Our Favorite Air Fryer Toaster Oven Now Comes in a Smaller Size (And It’s Cheaper, Too!)

Here at Taste of Home, we’re big fans of air fryer toaster ovens. These countertop cookers create delicious dishes just as well as their full-size counterparts. Plus, they take up less space than having a dedicated air fryer, toaster and convection oven. Over the years, we’ve tested more than a dozen of these convenient appliances, including the splurgy and feature-loaded Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro.

According to tester Nicole Doster, who has used the Breville Pro nearly every day for three years, it’s the ideal balance of performance and convenience. However, the $400 price tag and substantial size make it a tough sell for small home kitchens.

Enter: the new Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact, which packs all that precious power into a smaller, cheaper package. We tried the Compact Oven, and can confirm it’s just as functional as its larger cousin. Here’s everything you need to know.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact

Packed with 10 different cook settings, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact is perfect for small kitchens.

Shop on Breville

$249.95 at Amazon

$249.95 at Sur La Table

Shop on Williams Sonoma

What is the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact?

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact is essentially a smaller version of the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. The newer, smaller version is much more petite, measuring just 15.7 x 16.9 x 10 inches. It boasts a similar build, complete with a glass viewing door.

Much like its larger counterpart, the Breville Compact boasts 10 smart oven settings: air fry, fries, wings, bacon, crispy reheat, toast, bagel, pizza, broil, bake and roast. It also includes one of Nicole’s favorite features from the original, which is its Element iQ System. This clever technology tells the oven exactly where to concentrate heat based on the cooking mode, resulting in crispy chicken tenders and tender, moist cookies.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact also utilizes super convection speeds that heat up food faster and make it crispier than many other ovens we tested. And, if you find that your fries are still limp after the timer goes off, the “a bit more” button adds additional cooking time to any preset.

The newer, smaller oven offers a 0.5 cubic foot capacity. This makes it ideal for smaller servings like four slices of toast, an 11-inch pizza, a 4.5-pound chicken or a pound of French fries. The Breville Compact also comes with a fleet of appropriately sized accessories, including a broiling rack, roasting pan, air fryer basket and an oven rack.

How We Tested

I’ve been using the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact in my home kitchen since August 2025. I previously used the Pro model, but ended up retiring it due to a lack of counter space.

Packaging and Setup

The Compact Oven came in a sleek, white Breville box. Now, I’ll admit I was initially caught off guard by the size of the packaging. I was expecting it to be much smaller! But a good portion was filled with styrofoam and other packing materials, so don’t let the box size fool you. The oven itself is indeed compact.

I lifted the oven out, along with the included manual, broiling rack, roasting pan, air fry basket and reversible oven rack. There was some packing tape and film to remove, but the setup overall was very simple.

I plugged the unit in—keep in mind the cord is only about 2 feet long—and got to work on the initial run. The instruction manual recommends turning on the super-convection pizza setting (400 degrees for about 12 minutes) to burn off any residue left from the manufacturing process. This is a standard procedure for any kind of oven.

While the Breville Compact heated, I washed the included racks, pans and baskets. After a few minutes, I started to notice a chemical off-gassing smell. This is completely normal and exactly why you run a burn-off cycle in the first place. I opened a window, and it cleared up after just a few minutes.

Use and Presets

Of the 10 preset functions, I find myself reaching for “air fry,” crispy reheat” and “bake and roast” most often. As a vegetarian, I rarely have a need for the “wings” and “bacon” buttons, nor do we eat enough fries, bagels or pizza to justify those settings. Of course this is personal preference, but I would have loved to see some of the more generic presets, like “warm,” “proof” or “slow cook” from the Original and Pro models.

Once you choose a preset, you’ll need to press the start/stop button to get started. The display shows a blinking line until it reaches the correct temperature. It does beep, quite loudly, and unlike other Breville Smart Oven models, there’s no way to turn this function off, which is disappointing.

The oven preheats very quickly, reaching the pizza setting’s 400 degrees in just three minutes. The smaller size makes it oh-so efficient, which is a plus.

Printed inside the door, you’ll find a “rack position” guide for each of the presets and accessories. I highly recommend following these recommendations because, again, with the compact size, your food is much closer to the heating element than in a larger oven. It’s very easy to accidentally burn your meal if it’s placed too high or too low.

