Toasters

(2 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

Comment:

I always bought and was happy with black and decker products but they probably were not made in China then. I threw out my fairly new toaster oven as the toast caught on fire many times and it is not worth taking the chance of burning the house down. I also will throw out my hand vac which is so heavy and does not work well. It is also made in China.

(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

Comment:

The quality of the off-on buttons on previous models drove us to distraction. The whole unit's functioning depends on the ability to turn it on and off. When the 'push-button' type switch malfunction, you are left with a useless appliance. Repairs are nearly as much as a new unit, if you can find someone to do a repair on the switch. We were also informed that only one exchange of a defective unit was permissible, whether inside the warranty period or not.

(9 of 11 customers found this review helpful)

Comment:

I just bought this item. I have read the reviews about smells, fires, burns etc., and really people...Really?! READ THE MANUAL! I know that there are defective equipment every once in awhile, but most good companies do rigorus tests before selling to the public. The smells are just new metals and plastics getting hot, usually. If you see alot of smoke, and if a fire starts you may want to turn it off. <br />I have seen reviews of burning toast until on fire. If you leave toast unatteneded with a new appliance and aren't use to it at the least, then you really shouldn't be using any type of appliance like this. If you leave any appliance of this type unattended, you do run risks! Not hard to figure out, if an item is hundreds of watts of electricity trying to cook something, there may be safety issues. Even a regular toaster or oven may catch fire leaving it unattended, especially not knowing how the settings work. If you know how to toast bread at all, you would know that you probably have to put closer to an element then in the middle of the oven, like most regular toasters are. If you put it in the middle, your toast will definitly take longer to toast. If you put it nearer the element and turn half way through toasting, this oven works great as a toaster. The baking works excellent as well, saving alot of energy. Be warey of what, if anything, is ever dropped onto the elements. If you cook something spitting grease etc., you may want to cover it as dripping anything on any element is not good. Some toasters have a protective top above the bottom elements to help this problem, this one doesn't, so you have to pay more attention to this one. <br />As far as peope getting burned. There are about 900 warnings telling you not to touch any part of the oven except for the handle and knobs without an oven mit! This is not the only non cool to the touch oven that gets hot outside. My previous toaster would burn you to if you touched and it worked for 9 years. <br />I like everything about this toaster. The knobs are a little wierd getting use to, but it's professional looking and stylish, and works great. I do wish it did have the protective shield for the bottom elements, but those may inhibit correct cooking. I was a cook for 13 years and I already know, you NEVER leave anything producing alot of heat unattended. <br />Great Item for all so far.