Reddit reviews Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, Silver

I've been using this one daily for five years. I honestly barely use my regular oven. I know that's not necessarily "BIFL," yet I hope it helps you.

Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Y.NJyb0RBVZ2M

Bearing in mind 97% of the meals I cook are for me and one other person, 100% yes. I have a Breville Smart Oven and use it in lieu of my oven all the time. It's large enough to cook a 14 inch pizza, a small-medium chicken, tenderloins, roasts, or a tray of veggies. It heats up fast, has a convection fan, and cooks very evenly. Worth every penny as it is the 2nd most used electric appliance in my kitchen (and was the first by a mile before I got an electric kettle). I do not own a microwave, nor do I feel like I'm ever in need of one with this thing.

I bought a spare rack and another 12x12 pan to use simultaneously with the first in order to do double duty when I need twice as many veggies, potatoes, or whatever else cooks on a rack/tray. Even though it was not designed to be used with multiple racks at once, it really works just as well on the bake setting as long as you stay mindful of tray rotation.

And I do imagine you could get away with a cheaper toaster oven as long as it is a big toaster oven.

In my experience searching for similar things, the conclusion I reached was that to get anything better than the T962 (which is utter shit, to be clear) you need to spend several thousand dollars.

I took the plunge on building a reflow oven using this toaster and a Controleo 2, plus copious amounts of expensive tape and some ceramic blanket insulation from McMaster-Carr. Do NOT use the felt crap on Amazon that's intended for cars, the temperature ratings are horseshit and are for "radiant" heat, they won't actually stand up to 2,000deg or even 500.

It took about a week of 1-2 hours per day, but the result was well, well worth it. It's performed absolutely flawlessly the last 2 years and reflows beautifully every time. Lead-free BGAs are no problem, it's been stellar. I probably spent something like $500 on it but you can do it for less. The oven was $200, ceramic blanket roll about $40, extra reflective tape ~$100, plus other odds and ends.

One thing I did with that toaster was use thin aluminum sheet metal to make "shields" for the upper heating elements so there is no direct IR on the boards. Combined with a convection oven, this goes a long way towards ensuring even heating and no hot-spots. Much better than scorching a batch of boards you spent the entire day assembling as I've done with the T962.

The oven I got is probably overkill, it works well but due to the size the reflow cycle runs on the long side. Still within the IPC spec, however.

IMHO it's the only way to go unless you're willing to pony up for a proper commercial oven. The only thing that might be better is vapor-phase reflow which you can accomplish for relatively little (the fluid is extremely expensive however), but that method is also more labor intensive.

Keep in mind that with any oven you should profile it - really just do a test run - before putting in a batch of boards. The worst that will happen if you've done it right is that the solder might not reflow everywhere. When that happens I bump the peak temperature up by 5-10deg C and run it again, but it's better to get it the first time while the flux is still active. Profiling is simple, I take 2-3 random bare PCBs I have laying around, put a few blobs of whatever solder paste I'm using on the pads, and put them on opposite ends of the oven. Run a cycle and if it reflows you're pretty much good to go. Takes 5 minutes.

So yeah, not to pimp my oven too hard but for the situation you're in I'd say 100% build your own. Getting better results will require you spending 5-10x as much.

EDIT: Assembly pics for the curious! I threw them all in there, sorry they're out of order. That grey stuff was the "ULTRA OMG HIGH TEMP RACECAR" insulation from Amazon I used on the first attempt. Do not want. Only after I put it all in there I realized it shouldn't be in contact with a 500deg oven. Gets a little melty. I ended up getting this ceramic blanket from McMaster which is the white insulation you see later. I added it to the window after testing without because it cuts own on heat loss dramatically and makes it easier to hit the right profile. It gets everywhere though and is very itchy, similar to fiberglass insulation, so be warned. Once it's assembled then no worries.

You can also see the shields I added to the upper heating elements to eliminate direct IR.

