Breville Air Fryer: Should You Buy One?

Breville, a well-known higher-end appliance brand, manufactures the Smart Oven Air Fryer, which combines a traditional oven, a convection oven, and an air fryer. The Breville air fryer is available in two sizes: a standard 0.8 cubic ft model and a 1 cubic ft Pro model. The Pro model can toast nine slices of bread, while the standard model can toast six. The Pro model also has two additional settings: Proof and Dehydrate. The Breville air fryer has been praised for its ability to cook food quickly and evenly, producing crispy results. However, some users have noted that the preheat function and timer can be inconvenient, and the size of the appliance may be considered a con for those with limited counter space. Overall, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is an impressive machine that offers high-end features and makes cooking a breeze.

Pros and cons of the Breville air fryer

Breville's Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is a countertop appliance that can be used for air frying, baking, roasting, dehydrating, and more. It's an upgrade from the original Breville Smart Oven, with the addition of two new cook settings: Air Fry and Slow Cook, as well as a Convection and Super Convection option. The Pro model is larger and can fit larger pans and more food, making it ideal for families or those who like to entertain.

Pros

• Saves time and money: The Breville Air Fryer has a quick preheat time, and its convection cooking feature cooks food faster, saving time and energy costs.
• Size and capacity: The Pro model can fit larger pans, such as 9x13 pans and muffin tins, and can accommodate portion sizes for a family of four.
• Versatility: The Breville Air Fryer offers 13 different cooking functions, including Toast, Bagel, Broil, Bake, Roast, Warm, Pizza, Proof, Air Fry, Reheat, Cookies, Slow Cook, and Dehydrate.
• Ease of use: The Breville Air Fryer has an easy-to-read LCD screen, and its smart features, such as the magnetic door and power cord with a finger hole, make it user-friendly.
• High-end features: The Breville Air Fryer is known for its high-quality construction and attention to detail, with accessories like an air fryer mesh basket, a pizza pan, and a roasting pan with a rack.

Cons

• Preheat function: The preheat function can be inconvenient as it automatically starts the cooking timer as soon as the desired temperature is reached, requiring adjustments to the cooking time.
• Timer and shut-off: The oven shuts off when the timer reaches zero, which can be annoying if the food needs to be cooked longer. Turning it back on requires going through the preheat cycle again.
• Cleaning: The oven can get messy due to its size and proximity to the food. While there are tips to make cleaning easier, such as lining the grease tray with tin foil, it still requires regular maintenance.
• Size: While the larger size is a pro for some, it can also be a con as it takes up significant counter space or storage space.

Comparison to other air fryers

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is a toaster oven with an air fryer function. It is a large appliance that can fit a 14-pound chicken, 9x13 pans, and muffin tins. It has 13 different functions, including toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook, and dehydrate.

Compared to other air fryers, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro has a powerful air fryer function that delivers extra crispiness. It is also more expensive, with a price tag of $400. Its large size makes it a good replacement for a traditional oven, but it takes up a lot of counter space.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro has a unique

Other air fryer toaster ovens on the market include the Cuisinart TOA-65 Digital Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer, Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fryer Toaster Oven, Cosori 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo, and Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven. These options range in price from $72 to $400 and offer various features such as compact size, intuitive controls, and the ability to fit a 12-inch pizza.

How to use the Breville air fryer

Breville does make an air fryer, and here is how to use it.

How to Air Fry in the Breville Smart Oven:

Firstly, find a good recipe for what you’d like to cook. If your recipe features foods that may drip (like chicken or cheese), use the grilling rack nested inside of the roasting pan instead of the air fryer basket.

Turn the Function dial to Air Fry. You’ll notice that the superconvection icon is displayed. Use the Temperature dial to select the temperature called for in your recipe.

Use the Time dial to adjust the time according to the recipe. Press the Frozen button to ensure it’s not showing unless you’re air frying foods straight from frozen.

