Best Tabletop Convection Oven for Multi-Purpose Cooking

June 13, 2023
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Since we are nearing this year’s Mother’s Day, we will dedicate all our reviews for this week to all the women – moms or not. Whether you are looking for a gift for the most important woman in your life or yourself, we will spare you of the legwork and present you our best recommendations based on our own research and other users’ reviews. 

A mom is a great multi-tasker, but sometimes, her mortal side gets in the way. For those extra-busy days, tired days, and lazy days, help her stay calm and stay in charge of the kitchen with the help of smart appliances like a tabletop convection oven.

An oven is a great investment for households as it allows you to be more efficient at home. It cooks the food with less intervention from you, and most of time does the job faster than when you do it on the stove. With an automatic oven, all you have to do is set the temperature and time, then go on with your life. 

The technology of ovens is still evolving, with manufacturers improving the process and adding more features to make it more functional for both normal and professional cooking. When looking for an oven, you might encounter choosing between convection and conventional oven. So, what is the difference between the two?

With the conventional oven, the heat source comes at the bottom of the appliance. Heat rises while the source remains stationary. Meanwhile, an electric convection oven utilizes fans to evenly distribute the heat inside the oven. This allows the oven to distribute the heat consistently, and to cook your food about 25% faster than the conventional one.

A tabletop convection oven is a good investment and a great gift for your mom or wife who loves to cook. It is the right size for daily meals, easy to use and clean, and some brands even offer smart features to make her more efficient in the kitchen. 

Today’s countertop convection ovens can function a lot in terms of cooking methods. You can bake, broil, toast, and roast your food using the same appliance. You can also set a timer, adjust the temperature, or use its pre-programmed settings to cook your most favorite dishes. Even a first-time mom or a beginner cook can whip tasty dishes with fewer mistakes and burns with a tabletop convection oven.

We researched to come up with our top 3 most recommended small convection oven choices that can fit your kitchen countertop. 

Best Tabletop Convection Oven for Multi-Purpose Cooking – (Comparison)

NameKey Feature
Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer(Editor’s Choice)With air fryer functionCheck Price
Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQElementIQ system for better heat distribution and circulationCheck Price
Oster French Convection Countertop and Toaster OvenFrench doorsCheck Price

Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer – Editor’s Choice

Is your mom or wife inclined to creating healthier dishes at home? With air fryers making a buzz these days, why not give her a tabletop convection oven that also functions as an air fryer? Talk about exceeding expectations!

You might have attempted to cook fries or other food other than bread in toaster ovens. And you know how the output looks like most of the time. Say goodbye to dried-up food and say hello to crispy yet juicy fries, chicken, or other fried foods straight from your oven.

The Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer offers 10 cooking functions to provide the most optimum setting for each. You can use your tabletop convection oven to do the following:

  • Pizza
  • Toast
  • Bagel
  • Bake
  • Broil
  • Dehydrate
  • Air fry
  • Air roast
  • Whole roast

Since there are already a lot of tabletop convection oven choices in the market, the standout feature for Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer is definitely the air fryer feature. This allows you to get crispy and juicy food minus the too much oil and splatters from the traditional frying method. 

This tabletop oven also offers generous space to cook your food. You can cook different foods in its 2 pan levels at a time. And since it uses the convection method, it can cook your food evenly without the need to rotate.

The Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer boasts of its True Convection technology. This happens since the oven is designed to have a third rear heat source to support the 2-level cooking. In the same way, the ventilation system is designed for effective warm air circulation. This tabletop convection oven is also equipped with a high-velocity fan to sustain the continuous airflow inside.

Pros

  • 10 cooking functions: Pizza, Toast, Bagel, Bake, Broil, Dehydrate, Air fry, Air roast, Whole roast
  • Smart food thermometer
  • 2-level cooking
  • True convection technology
  • Air fryer function

Cons

  • The Top, sides, and bottom can tend to be very hot so extra caution is required while using it

Conclusion

If you have a smaller countertop space that couldn’t fit as much appliance, the Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer is perfect since it can function as other appliances as well. This tabletop convection oven makes it a great investment and a wonderful gift for your hardworking mom.

Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ

Choosing between a conventional and a convection oven is quite a feat, especially when your mom is one serious cook slash baker. What if I tell you that there is a smart oven where you can customize the settings to suit your cooking requirements?

