The best smart ovens of 2024, tested and reviewed

Smart ovens simplify and speed up cooking. These convenient countertop ovens feature cooking modes that make them highly versatile, including air frying, reheating, dehydrating, and even steaming. You’ll also find units with extra “smart” features to save you time, like the ability to reorder food as you use it or digital thermometers that alert the oven to turn off when a dish is done. In other words, the best smart ovens can help a lot in the kitchen if you find one that fits your cooking workflow. 

• Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
• Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven
• Best smart countertop oven: Brava Smart Oven
• Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite
• Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
• Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven
• Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave
• Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401
• Best compact: Our Place Wonder Oven
• Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

What is a smart oven?

Though it sounds catchy, “smart oven” is a somewhat nebulous term. Smart ovens are multifunctional cooking devices that can heat food in many different ways. Whereas a toaster oven may be able to bake and broil, a smart oven may also feature convection-based heating, microwaving, or other techniques specific to certain kinds of foods. Many also have features that allow you to monitor and/or control your cooking more easily throughout the process.

Though there are full-size ovens that replace a stovetop or wall oven, many companies and home cooks use the phrase to refer to countertop ovens, so that’s what this list covers. These smaller convection ovens offer the benefit of often heating up faster than stovetop and wall ovens. It might be best to consider these as amped-up toaster ovens or more versatile air fryers. (That said, we threw an appliance-sized oven in there, just in case.)

Despite invoking the “smart” motif popularized by smart home devices like security systems and speakers, connecting to WiFi or a smart home ecosystem is not a core feature among countertop smart ovens. Ironically, it is more common among full, appliance-size smart ovens.

How we picked the best smart ovens

I’ve tested and reviewed kitchen and home products for five years for sites like Business Insider, Tom’s Guide, and Reviewed. To choose the best smart ovens, we thoroughly researched and considered approximately 50 different models, including popular options like the June Smart Oven, Brava Smart Oven, Tovala Smart Oven, and WLabs Smart Oven. To find the best, we considered each design’s physical size, capacity, power, temperature range, and additional helpful features, like WiFi connectivity and digital thermometers. Of course, we weighed each oven’s feature set against its price to see which ones offered the best value.

The best smart ovens: Reviews & Recommendations

With smart ovens becoming so popular, there are more options to choose from than ever before. You’ll have your choice of brand, with different oven sizes, features, and price points. Having lots of options is great, but it can make finding the right option a challenge. Our selections for the best ovens span seven categories and a wide range of culinary needs. Whether you’re looking for a smart microwave, a smart air fryer, or the most versatile smart oven, there’s something for everyone.

Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro features a compact design and 10 smart cooking functions.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 21.5 x 17.5 x 12.7 inches
• Weight: 38 pounds 9 ounces
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Toast, bagel, bake, air fry, broil, roast, pizza, cookies, proof, reheat, slow cook, keep warm, dehydrate
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $319.95

Pros 

• Smart features encourage you to cook
• Large LCD display is easy to read
• 13 cooking functions

Cons

• Expensive

Of all the smart ovens we’ve tested, Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the one that truly lives up to its name. This smart oven works with a companion app that can send you alerts when the oven is preheated and let you know how much time is left on your cook. Having this information at a glance is helpful, and I checked the app often during longer bakes—looking at you, banana bread.

The front of this smart oven is packed with dials and buttons, which may give the impression that it’s complicated to use. We never found this to be the case. Each knob serves a single important function—cook time, temperature, setting select—while buttons handle standard functions like turning on the oven’s light or changing the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius. It’s a lot easier to have these functions mapped to a physical knob or button rather than a touchscreen, in our experience.

Regarding performance, Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro worked flawlessly. French fries, croissants, the aforementioned banana bread, and anything else we put inside came out correctly without any intervention. Eventually, we began trusting this smart oven as much as our full-sized oven—which it could easily replace for most functions.

One of the problems with kitchen tools is that we buy them intending to cook more but often never use them to their full potential—if at all. The Breville Joule App (available on iOS and Android) is packed with step-by-step recipes courtesy of the team at ChefSteps. The site’s staff sweats all the small details, so their recipes always turn out. Many ovens come with a physical recipe book that’s easy to lose or cast aside, but you’ll spend enough time within the Breville Joule app that one of them will likely catch your eye.

