A convection oven offers a flexible and simple cooking solution that is a perfect fit for any kitchen and any lifestyle. It’s as compact and convenient as a toaster oven, yet it takes cooking to a new level that gives even a conventional, full-size oven a run for its money. Those looking for today’s best convection oven make the Breville Smart Oven their number one choice for a reason. Energy-efficient, user-friendly, and sophisticated, this is an oven that is truly built to meet the discriminating standards of the modern consumer.
Introducing the Convection Oven of the Century
I’m pretty much your stereotypical college student, so that means I’m not exactly the world’s most dedicated home chef. However, I’m not the kind of guy who can live happily on nothing but ramen noodles and canned chili either. I needed an easy way to make a decent variety of different foods because of my jam-packed school and activity schedule, but I also needed something that didn’t take up too much space or consume a lot of energy either. When I told my mom all this and asked her for suggestions, she recommended I pick up a convection oven and I’m certainly glad she did.
After doing a little research as far as what’s out there, I finally decided on the Smart Oven from Breville. It seemed powerful, yet energy-efficient – easy to use, yet flexible as well. It even came complete with a variety of pans and other features that really sounded like they’d make cooking a snap. So far, I’ve been really happy with it overall. The following is my review of the product based on first-hand personal experience.
What Features Do You Get With This Product?
I’m like a lot of people these days. I don’t always have the time or the get-up-and-go to pound the pavement and travel from store to store in order to find what I want. However, I love to shop online. That said, I know how helpful it is to know beforehand what you can expect to get with a product right out of the box, especially when we’re talking items like kitchen appliances.
- A power level that’s 1800 watts strong.
- 5 high-quality quartz heating elements.
- Auto-eject wire rack and removable crumb tray for easy use and cleaning.
- 4/5 cubic foot non-stick interior.
- Fabulous Element IQ technology and 9 easy pre-set functions that allow you impeccable control over the cooking process.
- Fully compatible pizza pan, baking pan, and broil rack.
- 1-year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
- Measurements: 18 ½ x 12 ½ x 10 ¾ inches.
Easier to Use Than I Expected Even in My Wildest Dreams
I’m the sort of person who could manage to burn cereal, so it was really important to me that the convection oven I chose be simple to operate. The 9 user-friendly pre-programmed settings and LCD display screen that came with the Breville were a big part of what really sold me on it and I definitely have to say I wasn’t disappointed.
There was a separate setting for pizza, toast, cookies, and more. There were even custom settings exclusively for reheating or warming food. Each one included its own pre-set cooking time and ideal temperature, meaning I didn’t have to do any guesswork whatsoever when it came to the foods I cook most. Everything came out perfectly, too! The pizzas in particular come out even better than they do in a conventional oven.
Element IQ Technology Doesn’t Disappoint
When I first read about the Breville Smart Oven’s big feature, the Element IQ heat control technology, I don’t think I had any clue how useful it would turn out to be. Like I said, I’m a college student, not a celebrity chef. I just wanted to be able to heat up a pizza or some leftover fried chicken now and again without a lot of hassle. However, it wasn’t long before I was pretty appreciative of all this oven can really do.
The Element IQ feature actually allows the Breville convection oven to distribute the heat amongst the five quartz heating elements in the most useful possible way according to what I’m cooking. If I adjust it to my liking, it even remembers my preference for the future. I’m convinced this is why this oven produces such delicious, evenly-cooked foods. I never thought I’d get results like that from a toaster oven… ever!
The Accessories Sure Weren’t Bad Either
I didn’t have a lot of extra cash on hand to buy a bunch of fancy pans or anything, so I was really relieved to see that the Breville Smart Oven came complete with everything I’d need to get cooking right away. It had its own 12×12-inch enameled baking pan and a 12×12-inch enamel broiling rack. It even had a 13-inch non-stick pizza pan. I didn’t have to waste time hunting around for cooking accessories that would fit the oven. I didn’t have to spend any extra money either, thank goodness. It was all included under the already very reasonable price of this oven. Plus, Breville offers a line of additional accessories on their website that you can pick up as well should you decide you’d like even more options. How can you beat that?
What I Loved About This Appliance
- The control settings made it really easy to use. Really, even the most gun-shy, skittish cook will be able to use the Breville with absolute confidence.
- The smart temperature control technology practically made me feel like a chef! No matter what I cook, my food always comes out evenly cooked and perfectly delicious. No dry, tasteless, burnt food here!
- It heats up really quickly as well, not like a conventional oven at all.
- The included baking pans. They were actually really terrific quality as well.
- The look of the appliance. It’s stainless steel, so it looks good in any kitchen, I would imagine. It added a really nice touch of flare to my little apartment kitchen and dressed it up quite a bit.
What I Didn’t Love As Much
- I would have liked it if the cord were just a wee bit longer so that I could have had more choice about where to place the unit in my apartment’s kitchen, but this was really a pretty minor complaint.
- I would have liked to see even a small interior light included with the unit.
- The outside of the oven gets really hot, so it’s important to have plenty of counter space in order to accommodate the unit and cook safely. I had to shift some things around in order to be able to cook safely, but I understand this would be the case with pretty much any toaster oven, so again… minor complaint.
My Overall Assessment
I have to admit that I didn’t really expect that much out of this oven at first. The last toaster oven I used was the dinosaur my grandmother uses to toast her bagels, so I was thoroughly prepared to have to deal with burnt spots, unevenly cooked food, and a lot of accidental mishaps. However, I didn’t have to put up with any of that from the Breville Smart Oven.
When I say it couldn’t possibly have been easier to operate, that’s exactly what I mean. Between the smart heating coils and the pre-programmed settings, it’s honestly next to impossible to screw up my food and it honestly hasn’t happened yet. Also, this is the type of appliance I can see fitting into any kitchen and any lifestyle, so I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a convection oven of their own.
Where Can You Buy the Breville BOV800XL Convection Toaster Oven?
You can buy this Breville BOV800XL Convection Toaster Oven from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping and from what I can tell when comparing prices with other online merchants, Amazon do currently have the best deal especially with the free shipping option. Click here to view on Amazon.
Where Can You Read More Reviews for the Breville BOV800XL Convection Toaster Oven?
The best place for reviews from people who actually use the product is Amazon. Click here to read more.
About Aaron Walker