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Many traditional ovens, toaster ovens, and microwaves have a convection setting, but sadly, many go unused. Convection ovens offer faster, more even cooking by using a fan and exhaust system to keep the temperature around the food constant, reduce cooking times, and crisps food in ways a conventional oven can’t.
Convection settings can be found on full-size ovens, as well as wall-mounted and microwave ovens. Convection lets you cool in less time, but what makes a good convection oven? The following list includes a selection of the best convection ovens, each with features and functions to diversify your cooking options.
- BEST OVERALL: Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven
- BEST BUDGET: Oster Toaster Oven Digital Convection Oven
- BEST TOASTER OVEN: Oster Extra Large Digital Countertop Convection Oven
- BEST MICROWAVE OVEN: Toshiba Countertop Microwave Oven with Convection
- BEST AIR FRYER OVEN: Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven
- BEST COUNTERTOP OVEN: Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Airfryer
- BEST WALL OVEN: Empava 24” Electric Convection Single Wall Oven
- BEST WITH ROTISSERIE: COSORI CO130-AO 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Convection Oven
Convection ovens come in many sizes and with a wide range of features. Some are simple and straightforward, and others are 12-in-1 models with presets and accessories that let you use a variety of cooking methods. Here are a few things to consider before buying your new convection oven.
Size and Capacity
The convection function is available in different kinds of ovens, ranging from wall ovens with 6-cubic-foot capacities to small countertop convection ovens with .5-cubic-foot capacities. Many countertop ovens measure size in terms of slices of bread—as in how many pieces of bread the oven can toast at once. The capacity of these countertop ovens ranges from 4 to 18 slices of bread. Wall ovens and full-size ovens with a convection setting generally have a capacity of 4 to 6 cubic feet.
A good rule of thumb is to buy the largest convection oven you can afford that fits within the available space. Convection ovens rely on heat circulation to evenly cook food. The more space there is for that air to freely move and circulate, the more evenly the food cooks.
Heating Mechanism
Convection ovens rely on a fan and exhaust system to circulate air throughout the cooking chamber. While similar to other types of ovens, it is meant for cooking foods at high temperatures with the help of a baking pan or built-in racks. Below are a couple of examples detailing how convection ovens compare to other household cooking methods.
Convection Oven vs Toaster Oven
While toasted ovens are old reliable options for cooking small items, convection ovens work differently and cook different types of food. While convection ovens circulate hot air throughout the entire cooking space, a toaster oven functions at lower temperatures using 2 heating elements on either side. Thus, toaster ovens are better suited for small foods like toast and bagels that don’t require ample heat to cook.
Convection vs. True Convection
All convection ovens have a fan to circulate air. True convection ovens have a heating element near the fan to warm the air and maintain a more consistent temperature. The terms “third-element” and “European convection” mean the same thing as “true convection.” If you’re comparing convection and true convection, true convection offers the most accurate cooking temperature.
Wall-Mounted vs Portable Oven
Countertop convection ovens, sometimes called portable convection ovens, are typically less expensive than wall-mounted models. Coming in french door, toaster, and microwave models, these ovens are easy to move around and often come with a long list of extra functions like air frying, browning, roasting, rotisserie, and toasting. Many people use these ovens as second ovens in addition to their full-size ovens.
Wall-mounted convection ovens can be more expensive, but they are full-size ovens that can cook larger dishes and meals. Many of these ovens also function as conventional ovens, giving cooks the flexibility to make foods like breads and souffles that don’t cook as well with convection.
Both wall-mounted and countertop ovens can be convection or true convection. Gas ranges may also have a convection option. However, a traditional oven must also work with electricity because gas cannot power convection.
Fan and Exhaust System
Convection relies on a fan and exhaust system. The fan blows while the exhaust pulls the air and heat throughout the oven. As the hot air circulates around the food, it maintains the oven’s temperature, reducing cooking times while crisping and browning food. True convection adds a heating element near the fan to more efficiently regulate the temperature.
Display
Convection oven displays range from bright LED-lit buttons and backlit displays to mechanical dials with no digital display. Backlit displays are the easiest to see, with LED-lit displays and buttons coming in close behind them.
High-tech countertop convection ovens may have touch screens instead of manual dials or knobs to adjust settings, time, and temperature. In general, the more settings and presets an oven has, the higher quality and more complex its display. However, that also means its price tag is probably higher, too.
