Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro Review: The All-in-One Countertop Oven?
We’ve tested dozens of kitchen appliances. After a whole month with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, we finally found one that replaces a traditional oven and air fryer. From sourdough bread to chicken parm and sweet potato fries, this thing handled it all. We’re breaking down how it performed, what’s worth the hype, and where it falls short.
If you’re thinking about ditching your old toaster oven or skipping a standalone air fryer, read this first.
What Sets the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro Apart?
This is a powerful, thoughtfully designed countertop oven that competes with full-sized appliances in performance and versatility.
🔥 Precision Heat with the Element iQ System
Unlike basic toaster ovens, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro uses 5 quartz heating elements paired with digital PID sensors.
This combo directs power where it’s needed and keeps internal temps stable. The result? Faster preheating, consistent bakes, and zero cold spots…whether you’re roasting a chicken or baking a batch of cookies.
🌪️ Dual-Speed Super Convection for Better Crisping and Roasting
To give you more control, Breville includes two fan speeds. The regular convection works like any quality oven, but the “super” setting blasts hot air with intensity, perfect for air frying or dehydrating.
Here’s how it helps:
- Circulates more hot air for faster cook times
- Cooks food more evenly, even on multiple trays
- Delivers that crispy exterior you expect from fried foods—without oil
- Reduces moisture retention when dehydrating fruit or herbs
That second fan speed makes a real difference when you want crunch or need consistent results across trays.
🧠 Smart Presets That Actually Work
With 13 cooking functions built in, this oven isn’t guessing. Whether it’s cookies, pizza, toast, or a slow-cooked roast, each mode is dialed in with the right default temperature, fan setting, and cooking time.
You can tweak everything manually, too, but these presets are reliable right out of the box.
📦 Large Capacity for Real Meals, Not Just Snacks
Don’t let “countertop” fool you…this thing is roomy. It handles everything from breakfast toast to holiday turkey without a problem.
Here’s what fits:
- 14-pound turkey
- 9 slices of bread
- A full 9×13-inch pan
- Up to 4 trays for dehydrating
- A 12-cup muffin tin
It’s great if you’re tight on oven space or just want to keep your big oven off in summer.
This space makes it more than a side appliance. It becomes your go-to for quick meals and batch cooking.
🌀 Intuitive Controls for Easy Day-to-Day Use
Everything is controlled through a crisp LCD screen and two knobs…no touchscreen frustrations or buried settings.
You always know which mode you’re using, how long’s left, and whether it’s preheating. Adjustments mid-cook? Just turn the knob—no need to cancel or restart.
🧲 Thoughtful Extras That Actually Matter
This oven includes several clever design features you’ll appreciate daily, not just in the spec sheet.
Before we list them, here’s the key idea: these features reduce friction. They make the appliance easier, safer, and cleaner to use every day.
- Magnetized door rack: Gently pulls the air fryer basket out partway, so you don’t reach into hot metal.
- Auto light: Interior light turns on at the end of cooking to check doneness.
- Stay-in-place build: Doesn’t shift or slide when opening the door.
- Clear preheat and done alerts: Visual and audible indicators let you know what’s happening.
- Removable crumb tray: Slides out easily for fast clean-up.
Together, these details add up to an oven that feels polished, not just powerful.
We Put It to Work & Here’s How the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Actually Performs
We cooked, roasted, air-fried, and dehydrated across a whole month to see if this oven lives up to the hype. Below are the real results across the most-used cooking modes.
🍗 Roast and Bake: Chicken, Bread, Muffins, and Pizza
The Breville air fryer roasts a whole chicken evenly. Skin comes out crispy without needing rotation. Heat output is strong enough to sear at the start and finish with carryover heat.
Muffins and homemade bread bake with great rise, even browning, and consistent doneness. No hotspots, even when using dark pans.
We tested pizza at 480°F. It preheated quickly and baked a 12” pizza with a crisp bottom in under 10 minutes. The crust held up, and the cheese browned nicely without burning.
🍟 Air Fry Mode: Fries, Nuggets, and Vegetables
Air frying is solid, though not a complete replacement for deep frying.
- Fries come out crisp on the edges but softer than oil-fried versions
- Chicken nuggets get a good outer crunch with no dry interior
- Sweet potato fries finish tender and lightly browned, but still lean toward “oven-roasted” in texture
It’s fast, healthier, and low-mess…but don’t expect fast-food-style deep-fried results.
🔥 Dehydrating: Fruit, Veggies, and Jerky
Breville’s airflow makes it a legit dehydrator for home use.
- We tested apple slices, bell peppers, and homemade beef jerky
- Fruit leathers and slices dried evenly without rotating trays
- Jerky took 8 hours at 160°F and dried thoroughly without curling or hardening
It won’t match a pro dehydrator in speed, but it gets the job done… handy for batch prepping.
🍞 Toast and Bagels: 9 Slices or More
LivegreenPDX’s cook toasted 9 slices of sandwich bread at once…every slice browned evenly, no flipping or repositioning.
Bagels came out with just the right texture: crisp tops, warm middles, and a soft bite. Toasting takes slightly longer than smaller toaster ovens, but the finish is much better.
🧹 Cleaning and Daily Use
The crumb tray slides out fully and captures most loose bits. It also fits a non-stick oven liner, which we recommend using. Cleanup is simple with a damp cloth.
The air fryer basket gets extremely hot, but the door magnets pull it halfway out when opened…no need to reach in blindly. That detail makes a real difference when working with high heat.
Pros and Cons of the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
After testing it across multiple cooking modes and digging into honest user feedback, here’s what stood out…and what didn’t.
