The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer and the Compact Smart Oven offer high-quality countertop cooking, but they are built for different kitchens and uses. The larger Smart Oven Air Fryer is a multifunctional powerhouse with 11 distinct cooking functions including dehydrating and air frying, making it an all-in-one appliance, while the Compact Smart Oven focuses on core baking, toasting, and reheating functions in a space-saving design.
Here's everything you need to know to choose the right Breville oven for your cooking style and space.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is a versatile countertop appliance designed to handle almost any cooking task. It's a popular choice for home cooks who want the functionality of a convection oven, air fryer, dehydrator, and more without cluttering their kitchen with multiple gadgets. Its intelligent heating system and spacious interior deliver consistent, even results for everything from crispy fries to a perfectly roasted chicken.
- What it is: A large, multifunctional countertop oven with convection, air frying, and dehydration capabilities.
- Key features: Element iQ System for precise temperature control, dedicated air fry and dehydrate settings, super convection for faster cooking, and an intuitive LCD display with 11 pre-set cooking functions.
- Price: Around $399
- Dimensions: Approximately 20" x 17" x 12" - large enough for a 13-inch pizza or a 9-cup muffin tray.
- Materials/Construction: A brushed stainless steel exterior, a non-stick interior, and a robust, high-quality build.
- Pros: Extremely versatile with functions that can replace several other appliances. Large capacity is great for families or batch cooking. Precise heating ensures consistent and even results. High-powered convection speeds up cooking times significantly.
- Cons: A large footprint that requires significant counter space. Higher price point than smaller models. May have more features than a casual user needs.
This oven is ideal for dedicated home cooks and larger households aiming to maximize versatility and performance from a single countertop appliance.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/smart-oven-air-fryer.html
Breville Compact Smart Oven
The Breville Compact Smart Oven offers the brand's signature quality and intelligent cooking technology in a smaller, more streamlined package. This model is designed for those with limited space or cooks who primarily need a reliable secondary oven for essential tasks. It efficiently handles baking, toasting, reheating, and broiling without dominating your countertop.
- What it is: A space-saving countertop oven focused on core cooking functions with Breville's smart heating technology.
- Key features: Element iQ System delivers heat where and when it's needed, has an easy-to-read LCD display, a simple dial interface, and 8 preset cooking functions like toast, bake, broil, and pizza.
- Price: Around $249
- Dimensions: Approximately 16" x 14" x 9" - perfectly sized for a 12-inch pizza or 4 slices of toast.
- Materials/Construction: Durable stainless steel finish, easy-to-clean non-stick interior, and solid dials and buttons.
- Pros: Compact design is perfect for small kitchens, apartments, or RVs. More affordable price point. Simple straightforward controls are easy to master. Heats quickly and performs core tasks exceptionally well.
- Cons: Limited interior capacity. Fewer cooking functions - no dedicated air fry or dehydrate settings like the larger model. Not suitable for cooking large roasts or family-sized meals.
The Compact Smart Oven provides excellent value for singles, couples, or anyone needing a high-quality, efficient oven for everyday tasks without sacrificing counter space.
Shop this product: breville.com/us/compact-oven.html
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer vs. Compact Smart Oven Comparison
Dimensions & Capacity
The main physical difference is size. The Smart Oven Air Fryer measures roughly 20" x 17" x 12," making it a substantial countertop appliance. This size allows you to cook a small chicken, a 13-inch pizza, or use a 9x13 baking pan. Its substantial footprint is a trade-off for its large capacity, which suits families or those who enjoy batch cooking.
In contrast, the Compact Smart Oven lives up to its name at 16" x 14" x 9". This scaled-down size makes it an ideal fit for smaller kitchens, apartments, or dorms. The interior is large enough for a 12-inch pizza, four slices of bread, or a small casserole dish, making it perfect for smaller meals as a secondary oven.
Cooking Functions & Versatility
Versatility is where the Smart Oven Air Fryer shines brightest. With 11 cooking functions, it can air fry vegetables, dehydrate fruit, slow cook stews, and perfectly roast meats in addition to basics like baking and toasting. Its specialized air fry setting uses a high-powered convection fan to deliver crispy results much faster. Its all-in-one design can easily replace multiple gadgets.
The Compact Smart Oven concentrates on doing the essentials extremely well with eight preset functions such as toast, bake, broil, and pizza. It performs these essential oven tasks with the precision of Breville's Element iQ System. While it is not a multifunctional appliance for complex recipes, it excels at everyday cooking, heating, and toasting.
Materials & Construction
Both ovens epitomize Breville's commitment to quality. They both feature brushed stainless steel exteriors, durable non-stick interiors, and sturdy controls. The Smart Oven Air Fryer stands out due to its size and additional features, such as an advanced convection fan, while the Compact maintains a solid build at a more accessible price.
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is perfect for serious home cooks or anyone who wants a single appliance that can handle a wide array of cooking tasks. Meanwhile, the Compact Smart Oven is designed for singles, couples, or those with small kitchens, apartments, or dorms. It’s a great choice as a secondary oven or for quick baking, toasting, and reheating without taking much space.
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