Food Tests

To date, I’ve prepped a wide array of food items in the Breville Compact. It’s been a staple in my everyday cooking routine, especially during the hot summer months when I have no interest in heating up the entire kitchen with a wall oven. Here are a few highlights:

Fries

Crispy, air-fried sweet potato fries in less than 15 minutes? Dangerous—and exactly what the Breville Compact delivers.

I made a single serving of Trader Joe’s sweet potato fries to go alongside a walnut burger. I used the “fries” preset on thickness level one, and it preheated in less than three (!!!) minutes. I added the fries to the basket and placed it, as directed on the door icons, in the top slot. They cooked for about seven minutes before the oven beeped at the 10-minute mark, signaling it was time to flip. I noticed they were pretty hot but not quite done.

After another few minutes, they were crisped to my liking with some dark spots. I always have trouble cooking sweet potato fries (they always tend to burn), but in the Breville, they cook to perfection.

That said, even on the lowest thickness setting, I did not need the full amount of time for a single serving. Keep in mind that the presets are designed for specific uses (in this case, a full pound of fries), so you will likely need to adjust for your family’s needs.

Chicken Nuggets

My husband is a big fan of the Costco Chick-fil-A nugget dupes, often turning to them for a quick lunch. The only problem? He tends to microwave them to save time. And, well, you can imagine how that tastes.

In search of crispy, crunchy nuggets—without the 30+ minutes of preheating and baking in our standard oven—he tried them in the Breville Compact. Preheating on the air fryer setting took just three minutes to reach 350 degrees. Then, the chicken itself cooked for about 12 minutes.

While still not quite as fast as the microwave, the browned edges and shatteringly crisp texture were well worth the tradeoff. And it was still 50% more efficient than using the wall oven.

Toast

Many reviewers were not impressed with the Breville Compact’s toast performance, and I tend to agree. I slotted in two frozen pieces of sourdough bread and turned to the toast setting. I started with a “level 4” crispness, which ran for about four minutes. When the timer went off, the bread was warm but still totally pale. No toasting in sight!

I tried again, this time on “level 6” crispness, which took about five minutes. This second session did the trick, adding a lovely crunch to the bread, crispy edges and some light browning.

However, it took nearly 10 minutes for a piece of toast. Plus, it was very uneven. Half the bread was a different color, nor was it even on both sides. Not a total fail, but the oven has much stronger uses.

Cleaning and Care

In my roughly three months of use, I have luckily avoided any major mishaps. (Don’t ask me about the time I overflowed a lasagna when testing the Breville Pro!)

I love that the crumb tray glides right out for easy wiping and washing. I’ve used toaster ovens in the past that don’t have this feature, and it’s really cumbersome trying to wipe out debris without hitting the heating element.

That said, I find a little prevention can keep the oven in tip-top shape. For example, if using the air fryer basket (which has holes), I like to add my food over the sink and shake off any frozen fry crumbs before placing the basket in the oven.

For the exterior, the stainless steel benefits from a weekly wipe-down. The handle, especially, holds on to fingerprints and smudges. A little vinegar and water on a microfiber cloth does the trick.

Pros

• Preheats incredibly fast
• Powerful cooking for a wide array of foods
• Multiple presets for easy prep
• Comes with handy accessories, including an air fryer basket and sheet pan
• Sleek, stylish stainless steel look
• Takes up less space on the counter than the Original and Pro models
• Replaces multiple kitchen appliances

Cons

• Heating can be uneven
• Toast takes a long time, especially from frozen
• Exterior gets quite warm to the touch
• Unable to turn sound down or off
• No interior light

Product Comparison: Other Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Models

As of press time, Breville makes three versions of the Smart Oven Air Fryer: the Original, Pro and Compact. They all offer exceptional cooking tech, but with a few key differences.

Original Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer vs. Compact

First things first: size. The Breville Compact measures 15.7 x 16.9 x 10 inches compared to the Original’s 18.9 x 15.9 x 10.9 inches. The Compact offers a 0.5 cubic foot capacity while the Original holds 0.8. One of the largest differences? Weight. The Compact weighs in at just under 16 pounds, while the Original is over a whopping 28.5 pounds.

Both ovens come with toast, air fry, bagel, pizza and broil settings. The Compact includes specific presets for fries, wings and bacon, as well as crispy reheat and bake & roast. The Original is a little more generic with bake, roast, cookies, reheat, warm and slow cook settings. Both appliances use 1,800 watts of power and come with a two-year limited warranty. They are also each compatible with the Breville+ app.