I use this:

Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven

This thing is a champ and gets used daily for something, if only to warm up soup bowls and baguettes.

So, I guess, to answer your question directly, "air frying" is a wholly made-up marketing term to get one to buy a new single-purpose gadget.

The Breville. It's attractive, durable, and large (inside). You can cook a medium pizza for christ sake.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

Breville convection/toaster oven.
But I'm fairly certain that I will need a dedicated circuit run to service it (older house) and that just seems like way too much trouble.

America's Test Kitchen likes the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven though it is expensive at around $250 USD.

The Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Toaster Oven with Convection Cooking was rated their best buy, and is significantly cheaper at $83 USD.

I've only used my roommate's cheapo toaster oven, and that one sucked, so I can't give any personal recommendations.

That is a ridiculous example. However, I frequently run into products where the Canadian version actually costs less.

For example:

http://www.amazon.ca/Breville-Smart-Convection-Toaster-BOV800XL/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418319374&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418319360&sr=8-1&keywords=breville+oven&pebp=1418319429859

My favourite kitchen tool is my Breville countertop convection oven. it's not cheap but it's small and reliable and I can cook and bake practically anything. You can even make a 13" pizza in it and it's NOT just a toaster oven: https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

The one I am constantly recommended is the Breville toaster oven.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

I absolutely adore my Breville BOV800XL toaster oven.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=pd_sim_k_1

Costs a bit, but this was definitely my pick after searching around. Couldn't be happier. There's just two of us, and we do most of our baking/heating/broiling in this thing. Saves money, and doesn't heat up the whole kitchen when you just need a couple of chicken breasts or to broil a sandwich.

One caveat; If toast is important to you, this is not the greatest toaster in the world. It makes adequate toast at best. But as a small oven and a broiler, it absolutely rocks. Most powerful broiler you can buy in a toaster oven.

One of my favorites is an electric griddle. I also have a cast iron one I enjoy, but I do like the fact I can cook "away" from the stove. There are a number of them out there, but the more real estate the better.

We also added a toaster oven like this http://amzn.com/B001L5TVGW I cannot speak to the BIFL, but it is built well and I use it for 95% of my baking (I can get a Calphalon 9x13 in there with no problem).

Speaking of Calphalon, I have been infinitely pleased with their cookware and bakeware. Their baking pans are amazing and should really last.

How does this compare to the Breville? http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=zg_bs_289937_2

Other than the insane difference in price? Is it worth it?

Get yourself a Breville toaster oven - they're the best and completely replaced my electric oven for months when the one in our apartment died. They also have a mini one if you don't want to spend the full $250, I think the mini is $150. Here's the link to the full size http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462903134&sr=8-2&keywords=breville+toaster+oven

I am afraid to get that because of the sizable number of 1-star reviews it got on Amazon.

The fact that there are so many 5-star reviews makes me think that the manufacturer has major problems with consistency.

Glad I could help! If you're curious, the oven I'm using for this (and all my keto needs) is the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven and a good set of Lodge Logic cast iron skillets (specifically the 5-inch version that can fit one or two steaks at a time, but the oven will hold the 10-inch model just fine).

I'm going to sound like a salesman here, but that oven honestly changed the way I eat. It's crazy expensive next to the swarm of other "toaster ovens", but without questions its the best and most used item in my kitchen. It's been a keto lifesaver for me (and uses a ton less energy than my normal oven).

I use a convection toaster oven. Line the pan with foil, put the bacon and italian sausage link on, and cook at 425 for 12 minutes.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

Big stoves are great when you're trying to cook a turkey but if you just want to cook bacon this is way more efficient.

Hi and thank you.

If you mean utensil like a spoon or spatula I can hold in my hand, it would be this silicone spatula. It's just the perfect size and shape to fit nicely in my hand and be useful for many dishes, from mixing to cooking. Not so much serving, but it is really good at what it does.

