Hamilton Beach 31230 Set & Forget Toaster Oven with Convection Cooking

Though the built-in thermometer probe is not something I use all the time, it is really handy and makes this appliance much more useful than other toaster ovens, because you can program it to cook just until the done temperature is reached, and then either turn off or switch to keep warm. This is useful not only for meats, but also for baked goods (bread is done from 200-210), casseroles and reheating frozen food (165 degrees +). I found a comprehensive list of internal temperatures for all different kinds of foods, and at WhatsCookingAmerica that got me going, and then when I cook my own recipes, I notice at what temperature they are "done", and then the next time I make them I can program it to stop cooking at the precise moment, even if I am not around.The one problem is that the lowest temperature you can specify as a stopping point is 140 degrees, so if you want to cook a meat to rare or medium rare, you have to watch it yourself and manually stop it at a lower temperature. However, "Warm" is just the right temperature to slowly raise a piece of meat to rare, so I've made some great steaks by first searing the meat, and then letting it slowly come up to my desired doneness on "Warm" while I then work on other parts of the meal.As a toaster oven, it isn't perfect, but the advantages of probe controlled cooking makes the flaws easy to ignore. In particular, it is warmer on the left, so I simply utilize that feature by putting larger pieces to the left, or by rotating half way through cooking. Also, there are two rack positions but it comes with only one rack. I ordered a second rack on their site, and frequently use both racks during a meal. They say it is 11" wide on the inside, but it is just a smidgen under, so my 11 inch pizza pans have to go in slightly tilted until I get to the middle of the toaster and can find a spot that will let them lie flat. As a toaster, it is a little on the slow side, and often I will "preheat" it by turning on toast while I am preparing whatever it is that I am going to put inside.I had an older one of these, and after many years of use, the number display became hard to read -- I could figure it out but others could not. But I liked the features of this model so much that I bought a new one, but have kept the old one as an extra to bring out and use when I have lots of cooking going on.Note, Hamilton Beach has a number of temperature controlled kitchen appliances. They have a slow cooker with a temperature probe, and a water kettle that will heat the water to the precise temperature you want. I'm definitely watching this line of appliances to see what else they will come up with that has innovative features.

This toaster oven has an easy to read display orange LED display (looks a bit 80's) that tells you when it preheated. I've found baking temperatures to be very accurate, and the probe matched two expensive digital thermometers. I've made burgers and other smaller items and the probe works fine, you just insert into the center and try to bury as much of the probe as possible. Toast is a bit uneven but you have many settings to adjust how brown it is. It is great for English Muffins. You are limited to 12" wide pans. The convection feature works well.Temps are adjustable in 25 degree increments, that may be an issue for some. The probe can be used in "forget mode" and as a regular temperature probe if you elect to use the timer. I don't like how the probe headphone jack connection is recessed and you may be tempted to pull on the bare wire to remove the probe. Take the bit extra effort to remove it by the strain relief and do not pull directly on the wire, or you will be replacing it.Unfortunately, the plastic overlay unpasted and makes a creaky sound when you touch the buttons. It was like that from the start a bit but got much worse. Hamilton Beach does not stock this unit, so warranty option was a new oven that was lesser in value (the warranty book actually says you get one greater in value, but I never wrote them back).The replacement oven is $30 less on Amazon, and you have to pay shipping.Since I want the digital oven and the replacement (even the more expensive one) is a dial, I glued the overlay back, it seems to work well.It is a total shame that the company wanted me to destroy the oven over a 10c piece of plastic. I could see even the CPU failing and not having a part, but you shouldn't sell an item that will have to throw away after the warranty period for something very trivial. Most people would probably not glue it back and throw out a good oven. They do sell replacement probes. I have a Frigidaire 5-burner gas stove (which is amazing btw) and I bought a new overlay for $6. Most toaster ovens are a perfect example of a disposable society. It is not worth to have a service center, just make them in China cheap and send a replacement during the warranty period.In the early-mid 80s Farberware sold a large digital convection oven(probably 50% or more larger) than this one. The amazing thing is that it was digital and featured a probe just as this one does. It was expensive at the time (around $299). I'm surprised no one sells an oven like that today, it would probably be a big seller. I asked my parents for it but they never bought the item. I remember the probe had a large Hi-fi audio jack connection, this oven has a standard 3.5 headphone jack connection.