To Find the Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens, We Went Through 12 Pounds of French Fries

It’s easier than ever to cook a meal from scratch without touching your stovetop or oven. Multi-cookers, induction burners, air fryers, and toaster ovens are taking a slice of the home-cooking pie. These gadgety countertop appliances suggest the revolution will be electric (and come with a flashy LCD touchscreen). But even the most spacious kitchens only have so much countertop real estate. In an effort to consolidate appliances, many kitchen brands now make countertop toaster ovens with air frying capabilities.

But can appliances that claim to do it all actually deliver? In an effort to evaluate the increasingly busy dual air fryer-toaster oven space, we tested 12 models from popular brands. With prices that range from $180 to $550, these aren’t casual purchases. And unlike many basic toaster ovens, they’re not petite, either.

We chose models from well-known and trusted brands, and although many of the units we tested can do more than just toast and air fry, we focused our tests on those functions.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

$400 at Amazon $400 at Williams-Sonoma $497 at Walmart

This toaster oven blew nearly all the other non-Breville ovens away when it came to air frying; French fries were crispy and crunchy, while chicken wings had crackling browned skin. We also liked that its bigger size could accommodate larger foods, like roast chicken or a pie. Its only weak spot was toasting, funny enough: Bread slices were evenly golden, but a little wan.

The Best Smaller Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

$350 at Amazon $350 at Williams-Sonoma $350 at Target

This smaller unit had all of the same winning ingredients as the Pro version, including a standalone fry basket; a simple, intuitive interface with manual knobs and dials; and an impressive air fry function. It’s no surprise this was a top performer; it’s the “air fryer included” version of our favorite toaster oven.

Editor’s Pick

Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro

$550 at Amazon $500 at Williams-Sonoma $500 at Sur La Table

Boasting a truly impressive number of functions—including proofing dough—this do-it-all air fryer toaster oven comes with a high price tag but has the features to back it up. It also stands out from the crowd with an app that allows you to control the unit from your phone and offers helpful tips and recipes. "I've owned this Joule oven for a couple of years now and it acts as the primary oven in our two-person household," says associate commerce editorial director Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm. "I love how accurate it is and that its control panel is so well-labeled and easy to use."

The Best Mid-Priced Air Fryer Toaster Oven

KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven

$320 at Amazon $250 at Williams-Sonoma $320 at Kitchenaid.com

This oven is sleek, easy to program, and comes with a probe thermometer for cooking roasts and the like. It performed its cooking tasks admirably, too: French fries came out golden and crunchy, and frozen pizza baked up evenly. While the performance was a little weak when air frying chicken wings (they weren’t very crispy), we still think it’s a solid mid-priced option. 

The Tests

• Toast Test: We placed one piece of white sandwich bread in the center of each oven, then toasted it on the medium–dark setting. We evaluated the evenness of toasting on both the top and bottom of the bread, as well as how long it took to achieve the desired results.
• Hot Spots Test: We tested the basic baking capability by preheating the ovens to 350˚F without their convection function. Using the same brand of white bread, we filled each oven with as many slices as it could hold without overlapping, then baked for 10 minutes without flipping or turning. We recorded the quantity each oven could fit. By observing darker and lighter shades of toast, we were able to determine the oven's hot and cold spots (if any).
• Frozen Pizza Test: Toaster ovens are great at reheating leftover pizza, but how do they handle frozen pies? We used the same brand in each oven to evaluate. After preheating the oven to 400˚F without convection, we baked the pizza on the provided sheet tray for 14 minutes, then evaluated for crust crispiness and evenness of cheese melt.
• Frozen French Fries Test: Then it was time to air-fry. We used the same brand of frozen fries in 16-ounce batches. The brand we chose didn’t include preparation directions for air fryers; instead, we used the technique outlined in our original air fryer test: 400˚F for 20 minutes, shaking the fries only once, midway through cooking. If the oven included a “fries” setting on the air fryer (some did), we used that.
• Chicken Wings Test: We tested the oven’s ability to air fry meat by cooking two pounds of chicken wings in each one. We used one tablespoon of oil, one teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of pepper, then air-fried at 360˚F for 12 minutes, flipped the wings, and air-fried for another 12 minutes. To finish, we flipped the wings a second time and air-fried for six minutes at 390˚F. After evaluating the crispiness and evenness of the cooking, we cleaned the unit and washed the fry basket by hand.
• User Experience and Cleanup Tests: With most cooking test results providing minor differences with which to compare models, our top picks relied heavily on user experience. We evaluated how intuitive it was to use the models straight from the box before reading directions, and considered the simplicity and efficiency of the controls (LCD touchscreen vs. toggle wheel vs. etc.) Finally, we considered how easy (or not) it was to manually set the temperature and time, as compared with the unit’s presets.