Many smart ovens don’t live up to the promise of that lofty adjective—this one is an exception to that rule.

Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: For the ultimate convenience, you can order chef-prepared meals through a subscription service developed to be cooked in this smart oven. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 12.32 inches D x 18.5 inches W x 11.75 inches H
• Weight: 24.9 pounds
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Air fry, steam, bake, broil, reheat and toast
• Wattage: 1525W
• Price: $269.99

Pros

• Six cooking settings, including air fryer and convection oven
• Programmable with more than 100 presets 
• Option for affiliated meal service subscription 

Cons

• Smaller cooking space

Tovala’s smart oven comes equipped with six cooking modes: air frying, steaming, baking, broiling, toasting, and reheating. But what sets this option apart is what you can pair with it. The company has a subscription service called Tovala Meals that allows users to order chef-prepared meals through their smartphones (for a separate fee). You get a $50 credit for three to five meals with the purchase, but the subscription service is separate. 

The app also comes with more than 100 presets and allows users to scan popular foods for cooking instructions that are transmitted to the countertop oven. The oven also features a basket for air frying and a sheet pan, though some users have noted that the cooking space is smaller than they would like.

Best smart countertop oven: Brava Oven Starter Set

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The small but mighty Breville Mini Smart Oven with Element IQ can toast four slices of bread and cook an 11-inch pizza with minimal counter space.

Specs

• Dimensions: 17.3 x 16.4 x 11.3 inches
• Weight: 54 pounds, 14 ounces
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Toast, slow cook, reheat, dehydrate, rice cook
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $1,295

Pros

• Ten preset functions
• Multiple heating zones
• Growing recipe list

Cons 

• Price

Once you get over the initial sticker shock of Brava’s smart oven, you can begin to understand why it’s the most powerful, versatile option for serious home cooks. The oven has 10 functions and can be controlled via a touchscreen atop the oven or through Brava’s mobile app. You can also use the screen and app to cycle through a growing list of recipes, searching for ones that feature a certain ingredient or fit under the restrictions of a particular diet. Part of the Brava’s appeal is its ability to adjust the intensity of its heat in three different zones, so sets of ingredients that cook at different rates will be finished simultaneously. This means you’ll need to be cognizant of where you’re putting inertness on its tray, or else you risk having over or undercooked food. This shouldn’t be an issue, but it’s something to consider.

We recommend the Brava Smart Oven because of its consistent performance, made possible by its heating elements, which can reach their maximum temperature in seconds. We made s’mores, and they went from raw ingredients to ready-to-eat in about three minutes. Any home cook who values their time will appreciate what this smart oven offers. On the other hand, it also has some fun, techy extras, like cameras that allow you to monitor your food as it cooks. The Brava Smart Oven is the most interesting, fully-featured item in its category. Still, its high price may make it hard to justify unless you’re making a serious kitchen upgrade.

Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Wolf Gourmet’s Elite smart oven is one of the best-constructed kitchen tools we’ve ever used, and the results speak for themselves.

Specs

• Dimensions: 22.4 x 16.7 x 12.5 inches
• Weight: 46.6 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Proof, warm, roast, bake, broil, toast/bagel
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $749.95

Pros 

• Ample cooking space
• Premium look and feel
• Comes with a lot of accessories

Cons 

• Price

Let’s get one thing out of the way: This smart oven was designed for home chefs looking to create their dream professional kitchen, and its price reflects that reality. That said, we can’t imagine a single serious home cook that would be disappointed by the machine. Every detail—from how the oven door opens to the click when cycling through settings—feels premium. The Elite oven looks simple compared to many of our other recommendations, but focusing on usability is necessary for this type of device.

We couldn’t find any fault with how Wolf Gourmet’s Elite performed. There was enough space to roast an entire chicken or reheat leftovers and sides simultaneously. The oven’s temperature probe—one of many accessories Wolf Gourmet includes—made it easy to assess meat’s doneness without poking at it or relying exclusively on visual and recipe clues.

