The 8 Best Convection Ovens for Every Kind of Home Cook
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Our top picks make dinnertime a breeze — with faster, even browning and effortlessly crispy exteriors.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
You may have heard ovens referred to as either ‘conventional’ or ‘convection’ — sometimes both. But an oven is an oven, right? Well, not exactly. There’s a significant difference in how these ovens heat, making them specialized for different cooking techniques. The most common examples of convection that people are familiar with are toaster ovens and air fryers, though some standard ovens have convection settings built right in.
So why buy a convection oven? One word: crispy. Convection is perfect for getting that golden brown and delicious crust on everything from crispy-skinned chicken to drool-worthy roasted potatoes. The circulating heat cooks food faster and yields even browning to achieve that craveable, crispy exterior. But just like conventional ovens, there are a wide variety of convection ovens available to choose from. So we surveyed the market for the best convection ovens out there, and we've picked eight expert-approved models that are perfect for every kind of home cook.
Best Overall: Brava Countertop Oven
Pros
We loved the smart features of this model, as well as the zoned cooking.
Cons
This oven is an investment.
With a bit of resourcefulness, this appliance can replace nearly every other appliance in your home — and a few you didn’t even know you needed. There are over 7,000 different settings that this oven can be set to via its own app. Due to its smart size and zoned cooking, you can cook on two separate levels, perfectly cooking several different ingredients at once. The ample settings take the guesswork out of cooking; no more burnt or undercooked veggies. Simply select the item on the touch screen, and the oven uses the pre-set specs to do the rest. Meat, especially poultry, can be tricky in any oven, but with the built-in temperature probe, this oven cooked every piece of meat to perfection and not for a second more.
Price at time of publish: $1,295
Dimensions: 17.3 x 16.4 x 11.3 inches
Power rating: 1800W
Weight: 34.4 pounds
Best Value: COSORI Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Pros
This model is affordable and provides easy-to-use controls and smart connectivity.
Cons
It can be loud and hot to the touch when in use.
The COSORI Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven gives you such a great bang for your buck, you might be surprised at all this little oven can do for its low price. We love the easy-to-read buttons and digital display, the simple navigation of the temperature and time gauges, and how the oven comes with smart connectivity for recipe inspiration, presets, and remote appliance controls. This oven is ideal for anyone who isn’t looking to spend a lot, though it may take up a bit of counter space. With its convection cooking options, it excels at crisping up frozen fries, baking your favorite treats, and reheating last night's pizza — perfect for the casual cook or a more experienced enthusiast. That said, we wouldn’t recommend leaving this within reach of little hands: It can get quite hot to the touch when in use.
Price at time of publish: $160
Dimensions: 16.3 x 16.9 x 15.5 inches
Power rating: 1800W
Weight: 22 pounds
Best Toaster Oven: Ninja DT201 Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven
Pros
This model heats up fast and cooks evenly, and we love its high-capacity cooking area.
Cons
We don’t like how hard this oven is to clean.
It’s no secret that Ninja is one of the leaders in countertop appliances, and once you use this toaster oven, it’s easy to see why. While still maintaining a compact footprint, this oven is spacious enough to fit an entire chicken. Plus, it fits two racks, so it’s perfect for any family-sized recipe. Like many other Ninja appliances, this oven heats up fast and cooks incredibly even. We think the heating elements here are nearly perfect. The only downside is that this oven can be tough to clean. The runners that the racks fit into can get greasy or covered in baked-on food, and their shape means a lot of elbow grease is necessary.
Price at time of publish: $230
Dimensions: 17.09 x 20.22 x 13.34 inches
Power rating: 1800W
Weight: 33.6 pounds
Best Microwave: Toshiba Air Fryer Combo 8-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven
Pros
We love that this oven combines the power of convection with the convenience of a microwave, has multi-stage cooking settings, and offers an odor-removal function.
Cons
If you typically use your air fryer and your microwave at the same time, then this might not be for you.
This microwave convection oven has all the settings you’d expect from a basic microwave, like a popcorn button and defrost setting, but with a few extra convection features like the ability to air fry and bake. And you can even broil in this device. One of the best features is that it’s programmable for multi-stage cooking, so with just a push of a few buttons, you can easily transition from convection to broil or other combinations — all in the same cooking session. This microwave also has a handy odor-removal setting that helps get rid of pesky lingering food smells, so you don't wake up in the morning to the scent of last night's dinner. But before you immediately add this shiny new appliance to your cart, you may want to consider whether you frequently use your microwave and air fryer at the same time. If so, then this might not be for you.
Price at time of publish: $200
Dimensions: 12.8 x 20 x 20.5 inches
Power rating: 1000W
Weight: 40.8 pounds
Best Air Fryer: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
Pros
The extra equipment is a plus, and we loved the performance from the mighty fan.