✅ Pros: What We Loved
- All-in-One Functionality
It replaces your toaster, air fryer, pizza oven, and even a dehydrator. Ideal if you’re short on space or prefer one appliance to rule them all. - Even Fast Heating with Element iQ
No cold spots. Whether you’re roasting or air frying, heat distribution is consistent thanks to quartz elements and PID sensors. - Large Interior, Small Footprint
Fits a 14-lb turkey, a 9×13″ pan, or 9 slices of bread—without overwhelming your countertop. - User-Friendly Controls
The LCD screen and knobs are intuitive. Even non-cooks can figure it out without a manual. - Air Fryer Tray with Auto-Eject
The magnet-assisted tray pull is a small but smart touch, especially when dealing with high heat. - Dedicated Convection + Dual-Speed Fan
Lets you toggle between regular baking and super-convection for crisping and dehydration. - Fast Preheat and Auto-Shutoff
It heats quickly and turns off when the timer ends—great for energy savings and safety.
❌ Cons: What You Should Know
- It’s Big and Heavy
At over 30 pounds, it’s not something you’ll move around often. Needs a permanent spot on your counter. - Not Ideal on Shelves
Placing it on higher surfaces makes it hard to see the screen or reach into the oven safely. It belongs at counter height. - Air Frying Results Aren’t Deep Fry Level
It’s good, but don’t expect fast-food crispness. Fries and nuggets lean more toward oven-baked than deep-fried. - Some Durability Concerns
A few users report door hinge issues and internal component failures over time. Customer service resolves most, but QC could be tighter. - Expensive
Costs more than most toaster ovens or standalone air fryers. Worth it if you’ll use its full range of functions—not if you just want toast and fries.
Loving Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro?
What Could Be Better in the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro delivers impressive performance, but a few design choices and functionality might be better. Here’s what we think could use improvement.
Door Placement Isn’t Ideal for Tight Spaces
The drop-down door works fine on a standard countertop. But place this oven on a higher shelf, and you’ll struggle to insert or remove hot trays. The door blocks your reach and limits visibility, especially for shorter users or overhead placements.
Preheat Timing Is a Bit Off
The oven starts the cooking timer immediately after preheating ends…even if you haven’t placed the food inside yet. That means you’ll need to manually reset the timer or be quick about inserting your dish.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Output Doesn’t Rival Deep Frying
While healthier and less messy, the air-fry results don’t offer the same crunch or texture as traditional frying. Fries come out more oven-roasted than crispy-fried. For most, that’s fine…but if you’re after fast-food style results, it may fall short.
Mixed Durability Reports
Most users experience smooth operation. However, a few report door hinge jams and failing timers after several months. While Breville’s support is responsive, it does raise long-term reliability concerns, especially given the premium price.
Is Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro ideal for you?
Countertop Oven Showdown: How It Compares with Other Models
| Feature | Breville Air Fryer Pro | Philips XXL Air Fryer | Cuisinart Steam Oven |
| Cooking Modes | 13 | 8 | 3–4 |
| Capacity | 0.8 cu ft | ~0.8–1.2 L | 0.7 cu ft |
| Convection Speed | Dual-speed | Single-speed | Yes, steam-enhanced |
| Preheat Required | Yes, with timer issues | No | No |
| Door Design | Downward, with a magnet | Flip-down | Drop-down |
| Build Quality | Sturdy, some reports | Plastic-heavy | Stainless/Steel |
| Best For | Versatility seekers | Fry purists | Steam/bake lovers |
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Customer bought Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
This fryer is an all-in-one appliance for people who cook often and want to do it smarter.
That said, it’s not for everyone. Here’s how to know if it’s right for you.
✅ Buy It If You:
- Want to replace multiple countertop appliances with one device
- Cook daily and use functions like air fry, roast, toast, or dehydrate
- Prefer quick preheating and precise temperature control
- Have enough counter space for a larger toaster-style oven
- Like set-and-forget cooking with built-in presets
❌ Skip It If You:
- Need ultra-crispy air-fried food that rivals deep frying
- Have limited counter space or plan to store it on a high shelf
- Want a dead-simple oven with zero learning curve
- Rarely bake or cook in batches larger than one or two servings
This oven shines in the hands of frequent home cooks. But if you’re more of a once-a-week reheater, a simpler model may serve you better.
Final Verdict: Is the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro Worth It?
Most ovens do one thing well. This one does nearly everything—without hogging your kitchen or blasting your AC. From air-fried nuggets to golden muffins to crisped jerky, it handled real cooking, not just reheating. It’s not a toy or a trend. If you want to simplify your kitchen without sacrificing performance, this oven pulls its weight and more.
👉 Upgrade your cooking with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro.
You Might Have These Questions About the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Yes, for most everyday cooking. It can roast, bake, broil, toast, and even dehydrate effectively. However, it doesn’t match the full airflow volume of a conventional oven, so large or multi-level bakes may be better in a traditional unit.
Yes, it air fries with impressive consistency using super convection heat. Fries, nuggets, and veggies come out crisp, though not as crunchy as deep-fried food. You still get low-oil, healthier results.
Yes, as long as there’s at least 18 inches of clearance above. The oven door opens downward, and a magnetized rack partially slides out—great for accessibility. But higher shelves can block your hand movement.
Yes, preheating is required before cooking begins. The oven starts the cooking timer automatically once preheating finishes, so you may need to adjust the timer manually after placing food inside.
Most users report strong performance for 1 to 2 years with daily use. Some experience issues like door hinge sticking or timer glitches, but Breville often honors the warranty and replaces faulty units.