The Wolf Gourmet Elite is a premium piece of kitchen gadgetry, and it’s only worth the investment if you’re set on replacing your full-sized oven for day-to-day baking and cooking. If you’re not cooking for a big crowd frequently, this countertop oven will likely become the workhorse of your kitchen.

Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: With space for nine slices of bread and “always even” toasting, the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven speeds up breakfast and lunch quite a bit.

Specs

• Dimensions: 11.42 x 16.93 x 20.87 inches
• Weight: 32 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Bagel, waffle, pizza, sandwich, roast, dual cook
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $299.99

Pros 

• “Always even” toast control
• Comes with pizza stone, cooking racks, baking and broiling pan
• 15 cooking functions for versatile, precise cooking

Cons 

• Extremely heavy
• Expensive

Most ovens can serve as a toaster, but the Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven puts toasting first. It can heat up to nine pieces of bread at a time and features unique cooking functions for sandwiches and quick convection cooking. When toasting bread, the Chef’s Convection Toaster has a feature called “always even” toast control, which allows you to tune your toaster based on what shade of golden brown you prefer. It’s a level of granular control you won’t find on most toasters or smart ovens.

Though its toasting duties come first, the Chef’s Convection Toaster works well as a general smart oven, too. Its 15 cooking functions make it one of the most versatile ovens. It also has more accessories than your typical smart oven, including a pizza stone, two cooking racks, and an enamel baking and broiling pan. With its 0.95-cubic-foot capacity, it’s a larger oven that can cook a pizza or a whole chicken. While it does cost more than our top pick, the Breville Smart Oven Pro, this oven’s toasting precision makes it an excellent choice if you’re looking for an oven that truly doubles as a quality toaster. 

Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven features a large capacity, WiFi compatibility, and intuitive digital controls.

Specs

• Dimensions: 28 3/16 x 29 ¾ x 26 ⅝ inches
• Weight: 130 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Bake, broil, keep warm, bread/proof
• Amperage: 20 amperes
• $1,299

Pros 

• 5.1-cubic-foot capacity
• Full-touch display for easy use
• Pairs with the SmartThings App for control from your phone

Cons 

• Expensive, especially compared to traditional built-in ovens
• Black stainless steel finish costs nearly $100 more than stainless 

Unlike most of the ovens on our list, the Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven is a conventional oven rather than a secondary appliance made to sit on your counter. By connecting it to WiFi, you can control the oven with your phone via Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem. That means you can preheat your oven or adjust its temperature from another room.

We also appreciate that it’s Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, meeting certain specifications around maximum high-forward reach for controls, one-handed controls, and safety measures without tight grasping or twisting. These specifications make it possible for anyone to use the oven.

Unsurprisingly, the exceptionally well-made smart oven with connected features costs considerably more than a traditional wall oven. Compared to other smart wall ovens, however, it isn’t poorly priced. Meanwhile, Samsung’s WiFi connectivity, self-cleaning options, and ADA compliance set it apart from most competitors.

Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Smart features allow you to create presets and activate all of the features of this WiFi-enabled microwave.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 16.6 x 20.4 x 12.4 inches
• Weight: 35 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Popcorn, Kitchen timer, Eco mode
• Wattage: 1100W
• Price: $143.99

Pros 

• Pairs with Alexa for easy voice operation
• Powerful
• Affordable

Cons 

• Requires an external Alexa device for voice commands
• Not as powerful

Toshiba’s ML-EM34P offers an updated approach to microwaving food. Instead of cooking preset buttons, you can press a button to ask Alexa to operate the microwave with commands like, “Reheat 8 ounces of rice.” You need an external Alexa device to use those commands, but you also have the option to operate it using an app if you don’t have one yet.

At $179.99, this 1.3-cubic-foot capacity microwave is right in the middle of the pack price and size-wise, but it has features our other recommendations lack. Our only complaint is that at 1100W, it’s a little less powerful than some of the larger ovens. That’s par for the course for a microwave, but something to consider.

Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Ninja DCT401’s dual-door design is no gimmick—it’s genuinely useful.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 16.39 x 21.5 x 13.26 inches
• Weight: 31 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Dehydrate, air fry, air roast, whole roast, pizza
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $329.99

Pros 

• Can cook multiple dishes simultaneously
• Compact design
• Easy to use

Cons 

• May be too small for some applications

We’re generally wary of kitchen gadgets built around a fancy-looking design. It’s easy for a company to choose style over substance to catch your eye while compromising performance. Thankfully that isn’t the case with Ninja’s DCT401.

