Sometimes when you fall in love, it takes you completely by surprise. Suddenly you notice that a hole you didn't even know existed has been filled. This is exactly what happened to me and my current culinary love The Breville Pro Smart Oven Fan. Whether you call it a toaster oven, countertop oven, or smart oven, this appliance changed the way you bake for good.
Courtesy of Breville
My first foray into the world of toaster oven baking was more than a decade ago when my parents dissuaded me. While I was hesitant at first (after all, I had a full-sized toaster and oven), the device won me over over time. In fact, I loved it so much that I added the latest model, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, to my wedding registry. It was love at first sight. In fact, even though I bake every day, I hardly ever turn on my full-size oven these days. That is why.
Better baking
I can honestly say that the baked goods I make in this little oven last longer than their traditional oven baked counterparts and the whole baking experience is better.
It starts with the preheat phase: It takes virtually no time to reach temperature, reaching 350°F in less than 5 minutes, compared to the average 15 minutes required by standard-sized ovens in our test kitchen. If you're someone who often forgets to preheat the oven until you're partway through the instructions, the Breville Smart Oven is a lifesaver.
PJ Hamel
Another advantage of this smart oven is that it maintains consistent heat. Because of its small size and the fact that it is electric, its heat is more consistent than a larger furnace plagued by hot and cold spots, or one that runs on gas. Typically, gas furnaces exceed the desired temperature by 50° to 75° and then cool below that before repeating the heating and cooling cycle, fluctuating in temperature.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
I've found that the Breville Smart Oven makes it easier to judge the doneness of my baked goods. As these ovens sit on the counter top, the transparent baking chamber window is right at eye level – no bending down to see the baked goods while on your knees, Great British style. There's also an oven light that clearly illuminates the baked goods inside so you can see their color, a serious improvement over the dimly lit, colorless lights often found in traditional ovens.
Photography by Danielle Sykes; Food styling by Liz Neily
And surprisingly, this little oven is especially great for baking bread. Breads in pans and country loaves have a beautiful shiny crust thanks to the effect of steam created in the small baking chamber. Steam is essential for baking bread if you want a crispy, flaky, golden brown crust, that's why many people bake them bread in a dutch oven or other covered bakers. The smaller baking chamber of the Breville Smart Oven makes the whole thing act like a large dutch oven, giving a light steaming effect and great end result without added water or a second steam pan.
Courtesy of Breville
The perfect size
The size of my kitchen has changed quite a bit over the years as I moved from a studio to an apartment to a house. The Breville Smart Oven has come with me, finding a little nook to sit comfortably in each of my kitchens. It's ideal for small spaces — measuring just under 22″ x 17″ x 13″, it can fit on a counter without taking up a lot of valuable floor space.
While its footprint is modest, the actual space inside the oven is impressive. The Breville Smart Oven fits one 9″ x 13″ pan.a 12″ round pan or a quarter sheet pan so you can do deep dish pizza, focacciaor a sheet cake. It also comes with multiple oven racks, so you can bake two trays biscuits, bagelsOR cinnamon rolls immediately. That's a lot of work for a small oven.
More than an oven
Beyond being a reliable, perfectly sized oven, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro also has multiple settings that allow me to do more than just bake. As the name implies, this version has an air fryer setting. And it's not just a convection oven masquerading as an air fryer – this oven comes equipped with an air fryer basket, which allows me to make super crisp fries, cool golden brown nuggets and even. chocolate chip cookies with a fudgy center.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
On the other end of the heat spectrum, the Breville Smart Oven can be set to cook low and slow. It has a “Proof” setting, which makes it the most comfortable (read: ideal temperature) place for rising sourdough – it's my go-to place for rising bread dough, especially in the colder months when the temperatures cool can cause insufficient insulation and dense breading.
The smart oven can also act as a dehydrator running from 160°F to 200°F to make it super crispy buckram, bagel chips, or even homemade fruit leather. This is one baking tool that can replace many others, leaving you with more space and better baked goods. Just don't be surprised if you fall in love too.
Buy one Breville Smart Oven now … free shipping!
Cover photo by Kristin Teig.
