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Are you in the market for a versatile countertop oven with a small footprint and fast cooking speeds? Do you want a more energy-efficient appliance than a conventional oven?
A countertop convection toaster oven takes up less space than a traditional oven, and you will be able to use many cooking methods. You can toast, bake, roast, and air fry in some models.
To help you narrow your options, we offer our recommendations for the best convection toaster ovens on the market.
All of the countertop convection toaster ovens reviewed are 1800 Watts, 110-120 Volts, have auto-shut capability, and an interior light.
A 13" pizza can be cooked in all the toaster ovens except for the Wolf Elite, which can hold a 12" pizza.
Product | Presets | Slow Cook | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
What are the Best Convection Toaster Ovens?
Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Thanks to a wide range of features and top-of-the-line technology, this 1800W convection oven could complement or replace your conventional wall oven and a few other cooking appliances. What’s more impressive is that the Breville Smart Oven Air only measures 16” from side to side and 12” in depth.
What We Like
The programmed settings, interior space, and the ability to use four racks simultaneously allow you to make almost any meal in this oven.
The slow cook, air frying, and dehydration features make the extra expense worthwhile for the included accessories (13″ pizza pan with non-stick coating, two heavy-duty racks, broil rack, enamel roasting pan, and air fry/dehydrating mesh basket rack.)
We like that Breville equipped this oven with two fans – regular and super speed. The faster speed moves more air around, allowing the food to be cooked faster. The temperature control on this unit is precise and consistent.
Most countertop toaster ovens come with a one-year warranty. However, the Breville BOV900BSS has a two-year warranty.
What is Not Ideal
The quality of the air frying basket is average.
Features of Breville BOV900BSS
Heat Distribution
The interior capacity is similar to that of a 5-qt.-Dutch oven. Of course, the interior of this oven can be compartmentalized to accommodate different cooking techniques and heat distribution.
Regarding heat distribution, the 1,800W Smart Oven Air uses Breville’s Element IQ technology.
This precision cooking technology uses quartz heating elements to warm up the inside of the oven and cooks the food from all sides. Element IQ’s strongest point is that it can adjust the heat of each quartz element to suit the dish and the chosen cooking setting.
The Smart Oven Air has six quartz heating elements. Now, there’s always a risk of getting a few hot spots. And, in the case of this oven, some cooking presets might be more overwhelming than others.
Convection Fan
Super convection implies using a 2-speed convection fan instead of the classic single-speed fan. This allows the oven to cook even faster than it otherwise would, giving you even more control over the process.
Preset Cooking Functions
This oven has everything you could need regarding preset functions and then some. There are 13 preset cooking functions, and each one has adjustable timing, temperature, and fan speed.
The Breville Smart Oven Air lets you select toast, bagels, roasts, pizza, cookies, and baking, the most popular or standard programs in convection toaster ovens. But, it’s the extra stuff that makes this toaster oven worth every penny.
This oven can air fry, slow cook, and dehydrate food. Can’t get enough of homemade crispy strips and French fries, but your body doesn’t handle deep-fried, oily foods as good as it used to? No problem.
Do you want to make the perfect Thanksgiving turkey for your family? Slow cooking a 14-lb. bird will be one of the easiest things you can do with this convection toaster oven, even if you have minimum cooking experience.
Control Panel
But how easy is it to use overall, given that it has so many cooking functions and options? The Smart Oven Air toaster oven features a backlit LCD. It shows the list of programs, the temperature reading, the fan speed, and the remaining time.
You then have three dials, one for browsing through programs, one to set the temperature, and one to alter the timer settings. You also have buttons for the oven light and fan speed adjustment.
Owing to its dimensions (DxWxH: 17.2" x 21.4" x 12.8") and design, the oven will also fit most 9”x13” pans. Just remember to get pans made for countertop ovens that don’t have handles.
Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro
This versatile convection oven is well-equipped with features and the performance to replace almost any conventional oven.