Cons
This oven is on the pricier side for air fryers.
What sets this multi-functional appliance apart from others on our list is the fan. The ultra-powerful fan circulates the hot air much faster and more evenly, giving this oven top marks for power and consistency and reducing cooking time even further. It’s more expensive than many other air fryers, but if you ask us, the high price tag is worth the outstanding performance. Though it’s slightly smaller than similar ovens, there’s room for multiple racks, and it has a pizza pan, broiling pan, roasting tray, and an air fryer basket included.
Price at time of publish: $350
Dimensions: 18.9 x 15.9 x 10.9 inches
Power rating: 1800W
Weight: 28.6 pounds
Best Wall-Insert: GE Profile 30-inch Smart Double Electric Wall Oven with Convection Self-Cleaning
Pros
We love the smart oven capabilities, the no-preheat feature, and the two-in-one functionality of this oven.
Cons
Consistent wi-fi is necessary to use all the cook features on this oven.
If you’re looking to replace your conventional wall-insert oven and want the flexibility of convection built right in, this oven is the best choice. The smart features set this one apart: You can control your oven from your phone — even if you’re away from home. Preheat the oven on your commute home or program the built-in temperature probe to stop the cooking when the roast is done. This is especially helpful if you have to run out to grab something at the store. Unfortunately, some features are only available when connected to Wi-Fi, which can be annoying if your connection is spotty or out entirely. That said, we also love the no-preheat air fryer function. Just pop in your food, and you’re ready to go — no wait time or special basket needed. You can even cook food at two different temperatures in the separate chambers of the oven so that all the parts of your meal are done at the same time, bringing the functionality of two separate ovens into one incredible appliance.
Price at time of publish: $3,298
Dimensions: 28 x 29.75 x 26.75 inches
Power rating: 2200W
Weight: 190 pounds
Best Rotisserie: Instant Pot Vortex Pro 10 9-in-1 Air Fryer
Pros
We loved the versatility of this oven and the rotisserie basket that can also be used for air frying.
Cons
This oven is extremely loud.
Most rotisserie ovens are unitaskers — great for chicken but not so handy when it comes to much else. But not this oven: Use the rotisserie function for the best roast, then quickly transition to air-frying frozen fries in the tumble basket or proofing bread. This model is an excellent choice for a household with a rotisserie enthusiast who needs a countertop appliance that pulls its weight in other tasks. This oven has a powerful fan, which is useful for even cooking, but unfortunately, it is extremely loud.
Price at time of publish: $160
Dimensions: 13.75 x 14.37 x 13.23 inches
Power rating: 1500W
Weight: 17.5 pounds
Best Compact: Breville the Smart Oven Compact Convection
Pros
It packs all the power of a Breville Smart Oven into one space-friendly package.
Cons
For an oven this size, it is a bit on the pricey side.
Just like its larger siblings, the Breville Smart Oven Compact Convection offers all the power of convection cooking, but in a much smaller package. It's perfect for those who want to crisp up all their favorite meals without taking up too much counter space or heating up their whole house. This model even manages to pack eight different cooking functions into its small form. So whether you want to toast, bake, roast, or broil, you've got those options and more. Despite its small footprint, it can still fit a 12-inch pizza or four whole slices of toast, so you aren't sacrificing too much in terms of capacity. But we definitely wouldn't recommend this for those who tend to cook for a larger crowd.
Price at time of publish: $200
Dimensions: 16.5 x 15.5 x 10.2 inches
Power rating: 1800W
Weight: 13 pounds
Our Favorite
For the best of the best, reach for the Brava Countertop SmartOven for its easy-to-use smart features and convenient zoned cooking. If you’re looking for a convection oven for a great price that can still crisp up chicken tenders with ease, then the COSORI Smart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is for you.
Factors to Consider
Size and Capacity
Are you looking for an oven that fits into the wall or on the countertop, or in a cabinet? Are you likely to use it to crisp up a few chicken nuggets or rotisserie cook a whole chicken? Size and capacity are two of the most important factors when shopping for an oven. It’s critical to consider how much space you have to store the oven and where you want to store it. Additionally, thinking about what you want to use it for informs the capacity you need.
Installation Type
When it comes to installation type, your two options are either countertop or wall installation. Pros and cons exist, and your lifestyle and preferences will dictate your best choice. If you rent, likely, you won’t be able to cut into the wall and install a convection oven. But if you’re a homeowner and want to use convection heat often, you might want to consider a full wall installation the next time you replace your stove. If you’re new to convection or just want to use it sometimes, a countertop model is for you.
