Help Make you Kitchen More Efficient & Roomier for under $25
Written: Oct 11 '02 (Updated Oct 11 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Ease of Cleaning: |
 |
|
| Style: |
|
|
|
Pros: Keeps B&D Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven handy; frees up countertop space; protects cabinet-neat, attractive, affordable, durable
Cons: Requires basic tool skills, cabinet holes need to be drilled, limited color choice and size
The Bottom Line: Install your B&D Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broiler on the Spacemaker TMB3 Mounting Hood. It frees up countertop space and presents a neat custom appearance. It’s reasonably priced, attractive and durable.
|
|
|
| glomarrone's Full Review: Black and Decker Toast-R-Oven Heat Guard Mounting ... |
The Spacemaker design began changing the look of home kitchen when it was first introduced over 20 years. It is still a great concept today! Free up valuable counter space by installing small kitchen appliances out of the way under your kitchen cabinets. Voila! Create more usable countertop space at little cost. Today Black & Decker (B&D) has a full line of high quality Spacemaker can openers, coffeemakers and toaster oven/broilers to complement your kitchen décor. I currently own three Black & Decker Spacemaker products.
I purchased my first Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broiler product in 1985. It was a large 16” brown Toast-R-Oven Broiler with matching Heat-Guard Mounting Hood that installed easily under a kitchen cabinet. It performed well for over 10 years under almost daily use. It didn’t heat up the kitchen as did my full size oven and it lowered my electricity bills quite a bit – especially since my regular oven needed less cleaning with less use. Gradually my Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broiler began looking grimy and the on/off plastic switch eventually broke but didn’t affect its use. When I remodeled my kitchen 5 years ago, I decided to replace it with a new sleeker model. My kids were living independently and I was now cooking for only two. We didn’t need such a big toaster oven broiler. Unfortunately, the new, smaller, sleeker Black & Decker models didn’t fit nor color match my original Black & Decker Spacemaker Heat-Guard Mounting Hood. Along with a new Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broiler, I also needed a new Black & Decker Spacemaker Heat-Guard Mounting Hood.
Purchase, Price
Although not all kitchen stores that carry Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broilers, carry the mounting hood, I did find it available in several local stores, in 1996, all at the same price - $24.99. The price is now actually lower - $21.99. I have never seen the mounting hoods on sale in stores. The sturdy box was lightweight and easy to transport.
Appearance, Size
Although I wanted a white color, the Black & Decker Spacemaker Heat-Guard Mounting Hood TMB3 were then only available in charcoal gray. Perhaps it was just as well, since the dark gray hides dust and grime better than a lighter color. The TMB3 model fits all Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broilers - TR0200 - TRO700 series. Now I see on the Black & Decker Website that a newer mounting hood model does come in silver.
The charcoal gray color makes the hood inconspicuous in the kitchen. The sleek modern design of the metal hood is quite attractive. It adds a neat, custom look to the kitchen appliance and the kitchen in general. Although the appliance is off the counter top, it is still just as handy and convenient to use. The front vents in the hood deflect heat and cooking fumes outward - away from cabinets. The size is much smaller than my original toaster oven broiler and mounting hood. The dimensions of the hood are 15-3/4" x 10-3/4" x 3-1/4".
Installation
All necessary instructions and parts were included and carefully protected. Other tools you will need that are not provided are a ruler or tape measure, scissors, tape, a nail, drill, ¼” drill bit and a flat blade screwdriver. Installation is a relatively simple process. Since all kitchen cabinets are different, though, the instructions may seem lengthy at first glance. Be careful to follow only those fitting the description of your cabinets.
First decide where the hood will be placed. Take in account convenience and the use of counter top appliance below. It should not be installed over the sink, any cooking or heating appliance, directly in front of an electrical outlet or in front of or behind under-counter lighting. Make sure your placement is close enough to an electrical outlet for the power cord of the Toast-R-Oven Broiler to reach. I almost made this mistake myself, but luckily discovered the problem before drilling the first hole.
Here are other factors to take into account when choosing a location. You need a minimum 1/2” (one Spacer) clearance from the cabinet bottom and the hood should be at least one inch from the rear wall and counter rear. Allow adequate room between the oven and any adjacent wall or appliance – a minimum of 5” to each side. The front edge of the hood extends approximately 1-1/2 outward from the cabinet keeping heat away from cabinets when cooking or opening the oven door. The oven can very easily be removed from the hood when necessary.
The hardest part of the installation is emptying the contents of the cabinet under which the oven is to be placed. Clean and remove any grease or other residue. Position the paper Template. Trim to fit and tape to the cabinet underside. Mark the location of the Mounting Holes with a nail. Before drilling you may want to put on eye protection goggles to prevent injury from wood shavings.
Drill through the cabinet bottom at each of the marked locations. Remove Template and save with your booklet for future use should you move or decide to change the placement of the hood. Depending on your cabinet overhang, you will use only 4 of the 8 Screws provided and some or all of the Spacers and Washers. Follow the clear illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions for your cabinet style.
Place one Washer under the head of the correct Screw and insert Screw down through the bottom cabinet holes. Stack the necessary Spacers onto each Screw as illustrated in the instruction booklet. Guide the Screws into the hood holes Make sure you’re using the correct number and sizes of Spacers on each Screw. Finger-tighten the back Screws before the front ones, then tighten with a screwdriver. Slide the oven onto the hood. Use the Cord Hook to neatly attach the cord to the wall behind the oven and plug in the appliance.
