A convection oven is undoubtedly one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen. They’re so much quicker at cooking than standard conventional ovens, which is so important for the now-generation culture we’re in.
Don’t know what a convection oven looks like? Think of an oven on your counter, similar in size to a microwave, but functions just like a regular oven. You get both the convenience and the power.
But, unlike a microwave, they’ll keep food crispy and fresh as a regular oven would. Microwaving is great for heating food, but you need a proper oven if you’re going to cook food well.
Our research has shown these as the best convection ovens:
- COSORI Convection Oven.
- Nostalgia Convection Toaster Oven.
- Oster French Convection Oven.
- Black+Decker Convection Oven.
- Emeril Lagasse AirFryer 360.
- Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven.
- Calphalon Countertop Oven.
1. Best Overall: COSORI Convection Oven
Giving you 12 cooking options all in one appliance, this convection oven offers lots of choices. It’ll toast, bake, dehydrate and ferment foods and can also be used to air-fry for a healthier cooking option.
It has a 30-liter capacity and so can fit the likes of six slices of toast at one time, 5 pounds of chicken or a 13-inch pizza.
The dials are simple to use, and you can select cooking options at the touch of a button or by turning the knobs. The LED screen clearly displays the cooking time for added convenience.
The oven is easy to clean with a non-stick interior and a high-quality glass door. A removable crumb tray makes it easy to catch any fallen crumbs and spillages. On top of this, an interior light inside the oven allows you to easily see your food while it cooks.
Pros
- Recipe book included.
- Two-speed convection fans.
- Temperature ranges from 80 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cons
- Outside can be too hot to touch.
- Included basket and pan are hand-washable only.
2. Best Retro Design: Nostalgia Convection Toaster Oven
If you’re a lover of retro design, then you’ll love this classic convection oven that adds a touch of style to a very modern piece of equipment. You can choose from a soothing turquoise color or a striking red. The quirky dials also follow a retro feel, in contrast to the other convection ovens on this list.
It has a 20-liter capacity with two racks that’ll allow you to fit 12 slices of bread inside or two 12-inch pizzas.
Three dials on the oven let you choose the temperature, the setting, and a built-in 60-minute timer. There are four cooking settings that you can choose from, which are bake, convection bake, toast, and broil, each coming with separate heating functions. The temperature range of these is from 200 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
We really like the visibility features of this convection oven. An indicator light allows you to see at-a-glance if the oven’s on. This combines well with the large temperature-resistant glass window, which allows you to clearly see your food inside.
Pros
- Crumb tray, wire racks, and baking pan are removable.
- Matching appliances available.
Cons
- Reports of glass shattering.
- Difficult to use for some.
3. Best for Larger Families: Oster French Convection Oven
This extra-large oven makes cooking for larger families a breeze. Its turbo convection technology circulates heat fast, cooking food evenly. This is an ideal feature if you want your food cooked thoroughly in a short amount of time.
Its large capacity can hold 14 slices of bread, two 16-inch pizzas and a full-sized chicken, just not all at once — don’t even try it! Also, two racks provide extra flexibility and let you fit more food in at one time for ease and convenience.
The digital controls are simple to use, and the LED screen displays a timer to see how long is remaining. In addition, a preheat feature ensures the oven is at the ideal temperature before cooking.
A double-french door style makes for easy access, and a single door-pull will open both doors together for further ease while cooking.
Pros
- Auto shut-off safety feature.
- 90-minute timer.
- Interior light to see food.
Cons
- Heavy.
- Weak door springs.
- Bulky.
4. Best Value: Black+Decker Convection Oven
This oven is great value for money while not compromising on quality. You can also choose between having a two-rack or a three-rack design inside. Either way, it’s a petite design that complements any kitchen countertop.
Designed to fit in a 12-inch pizza, casserole dishes, and a whole chicken, this oven gives you space to cook hearty meals for all the family.
There are eight different cooking settings, including cooking from frozen, broiling, baking, toasting, and cooking potatoes, cookies, bagels, and pizza. You can easily select these at the touch of a button. This is great when you’re in a rush or searching for a user-friendly oven.
It features an impressive 120-minute timer that’s digitally displayed so you can keep track of your cooking and ensure accurate results.
Pros
- Convection baking technology improves consistency and speed.
- Lightweight.
- Easy to clean.
- Two-year warranty.
Cons
- Outside gets hot quickly.
- Words printed on buttons easily wear.
5. Most Versatile: Emeril Lagasse AirFryer 360
This 9-in-1 air fryer allows you to cook with versatility. It includes 12 cooking functions, so you have plenty of functions to choose from. Bake, rotisserie, slow-cook, air-fry, broil, reheat, and more with this super-versatile machine.
It’s roomy inside, too, since you can fit a whole turkey in there. If toasting’s your thing, you can toast six slices of bread at once, beating even the largest of regular toasters. You can also slow-cook for up to 10 hours for super-tender meat.
With a unique 360-degree cooking technology, it cooks quickly and evenly — giving you hot and crispy food every time. In addition, the luminous blue LED screen allows you to keep track of your cooking every time.
You also get all the accessories you need to try out different cooking techniques, including a rotisserie spit, pizza rack, baking pan, crisper tray, and a drip tray.
Pros
- Recipe cookbook included.
- Large LED display screen.
- Easy-to-use dials.
- Memory feature to remember the last cooking pre-set.
Cons
- Difficult to clean.
- Heavy.
6. Best for Smaller Families: Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven
If you don’t need a huge machine but still want the convenience of a convection oven, you should opt for this smaller and more compact one.
It’s one of the best-selling convection ovens on the market, with lots of praise from its buyers. Of particular note are the seven different functions, including toasting, warming, broiling, baking and air-frying — all within the one machine.
The dials are user-friendly and mimic that of a typical conventional oven. Simply turn the knobs to choose which settings you want and at what temperature.
You can also choose a timer of up to 60 minutes to remind you when your food is ready.
Pros
- Auto-shutdown safety feature.
- Lightweight.
- Energy-efficient.
- Easy to clean.
- Different color options.
Cons
- Poor customer service.
- Knobs easily break.
7. Easiest to Use: Calphalon Countertop Oven
If you’re a bit of a technophobe and are looking for an easy-to-use oven, this makes a great choice.
It has 11 pre-programmed cooking functions — all labeled and accessible via the easy-to-use controls. The LCD screen is great for displaying what temperature the oven is at and lets you set a timer that counts down as you cook.
The large capacity will easily fit a 12-inch pizza inside; however, there’s only one rack in there, so you can’t fit in as much food as the other convection ovens.
With your purchase, you get a pizza pan, baking pan, wire rack, and dehydrator rack, so you have everything you need to get cooking straight away.
Also, the large pull-down door allows for easy access and lets you see your food as it cooks.
Pros
- Preheat in seconds.
- Powerful and cooks quickly.
- Lightweight.
Cons
- No interior light.
- Food needs to be turned while cooking.
Conclusion
If you’re frustrated with microwaving or slow-cooking or need another option to your regular oven, consider a convection oven. It’s one of the most versatile forms of kitchen appliances we’ve seen — and that’s saying something.
We’d recommend the COSORI Convection Oven as it looks smart is simple to use. It has a range of different cooking options, does all the basics incredibly well, and will certainly help make your cooking experience fun.