What We Learned 

Most Air Fryer Toaster Ovens Struggled with Toast

Many older models of toaster ovens are pretty compact. But to accommodate the space needed for baking, roasting, and air frying, these new hybrid models often have cavernous chambers. (There was one exception: the Ninja Foodi, which was a bit wider than our other models, but much more squat.) The large chamber is necessary for excellent air frying: ample room for a fry basket allows food to be arranged in a single layer, which results in crispier, golden-brown food.

Unfortunately, the extra-large chamber means there’s a greater distance between the racks and the heating units. We found that toasting on the middle rack (when available) took an almost comically long time in some ovens. For example, the GreenPan’s toast setting five (out of seven) is pre-set to nine minutes—which is quite long. Even the winning Breville struggled with toast; at setting five (out of seven), which took about five minutes, the toast still emerged rather pale. 

While you could ameliorate this issue by moving a rack closer to the heating rods at the top or bottom of the oven, that may result in burning or uneven toasting, and you’ll certainly have to flip the toast halfway through. We’ll admit that waiting a few extra minutes for properly cooked toast is hardly an imposition, but it’s worth considering if you plan on regularly using your unit to make toast. 

If you’re hoping to use your air fryer toaster oven to roast and bake, you’ll find it useful to know not every model can be dialed into a specific temperature. Some feature temperature changes in 5- or even 25-degree intervals (such as having options for 325F˚, 350˚F, 375˚F, and so on).

Air Frying in a Toaster Oven Was Messier than Using an Air Fryer

Air frying is absolutely less messy than traditional deep frying, even if you use a self-contained deep fryer. But our test quickly revealed one downside of using a toaster oven to air fry: the fat causes splatters when the tray is removed, which makes cleanup annoying. During our chicken wing tests, the rendered fat from the wings and oil splattered all over the glass door when we pulled out the basket to flip the meat. (The crumb or drip tray doesn’t automatically come out when the door is opened, so the fry basket will hover over the door as you pull it out.) We either had to balance the tray precariously over the door to flip and turn the wings, or set it on a trivet on our counter: Either way, it was a messy, oily business that required us to wash our oven mitts, kitchen towels, and of course, the oven door after each use.

By comparison, self-contained air fryers are more efficiently designed to contain oil and fat within the unit, even when removing the basket (most traditional air fryers have a handled basket, rather than the handle-less square or rectangular ones found in the air fryer toaster ovens we tested). While the finished wings were crispy and golden, the cleanup was laborious. The baskets required vigorous scrubbing with a bristle brush, and the interior had to be cleaned with a vinegar-based solution to wipe away grease.

That said, our winning air fryer toaster ovens did air fry quite well, resulting in crispy french fries and golden brown chicken wings with crackling skin,

Fitted Baskets and Trays Made a Big Difference in Usability

Most models we tested had simple tray baskets, which had to be situated on the wire rack or baking tray. The baking tray option is a less messy way to fry, although it will hinder the 360-degree airflow needed for adequate crisping. However, a handful of units—the Ninja Foodi, the Breville, KitchenAid, and the Calphalon—had a basket with a wide lip meant to slide into the oven’s side grooves, just like its oven racks. Not only did it allow for better airflow, but it also made pulling the basket out easier.

Some models, like the Toshiba, had so many side grooves that it was difficult to slide a rack or tray in evenly on the first try. But generally speaking, we preferred models that allowed for multiple tray positions, which meant we could situate food on the top, bottom, or in the middle of the oven. The Ninja only allows for food to be positioned at the very top or bottom of the unit: there’s no middle ground.

Fan Placement Mattered

The models we tested had fans either on one side of the unit or installed on the top. Overwhelmingly, the top fans resulted in darker, more thoroughly cooked food, thanks to direct, intense heat—but not in a good way. While this is a great design in theory, in practice it sometimes results in burning or blackening. The largest top fans, as in the GE and Cuisinart, often yielded overdone food.

Side fans, as in the Breville ovens, resulted in more moderately cooked food. These units tended to have more hot spots when convection was not used, but this problem could be solved by rotating the food halfway through cooking (or by turning on convection, which was super powerful). Equally important, they made more efficient use of their space: the fans are installed behind the control panel. We found these units to be the least imposing when left on a counter, despite having similar footprints—most of the top-fan units looked hulking, thanks to their top-heavy design.

Multiple Dials and Knobs Were Easier to Navigate than Minimalist Interfaces

While every air fryer toaster oven we tested came with a detailed instruction manual, we first attempted to use the units without reading it, to gauge how intuitive the interfaces were. Overwhelmingly, we preferred models with more than one dial or knob. The greater the manual options, the easier it was to use. In contrast, the Instant Pot Omni Plus has an entire touchscreen interface, which was more confusing to operate (and quickly got greasy when adjusted during cooking).