Settings
There’s a wide variety of settings on convection ovens. Simple countertop ovens may roast, broil, bake, and toast. Newer models boast air frying, rotisserie, dehydrating, fermenting, and warming modes, too. It’s worth spending a little more on a fancier oven if you’ll actually use those extra settings. If baking pizza and roasting meat and vegetables is as adventurous as your cooking gets, however, you really only need a basic convection oven that will cook enough food for your family.
Cooking modes aren’t the only extra settings to think about. Many convection ovens simplify your baking even further by including preset options for bagels, toast, pizza, or cookies. These settings are handy for some home cooks but may not be necessary for others. The best convection oven for your needs is one that simplifies and improves cooking you’ll be doing anyway, not one that complicates a simple culinary routine.
Additional Features
The more settings a convection oven has, the more likely it will come with extra accessories like a rotisserie fork, fry basket, one or two removable wire racks, food trays, and cookbooks. The kind of food you plan to cook in the oven should inform which accessories you prioritize; a vegetarian chef won’t lose sleep if his oven doesn’t accommodate two chickens on its rotisserie. If you don’t think about which accessories are important to you as you’re shopping for the oven, you may end up buying them later on.
Other useful oven features are timers, automatic shutoff, and interior lights. Timers and automatic shutoff features often go together: The auto shutoff feature turns off the oven once the timer has run out. These features can save you from overdone or burned food or an oven that’s left on after you leave the house.
Interior lights aren’t a dealbreaker, but they do make it easier for you to monitor your food as it bakes—and they illuminate the oven as you are cleaning it.
Our Top Picks
The top convection oven picks offer consistent heating and convenient settings, and some have long lists of extra features. We’ve included countertop and wall-mounted models, so you can find an oven that works in your available space.
Best Overall
Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven
The Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven brings Element IQ to the kitchen. This technology transfers and adjusts heat across five quartz heating elements to maintain an even temperature throughout the oven. Of course, it’s supported by a built-in fan that adds convection to the already effective elements. The combination results in fast, even cooking in its six-slice interior.
Among the oven’s nine cooking functions are bells and whistles not found on every convection oven, like presets for cookies, pizza, bagel, and slow cook. A bright backlit LCD display is easy to read, and all the dials are simple to understand. Overall it heats quickly and evenly and brings a sense of predictability to your cooking routine.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 160 to 480 degrees Celsius
- Size: 15.7 inches by 18.5 inches by 11 inches
Pros
- 9 cooking presets
- 5 quartz heating elements and six-slice interior
- Backlit LCD display built-in
- Heats up quickly; ideal for cooking and preheating
Cons
- Does not have a small ecological footprint
- May not be the best at air frying
Best Budget
Oster Toaster Oven Digital Convection Oven
The Oster comes at half the price of comparable convection ovens, but it still offers 7 preset cooking functions, including favorites like toast and pizza. You can adjust the temperature or time settings to bake, roast, or brown your favorite dishes to your specifications with either the manual/digital control panel or one of the presets.
The Oster heats quickly and efficiently and will help you cut your cooking times and save energy. This six-slice model comes with two rack positions to accommodate deep and shallow dishes or a baking pan as large as 13 inches by 9 inches. This Oster does the basics well, it can cook enough food for two or three people, and has a long 31.5-inch power cord.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 150 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 19.72 inches by 16.29 inches by 11.33 inches
Pros
- 7 cooking presets included
- Manual/digital control panel built-in
- 2 adjustable racks
- Long 31.5-inch power cord
Cons
- Some users report manufacturing defects
Best Toaster Oven
Oster Extra Large Digital Countertop Convection Oven
Don’t be fooled by this humble countertop convection toaster oven: Oster’s extra-large model has ample room for up to 18 slices of bread—that’s enough space to accommodate a whole chicken or two pizzas. We also like that it has a defrost setting and a 90-minute timer with an auto-shutoff feature.
This pick for best convection toaster oven features an intuitive digital display and preset buttons that allow you to set temperature and time manually or operate the oven in one of the six preset modes. This countertop convection oven also comes with two racks, a baking pan, and an integrated broiling rack so you can start cooking right away.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 200 to 400 degrees Celsius
- Size: 19.29 inches by 21.65 inches by 12.91 inches
Pros
- 7 cooking presets
- Baking pan, broiling rack, and crumb tray included
- 2 rack positions offered
- LED display
Cons
- Some users report issues with the clock and timer
- Small temperature range compared to similar options
Best Microwave Oven
Toshiba Countertop Microwave Oven with Convection
Any appliance that has multiple functions gets bonus points—saving counter space is always welcome. This Toshiba offers the convenience of a microwave with the precision of a convection oven. With four auto-roast menus and four auto-bake menus, it really takes presets to a new level. Fear not if the foods you want to cook aren’t on the preset list, because this oven also has a smart sensor that monitors humidity to adjust cooking times and temperatures.
