An extra inch of clearance space is required above the oven to accommodate the door handle when the door is in the open position. The tradeoff is that you don't need any extra space in front of the unit where a traditional door would open.

Similar in design to an aeronautic cylinder, this oven has two black end caps and a stainless steel rear panel. The front is composed of a curved glass door that glides up in its track to open. The design is quite clever and saves the hassle of opening and closing a door the traditional way. It also seems to hold heat inside better since there are no cracks for air to escape.

The oven comes with a sliding wire rack and a lightweight bake/broil pan. It has an easy-clean nonstick interior, a slide-out crumb tray and a 15-minute timer with automatic shutoff. We found the two dial controls quite easy to use for toasting, baking and broiling. The top dial lets you set the baking temperature (200-450 degrees Fahrenheit) or the toast or broil settings. The bottom dial acts as a toast shade selector and countdown timer. The only difficulty we encountered was when we wanted to stop the oven before the time had run out. The dial is difficult to turn in a counterclockwise direction so it feels as if you are fighting against the machine. We found it easier to set a shorter duration and restart the machine if more time was needed.

Because the oven is so compact, and the heating elements are closer together, it toasts remarkably well. You can fit up to four slices of bread, bagels or English muffins on the wire rack. We noticed a slight unevenness in toasting from front to back (the back sections toasting more quickly) but overall, the difference was negligible.

Besides the supplied bake/broil pan, the oven can accommodate one 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan, a 6-cup muffin tin, a 9x5-inch loaf pan and most 1 to 1-1/2-quart casserole dishes. We also liked the front access crumb tray, which slides out for easy cleanup. Other convenient features include a power indicator light and audible ready tone.


Pros: Space-saving cylindrical design, easy to use
Cons: Some pressure needed to slide door open and closed

Warranty
1 year, limited