It may seem small on the outside, but it has a roomy interior. The inside of the oven is .8 cubic feet which are big enough to cook a roast or bake a large pizza.
Measuring 15.75” x 18.5” x 11”, the Smart Oven Pro is also a big space-saver in the kitchen.
Like all other toaster ovens in Breville’s Smart Oven line, the Smart Oven Pro uses convection and Element IQ precision cooking technology. The built-in convection fan is a single-speed model.
What We Like
The Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS is well-designed and reasonably priced with many preset features. We have this model and find it easy to use (three main dials) and large enough to slow cook, broil, bake, and roast most foods.
You can quickly (about 3 minutes) toast four pieces of bread. I was surprised at how quickly this convection toaster oven preheats.
The interior light is nice as it automatically turns on at the end of the cooking cycle. An added convenience is the tray slides out when you open the door.
With this Breville countertop convection oven, you receive these accessories: a broil rack, a 12”x12” baking pan, and a 13” non-stick pizza pan.
What is Not Ideal
If you are short on counter space, be sure to make a paper template of the dimensions (15¾ x 18½ x 11″) to ensure you have enough room for this convection toaster oven.
Features of BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro
Heating Elements
Five quartz heating elements that give out stable heat. The warm-up time of the oven is quite fast, especially if you’re using the convection feature.
Preset Cooking Functions
You can choose between 10 cooking presets to make enough food for six people. The classic toast, bagel, pizza, and cookies programs are there, but the most interesting feature, in this case, is the slow cooking feature.
This setting lets you cook an entire chicken or turkey, ribs, and very tough beef or wild game pieces.
What’s best about it, it doesn’t require you to turn or flip the meat around. This is handled by controlled air circulation and precision cooking technology.
Interior Light
The Breville Smart Oven Pro also has an interior oven light.
Due to the nature of convection cooking, it’s important to have a good visual of what’s happening inside at any given time. This is particularly important if you’re not following recipes and instructions made to account for increased air volume and air circulation.
The oven light turns on when you open the door. It will also turn on automatically when the cooking cycle is almost done. While that may not always be enough, there’s no need to worry because you can always turn it on via a button on the control panel.
Control Panel
Speaking of the user interface, as is the case with all other Breville Smart Ovens, the Smart Oven Pro has an intuitive control panel. The LCD is bright and has good readability from almost any angle.
The left side of the display lists all the cooking presets and the one the oven’s running at the moment. Simple dials are used to control the temperature and the timer.
There’s also a button to toggle the convection fan on or off. As great as convection is, it’s not always ideal to have it turned on.
Wattage
Also worth noting is the Smart Oven Pro is a 1800W convection toaster oven. It has the same power as other more advanced models in the series. In addition to all that, the oven also has a non-stick coating on the inside which makes cleaning it a lot easier.
The top of the unit gets relatively hot.
Breville BOV800XL Smart Toaster Oven
The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is also known as the Breville Smart Oven. This model is a cross between the compact version and the Breville Smart Oven Pro.
It carries the name of the series and does it justice, too, with its versatility, ease of use, and efficient cooking. If you’re looking for something affordable to replace a conventional oven, this model might be for you.
What We Like
Although the BOV800XL is not as big as the BOV900BSS, you can still cook a whole chicken, a 13” pizza, six muffins, or 4-6 slices of toast.
As with the other Breville convection ovens, it is easy to use and well-designed.
This unit comes with an enamel baking pan (12”x12”), an enamel broiling rack (12”x12”), and a non-stick pizza pan (13’).
What is Not Ideal
The unit is loud when using the convection setting for cooking your meal. Unlike the BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, the BOV800XL doesn’t have slow cook or air fry features.
Therefore, this unit is not worth the expense in our estimation. A less expensive toaster oven can be used instead. This article compares the BOV800XL with the BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro.
Features of Breville BOV800XL
Preset Cooking Functions
The Breville BOV800XL has nine cooking presets, but it covers all your toasting, baking, and roasting needs. Included are two presets for reheating and keeping food warm after cooking.