This countertop convection oven is a terrific bet for families who eat meals at different times because it has a warming setting that can keep food at safe temperatures for up to 99 minutes. At cleaning time, the durable stainless steel interior is easy to wipe and resists rust and scratches. Another bonus: the Toshiba has an ECO mode to save energy and money.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 170 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 21.5 inches by 21.77 inches by 12.99 inches
Pros
- 4 auto-roast and auto-bake menus
- Smart sensor for auto-adjust
- Warming setting
- Energy-saving design
Cons
- Not compatible with Amazon Alexa (other Toshiba models are)
- Some users have reported limited heat circulation
Best Air Fryer Oven
Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven
The Breville BOV900BSS offers “super” convection technology. By “super,” the manufacturer means two speeds for the convection fan and six quartz heating elements controlled with smart Element IQ: Fan control lets you adjust the speed based on what you’re cooking. Meals that dry easily can be cooked on a lower fan speed, for example. Element IQ automatically adjusts the temperature of each heating element to maintain even cooking temperatures.
This oven’s large capacity and the fact that it air fries makes cooking for a crowd a cinch: It is spacious enough to hold a 14-pound turkey or even a 5-quart Dutch oven. In addition, it has 13 cooking functions that range from proofing, air frying, and cookies to dehydrating, slow cooking, and warming. This is truly a multi-use appliance that reduces cooking times and diversifies your options in the kitchen.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 120 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 17.5 inches by 21.5 inches by 12.7 inches
Pros
- 2 convection speeds and six quart heating elements
- Smart Element IQ; auto-adjusting fan for temperature control
- Large capacity
- 13 cooking settings
Cons
- Pricey
- Does not have a small ecological footprint
Best Countertop Oven
Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Airfryer
Though it is best used as a small oven for baking, this Cuisinart TOA-60 has a 60-minute timer and an auto-shutoff feature for easy cooking as well. This small convection oven makes burnt food a thing of the past. This model has a cool toast-shade selector that browns your bread just the way you like it. Plus, this countertop convection toaster oven gives you all the benefits like baking, broiling, warming, and toasting, with the added benefit of air frying.
Considered the best mini oven on this list, this TOA-60 comes with a baking pan, air fryer rack, and oven rack to get you cooking as soon as you open the box. This countertop convection oven is a great option because it is simple to use, but the features it does have are actually useful.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 250 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 15.5 inches by 16 inches by 14 inches
Pros
- 60-minute timer and auto-shutoff feature
- Convection oven for baking, broiling, warming, air frying, and toasting
- Toast-shade selector for making toast
- Comes with a baking pan, air fryer rack, and oven rack
Cons
- Smaller than comparable options
- Some users report slow cooking times
Best Wall Oven
Empava 24” Electric Convection Single Wall Oven
The Empava wall oven is designed to maximize the use of a small under-counter space. It offers 2.3 cubic feet of cooking space and five rack positions. Sensitive-touch controls with a rotisserie setting among nine other options provide a wide range of cooking techniques.
The convection heat cuts preheat times and evenly circulates air well enough that you can cook large and small meals with equal precision. The interior is covered in an easy-to-clean stain- and heat discoloration-resistant enameled surface. Because it’s designed with three layers of tempered glass, its exterior remains cool to the touch. For those with bigger kitchens, this oven is also available in 30-inch and 36-inch models.
Product Specs
- Type: Wall-mounted
- Temperature Range: 120 to 475 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 35 inches by 35 inches by 35 inches
Pros
- 2.3 cubic feet of cooking space
- 5 rack positions and sensitive-touch controls
- 9 cooking presets included
- Self-cleaning function
Cons
- May be tricky to mount; heavy 150-pound design
Best with Rotisserie
COSORI CO130-AO 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo
Minimalists will love the COSORI, which combines several functions into one versatile convection oven—there’s no need for a multitude of single-function appliances anymore. Its brightly lit LED display helps you see letters and digits clearly as you select presets or adjust the temperature. Some of this countertop convection toaster oven’s 12 presets are really cool, too—there’s rotisserie and warm, of course, but there’s also a ferment selection.