But if you meant anything I use in the kitchen that is not actual food, it would be the Breville Convection Oven. It is the perfect little oven, turning out great muffins, pizza, chicken, toast, leftovers... Truly, it is a powerhouse of awesome that we use constantly, and by constantly, I mean more than once every single day. And it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen. I can find no down sides to this thing, and that makes me happy.

I've been doing a lot of bread baking lately which ties up the oven for a solid hour right as we want other dishes cooking, so bought a standalone 'super toaster oven' as a second baking / roasting zone. Just a thought: http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

I had the same issue recently. I ended up getting a nice counter top convection/toaster oven and I love it! It bakes faster than the oven I used to use so if you got one, I would recommend doing some research on adjusting bake times for a convection oven.

The only downside is the size, really. But that usually just means it takes more loads for cookies, etc. You can bake anything in it that you would bake in a normal oven, as long as it fits.

The one I use and love is:

Breville Convection Oven

I bake a lot so I splurged on my oven, but you can get a good convection/toaster oven for a lot less too. I would shop around and decide what features you want it to have.

Also, If you end up getting a convection oven, remember when using it to not have it's back against the wall because it needs some clearance or it might overheat/damage the oven.

Hope you find something that works for you! : )

If you can afford it, I'm a huge fan of the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven. It's done a pretty good job so far of cooking pizzas, roasting small chickens and vegetables, as well as toasting things.

The Breville Smart Oven is fantastic. I've got this version, which is a bit cheaper than the one you linked to. It's also smaller, but it's usually not a big problem (although I have sometimes made bread that rose a bit too close to the heating element and burned a bit on top. But it was still delicious). I do have a (vintage) 12 cup muffin pan that will fit in the toaster oven, although it is the type with closely spaced cups that tends to result in the tops running together. I think there's a Nordic Ware one that'll fit too.

Anyway, it heats way, way more evenly than your standard oven, so it's much easier to bake in that many of them. In a typical oven, filling the space very full causes a lot of problems (putting two 9x13s side by side in my full size oven always results in some burning, and it's actually a reasonably good oven), but the Breville not only fits a 9x13, it also cooks it evenly.

http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

Price: $249.95.

You save: $0.04

We have this one, big enough to use as main oven, especially on hot summer days when you don’t want to heat up your house! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_sPxZDbZXSYVJN

We use our Breville Smart Oven more than we use the big oven. It's definitely been a good investment for us.

I have a Breville convection oven and love the thing, yes, I know it's pricey but if you cook a lot, it's worth it. It's great for reheating things as well your basic toaster needs. When my oven broke, it was a savior. I wouldn't do a full roast in it but for chops and fish, it was fine albeit a little longer than my oven.

Toaster oven oven: https://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW

I can second the breville. I have the Breville Smart Oven for about a year and I use it about 10 times more frequently than my oven. Ive made everything from a 5lb roast to bread and pizza in it with no problem.

Its seriously the best toaster oven I've ever used.

holy shit my friend has this one

I had no idea it was that expensive...god damn

my Breville toaster oven actually has one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV800XL-1800-Watt-Convection-Toaster/dp/B001L5TVGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314813837&sr=8-1

It might seem overkill by contrast to a timer, and you have to reset the cooking time almost every time you put something in because it doesn't give you a buffer of time from the point that it beeps to tell you it's reached the cooking temperature, but I really have to recommend the Breville Motherfucking Smart Oven. The best thing to happen to ovens since ovens. It turns off when your pizza is done and there is no way it will burn it if you put the right time in. It's also a convection oven, so it has really good temperature distribution and the "hot spot" issue is well under control. It's one of those things that is kind of expensive, but as soon as I got it, I realized it was worth every penny, and I use it almost exclusively in place of the big oven. It's a lot larger than most toaster ovens while still fitting on a shelf and more than likely you'd have room for it in a dorm room as long as it didn't trip the breaker. It's also a really good toaster and broiler. I also like that it requires far less time for heating than a full-size oven and doesn't heat up the entire kitchen.

and here it is