Press the Start button and wait for the oven to preheat before you add the food. If you are using the air fryer basket that comes with the oven, Breville recommends placing it on the top rack position once the food has been added.

How to Bake on Traditional, Convection, and Super Convection:

To bake in the Smart Oven, turn the Function dial to Bake. Press the Fan button to turn on Convection or Super Convection.

If you’re baking a traditional recipe on convection, be sure to adjust your cooking temperature accordingly. Turn down the oven temperature by 25°F. If you’re cooking on Super Convection, you’ll need to reduce the oven temperature and the time as well.

How to Clean Your Smart Oven:

The Breville Smart Oven is not a self-cleaning oven, so you’ll need some soft sponges and gentle cleansers. When you first get your Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, the user manual recommends running the oven empty for 20 minutes to burn off a protective coating from the heating elements.

For general cleaning, the basic recommendations are to never use metal and to not spray any cleanser directly on the oven itself. Use a soft, lightly damp sponge to wipe down the toaster oven. If needed, spray a cloth with a non-abrasive cleaner, then use it to clean the toaster oven.

Use a glass cleaner or non-abrasive cleaner and a soft damp sponge. For stubborn baked-on items, you can use a soft plastic scouring pad, but don’t use metal. The walls have a nonstick coating, so treat them gently like you would a nonstick pan.

Unplug and cool the oven completely before cleaning. Use a soft, lightly damp cloth along the length of the heating element. No cleansers of any kind are recommended on the heating element. Let everything dry before plugging it back in.

How to clean the Breville air fryer

Breville does make an air fryer, and there are a few different models to choose from. Here is a guide on how to clean the Breville air fryer, specifically the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is not a self-cleaning oven, so you will need some soft sponges and gentle cleansers. Here are the steps to clean your Breville air fryer:

• When you first get your Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, the user manual recommends running the oven empty for 20 minutes to burn off a protective coating from the heating elements.
• For general cleaning, do not use metal sponges or spray any cleanser directly on the oven. Instead, use a soft, lightly damp sponge to wipe down the toaster oven. If needed, spray a cloth with a non-abrasive cleaner and then use it to clean the oven.
• For the walls, use a glass cleaner or non-abrasive cleaner and a soft damp sponge. For stubborn baked-on items, you can use a soft plastic scouring pad, but never use metal.
• The walls have a non-stick coating, so treat them gently like you would a non-stick pan. Spray the cleaner onto a soft damp sponge to avoid spraying cleaner on the heating elements. Wipe with a damp cloth to finish.
• Unplug the oven and let it cool completely before cleaning the heating elements. Use a soft, lightly damp cloth along the length of the heating element. Do not use any cleansers on the heating element. Let everything dry before plugging it back in.
• Each time you use the oven, slide out the crumb tray and clean it. If there is baked-on grease, you can soak the tray in soapy water and wash it with a soft sponge or plastic scrubber. Make sure it is thoroughly dried before returning it to the oven.
• For the oven racks, baskets, and pans, Breville recommends hand-washing only. No metal utensils should be used on these items. Rinse well and dry completely.
• To clean the air fryer mesh basket, clean it immediately after use with hot soapy water and a soft scrubbing pad. While it can occasionally be placed in the dishwasher, it is not recommended to do so often as the cleaning agents can damage the stainless steel and shorten the lifespan of the basket.
• A pro tip for easier cleaning is to line the bottom grease tray with tin foil.

Where to buy the Breville air fryer

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is available for purchase on the Breville website, as well as online retailers such as Amazon and Williams-Sonoma. It can also be found at specialty kitchen stores.

The air fryer offers a range of functions, including toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook, and dehydrate. It comes in two sizes: a standard model that can toast 6 slices of bread and a larger Pro model that can toast 9 slices and fit larger pans.

The standard-size Smart Oven Air Fryer and the larger Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro are available at various online retailers and specialty kitchen stores, so you can choose the model that best fits your needs and purchase it from a retailer that suits your preferences.

Frequently asked questions