Another advantage of this 12-in-1 is that it comes with a bunch of useful accessories including a rotisserie form and rotisserie handle, recipe book, food tray, wire rack, fry basket, and crumb tray.
Product Specs
- Type: Portable
- Temperature Range: 80 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Size: 20.1 inches by 16.5 inches by 12.5 inches
Pros
- LED display and crumb tray built-in
- 12 cooking presets
- 100 recipes and 6 accessories included
- Rotisserie function built-in
Cons
- Some users report this unit is hard to clean and has manufacturing defects
Our Verdict
It can be hard to select the ideal convection oven for your intended use when there are so many options to choose from. One of the best options overall is the Breville convection oven with its 200 to 400 degrees Celsius temperature range, portable construction, 7 cooking presets built-in, and the baking pan, broiling rack, and crumb tray included.
Alternatively, for a budget-friendly option, the portable Oster convection oven comes with 7 cooking settings, 2 adjustable racks, and a temperature range of 50 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
How We Chose the Best Convection Ovens
We researched the most sought-after convection ovens in their respective categories and discovered that the best models are determined by their size, type, cooking settings, temperature range, and other special features included by select brands.
While searching for the best options on the market, it appeared that portable convection ovens were the most popular among users for their ease of use, wide temperature ranges, and included features. While not as popular, the wall-mounted option included is large enough for bigger meals and reaches a higher temperature than the portable units. No matter the type, each of the above options is compact enough to fit in the average kitchen and comes with 7 or more cooking presets included.
With most options ranging from roughly 120 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, some provide slightly lower or higher temperatures based on your cooking needs. In the interest of searching for the best convection ovens on the market, we also included picks that featured auto turn-on and shutoff, automatic temperature adjustment, additional accessories, rotisserie options, crumb trays, LED displays, and adjustable racks.
The Advantages of Owning a Convection Oven
The difference between convection ovens and regular ovens means that certain types of food do better in convection ovens than conventional ones: meat, vegetables, and anything that you cook covered works well in convection because of the even, consistent heat. Convection also speeds up the dehydration and toasting processes because the circulating air evaporates moisture.
There are distinct advantages to owning a convection oven rather than a conventional model:
- Food cooks faster in a convection oven.
- The convection maintains a consistent temperature throughout the oven for more even cooking.
- You don’t need to rotate trays and pans in a convection oven.
- Convection saves energy because it cooks food faster at lower temperatures.
- Convection crisps and browns food because it helps sugars dry and crystallize during the cooking process.
FAQs
It takes some trial and error at first, but cooking with convection can change your cooking habits for the better. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions for diagnosing oven issues and learning how to use convection ovens correctly.
Q: What is the difference between a convection oven and a regular oven?
A convection oven has a fan and exhaust system that pushes and pulls air through the oven. The resulting air circulation maintains an even cooking temperature that reduces cooking times. Conventional ovens rely on heat alone rather than heat and air circulation.
Q: What is the best countertop convection oven to buy?
While there are many great countertop convection ovens on the market, the Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven is a definite standout. This oven has 10 cooking functions and an Element IQ system that maintains temperatures with a fan and five independently adjustable quartz heating elements.
Q: Does a convection oven fan run continuously?
The fan will run continuously as long as the oven is on the convection setting. It will turn off if the oven door is opened. Some models allow you to manually turn the convection setting on or off, which turns the fan on or off as well. That allows you to choose the cooking environment that’s best for the dish you’re cooking.
Q: How do I clean my convection oven?
Convection ovens can be cleaned just like conventional ovens. Remove the racks or any other accessories and wash them with soap and water. Use an oven cleaning solution inside the oven to remove grease and buildup. Scrub spills, and return the racks to the oven when they’re clean and dry.
Q: What shouldn’t I cook in my convection oven?
Flan, souffles, cakes, and breads don’t do well in convection. The moving air can cause some foods like souffles to collapse. Cakes and breads often dehydrate on the inside due to the circulating air, which is why they taste better when baked in a conventional oven.
Q: What kind of cookware can be used in a convection oven?
You can use ceramic, glass, aluminum, and clay cookware in a convection oven. Cookware that’s thinner often works better because the heat can reach the food from all angles. You may also want to use pans and cookie sheets with lower sides to put as much of the food as possible in direct contact with the heat.
