Hamilton Beach 4 Slice Toaster Oven 31137 review

The Hamilton Beach 31137 is an earlier four-slice toaster oven for shoppers who want a simple flat-rack appliance and a maker-listed 9-inch pizza fit. Its published body is 7.8 inches high, 15 inches wide and 11.89 inches deep. The page lists Toast, Bake and Broil, adjustable temperature, a 30-minute timer with ready bell and automatic shutoff, and a bake pan. The exact manufacturer page says “No Longer Available,” so it belongs in an earlier-model comparison, not a claim about current stock.

A little more depth, still a small oven

At 15 inches wide, the 31137 sits in the same narrow body-width class as many small ovens. Its 11.89-inch depth, though, is more than two inches deeper than the shallow Hamilton Beach 31134. That difference is worth measuring if the appliance will sit near a counter edge or in front of a backsplash. It remains only the listed oven body: the page does not state the required countertop clearance, door-opening reach or cord allowance. A tight shelf should be checked against the exact manual before you buy.

The manufacturer lists four bread slices or a medium 9-inch pizza as fit references. Those examples are more practical than a vague “compact” label, but they are not interior measurements or a volume figure. A pizza’s actual edge, a pan’s handles and the height of a dish can change what fits safely. Hamilton Beach does not publish cubic-foot capacity or cavity dimensions for the 31137. If the thing you cook has a strict size requirement, compare its actual pan or dish dimensions with a better-documented oven rather than treating “four slice” as a universal capacity guarantee.

What the O47 guide confirms

The 31137 page directly links Use & Care guide 840194704. Its final model/type panel lists 31134, 31137 and 31144 as Type O47, rated 120 V, 60 Hz and 1,050 W. The guide describes Toast, Bake and Broil in a single cavity with manual temperature and timer controls. It is not a digital preset system and the product page does not describe an Air Fry basket, convection program, probe or separate cooking zone.

The 30-minute timer can shut the oven off and ring at the end of a timed cycle. The guide also depicts an “on” position, which is useful for a batch that needs more than the dial’s timed setting but should not be mistaken for an automatic timer cycle. Toast, Bake and Broil all use the same oven cavity; if a meal needs different temperatures or schedules, you still cook in sequence. The exact page lists adjustable temperature, but does not publish a numeric temperature range. Keep that specification unknown rather than borrowing a dial range from a similar-looking model photo.

The page’s faster, lower-energy reheating comparison for precooked frozen chicken nuggets is a maker claim, not a measured result for your meal. No independent data establishes toast shade, temperature accuracy, consistency or electricity use. Choose by the manual controls and 9-inch fit reference, not by assuming the comparison predicts another recipe.

Pan, rack and cleanup details

The exact 31137 feature list says it includes a bake pan. The maker’s page also lists the 31136 bake rack as a replacement part; the linked guide illustrates a rack and pan for oven use. These are related clues, but they do not establish what is included in a secondhand seller’s box. Ask about the rack as well as the pan and confirm that the model label says 31137. The package should not be inferred from the similar 31134 bundle, whose page separately names a broil rack.

The manual says to unplug and let the oven cool before cleaning, wash removable pieces with hot soapy water, and wipe the inner walls, bottom and glass door with a damp soapy cloth followed by a clean damp cloth. It advises against abrasive cleaners and metal scouring pads, and says not to cover the crumb tray with foil. It also calls for at least one inch of space between food and the heating element. That is a food-placement rule; it does not specify the countertop spacing needed around a hot appliance.

How 31137 differs from the nearby models

Model 31134 has the shallower 9.5-inch body depth and a product page that explicitly lists both a bake pan and broil rack. Choose that one if counter depth or the stated rack bundle matters more than the 31137’s stainless-looking front. The black-image model 31144 has a nearly identical 7.8-by-15-by-about-11.9-inch body, the same 9-inch pizza reference, a bake-pan listing and the same O47 manual; its exact identity and image are retained as a same-plan finish variant, not a separate cooking system. A comparison guide summarizes these distinctions.

Do not confuse this family with Hamilton Beach 31142. That model has a separate Type O72 guide and a named Bagel setting; the O47 guide lists three basic cooking settings, not Bagel. Nor does the standard 31137’s Bake selection prove convection or Air Fry. If a named function is essential, require it in the exact model documentation.

Who should consider it?

The 31137 makes sense as an earlier-model reference if four slices, a 9-inch pizza, a 15-inch body width and simple Toast/Bake/Broil controls cover your needs. Compare its published 11.89-inch body depth with the counter before considering it. Pass if you need a 10-inch pizza reference, more than four toast slices, a published oven volume, modern digital controls, Air Fry, convection, a separate Bagel cycle or a documented long-duration setting. Its maker page states “No Longer Available”; a used or leftover unit’s price, seller stock and condition are separate matters.

For a 31137 or the black-image 31144, check the actual label, rack, pan, crumb tray, door and cord rather than relying on a family name alone. See the Hamilton Beach 31137 page, the 31144 page, their shared Type O47 Use & Care guide and the O47 family comparison. This assessment does not report personal use or laboratory testing.