This is a review for the Black and Decker TR1400SB 4-slice toaster.
I am a big believer in the adage "you get what you pay for", but it is not always true.
As far as kitchen gear goes, it's usually true, but in this case it is not.
We had gone through two $100 Cuisinart stainless 4-slice toasters in 5 years. We loved how they looked, and they performed very well for about a year, but the elements started to go, and after about 2 years, one side (2 slices) would not work at all. For a $100 item, this was just unacceptable - I expected a longer life for that product, considering what I paid.
So, I did a lot of research to find a suitable replacement (expecting to pay about $100), and my research kept coming back to the B&D toaster that sells for $35-$40. I was skeptical, and I took my time to be sure, because I figured for this price, it would not be what I wanted.
Well, I was wrong. Although it is not as sleek looking as the higher-end toasters, it performs just as well as my Cuisinart did in its prime. And for this money, it could break in 2 years, and I am still under budget. It may not be sleek, but it is still attractive enough to keep on the counter as part of the decor.
I have been using it for over a month - here are my review points:
+ 4 slice toasting (or just two at a time if I want)
++ toasts bread, bagels, muffins, and over-sized (country style) bread. Everything fits.
+ toasts fairly evenly - not perfect, but evenly enough. It's not art, it's food.
++ retractable power cord. When not in use, we unplug it, and the spring loaded cord takes up no space.
+ easy to clean. removable crumb trays mean I don't have to shake the toaster upside down to clean it out.
++ price is right. very affordable, and matches the performance of high end toasters at twice the price.
+ cancel button. this makes it easy to stop in mid-toast
- dual adjustments are not exactly matching. When set at the same position, one side toasts a little longer.
- case can get hot. after multiple consecutive toastings (12 slices), the case gets hot, but not enough to burn (too hot for a child).
-- low baskets. when toast pops up, the toast does not protrude very far. I have to lift the lever so I can grab the toast.
I would have rated at 4.5 stars, but I went with 5, because 4 would have been too low. For me, the negatives were far outweighed by the positives. Especially the price. Great value overall.
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Product Grade: Commercial Grade
Material: Alloy Steel
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Black & Decker TR1400SB 4-Slice Toaster, Black/Silver
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This Item  BLACK+DECKER 4-Slice Toaster, Traditional Square, Black with Stainless Steel Accents, TR1400SB |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | -40% $29.99 List: $49.99 | -11% $62.61 List: $69.99 | $46.00 | $49.99 | $39.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 | Get it as soon as Thursday, May 2 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Temperature Control | ||||||
| Sold By | — | THE LAST STORE | Homecrest | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| material | Aluminum | Stainless Steel | Other | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Aluminum |
| number of settings | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| number of programs | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | 7 |
| wattage | — | 800 watts | 1500 watts | 1500 watts | 1400 watts | 1650 watts |
| dishwasher safe | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| weight | 6.45 pounds | — | — | 4.6 pounds | 3.48 pounds | — |
Reviews with images
Not very impressed
I've had what appears to be the 2 slice version of this toaster for a LONG time and it's been great. The 4 slice isn't so much so. I originally bought one of these from Kmart and returned it (it was the last one they had so I couldn't exchange it) because it appeared that the bagel setting wasn't working since all of the elements looked like they were stuck on regular. The one I received from Amazon does the same thing but in actual use, it doesn't seem to really "toast" the wrong side of the bagel.Other than that, any setting above 3 is basically the "kill it with fire before it lays eggs" setting. This doesn't surprise me because my old 2 slicer was the same way. Totally useless unless you like eating charcoal. It feels notably cheaper than the 2 slice version as well. When the toaster pops up it sounds all loose like parts will fly out of it. The 2 slice version sounded and acted like it was much more solid.Based on what I've seen so far I have my doubts that it will last as long as my old Black & Decker 2 slice has. If and when this thing fails I think I'll bite the bullet and try my luck up at the next price point.Update (11/17/13)- My wife was moving it yesterday and one of the thump levers broke off. I'm not saying this was 100% not her fault but how many toasters have you broken like that? Between the two of us we can count how many toasters we've broken on one finger. This thing is super cheap and flimsy. I highly DO NOT recommend it. This is honestly the worst toaster I've ever had.