The Original also comes in over a dozen stylish colors, whereas the Compact is only available in stainless steel.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro vs. Compact

The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro goes even further. It measures 21.4 x 17.3 x 12.7 inches and weighs nearly 39 pounds. It holds standard bakeware sizes, including a 12-cup muffin tray, 13-inch pizza pan and 13×9 baking dish. You could even fit a small turkey inside!

The Pro offers the same 11 presets as the Original model, with the additions of proof and dehydrate, too. Other features, such as the two-year warranty, 1,800 wattage and Breville+ app compatibility, are also standard. For hues, choose between stainless steel and black truffle.

What Other Reviewers Had to Say

I’m not the only one giving the Breville Compact Oven a permanent spot on my kitchen counter.

Verified reviewer AHC is smitten with the Compact Oven’s size and writes: “My husband and I use this almost daily. The functions are nice, heats fast, and easy to clean with the bottom pan. I love that it’s more versatile and is not plastic. I loved it so much, got it from my mom and she also loves it! Perfect size for family of 2-3, the regular size was way too big for us.”

“This is the PERFECT air fryer for apartments, condos, or smaller households (just two of us),” says 5-star reviewer Stephen5280. “…Makes AMAZING fish fillets (salmon, halibut), cooking evenly, and is good at getting it a little crispy. Very good for roasting vegetables, but believe it when it says to turn them halfway. Frozen snacks come out great every time. Competent at toast (it takes a little experimenting)…Uses way less electricity than the oven, and doesn’t heat up the whole house in the summer.”

Any negative reviews focus on the oven’s toasting feature, with some users reporting it takes up to 10 minutes to achieve their ideal level of toastiness. Others don’t love that the machine lacks an interior light and on/off button. The Compact model also lacks my favorite feature from the Pro: The ability to fully turn off sound alerts.

Final Verdict

If you’re in the market for a multipurpose appliance at a fair price point and with a modest footprint, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact checks all the boxes. Yes, it has a few quirks. But overall, I was impressed with its cooking prowess and sleek look. As someone who is looking to streamline their space, I appreciate that it combines the efficiency of an air fryer, toaster and even microwave into one compact package. It’s not quite an oven replacement the way the Pro model is, but it’s a solid, midsize option.

Where To Buy the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact

Make toast, air fry wings and more—all in a smaller, wallet-friendly package.

Shop on Breville

$249.95 at Amazon

$249.95 at Sur La Table

Shop on Williams Sonoma

Just like the original Breville Smart Oven, folks craving crispy foods and cookies on demand can snag the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact at most major retailers. These include Amazon, Macy’s, Sur La Table, Crate & Barrel, Target, Williams Sonoma and directly on Breville’s website.

The oven retails for around $250—about $100 less than the Original version and $150 less than the Pro. It’s the perfect all-in-one for the home cook trying to save on money and space!

FAQ

How do you clean a Breville Smart Oven?

All Breville Smart Oven Air Fryers include a handy crumb tray you can pull out and wash. The exterior of the oven can also be wiped down. (The stainless steel does tend to cling to fingerprints and smudges.) Like any appliance, do not ever submerge it in water.

How do you turn off a Breville Smart Oven?

The Compact oven does not have a formal on/off switch. Instead, it operates in “standby mode” and is ready to use with the turn of a dial. If you would like the unit fully off, you need to unplug it.

Can a Breville Smart Oven replace a microwave?

It depends. The Breville does a great job reheating leftovers and warming snacks, but there are some microwave functions it can not tackle. For example, you can’t reheat a cup of coffee or pop a bag of popcorn. That said, I’ve been living without a microwave for several years, and the Breville Smart Oven certainly fills in the gaps for heating chicken nuggets, satisfying a quick cookie craving or softening butter.

Why You Should Trust Us

The Taste of Home editorial staff has tried hundreds of small kitchen appliances. From toasters to air fryers, pizza ovens to food processors, we’ve covered almost every kitchen gadget on the market. Each product we recommend has been put through a series of tests, either in our formal Product Testing Lab or an expert editor’s home kitchen. We gauge appliances on function, style and value. Plus, the products we love stick around for a series of additional tests so we can gauge long-term performance.

Lead tester for this piece, Katie Bandurski, has nearly a decade of editorial experience in the food, kitchen and home space. She has tested an array of small kitchen appliances, including the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, KitchenAid cordless gear, Cuisinart stand mixer and Baratza coffee grinder.