With this tabletop convection oven, you can cook or bake using the most optimum settings for what you are making. You do not need to memorize the settings for each cooking function since you can select the one you need.

This mini convection oven is equipped with smart features that understand the best cooking settings for what you are preparing. It is equipped with 5 quartz elements that work independently of each other, which allows it to distribute the heat inside your oven to create the right cooking environment. Each of the 9 cooking functions that this tabletop convection oven can do adjusts these quartz elements accordingly.

With the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, you can:

  • Bake – needs warm air to circulate inside your oven.
  • Roast – the heat source on the top needs to be higher in temperature.
  • Toast – there should be even heat distribution at each side for an even toast.
  • Bagel
  • Broil
  • Pizza
  • Cookies
  • Reheat
  • Warm

The broil feature works like a turbo convection oven. You can grill a whole chicken using the right amount of heat distributed evenly inside your oven. This allows the inside to cook without burning the skin first. 

Since this is a convection oven, foods are cooked faster and energy is better utilized inside. The built-in fans circulate the warm air inside for even cooking.

The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is powered by ElementIQ technology. This works like dimmable lights, which allow you to adjust the temperature of your oven by varying the power output. The 5 quartz elements are the key to reaching optimum temperature settings for each cooking function.

For convenience, this tabletop convection oven has an LCD where you can view your oven’s current settings. It is also compact enough to fit a standard countertop. Having a smaller oven allows you to save on energy, too, since it is just the right size (can fit 6 bread slices, a 13-inch pizza, or a whole chicken) for whipping meals for a normal family. The removable parts also make it easier to clean. 

Pros

  • ElementIQ system for better heat distribution and circulation
  • 9 cooking functions – Bake, Roast, Toast, Bagel, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat, Warm
  • Large capacity
  • With timer
  • Less preheating time

Cons

  • Non-stick coating inside; prefers it to be stainless steel

Conclusion

The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ is a great gift for beginner cooks, new moms, or for a mom who wants to have an occasional break from heavy cooking. Using this tabletop convection oven is easy and convenient with its 9 cooking functions. 

Oster French Convection Countertop and Toaster Oven

For your mom, wife, or girlfriend who loves unique accents in her home, this tabletop convection oven features a French door that is elegant to look at – great as a conversation piece in her kitchen.

More than the aesthetic appeal, the French doors actually serve a good purpose. By opening to the side makes it easier to position the dishes inside. It also features a 2-layer rack, allowing you to cook different types of food at a time.

The Oster French Convection Countertop and Toaster Oven offer 8 cooking functions:

  • Toast
  • Bake
  • Broil
  • Pizza
  • Warm
  • Defrost
  • Dehydrate
  • Turbo Convection

As a convection roaster, you can cook whole chickens, slabs of meats, or a small turkey on it. The setting gives off the right temperature that perfectly cooks the meat even before the skin gets dry and burnt.

When it comes to baking in a convection oven, the fans allow more even cooking. They circulate the warm air inside the cooking area to distribute the heat more evenly. Just take note that when you use convection for baking, you need to adjust your baking time accordingly to accommodate the adjustment in heat distribution. Check the doneness of your food 10 minutes before what the recipes call for.

Getting a table top oven for baking is also convenient since you do not need to create a space on your cabinets to set it up. 

This tabletop convection oven also functions as a tabletop pizza oven. You can fit up to 2 whole 16” size pizzas inside and use a pre-programmed Pizza setting to deliver your better-than-the-store version. 

For added convenience, it has an interior light to see your dishes get cooked, a digital control panel at the side, and a 90-minute timer. The French doors also both open with a single pull. 

Pros

  • French doors
  • 8 cooking functions: Toast, Bake, Broil, Pizza, Warm, Defrost, Dehydrate, Turbo Convection
  • One pull action to open both doors
  • Dual-rack, extra-large capacity

Cons

  • Some users experienced glass door shattering with too high temperature

Conclusion

The Oster French Convection Countertop and Toaster Oven fit the stylish mom who wants a different style for her tabletop convection oven.

Final Verdict

For its versatility and functionality, we award the Editor’s Choice to Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer.

The Ninja DT251 Foodi 10-in-1 Smart Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven with Thermometer is best for both seasoned and first-time moms and cooks who need more convenience in their cooking. It is also the best convection oven for baking.

This tabletop convection oven is definitely a thoughtful gift for anyone, especially for moms, this Mother’s Day.