Extra Settings
One of the significant benefits of the small appliance renaissance we currently find ourselves in is that anyone can find a product with the specific features they want. Anyone in the market for a convection oven can find a model with an extra setting they know they want to use. Dehydrating? Broiling? Roasting? No problem! Even a setting for a pizza oven isn’t uncommon to find. Some extra settings will be an enticing reason to buy, but some will be things you may not use and aren’t worth the price. Knowing what you like to cook and what you plan to use your oven for can really help narrow down which extra settings will be right for you.
Additional Features
When shopping for a new oven, check out the additional features and equipment that come with it. Some convection oven tasks, like rotisserie or pizza making, require special equipment. If you know you’re all about that crunchy exterior on every tater tot, an added air fry basket may be a good investment. If you’re looking for something an app can control to make cooking hands-free, smart features are also a worthy addition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a convection oven and a regular oven?
The regular oven most of us have in kitchens are conventional ovens, and you may have even seen a ‘convection’ button floating around next to the self-clean button and wondered what exactly it means. Conventional ovens work by either an electric coil element or gas flame heating the space in the oven. Convection heat, however, utilizes a fan to move the heat around. This eliminates hot and cold spots in the oven and provides an environment where the entire food surface is heated evenly and more quickly than in conventional ovens.
Paul Sidoriak, cookbook author and cook behind Grilling Montana, says the most significant difference between these two, besides the mechanics, is efficiency. “Convection ovens have powerful fans that circulate hot air around your food. This allows food to cook a bit faster and more efficiently than in a conventional oven. Convection ovens also often take advantage of dual heat sources both above and below the food.”
What are the different types of convection ovens?
Convection is usually categorized as “European” or “true” convection and “American” or “standard” convection. American convection has a heating element, usually on the bottom, and a fan at the back of the oven to blow the heat around. European convection is set up much the same as American convection but has an additional heating element behind the fan. This provides extra heat that helps with more even heat throughout the oven area.
How do you clean a convection oven?
There’s not much difference between cleaning a convection oven and a conventional oven or other countertop heating appliances, like microwaves. The most important thing to remember is to turn the oven off, unplug it, and let it cool completely before getting started. Two-time James Beard Awards Semi-Finalist, Chopped Champion, and executive chef Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern in Chicago, Illinois, Chef Brian Jupiter, also gave us this helpful cleaning tip: “Make sure there is no dust or impurities on the fans as these will fly all over the oven if it is turned on.”
The best way to clean them is also the easiest: warm water, dish soap, and a kitchen towel. Wipe down the exterior with a damp towel or any disinfecting wipes you like. To clean the interior, start with any big pieces or wet spills. Then, go in with a wet towel and some dish soap. Finally, wipe with water and dry thoroughly.
What shouldn’t I cook in my convection oven?
Convection ovens are incredibly versatile, and there’s not much they can’t do. One limitation, though, is recipes with lots of liquid. Because convection utilizes powerful fans to move the heat around, it’s best suited for things that need to be golden brown, so things like braises don’t come out as well as they do in conventional ovens. Delicate baked goods, like cakes, custards, souffle, or cheesecake, are also not well-suited for convection since they require delicate heat and no disruption to cook up properly. Chef Yester Banuchyan of CookOnMonday, a site dedicated to helping people learn to cook, would never put her baked goods in a convection oven. “The airflow will dry them out, and the surface especially will have an unpleasant and dry texture.”
Finally, anything that needs to be cooked low and slow for several hours isn’t a great match for convection. The whirling hot winds inside a convection oven can dry things out during long cooking periods. This movement of heat cuts down on cooking time, so ‘low and slow’ dishes might end up with an over-cooked exterior and under-cooked interior in a convection oven.
What kind of cookware can be used in a convection oven?
Any cookware used in a regular conventional oven is safe for a convection oven. That said, some materials are better than others. Nonstick or dark metal pans aren’t ideal since they conduct heat better than lighter metals and can overcook food in contact with the pan. Aluminum sheet rays and bakeware perform best in convection ovens. Pyrex or oven-safe glass is also a good choice for convection.
Our Expertise
Nick DeSimone wrote and compiled this piece. They have spent nearly ten years as a professional cook and have spent much of that time using convection ovens in professional restaurant settings. At home, Nick is an avid air fryer user and has trial-tested many of the available models on the market.
Additionally, Nick spoke to several experts about their thoughts on convection ovens. Paul Sidoriak of GrillingMontana.com focuses on grilling and meat cookery for the home cook and has a background in butchery. Yester Banuchyan of CookOnMonday helps demystify cooking for the new and enthusiastic home cook. Brian Jupiter of Chicago’s Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern is an executive chef and can speak to the industrial side of convection ovens.
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