This is the only smart oven with two doors, a niche feature you’ll only see in a handful of full-sized ovens. Pushing a button on the handle will open the top door, while pulling the handle without the button will open both. It’s an incredible-looking party trick, but once you get over the “oohing” and “ahhing,” you’re in for the real treat. The DCT401’s chambers can be operated independently, meaning you can set their time and temperature individually.

If you’re cooking protein as your main dish and starchy vegetables as your side, you can time your recipes so that they finish simultaneously. Dual-chamber air fryers have been around for a bit, but this is the first time we’ve seen that concept in a smart oven, and we hope the trend continues to grow. The 401 was smart enough actually to heat both chambers appropriately, and the recipes we tried turned out. Now, the downside to this oven is that Ninja had to split up the vertical space of this smart oven into two sections. This means you won’t be able to cook as much in the bottom as in a single-chamber smart oven.

We think this tradeoff is worthwhile given the feature you’re getting, but it’s something to consider if you plan to rely more on a countertop appliance than your full-sized oven. We’d argue that the Ninja 401’s design is more efficient for many applications and could replace a pair of appliances rather than just one. All you need to know is that this smart oven isn’t just a flashy-looking tool; its performance matches its pretty face.

Best compact: Our Place Wonder Oven

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Wonder Oven is the eye-catching even-cooking smart oven we’ve all been waiting for.

Specs

• Dimensions: 11.6 x 11.5 x 10.6 inches
• Weight: 11.6 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Air fry, bake, broil, reheat, roast, toast
• Wattage: 1400W
• Price: $195

Pros 

• Small but powerful
• Sturdy feeling
• Lightweight
• Comes in fun colors

Cons 

• May not be big enough to cook for a big crowd

The first thing we noticed when unboxing Our Place’s Wonder Oven was its gorgeous design, courtesy of both its Blue Salt colorway and cube shape. In a world of nondescript rectangular chrome appliances, this smart oven stands out in the best possible way. While the Wonder Oven is smaller and lighter than most of our other recommendations, it’s still as capable of cooking thick cuts of meat or servings of sides as larger models.

Part of the Wonder Oven’s appeal is its ability to fit in tight spaces, which is essential if you’re short on counterspace. This could be the answer if you’ve wanted an air fryer but haven’t had enough room to justify one. Depending on your needs, you can also use the Wonder Oven to bake, broil, reheat, roast, and toast food. Despite its toy-like look, we found this smart oven to be every bit as polished as our bigger, more expensive recommendations.

Its temperature, cooking setting, and timer knobs had enough resistance that you wouldn’t accidentally miss your mark without requiring too much force. Similarly, the door’s hinge had the right amount of tension so that it wouldn’t fly open with a light tug. All of these little details added up, and make the Wonder Oven a (relatively) portable powerhouse, at least compared to other smart ovens.

The Wonder Oven performed very well in our cooking tests, turning fresh potato wedges into air fries and broccoli into a tasty charred side. Cookies cooked evenly on its bake setting, too. While you could fit an entire chicken inside the Wonder Oven, you’ll have to be very conscious about the size of your bird to pull it off. This leads to our only reservation about the Wonder Oven: its small size is a double-edged sword.

Given its compact frame and cooking performance, the Wonder Oven is a slam dunk if you don’t cook large batches of food. If you’re cooking for a party, however, you may find yourself cooking batch after back of a side or turning to your full-sized oven for backup.

Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The NuWave Bravo XL features a three-speed convection fan and a large capacity perfect for evenly cooking pizzas, whole chickens, large roasts, and more. 

Specs

• Dimensions: 23 x 19 x 14 inches
• Weight: 24.6 pounds 
• Noteworthy cooking modes: Air fry, dehydrate, grill, frozen, slow roast, yogurt
• Wattage: 1800W
• Price: $177.75

Pros 

• Adjustable heating elements for precise cooking
• Digital temperature probe
• Wide temperature 50 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Huge interior

Cons 

• Weighs nearly 25 pounds

The NuWave Bravo XL smart oven is primarily a convection oven but can do much more. Its three-speed convection fan ensures an even and thorough cook, but it also features top and bottom heating elements that you can adjust independently. It also has a built-in digital temperature probe that automatically ends the cooking cycle when your food reaches the right internal temperature. 

