Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Like you all, I read allllllll the reviews about the rear heating element issue before ultimately buying this toaster. I was nervous it would be defective like it had for so many other people. I was also VERY excited to buy this. Who doesn't want a combo pop-up toaster and toaster oven, right??? Anyway, I followed the instructions upon first update, and ran the oven at 450 for 10 minutes without any food. I immediately noticed the rear heating element didn't illuminate at all. SO SAD!!!!! I called Hamilton Beach within a week, and they were happy to send me a replacement. (Side note: their customer service dept is amazing... hats off to them.) However, they also said there is a significant wattage difference between the front and rear heating elements. They told me the rear heating element will APPEAR not to be heating at all when, in reality, it's doing what it's designed to do. It's still working, even though it appears off. Customer Service encouraged me to test out the unit by cooking something. They explained if it's actually malfunctioning, it definitely won't toast evenly. Then they walked me through how to get a replacement unit, should mine be functioning improperly after all (so nice!). I tested out three pieces of toast: one in the oven portion, and two in the pop-up... and they are PERFECTLY TOASTED. This unit works just fine, even though the rear heating element never turns orange **because it's designed that way.** I love this thing. It saves a ton of counter space, and the toaster functions great as a 2-in-1 without sacrificing quality. Buy this. Stop obsessively reading reviews. It works great!