Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
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This oven is Wi-Fi-compatible, with 11 cooking modes and a sleek garage-door design. But its no-preheat falls short, and cleaning can be tough. Read More
The performance of this stylish countertop oven is as good as its looks. We loved everything from toasting and roasting to air frying and reheating. Read More
This air fryer toaster oven may take up a lot of space, but it's a well-designed and versatile appliance with innovative digital controls. Read More
This countertop oven excels at air frying, steam cooking, and baking—all with a small footprint. Read More
Tovala is a smart countertop oven and pre-made meal kit delivery service that was designed to make home cooking easier than ever. Read More
If you're thinking about consolidating your toaster and air fryer—or you simply want more oven space—a countertop oven is a worthwhile investment for your kitchen. While these appliances are somewhat pricey, they’re more powerful, spacious, and versatile than most air fryers and boast most of the same functions as a full-size oven. With a countertop oven, you can easily cook all your favorite foods, from roasted chicken to chocolate chip cookies.
To find the best countertop ovens, we tested several popular models, using them to cook a variety of foods, including french fries, cornbread-topped chili, frozen pizza, and more. The best model we tested was the GE Profile Smart Oven (available at Amazon) , which excelled at baking and air frying and boasts a sleek modern design. If you’re looking for something a bit more affordable, the Ninja Foodi XL Pro (available at Amazon) is another great pick with a spacious interior that can accommodate two trays of food at once.
The GE Profile Smart Oven is the best countertop oven we've tested.
Modern design
Spacious interior
Air fries very well
No-preheat promise falls short
Cleaning can be difficult
The Café Couture Countertop Oven is an excellent choice if you're looking for form and function.
The Ninja Foodi DT201 is a spacious and affordable countertop oven.
This retro-style countertop oven is stylish and multifunctional.
Tasty pre-made meals
Organized packaging
Convenient app
Can't cook more than 2 servings simultaneously
Sleek design
Quiet operation
Affordable
Doesn’t air fry well
Long preheat times
Steam cooking
Confusing controls
Long cook times
Hard to clean
One should consider size, features, and cooking modes before splurging for a countertop oven.
Countertop ovens are typically quite large, so you’ll want to be sure you have enough room for the appliance in your kitchen. Check the dimensions of the appliance before you buy, taking into account clearance required above and behind the oven.
You’ll also want to look at the capacity of the oven, which is often listed in quarts or pounds.
Some brands also list out what food can be cooked in the oven, such as a 5-pound chicken or 12-inch pizza, to help conceptualize the size of the cooking chamber.
It’s common for countertop ovens to have 10 or more cooking modes, including settings like bake, broil, roast, air fry, dehydrate, toast, and more. If you’re planning to cook specific foods in your oven, you’ll want to look for settings that align with your needs.
It’s also a good idea to look at the oven’s temperature range—many models only go up to 450°F, but some can cook at temperatures up to 500°F.
In addition to their cooking functions, some countertop ovens have additional features you may want to look for.
For instance, some ovens come with a thermometer that can monitor the internal temperature of foods like chicken or a roast, and the probe will automatically turn off the oven when the food is properly cooked.
Wi-Fi connectivity is another popular feature—with the oven connected to your smartphone, you can control it remotely via the associated app, adjusting the settings and receiving notifications when the timer is complete.
At first glance, countertop ovens and toaster ovens may seem quite similar, but there are some major differences.
Toaster ovens are generally smaller in size, have fewer cooking functions, and typically lack a convection fan. They’re best used for toasting, reheating leftovers, and baking in small batches.
Countertop ovens, on the other hand, are scaled-down versions of full-size ovens. They often have a larger capacity than toaster ovens, and they have more cooking modes, as well. Most countertop ovens have a convection fan and settings for broiling, air frying, and even steam cooking, which makes them more versatile than toaster ovens.
If you want a smaller, quicker, and more efficient alternative to a regular oven—or just need to expand your cooking capacity—a countertop oven is a good alternative. Or, if you have a camper or RV without space for a built-in oven, a countertop oven could be perfect.
Countertop ovens offer many of the same functions as their full-size counterparts, including baking, broiling, and roasting, and many also have additional features like air fry and toast settings.
However, the main downside of using a countertop oven instead of a full-size oven is that they have limited capacity. Most ranges or wall ovens have a capacity between two and five cubic feet, while countertop ovens are often less than one cubic foot in capacity.
This means you can generally only cook one tray of food at a time, and the largest pan size they can accommodate is usually 9-by-13-inches without handles.
We put each countertop oven through a variety of kitchen tests, from air frying to baking and more.
We put each countertop oven through a series of tests to evaluate its cooking performance, consistency, ease of use, and ease of cleaning.
We use each oven to cook five different recipes, including a roast chicken, chocolate chip cookies, frozen pizza, frozen french fries, and chili with cornbread biscuits. This allows us to try out several different cooking functions, and we rate each recipe on how well it's cooked.
Throughout the course of testing, we evaluate each oven on its ease of use. We consider things like its control panel, capacity, accessories, and app compatibility. We also look for useful features like adjustable racks, preset cooking modes, and interior oven lights.
During testing, we also clean each oven, noting whether the components are dishwasher-safe and how much effort is needed to clean each appliance.
Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.
Monica is Reviewed's Kitchen & Cooking editor and an avid home cook; she's been testing a wide range of kitchen products at Reviewed for two years. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine (and a former barista), she's also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.
Managing Editor, Kitchen & Appliances. Danielle has a B.S. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer. She’s the mom of two boys and loves making pizza on Friday nights.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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