The XL in the name isn’t just for show. The Bravo XL’s cubic-foot interior can accommodate six slices of toast and even a 10-pound chicken. In comparison, the Cuisinart AirFryer Toaster Oven has a 0.60-cubic-foot interior, while the Emeril Power AirFryer 360 has a 0.53-cubic-foot interior. And it has the power to match. Most countertop ovens feature temperature ranges from about 120-450 degrees Fahrenheit; the NuWave Bravo XL Smart Oven features a range of 50-500 degrees F.

That spacious interior and wide cooking range come at the expense of space: It’s also a big oven and weighs almost 25 pounds, so it’s for larger kitchens only.

Things to consider before buying the best smart oven

Smart ovens are a relatively new kitchen gadget, but they’re rapidly gaining popularity. Even for cooks with an oven, the increased range of cooking types adds versatility to most kitchens in a single package. Meanwhile, they also offer presets that cater to cooking specific types of food, which can take some guesswork out of meal preparation. With plenty of smart oven brands and models, it can be tricky to tell which option is best. Here’s how to ensure you choose the best smart oven for your kitchen.

Oven size

Smart ovens come in many sizes, so it’s important to consider what you’ll need and what will fit in your space. Consider whether the smart oven will replace an appliance in your kitchen, like a toaster oven or air fryer, then figure out how much room you have to spare. Remember that, depending on what you hope to cook, you may not need the biggest possible oven. Bigger isn’t always better: While you want an oven that can handle the dishes you prepare most often, larger ovens can take longer to heat up. It’s best to look for a smart oven large enough for your typical cooking needs and no bigger.  

Cooking modes

A smart oven is a utilitarian appliance that usually offers many kinds of cooking. Basic oven features like baking, broiling, toasting, and reheating are all common options. Some more advanced models offer seven or even 10 cooking modes in a single device, though, including reheating, air frying, roasting, and pizza making. Those more advanced models tend to be bigger and more expensive, so you may have to compromise between getting the features you want and the smart oven that makes the most sense for you and your home.

Automated features

Smart ovens set themselves apart from conventional countertop ovens with automated features, which allow you to prepare foods without having to monitor the oven as intensely as you need to watch a traditional oven. For example, many ovens feature automated settings that will bring the oven to the correct temperature, then monitor and adjust that temperature throughout the cooking process. They may also automatically turn down the temperature after cooking and switch to a warming setting so the dish is ready to enjoy without getting overcooked. These capabilities are often accompanied by features like oven cameras that you can access from your smartphone to check the dish’s progress from another room. Some ovens even learn which settings you use most often and automatically select them to save you more time.

Extra features

You can also look for a smart oven with extra features that enhance its performance and ease of use. Options like an in-oven camera let you keep a close eye on your food without opening the oven door, a must-have for sensitive foods like a souffle. Some ovens even feature the ability to cook two dishes at different temperatures simultaneously. Others feature generously sized touchscreens that you can use to watch videos or check your social media. Remember that while these extra features are fun, they can increase the oven’s price. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best smart ovens

• Best smart oven: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
• Best with subscription: Tovala Smart Oven
• Best smart countertop oven: Brava Smart Oven
• Best smart convection oven: Wolf Gourmet Elite
• Best smart toaster oven: Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven
• Best smart wall oven: Samsung 30-inch Built-in Single Wall Oven
• Best smart microwave oven: TOSHIBA ML-EM34P Smart Countertop Microwave
• Best smart oven air fryer: Ninja DCT401
• Best compact: Our Place Wonder Oven
• Best budget smart oven: NuWave Bravo XL

Combining a lower price point with plenty of versatility and a more compact design, smart ovens like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro greatly expand the range of things you can do with a countertop oven. If you’re looking to simplify your cooking workflow and consolidate appliances like your toaster oven and air fryer into a single device, a smart oven may make sense for you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.