The other presets serve as optimal starting points when making specific dishes such as pizza, roasted meat, cookies, toast, bruschettas, and more. Each preset cooking mode lights up specific heating elements.
Convection Cooking
Of course, you can easily alter each program's settings to fit your recipe using the dials and buttons on the side. This is advised as convection cooking uses the concept of dynamic heating or cooking.
As the air is moved around by the fan, the food cooks more evenly but also faster. Sometimes recipes and instructions in conventional ovens may need slight modifications to achieve the same result in a convection oven.
The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is well-designed and fine-tuned to help you deal with almost any challenge that convection technology may pose before a home chef.
This convection oven heats up fast on the inside and the outside, much like many other countertop toaster ovens, except for microwave ovens. It is safe to say that this model heats up faster on the outside than others in the series.
Therefore, it’s best to exercise caution and allocate more counter space to avoid getting burnt. The manufacturer recommends at least 4” spacing on both sides between the Breville Smart Oven and other appliances.
The exterior dimensions of this unit are 15.7x18.5x11" DxWxH.
Heating Elements
What’s also surprising is that the Element IQ technology has five quartz heating elements at its disposal. Even though this is a cheaper and less feature-heavy convection toaster oven, it only has one heating element less than the premium model in the series.
Wattage
The oven has the same wattage as most in the Smart Oven series — 1800W. This seems to be Breville’s go-to wattage for their toaster oven program.
Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
This budget-friendly and high-performance 1800W countertop convection toaster oven might appeal to those looking to ditch their conventional ovens.
It’s fast, sleek, has more than enough room inside, and is loaded with functions and cooking presets.
What We Like
One feature of the TOB-260N1 that sets itself apart from the Breville Smart Ovens is the 30+ button. You can add 30 seconds to your cooking time.
Another feature we like that isn’t common with many convection ovens is the dual cook function (discussed in detail in this review).
Although Cuisinart does not advertise this convection toaster oven as having air fryer capability, it can be used if you use the speed convection. A quarter sheet pan will work, as will a mesh basket or tray. You’ll need to adjust the air fryer recipe by increasing the cooking time temperature.
As mentioned above, but worth reiterating, a 9”x13” baking pan will fit inside this Cuisinart convection toaster oven.
This unit is easy to navigate and has a variety of presets. A three-year limited warranty is provided instead of the industry-standard one-year warranty.
What is Not Ideal
This unit has a two-prong plug. A grounded three-prong electrical plug would be better.
The footprint on this model may be too large for those with limited counter space.
Features of Cuisinart TOB-260N1
Convection Settings
The Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Convection Oven benefits from two convection settings.
There are two fan speeds, one of which can be used to cook without even preheating the oven. Even more important is that you can turn off the fan and use the TOB-260N1 as a classic toaster oven. This might appeal more to those new to convection cooking.
Preset Cooking Functions
When it comes to functions, this model is a preset galore. Cuisinart designed this countertop oven with 15 cooking presets and a user panel that gives you total control over every program and cooking function.
There are preset modes for toast, bagels, waffles, baking, baking pizza, defrosting, broiling, etc. These cover the basics of all toaster ovens.
To that, Cuisinart also added a slow cooking program. This program controls the heating elements so that you can turn the oven into a slow cooker and keep it on for up to four hours.
Some types of meat won’t be tasty if you don’t slow cook them.
The TOB-260N1 convection oven can help you diversify your menu and encourage you to learn and try new recipes. It can also save you money in the long run since you’ll be able to make the most out of cheap cuts, which can be difficult to cook without the right tools.
Dual Cook Function
Another interesting feature, which not many ovens have, is the dual cook function.
When you select this program as the timer dictates, the oven will automatically switch between two different temperature levels and fan speeds. This feature is very nice because it helps you cook complex dishes.
For example, anything that needs to be slow-cooked but then blasted with high heat and roasted for a few minutes. Instead of making the adjustments yourself and constantly checking to see when you should readjust, the appliance does it for you.
