The kitchen appliance market has witnessed a revolutionary shift with the advent of air fryers, offering a healthier alternative to deep frying. Among the many brands vying for attention, Breville stands out with its premium line of Smart Ovens, combining the versatility of a convection oven with the crispy results of an air fryer. For many home cooks, these appliances have become indispensable multi-taskers, capable of toasting, baking, roasting, broiling, and, of course, air frying with remarkable precision. This detailed review dives into the top three Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer models, exploring their unique features, benefits, and potential drawbacks to help you make an informed decision for your culinary needs.
Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer: The All-Rounder
Often considered the benchmark for premium air fryer toaster ovens, Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer (model BOV860BSS) is a robust and intelligent appliance designed to simplify cooking while delivering exceptional results. Its core appeal lies in its Element IQ System, which intelligently distributes heat across five independent quartz elements, ensuring precise and even cooking for every dish. With 11 preset cooking functions, including Toast, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat, Warm, Slow Cook, and Air Fry, it’s a true kitchen workhorse. The integrated air fryer function utilizes a higher heat and super convection (a more powerful fan) to crisp up foods with little to no oil, making it perfect for fries, chicken wings, and vegetables.
Pros of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer:
- Versatile Functionality: With 11 smart presets, it genuinely replaces multiple kitchen appliances, saving counter space.
- Precise Cooking: The Element IQ System ensures even heat distribution, reducing hot spots and guaranteeing consistent results.
- Efficient Air Frying: The super convection setting dramatically improves air frying performance, delivering crispy textures faster than many traditional air fryers.
- Intuitive Interface: A clear LCD display and well-labeled dials make it easy to select functions, adjust temperature, and set cooking times.
- Generous Capacity: It can accommodate a 14-pound turkey, 9 slices of toast, or a 13-inch pizza, making it suitable for families.
- Included Accessories: Comes with an air fry basket, baking pan, broiling rack, and pizza pan, adding to its immediate utility.
Cons of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer:
- Size and Footprint: While versatile, its substantial size can be a drawback for kitchens with limited counter space.
- Price Point: Positioned at the higher end of the market, it represents a significant investment compared to basic toaster ovens or standalone air fryers.
- Exterior Heat: Like many powerful countertop ovens, the exterior can become quite hot during extended use, requiring caution.
- Learning Curve: While intuitive, mastering all 11 functions and their nuances might take some time for new users.
Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: The Ultimate Culinary Powerhouse
For those who demand even more from their countertop appliance, Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (model BOV900BSS) takes everything great about the standard Smart Oven Air Fryer and elevates it. This “Pro” version boasts a larger interior capacity and adds even more sophisticated features, making it a true mini-oven replacement. It often includes two-speed convection settings (regular and super convection), which further enhances cooking versatility, from slow roasting to rapid air frying. The added internal light is a small but significant convenience, allowing you to monitor food without opening the door and losing heat.
Pros of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro:
- Largest Capacity: Its generous interior can handle even larger roasts, full sheet pans, or more substantial meals, ideal for bigger families or entertaining.
- Advanced Convection: The dual-speed convection fan offers greater control over cooking, ensuring even more precise and faster results across various dishes.
- Internal Oven Light: A crucial feature for monitoring cooking progress without interrupting the cooking cycle, preserving heat and consistency.
- More Presets/Functions: Often includes an additional ‘Proof’ setting for dough and a ‘Dehydrate’ function, expanding its utility even further.
- Superior Performance: The combination of Element IQ and enhanced convection delivers professional-level results for baking, roasting, and air frying.
Cons of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro:
- Premium Price: As the most feature-rich option, it comes with the highest price tag, potentially putting it out of reach for some budgets.
- Significant Counter Space: Its larger capacity naturally means a larger footprint, which might be challenging for smaller kitchens.
- Weight: It’s a heavy appliance, making it less convenient to move around or store.
- Power Consumption: Its powerful elements and fans can draw more power, especially when running for extended periods.
Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact: The Space-Saving Solution
For those with limited kitchen real estate or individuals/couples who don’t need to cook for a crowd, Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact (model BOV450XL) offers a compelling solution. While it streamlines some features found in its larger siblings, it retains the core benefits of Breville’s smart oven technology and efficient air frying. This model sacrifices some capacity and a few advanced presets to deliver a more modest footprint and a more accessible price point. It’s still capable of air frying, toasting, baking, and roasting, making it far more versatile than a standard toaster oven or a basic air fryer.
Pros of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact:
- Compact Size: Its primary advantage is its smaller footprint, making it ideal for apartments, dorms, or kitchens with minimal counter space.
- More Affordable: Generally the most budget-friendly option among the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer series, offering premium features at a lower cost.
- Good for Smaller Portions: Perfectly suited for cooking meals for one or two people, or preparing smaller batches of air-fried snacks.
- Retains Core Technology: Still features Breville’s Element IQ technology for intelligent heat distribution and efficient convection for air frying.
- Ease of Storage: Lighter and easier to move and store away if needed.
Cons of Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact:
- Limited Capacity: Its smaller interior means it cannot accommodate large items like whole chickens, large pizzas, or multiple trays of food simultaneously.
- Fewer Preset Functions: While still versatile, it has fewer dedicated smart presets compared to the larger models, potentially requiring more manual adjustment.
- Less Powerful Air Frying: While it air fries effectively, the convection fan might not be as powerful as the “super convection” found in the larger models, potentially leading to slightly longer cooking times or less intense crisping.
- No Internal Light: Lacks the convenient internal oven light found in the Pro model, requiring you to open the door to check food.
Choosing Your Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer: A Comparative Glance
Deciding between these three excellent appliances boils down to your specific needs, kitchen space, and budget. Each model excels in its niche, offering a blend of Breville’s signature quality and innovative technology.
- Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer: This is the sweet spot for many. It offers an excellent balance of capacity, features, and price. It’s ideal for medium-sized families (3-5 people) or those who need a versatile appliance without going to the absolute largest size or highest cost. Its 11 functions cover almost every daily cooking need, and its air frying capabilities are top-notch for general use.
- Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: If capacity and advanced features are your top priorities, and budget is less of a concern, the Pro model is unmatched. It’s perfect for large families, avid home cooks, or those who frequently entertain. Its dehydrate and proofing functions, combined with the two-speed convection and internal light, make it a powerful alternative to a full-sized oven for many tasks. However, ensure you have ample counter space.
- Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact: This model is the clear winner for individuals, couples, or anyone with a small kitchen. While it’s the most compact, it doesn’t compromise on the core performance that makes Breville Smart Ovens so popular. It effectively handles daily meals and snacks, and its air frying feature still delivers good results, just in smaller batches. It’s a smart choice for those seeking efficiency and space-saving design without sacrificing quality.
Conclusion
Breville has cemented its reputation in the countertop appliance market by consistently delivering high-quality, innovative products. The Smart Oven Air Fryer series exemplifies this commitment, offering exceptional performance across various cooking functions, with air frying being a significant highlight. Whether you opt for the versatile Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer, the powerhouse Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, or the space-saving Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact, you are investing in a reliable appliance that can transform your cooking experience. Consider your family size, available kitchen space, and desired features to select the perfect Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer that will become the cornerstone of your healthy and efficient cooking journey.