If you want an air fryer with maximum versatility and have some counter space to spare, spring for the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. A countertop convection oven, or air fryer–toaster oven, combines most of the crisping power of the basket-style air fryers you know and love with the functionality you get from an actual oven, making it a bona fide do-it-all kitchen appliance. Breville makes a few different models (which can be found in the home kitchens of many of our editors), but this one is the best air fryer–toaster oven for most home cooks thanks to a combination of performance and value.
What we love: This midrange model has been our top pick for years now because of its versatility, build quality, intuitive design, and consistently strong performance in testing.
While it looks like an oversized toaster oven, it can air-fry, bake, broil, roast, slow-cook, and dehydrate. The air fryer function is one of 13 presets on the digital control panel, and each one employs the right combination of heating elements for perfect toast, bagels, cookies, pizza, slow-cooking, and more. (A smarter, pricier model includes Breville’s companion app for more advanced presets, including an impressive rotisserie-style chicken.)
In testing, the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro delivered reliably great results. It excelled at foods that need to be laid in a flat, even layer across the crisper tray (think veggie burgers or salmon fillets), but also handled frozen fries, tots, and sweet potato fries well. Its interior is roomy enough to fit a quarter sheet pan or 13×9″ casserole pan, which means it can effectively double your oven space (or eliminate the need to turn on your full-size oven altogether).
This model is also a favorite among BA staffers and Test Kitchen editors, as well as award-winning cookbook author Nik Sharma, who developed some of BA’s favorite air fryer recipes. “I prefer toaster-oven-style to basket-style air fryers, because they’re easier to use for more common tasks like baking, toasting bread, and roasting more efficiently,” Sharma says.
What we’d leave: As with most oven-style air fryers, it’s harder to toss or shake small foods mid-cook compared to a basket-style machine. We also found that, in general, food benefited from a higher cooking temperature (and often slightly longer cook time) relative to the basket-style winners.
Useful for: If you want an air fryer oven with a large capacity, a variety of functions, and don’t mind that it will always sit on your countertop.
Best small oven-style air fryer: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact
Breville
Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact
Pros:
- Versatile cooking functions
- Compact size
Cons:
- Still takes up more horizontal space than most basket-style models
- Higher price point than basket-style picks
Capacity: .5 cubic feet
Wattage: 1800
5 Cooking functions: Toast, bagel, broil, pizza, bake/roast
5 Air-frying functions: Air-fry, fries, wings, bacon, crispy reheat
Color: Stainless steel
Weight: 15.8 lb.
Dimensions: 15.7″ x 16.9″ x 10″
Warranty: 2 years
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