Cleaning
The hood is easy to clean. Be sure that the oven and hood are cool and the unit turned off. Wipe with a damp soft cloth or paper toweling. Stubborn stain may be removed by using non-abrasive mesh pad and mild soap. Do not use strong abrasive pads or cleansers; it isn’t necessary. My hood is now 5 years old and shows no sigh of discoloration or wear. It looks as brand new as the day it was installed.
Warranty
Black &Decker warranties the product against any defects due to faulty materials or workmanship for one year after the original date of purchase. Originally Black & Decker offered two-year warranties on its product line. If the hood is defective it will be repaired or replaced free of charge. Your rights vary from state to state. For specific answers to warranty questions or locations for service may be obtained by emailing at applicaconsumeraffairs@vacservice.com.
Manufacturer & Website
The Black & Decker Company manufactures the Spacemaker Heat-Guard Mounting Hood TMB3. Visit the Company Website at http://www.householdproductsinc.com/ to view the complete product line. Find out about exciting new products, get answers to FAQ, recipes, product registration and retailer links. One of the best features is the Product Recall List. I found several toasters listed so you may want to check the list if you own a Black & Decker toaster. The site is easy to navigate and quick to load. All necessary information can be found on it. Shop online for Black & Decker products at http://www.blackanddeckerappliances.com. Each product has a description, illustration and price.
My Impressions
I think the Black & Decker Spacemaker Heat-Guard Mounting Hood TMB3 is great. It is not an option if you wish to install your oven underneath your cabinet. The hood truly does reflect heat away from the cabinet. I have never experienced any over heating of the cabinet with use. After installation, the hood is neat, attractive and polished looking. I think it enhances the look of the kitchen while also freeing up countertop space.
I also feel it is safer. Twice my kids began heating up our former counter top Toast-R-Oven Broiler while paper or plastic wrap was on top of the appliance discoloring and damaging the finish; once it almost caused a fire. Having the toaster oven off the counter top prevents this from happening. My hood still looks brand new without stains or nicks of any kind even under constant daily use for 5 years.
I found product availability - pretty good; prices – fair; and appearance & quality - excellent. Installation time from start to finish for the mounting hood in my NY home was under 45 minutes including removal of cabinet items. My kitchen cabinets in NY have no overhang. Only one spacer was need on each screw making the process easy.
A more recent installation in one FL condo 3 years ago, went less smoothly because of the deep overhang of the cabinet. We needed four hands to manipulate and keep in position the many Spacers required on the 4 Screws when lining them up with the hood holes. That installation took one full hour from start to finish even though we were quite experienced by then installing the hood.
There are a few other negatives. The oven size used with this mounting hood is relatively small; large families will require something bigger. Installation requires drilling holes, which would make apartment installations impractical unless your landlord is VERY understanding. I therefore recommend it only for houses or owner condos. Consumers must also have some basic skills using tools and must own or be able to borrow the equipment (drill, drill bit, screwdriver) needed for installation. You must carefully follow the instructions. Installation isn’t the snap that the instructions imply. It takes between 45 minutes – 1 hour and you may need a helper to manage some installations even though everything is pretty lightweight. Of course, installation requires making holes in your cabinets, which may not make you too happy. If you decided to move the appliance or buy another different sized oven, you will need to drill even more holes. The hood may also not fit a new appliance should a new purchase be necessary.
Some cabinets may not be suitable for this installation because of size, style, existing under-the-counter lighting, poor condition, location or other factors. However, since these hoods are smaller in size than the original ones, size of cabinet should rarely be a problem.
But, I definitely feel it is well worth the effort. Once the hood is installed and the oven mounted, your appliance is out of the way but still out in front and convenient to use. It frees up lots of countertop space. I also own a Black & Decker Spacemaker can opener that has lasted more than 5 years. These Black & Decker products are durable, practical and reliable. I have owned and installed four Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broilers in my NY home and Florida condos and all have lasted many years. Ovens show more signs of use than do the hoods. None of the hoods have ever malfunctioned or been defective in any way. I will certainly continue to buy Black & Decker Spacemaker Toast-R-Oven Broilers and Black & Decker Spacemaker Heat-Guard Hoods in the future.
If your kitchen is short on counter space (what kitchen isn't,) and your present toaster oven broiler is a Black & Decker Spacemaker, I definitely recommend the mounting hood if you live in your own home or condo. If your toaster oven broiler isn’t a Black & Decker Spacemaker, I recommend you consider buying one and a mounting hood when you replace your old appliance. If you prefer a lighter color, the TMB10 model now comes in silver and fits the TRO1000 & TRO3000. You can also buy two styles of ovens that are sold with hoods for $89 - TRO3000C (white) & TRO3100C (black with Silver Hood.) Happy toasting, baking and broiling!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
My review is part of the Eps kids Big Payoff Challenge. I hope it helps ransom little Eenie, Meanie Minie, Moe from the clutches of the Home & Gardens fiends ah I mean rulers. I slaved for hours on this review and hope it helps.
Listen you fiends! If you don’t free these little guys soon you will have to answer to Grandma Gloria. Everyone knows how tough little old gray haired grandmas can be. Don’t mess with me! Release them now! Send them over to Books & Magazine so we can give them all the love and attention missing in their lives right now. Sorry, but we really are the superior, more caring group as evidenced by our efforts.
________________________________________________________________
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 24.99
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
glomarrone
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Cocoa Beach, FL
Reviews written: 167
Trusted by: 287 members
About Me:
It's been fun for 2-1/2yrs. Now it's time to say goodbye. I'll miss you all!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.