You can also keep the meal warm after it’s done. Just add warming as the second preset after baking or broiling.
Accessories
Multiple accessories are also included. This oven comes with two oven racks, a 9-inch x 13-inch enamel baking pan, a broiling pan, a crumb tray, a small recipe book, and a pizza stone.
This last accessory adds value to this model, considering that most countertop convection toaster ovens barely offer a pizza pan, let alone something more.
And don’t worry about having to store too many accessories. They can all be stored inside the oven when it’s not in use. Keep in mind that this oven has a 9-slice capacity. It can fit 9”x13” baking pans, two at a time. The convection fan will ensure that both levels get even heat coverage.
The exterior dimensions are DxWxH: 16.9"x20.9"x11.4".
Warranty
Last but not least, it’s important to point out that the TOB-260N1 Chef's Convection Toaster Oven comes with a 3-year limited warranty. That’s two years more than the industry standard, which most manufacturers offer.
Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven
The Wolf brand is manufactured by the Sub-Zero Group, Inc., located in Madison, WI. Wolf is a well-known brand with a reputation for producing high-quality appliances.
This review focuses on the Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven. This 1800 watt model is an upgrade from the Gourmet model, adding a Bagel mode, interior oven light, and having two removable glide oven racks instead of one.
It is a smaller, more energy-efficient form of the Wolf oven. The exterior dimensions are: 22.5" x 16.7" x 12.5" (DxWxH).
It could be used in addition to your large gas or electric stove or tide you over while you remodel your kitchen. Some folks use it as a replacement for a conventional wall oven.
What We Like
The parts, including the heating elements, are high-quality, and the unit is sturdy. The integrated temperature probe is a valuable feature.
The Wolf Gourmet website states you can use MOST 9”x13” pans and can cook a 5.5-pound chicken.
A five-year limited warranty is provided.
What is Not Ideal
The biggest downside to the Wolf Elite Countertop Convection Toaster Oven is the price.
A minor annoyance involves the timer. When you set the timer and time expires, the unit beeps but does not automatically shut off (unless the oven has been running for 5 hours, it will shut off). You have to press the start/stop button twice to turn the oven off.
This unit is not as user-friendly as the Breville Smart Ovens, given the multi-function knobs and buttons. There is no slow cook function on this unit.
Features of Wolf Elite
The Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven has five heating elements. The nonstick interior can hold most 13x9 pans (without handles), quarter sheet pans, a 12” pizza, and six slices of bread.
Two easy-glide oven racks can be positioned in three positions. The crumb tray is removable. The interior halogen light is advantageous as it allows you to see your food without opening the door.
Temperature Probe
The Wolf Gourmet Elite has a temperature probe that can monitor the temperature of the food being cooked. It can be used with the ROAST or BAKE modes in oven temperatures up to 450°F.
After the desired temperature is set, the probe is placed into the thickest part of the food. The oven will beep when the temperature is reached.
Preset Cooking Functions
This Wolf convection toaster oven features seven cooking modes. You can select programs for proof, warm, roast, bake, broil, toast, and bagel.
Convection Fan
The convection mode has 360-degree perimeter convection. This feature can be used in either the ROAST or BAKE mode. It provides even heat distribution, faster cooking times, and nicely browned food.
Timer
The timer can be adjusted in 1, 5, and 15 minutes increments and set before, during, or after the preheating cycle.
The display shows minutes and seconds if the timer is set for less than an hour. However, if the time is set for more than an hour, minutes and hours are shown.
Control Panel
The control panel display shows the temperature and timer information.
The top portion of the control panel has convection, probe, and start/stop buttons.
Below these are two knobs.
The temperature/darkness is adjusted using the top knob, and the selector bezel is used to select the mode. The bottom knob is used to control the temperature and choose the number of slices of bread. Below the knobs are the oven light button.
Final Thoughts
You probably have more than enough information to make an informed decision with your first or your replacement countertop convection toaster oven. You may already also have a favorite.
