Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro Review

This countertop unit brings commercial kitchen performance to your home.

Toasting Performance

The Breville Smart Oven Pro delivered impressive toasting results that rival dedicated toasters. During our testing, we consistently achieved evenly browned bread with excellent color distribution from edge to edge. The six-slice capacity means you can toast enough bread for the whole family in one go — a real time-saver during busy mornings.

What really sets this model apart is its Element IQ technology, which directs power to specific heating elements based on what you're cooking. For toast, this means both top and bottom elements work in perfect harmony to create that ideal golden-brown finish we all crave. The browning of our white and artisanal sourdough was remarkably consistent across multiple slices, something many toaster ovens struggle with when cooking at full capacity.

The shade selector offers seven settings, and we found the medium setting (level 4) produced what most people would consider perfect toast—golden brown with a satisfying crunch on the outside while maintaining some softness within. Lighter settings gave us warm bread with just a hint of color, while the darkest settings ventured into well-done territory without crossing into burnt. The frozen button automatically adjusts time for frozen bread, eliminating the guesswork and preventing those disappointing barely-thawed centers we've experienced with lesser models.

One minor quibble: due to the oven's size, it takes slightly longer to toast than a dedicated pop-up toaster. We're talking about an extra minute or two, which isn't significant unless you're rushing out the door. The trade-off for versatility seems reasonable to us.

Baking and Roasting Performance

This is where the Smart Oven Pro truly shines and justifies its premium price tag. Our comprehensive baking and roasting tests revealed performance that approaches full-size oven quality in a countertop format.

Starting with frozen pizza, we were genuinely impressed. The convection fan ensures heat circulates evenly, resulting in a crispy crust without burnt edges — something that plagues many toaster ovens. The cheese melted uniformly, and toppings cooked through properly. A 13-inch pizza fits comfortably, though you'll need to rotate it halfway through for the absolute best results.

Cookie dough presented no challenges for the Breville. We baked a full dozen chocolate chip cookies simultaneously, and they emerged with golden-brown bottoms and perfectly gooey centers. The convection setting reduced our cooking time by about 25% compared to the recipe's conventional oven instructions, and the results were indistinguishable from our full-size oven. The non-stick interior made cleanup surprisingly painless after inevitable drips and spills.

Frozen tater tots achieved that elusive combination of crispy exterior and fluffy interior that makes them irresistible. We found ourselves reaching for this appliance repeatedly for quick side dishes, as it preheats faster than our conventional oven and doesn't heat up the entire kitchen — a blessing during summer months.

The real test came with chicken thighs. We seasoned them simply with salt, pepper, and herbs, then roasted them using the convection roast setting. The results exceeded our expectations: skin that crackled satisfyingly, meat that remained juicy and tender, and even browning throughout. The built-in probe thermometer would be helpful here, though this model doesn't include one. We used our own instant-read thermometer and found the chicken reached safe internal temperatures exactly when we expected based on our calculations.

Ease of Use

Despite its impressive array of features, the Breville Smart Oven Pro remains refreshingly intuitive to operate. The interface strikes an excellent balance between functionality and simplicity that we genuinely appreciate after testing dozens of overly complicated appliances.

The LCD display serves as command central, clearly showing all relevant information at a glance. The backlit screen remains visible even in bright kitchens, and the large fonts mean you won't be squinting to read temperature settings or timer countdowns. Three simple dials control function selection, temperature, and time—no need to repeatedly press tiny buttons or navigate through confusing menus.

We particularly love the smart presets for each cooking function. Select “Bake,” and it automatically suggests 325°F. Choose “Pizza,” and it jumps to 425°F with convection engaged. These defaults align well with common cooking tasks, though everything remains fully adjustable if you prefer different settings. The oven remembers your adjustments for next time, learning your preferences without requiring complex programming.

The START/CANCEL button glows red during operation, providing clear visual confirmation that the oven is working. The magnetic auto-eject rack is genius — pull it halfway out, and it stays extended for easy food access, preventing burns from reaching into a hot oven. Push it back, and magnets guide it smoothly into place.

The crumb tray slides out effortlessly for cleaning, and we appreciate that the interior has a non-stick coating that wipes clean with minimal effort. The exterior stays relatively cool during operation, though you'll still want to avoid touching the door glass when it's running.

Temperature Accuracy

Temperature precision can make or break your cooking results, and we're pleased to report the Breville excels in this crucial area.

When we set the oven to 350°F and monitored it for 30 minutes using professional-grade temperature probes, we found it averaged 355°F — only 5.2 degrees above the target. This 98.6% accuracy rate ranks among the best we've tested. More importantly, the temperature remained very consistent and precise throughout our test period, without the wild swings we've observed in lesser models. While some competitors showed temperature variances of 30 degrees or more during cooking cycles, the Breville stayed within a tight range, ensuring predictable results every time.

The preheat phase takes approximately 5.4 minutes to reach 350°F from a cold start. While this is longer than some competing models, we found the extra time worthwhile for the stability it provides. The oven alerts you when it reaches the desired temperature with a pleasant chime, taking the guesswork out of when to insert your food.

Convection mode adds another layer of temperature control, circulating hot air for more even heat distribution. We noticed this particularly helped with multi-rack cooking, where temperature variations between upper and lower positions remained minimal.

Should You Buy the Breville Smart Oven Pro?

The Breville Smart Oven Pro makes sense for dedicated home cooks who value versatility and precision in their countertop appliances. The substantial capacity and professional-level results justify the investment if you regularly prepare meals for multiple people or enjoy experimenting with various cooking techniques. The exceptional temperature accuracy and consistent performance mean you can trust this oven with everything from delicate pastries to hearty roasts. However, studio dwellers with minimal counter space or casual cooks who primarily reheat leftovers should consider whether they truly need this level of functionality.

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