Our Pros Found the Best Countertop Convection Ovens
Gone are the days of the plain Jane toaster oven. Today, home cooks are replacing these basic appliances with their spiffier, more versatile cousin: the countertop convection oven.
And if you don’t have one in your kitchen yet, you might just be missing out. These compact ovens do so much more than heat; some options air fry, convection bake and even convert into a rotisserie. They are definitely a fun and useful appliance to have, especially if you regularly cook for two or need extra oven space for entertaining.
However, like any new gadget, it can be hard to know what option to choose. Which is best for your cooking style? Which will fit in your space the best? Well, you don’t need to ask—our Test Kitchen found the best countertop convection oven brands.
How We Found the Best Countertop Convection Oven Options
To find the best countertop convection oven, the Taste of Home Test Kitchen shopped for the most popular brands. Our team snagged seven top-selling options and put them head-to-head in a series of tests. The team also compared notes on a few other criteria:
Ease of use: How easy was the countertop oven to operate? Was the manual helpful in operating? Were the accessories (trays, racks, baskets, etc.) useful?
Special features: What capabilities does the oven have? Does it do more than bake? Does it include any useful presets?
Performance: How does the oven perform? Our Test Kitchen tested each oven by air frying chicken wings, roasting seasoned potatoes, baking sugar cookies, toasting bread, roasting sausages and reheating leftovers.
Price: Is the countertop convection oven worth the price for the performance?
Our Test Kitchen-Preferred Countertop Convection Ovens
Our team of pro cooks roasted a lot of chicken wings (no complaining here!), baked a lot of cookies and reheated plenty of leftovers. Four brands earned our Test Kitchen’s stamp of approval.
Best Splurge Countertop Oven: Breville Smart Oven Air
If you’re serious about countertop convection ovens, you might just want to splurge on the Breville Smart Oven Air. This appliance has more settings than any other brand we tried and our pros loved every single one.
This oven was simple to use right out of the box and each setting delivered terrific results: Potatoes were perfectly roasted, air fried chicken wings were crisp, sausages roasted up juicy and leftovers were heated through and never soggy. And frozen pizzas (we all buy ’em!) baked up evenly and slid off the nonstick pizza pan with ease.
After trying many products over the years, our Test Kitchen expects Breville to deliver dependable, sturdy products, and this countertop oven didn’t disappoint. The Smart Oven Air feels solid and looks clean sitting on any countertop. It is a bit more expensive than other options but all the features, accessories and performance make it well worth it according to our expert testers.
Functions: 13 including toast, bake, roast, proof, air fry, reheat and dehydrate
Accessories: Pizza pan, two oven racks, broiling rack, enamel roasting pan and mesh basket included
Price: $400
Easiest to Use: Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven
When you get a new gadget, it’s nice to be able to take it right out of the box and use it instead of spending all day reading the manual (you want to get cooking after all!). The Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven is perfect for all you eager cooks.
This countertop convection oven was so easy to use with its intuitive controls—a feature our testing team adored after trying so many models. And in terms of performance, the Ninja Foodi delivered (Ninja also performed exceptionally well in our blender test). Foods were evenly cooked and browned using the roast, bake and air fry functions.
And when you want to fit a bit more into this compact oven, Ninja recommends the “Leveling Up” feature that helps you accommodate every inch of space for larger meals. You can roast a chicken and a side dish at the same time inside this small wonder!
Functions: 10 presets including air fry, air roast, roast, toast, bake, broil, dehydrate and reheat
Accessories: Two pans, wire racks, roasting tray and air fryer basket included
Price: $300
Best for Bakers (and Air Fryer Fanatics): KitchenAid Digital Countertop Oven
If you’re an avid baker, first join our Bakeable Facebook group, then invest in the KitchenAid Digital Countertop Oven.
This countertop appliance from bakers’ favorite brand knocked it out of the park in our baking tests. Cookies were golden brown and baked evenly with the bake feature. And the convection setting on the KitchenAid countertop oven performed better than any other model.
But this is no one-trick pony! Our Test Kitchen also really found the air fry feature on this appliance to be outstanding. Chicken wings came out crispy and brown on the outside and exceptionally juicy on the inside. These wings received plenty of rave reviews.
One other standout feature was the ridged cooling surface built into the top of the oven. This allows you to safely place trays from the oven right up top to cool. This is a nice space saver!
Functions: 9, including air fry, proof, toast, dehydrate and more
Accessories: Air fryer basket, baking pan, drip tray and wire rack included
Price: $200
Most Spacious: Cosori 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Countertop convection ovens are terrific when you’re cooking just for two. However, if you love the idea of these nifty appliances but are cooking for a slightly larger crew, check out the Cosori 12-in-1 Countertop Oven.
This 12-in-1 appliance (yes, 12 different features!), is a great choice for families. The roomy interior can accommodate two sheets of cookies, a 12-inch pizza or even an entire rotisserie chicken. That means no more hustling to Costco for your rotisserie fix; you can make your own fresh in this Cosori countertop oven.
Functions: 12, including bake, roast, air fry, broil, rotisserie, dehydrate and more
Accessories: Air fryer basket, tray, wire rack and rotisserie included
Price: $200
How to Make the Most of a Countertop Convection Oven
Today’s countertop ovens are super versatile. You can use them to bake, roast, broil, air fry and much more. To get started, all you really need to do is open a cookbook or scroll through your favorite recipes online. Here are a few lists to get you started:
These are just a starting point, of course! Once you start using this countertop convenience, you’ll find more and more reasons to use it.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
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