Our favorite is the Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air, as it is a strong candidate for the title of best convection toaster oven out there. A wide range of cooking features, the dual-speed fan, and consistent heating performance make it a formidable contender to beat.
Our Top Picks
| Name | Price | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Breville BOV900BSSUSC The Smart Toaster Oven Brushed Stainless Steel | Check Price |  |
| Breville the Smart Pro toaster oven, Stainless Steel | Check Price |  |
| Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, Silver | Check Price |  |
| Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef's Convection Toaster Oven, Stainless Steel | Check Price |  |
| Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Temperature Probe and 7 Cooking Modes, Stainless Steel, (WGCO170SR) | Check Price |  |
What to look for when shopping for a convection toaster oven
Build Quality and Safety
The weight of a convection toaster oven for your countertop could indicate many things. It can mean the oven has a larger capacity, more heating elements, better shielding, and a sturdy build.
There’s no need to worry about how well the appliance will handle hits or impact falls since it’s not a portable unit. The better it’s built, the longer it will last.
In terms of safety, there are a few things you should look at.
You should inspect the quality of door handles, preferably some that don’t warm up like the rest of the oven’s exterior.
You might also be interested in getting a toaster oven with magnetic locks for racks and trays.
That will make it easier to pull out hot trays. It’s important since you don’t have a lot of room to work with instead of regular conventional ovens. Getting burned is very easy, even if you’re wearing oven mitts.
Another consideration is how hot the oven can get on the outside. It’s recommended to leave some room between the sides of the oven and other appliances. By doing so, you will prevent damaging them and allow enough air to be pulled in.
You don’t want an oven that gets as hot on the outside as it does inside since it could be a safety hazard for kids, pets, and yourself.
Size and Capacity
Most countertop convection toaster ovens are sized based on how many slices of toast they can fit.
Some manufacturers list the capacity in cubic feet, but the toast remains the most commonly used measuring unit. Others include the size of the pizza you can bake in the oven.
Larger and deeper convection ovens are better suited to replace conventional built-in ovens.
Some ovens have more than enough room to let you cook a large chicken or turkey. That’s great for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Or if you prefer to do meal preps for a couple of days in advance.
Usually, these convection toaster ovens get larger as they increase in capacity. However, there are exceptions to this rule. That’s because some manufacturers opt for bulkier builds. There are two potential reasons for this: building a more robust casing or reducing the amount of heat outside the case.
If you have limited counter space, you should also check to see the actual outside dimensions of the ovens you’re interested in.
Cooking Modes
The majority of convection toaster ovens have at least four basic presets: reheat, toast, bagels, and pizza. As you start looking at more advanced models, you will realize that these ovens can do more.
Slow cooking is a highly sought-after feature. So are dehydration, defrosting, and multiple baking features for cookies, pastries, pies, etc.
What do these preset modes do for you if you can already manually adjust the temperature and the timer?
For one, they give you a baseline from which to build. They set the oven to a recommended temperature for that specific type of cooking.
Secondly, they determine how the heat elements work. For example, when baking, more heat will be generated from the bottom elements instead of the top elements. The exact opposite happens when you use the broiling mode.
Keep in mind that the additional features can add to the price. However, you can look for specific preset mode combinations that fit your cooking style. This might save money since you won't be paying extra for features you don't need.
Heating Elements
The most basic convection toaster ovens will have two heating elements, one at the bottom and one at the top. The more complex the oven, the more heating elements it usually has.
For example, Breville’s flagship convection toaster oven has six quartz heating elements arranged in an optimal pattern to maximize convection and conventional cooking cycles. The more heat elements there are, the quicker the warm-up time.
The number of heating elements also affects how fast the food gets cooked. But, sometimes, the quality and performance of the convection fan have a more significant impact on the cooking cycle.
The bottom line is that not all heating elements are created equal, and not all manufacturers bother advertising which specific materials were used. You may have to dig through the instruction manual to find that information.
Convection Technology
Cooking with convection technology is a bit different. It was developed and implemented in countertop toaster ovens to fast track the cooking cycle for specific dishes and give you an alternative method of defrosting and reheating leftovers without firing up the conventional oven.
