Black & Decker 4-Slice Toaster

First impressions and setup

Out of the box, this four-slice toaster strikes a familiar balance: black housing with stainless accents, a compact footprint, and straightforward controls. It parked neatly against my backsplash without hogging counter space, and the integrated cord wrap helped tame excess length so it wasn’t snaking across the counter. The layout is simple—two levers, two shade dials, and one-touch buttons for Bagel, Frozen, and Cancel—mirrored left and right so you can treat each half independently.

The levers engage with a soft, confident click, and the high-lift action gave me enough clearance to grab English muffins and smaller slices without resorting to a utensil. The self-centering guides pulled standard sandwich bread into place reliably, which set the stage for even browning more often than not.

Controls and usability

The dual-zone design is the quiet hero here. Being able to toast at two different shades at the same time is a big convenience for households with different preferences. I often ran a bagel on the left and a lighter toast on the right without any fuss. The shade dials have a smooth sweep and are clearly labeled from light to dark. The Cancel button is responsive; press it and the cycle stops immediately with the levers springing up cleanly.

Bagel and Frozen are true one-touch functions. Bagel mode biases heat toward the cut side of a bagel while gently warming the exterior. Frozen adds time to account for defrosting without dramatically overshooting the shade level. Both modes worked as expected, though I found Frozen ran a little conservative with thick, freezer-cold slices; bumping the shade up one notch compensated well.

Toasting performance

On standard white and wheat sandwich bread, the toaster delivered consistent results in the middle shade settings. My medium browning landed in the zone in roughly 2½–3 minutes, with even color across most of the face and only slight lightening toward the very edges on thicker slices. Running back-to-back cycles didn’t cause big swings in outcome; the second round may run a hair darker (common in this category), so I nudge the dial down half a notch if I’m doing repeat batches.

For bagels, the dedicated mode did what it should: crisped and browned the cut side while leaving the outside warm and chewy, not brittle. English muffins came out especially well thanks to the self-centering guides; their narrow profile still sat upright and browned evenly. Frozen waffles and bread toasted evenly after a shade bump; I preferred using Frozen plus one level higher than my usual setting.

Slot size and limitations

The slots are indeed extra-wide, and they accommodate bagels, thick-cut artisanal loaves, and Texas toast without jamming. Where the toaster shows its limit is in slot length rather than width. Oversized “wide-pan” sandwich slices and long, rustic sourdough ends can poke above the top by a half-inch or more. That exposed section doesn’t toast properly, and the corners can pick up more color if they’re forced deeper into the slot. Rotating or flipping halfway through helps, but it’s not ideal if you routinely buy larger loaves.

If your daily bread is standard supermarket sandwich bread, you’ll be fine. If you favor long bakery slices, you’ll want a long-slot toaster instead.

Evenness and repeatability

Evenness is good for the price class, particularly with straightforward breads. In my tests, the left and right banks weren’t perfectly identical—one side ran a touch hotter at the same dial position—but the difference wasn’t dramatic. After a few breakfasts, I knew that a 3 on the left roughly matched a 3½ on the right. That sort of small variance is common and easy to adapt to with independent controls.

The self-adjusting guides did their job with typical loaves, though very irregular crusts (seeded, rough-cut artisan slices) still brown a bit unevenly at the very edges. For most households, it’s more than acceptable.

Cleaning and maintenance

Two crumb trays span the width of each half, and they’re easy to drop and empty without lifting the toaster. A quick shake over the bin and a wipe with a damp cloth kept the interior tidy. Clearing crumbs regularly isn’t just a cleanliness play; it keeps the mechanism from getting gritty and helps the levers latch consistently. After a couple of weeks I noticed the right lever felt sticky once—emptying the tray and brushing stray crumbs from the slot rails solved it immediately.

The exterior cleans up with a microfiber cloth and a little dish soap. The stainless accents show fingerprints, but not excessively so.

Build and ergonomics

This toaster sits firmly on the counter, and the feet prevent scooting when you push the levers down. The levers have a light, springy feel; they’re not premium, but they’re not flimsy either. The shade dials turn smoothly with moderate resistance. Overall, the build feels like a solid midrange appliance: practical, not luxe.

Heat management is decent. The top rim gets hot during longer cycles (as expected), while the sides stay warm to the touch but not scalding. The high-lift feature matters here—it does reduce the “finger risk” when you’re fishing out smaller items.

Day-to-day tips

• For frozen bread, use Frozen and bump the shade up one notch from your fresh-bread setting.
• On bagels, always insert cut-side in and engage Bagel mode for best texture.
• If you’re toasting back-to-back batches, consider nudging the dial down slightly on the second run.
• Empty crumb trays weekly if you toast daily; it helps with lever action and consistent browning.
• With large slices that overhang the slot, rotate halfway through to avoid pale bands at the top edge.

What could be better

• Slot length: Extra width is great, but the length won’t suit oversized “wide-pan” or long artisan loaves without manual intervention.
• Side-to-side matching: A small calibration difference exists between the left and right banks. It’s easy to learn, but a tighter factory match would be welcome.
• Tactile quality: The controls work fine, yet they feel more “plastic” than “premium.” A bit more heft in the levers and dials would inspire greater long-term confidence.

Who it’s for

• Families who want to toast different items at once, thanks to genuinely independent controls.
• Bagel and English muffin loyalists who’ll benefit from extra-wide slots and high-lift levers.
• Households that mostly use standard sandwich bread and want reliable, predictable browning.
• Anyone who appreciates easy upkeep—dual crumb trays and an accessible design keep maintenance simple.

Who should look elsewhere? If your bread of choice is wide-pan or long, rustic bakery loaves, a long-slot toaster will make you happier. If you want all-metal construction and top-tier tactile feel, you’ll need to step up in price.

Recommendation

I recommend this toaster for everyday, mixed-use kitchens that value convenience and independent controls over premium materials or long-slot versatility. It toasts standard breads and bagels well, the Bagel and Frozen modes are genuinely useful, and maintenance is painless. The main caveat is slot length: if oversized slices are part of your routine, you’ll spend time rotating or flipping to avoid pale bands or over-browned corners. Within those bounds, it’s a dependable, user-friendly choice that fits most households’ breakfast habits.