This Toaster Oven Will Make You a Better Cook

So you think toaster ovens do what…toast bread? Today’s versions do so (so!) much more. Just consider the undisputed star of the toaster oven line-up, which has rightfully pulled “toaster” out of its name and replaced it with “smart.”

Breville’s countertop Smart Oven can do everything your standalone oven can do, and arguably better. Aside from toasting bread (of which it can fire up to six slices) and reheating foods (ta-ta, soggy microwaved goods), it can:

• Roast and grill anything: It scans food and identifies where heat is needed most for a perfectly-cooked result (it’s smart, I told you). That means it gives chicken, beef, fish and veggies a delectable crispy outside and succulent inside.
• Bake bread, cookies, cakes and pies: The convection setting bakes goods so that they’re golden and crispy where you need it, soft and gooey where you want it.
• Cook a pizza: Consider this your new pizza oven. It comes with a 12″ non-stick pan to cook your pie (be it thin-, medium- or thick-crust) just the way you like it.
• Make French fries: This model has the added bonus of also being an air fryer. You can make fried foods (like French fries) that are a touch healthier than their deep-fried counterparts, since an air fryer cooks food with only a splash of oil.

But here’s the thing: The real reason this Smart Oven earns our praise (and hundreds of five-star reviews) is because it’s not only able to do it all, but it’s able to do it all well—and easily. There’s no fiddling with oven rack heights or worrying about over- or under-cooking your food since that’s the “smart” function is all about. Instead, just press one of the buttons plainly labelled “roast,” “warm,” or even easier, “cookies”, slide in your broccoli casserole, leftover pizza or chocolate chip cookies, and walk away. When it dings, it’s done. And you look like the experienced, effortless chef you never knew you could be.

Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860, $424, thebay.com

Next: 3 Easy Ways to Be Healthier in the Kitchen, According to Science