Today you will find either a one-speed or a two-speed fan in most ovens. Sometimes the fan is installed with the rear heating element, but it’s not uncommon to also find it at the side of the oven, somewhere around the middle of the interior wall.
Although where you place the oven matters, fan performance and adjustability are also important.
Two-speed fans are ideal because they can open up more possibilities. Without two-speed convection fans, it’s unlikely that a convection toaster oven could air fry or dehydrate food.
The extra air volume and circulation can also considerably speed up the preheating process or even kick-start the cooking cycle without preheating the oven.
Control Panel
Manufacturers use two types of control panels or user interfaces for countertop convection toaster ovens.
There are non-digital panels and digital display panels.
The former is an interesting choice that may not always look modern, but it has other convenient features.
Pressing a button for each preset cooking mode makes things easy for first-time users. Cleaning buttons and such is not complicated, either. And yes, there’s quite a bit of upkeep involved in owning a convection toaster oven.
Digital display panels often use both buttons and dials. The LCD screens show readouts for temperature, clock, and remaining time. Usually, one side of the panel is reserved for the list of preset cooking modes.
One dial can be used to scroll through the list of programs. Other dials are reserved for temperature and timer control. The main issue with this type of control panel is that moisture often seeps into the display.
After a few months of regular use, it’s not uncommon to find yourself staring at a cloudy display. The same could be said about the dials. They’re not always easy to pull out and clean and should be because they can get sticky.
One clear advantage of a convection toaster oven with an LCD and dials is that it can offer more info on the cooking process. Ovens of this type also tend to have a wider range of built-in cooking presets.
Oven Light
An interior oven light is often an overlooked feature in countertop convection toaster ovens.
Convection technology often requires certain recipe adjustments or temperature and timer adjustments. The air circulation dries the air faster, and some dishes might burn when using the recommended temperature settings.
When the oven features a light, you can quickly see how the dish progresses and determine if you should make adjustments.
You can also see when the food is done and know when to switch to another cooking mode with an oven light. For example, when you want to broil a roast or give your pie a nice brown crust.
Although convection toaster ovens are very good at maintaining heat and warming up fast, opening the door to check on the food might be problematic in some cases. To let you check up on your meal, some models have oven light buttons included.
Accessories
Many accessories could come with convection toaster ovens: trays, racks, pans, baskets, etc. There are others, of course, but they are rarely included. Toaster oven baking pans and dishes can be purchased separately.
For example, you can get a pizza stone with some convection toaster ovens. Nonetheless, very few manufacturers include it in the standard package.
Instead, they prefer to sell such accessories separately. Some toaster ovens may also come with a rotisserie function. In that case, a spit will almost definitely be included.
With that in mind, a toaster oven will come with a basic rack and baking pan. You might also get a pizza tray. Drip or crumb trays are almost always included, so there’s no need to worry about them.
The more accessories you get with your oven, the more things you’ll be able to cook right out of the box. If you want to bake a pizza, a pizza tray will suffice until you’re ready to take your baking game to a new level and invest in a good pizza stone.
There’s one more accessory worth mentioning, the air frying basket. This is only useful if the toaster oven has an air frying cooking mode. Besides, ovens that support air frying often come with their baskets. Some will be better than others, of course.
Other Considerations
Breville, Cuisinart, Panasonic, and Hamilton Beach are among the most popular manufacturers in this category.
Of course, going for a renowned brand name also implies paying a slightly larger price. It will be worth it if you plan on using the oven a lot. That being said, there are many manufacturers outside the mentioned quartet that make high-quality convection ovens, often with lower price tags.
Another thing you might want to check before buying a countertop toaster oven is the cable length. Not all power cables are long enough to accommodate your kitchen countertop arrangement.
Ideally, you would want a cable long enough to place the oven so that the heat it generates doesn’t affect other appliances. The less you have to rearrange the stuff around each time you use the oven, the more convenient it will be to use.
