Breville smart ovens
Nowadays, there are numerous kitchen appliances you can use for cooking. Still, your countertops can get crowded with air fryers, microwaves and toaster ovens. Luckily, smart ovens are versatile enough to meet most of your cooking needs. If you're thinking of adding one to your kitchen, Breville is a well-known brand with a wide selection.
What to consider before you buy a Breville smart oven
What is a smart oven?
Smart ovens resemble convection ovens but have multiple cook settings. They can be challenging to clean, but most people feel it's a fair tradeoff for the versatility. Many heat up quickly and cook raw food efficiently. Although most by Breville don't have this feature, many offer smartphone compatibility.
What is the Element IQ system?
Breville ovens use convection heating for cooking your food. Convection ovens use fans to circulate heat around the interior, providing even heat around the food.
Breville's Element IQ system ensures the oven's internal temperature is ideal for the food you're cooking. This system automatically adjusts the heat to the setting you choose.
How to choose the right Breville smart oven
Cooking settings
Each Breville oven features 8-11 cooking functions, but not all are the same. When buying one, it's good to think about the settings you'll use the most often.
- Slow cook: Some feature a slow-cook setting that lets you cook for up to 10 hours. This setting is ideal for tender, flavorful food.
- Air fryer: Air fryers are known for evenly cooking food and adding a crispy texture. This setting lets you simulate deep frying without the grease, fat and oil. Only a select few feature this setting.
- Broil: Broiling is ideal for thin cuts of meat when you want the outside seared. This setting isn't great for thick cuts of meat.
- Bake: Baking lets the oven's heat work into the food's interior. This setting is ideal for cookies, bread and pastries.
- Reheat: The reheat setting is an excellent way to warm up leftovers.
- Roast: The roast setting is ideal for thick cuts of meat and vegetables.
- Pizza: Many Breville smart ovens feature a cooking setting tailored to cooking frozen pizzas.
- Cookies: If you're a fan of sweets, you'll love the cookie setting. This feature provides a consistent heating ideal for making cookies.
Easy to clean
One of the biggest complaints about smart ovens is that they're hard to clean. The interior of the door often gets greasy and needs to be wiped down. If you plan on using it often, it's a good idea to buy one that cleans easily.
Fortunately, many Breville ovens feature crumb trays that slide out. The interior is usually made with a non-stick coating that makes them easier to wipe down than most smart ovens. The racks are removable, allowing you to get to spaces that would otherwise be hard to reach.
Style and size
One of the primary benefits of owning a smart oven is that it saves counter space. Still, if you buy a model that's too large for your counter, it may not feel like you've cut down on clutter.
Many are roughly 18 inches wide, although the Breville Mini Smart Oven is only 15 inches wide, making it ideal for smaller areas.
It's essential to consider the oven's interior size as well. Many are big enough to fit a 13-inch pizza. If you're cooking for a family of four or more, it may be worth sacrificing the counter space to get one that's large enough to cook for your entire household.
When choosing a kitchen appliance, it's important to consider how it'll look in your home. If you have a color theme in your kitchen, choosing a model that doesn't clash with your theme is ideal. Luckily, most are stainless steel, meaning they'll look great in nearly any kitchen. Still, Breville has black smart ovens that may be better if most of your appliances are that color.
Simple to operate
Most feature a range of preset cooking functions that let you get started at the push of a button. Breville ovens have an easy-to-read LCD, letting you keep up with how long you've been cooking. Many have an interior light that comes on when you begin cooking, making it easy to keep an eye on your food.
Breville ovens heat up quickly, and most beep when your food is done. It's worth noting that many feature an automatic pre-heating cycle that begins without a timer. If you put your food in the oven before it preheats, it may overcook.
Best Breville smart ovens
Breville BOV860BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer
This features 11 cooking functions, including air fry and slow cook. Although many people noticed a high-pitched buzzing noise while cooking, it's more durable than other Breville smart ovens. Most people felt this was more energy-efficient than their traditional oven. Sold by Amazon and Wayfair
Breville BOV845BSS Smart Oven Pro
Featuring a brushed stainless steel design and nine cooking functions, many people were impressed with how easy this model is to use. There may be some longevity concerns, as many quit working within two to three years. Sold by Amazon and Wayfair
Breville BOV845BKS Smart Oven Pro
It has 10 cooking functions and a sleek black design. It has an 18.5-by-15.7-by-11.1-inch interior cooking space. Although some received faulty units, many felt it was easy to use and efficient. Sold by Amazon
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Cody Stewart writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