We didn’t like that some models had fussy interfaces that required a lot of babysitting. Many of the ovens, like the Toshiba, Calphalon, and GreenPan, have preheat cycles but don’t automatically begin cooking once the chosen temperature is reached; instead, you have to press start. During a few tests in the Toshiba, we overcooked food because we didn’t realize it had been sitting at temperature for a handful of minutes. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, on the other hand, starts cooking once the oven is finished preheating—and if you miss the beep to put your food in, no worries—you can simply adjust the cooking time with a turn of the dial. 

Noise, Steam, and Smell Differences

All of the units made some noise during their cooking cycles. But we found some of them to be offensively loud. The Instant Pot was the most intrusive, particularly when air frying. The Ninja Foodi had an irritating “cool down” period that caused the fan to whirr noisily long after it had stopped cooking. The KitchenAid and Brevilles were the quietest on all settings, but barely perceptible when toasting or simply baking without convection.

Another consideration when buying an air fryer toaster oven: steam. Every unit we tested emitted some steam when air frying, but some turned our kitchen into a meat-and-potato-scented sauna. The Cuisinart was offensive here, with clouds of steam escaping through the top of the machine. Both it and the Instant produced so much steam, that it collected on the glass door and eventually leaked onto the counter. The foggy kitchen windows and lingering “fried food” smell are annoying, but we see another, more serious problem with heavy steam emitters: they can damage wood cabinetry over time. We tested the units on a countertop directly under cabinets containing packaged foods. After a day of testing, there was condensation on the inside of the cabinet doors and the shelves.

Are Air Fryer Toaster Ovens Worth It? What's the Difference Between an Air Fryer and an Air Fryer Toaster Oven?

The answer to whether it’s worth it depends on you, dear reader. If you’re looking for an all-in-one appliance, rather than a dedicated air fryer, then an air fryer toaster oven could be for you. On the other hand, if you already have a toaster and don’t want another appliance taking up counter space, a standalone air fryer you can stash away may be a good choice. 

Ultimately, air fryer toaster ovens are passable at most tasks, but not necessarily better than their single-function air frying competitors. We’ve outlined what makes an air fryer special, but in short, air fryers are smaller appliances with really powerful fans that crisp up foods; toaster oven air fryers are larger, to accommodate their other capabilities, and sometimes don’t have super powerful fans. That said, our winners all did very well when it came to air frying, so if you do buy one of them, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Air Fryer Toaster Oven

The best air fryer toaster ovens have spacious chambers with plenty of options for situating racks, trays, and fry baskets. They should perform well at basic tasks like toasting and baking, and also, as their name implies, air frying. We liked interfaces with knobs and dials, which were easy and intuitive to program. Look for doors that open and close smoothly, without snapping or spring-back, which will extend the longevity of your unit and work to keep steam inside. 

Finally, consider the footprint versus usable space. Some units are very large but have relatively small cooking chambers, like the GreenPan. Overwhelmingly, units that had convection fans on the top of the unit were bulkier and took up more space. Our top winners made efficient use of their size with large chambers and had side fans.

Our Favorite Air Fryer Toaster Ovens

The Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

$400 at Amazon $400 at Williams-Sonoma $497 at Walmart

What we liked: This sleek toaster oven was intuitive to use and lets you adjust time/heat while cooking. This is super helpful if you want your toast a little more toasted, or need to adjust the temperature when air frying. The oven also has clearly labeled controls and dials that turn smoothly. It starts cooking right after preheating, which we prefer over other models that require you to press start after the oven warmed up. 

It also did a stellar job of air frying (for a toaster oven): Chicken wings were beautifully burnished with crackling skin, and the French fries were crispy and crunchy. We also liked that the timer paused when we opened the door to shake the fries and flip the wings halfway through, so we didn’t lose any cooking time. This is basically the same great oven as the Breville Joule, just without app functionality. 

What we didn’t like: Bread toasted at level five (medium-dark) was a little pale, though it’s easy enough to bump up the time—just turn the dial. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 23 pounds
• Dimensions: 21.5 x 17.5 x 12.7 inches
• Type and dimensions of air fry basket: Standalone wire basket, 12 x 15 inches
• Interface type: Manual, with three dials and six push-buttons total, including super convection
• Functions: Toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook, and dehydrate
• Minimum temperature: 80°F
• Maximum temperature: 480°F
• Warranty: 2-year limited

The Best Smaller Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

$350 at Amazon $350 at Williams-Sonoma $350 at Target

What we liked: A good choice for countertops short on real estate, the Breville has one of the smallest footprints of any of the models we tested, thanks to its side-installed fan behind the controls. Happily, it doesn’t feel lacking in cooking space. We liked the easy-to-use interface that was intuitive, thanks to multiple dials and buttons (and a high-contrast LCD screen). The fry basket is wide and roomy, which means you can cook a large volume of food without sacrificing crispiness. It also fits directly into the grooves of the side walls, making it more efficient to maneuver in and out. It’s a hardworking multitasker, with keep warm, dehydrate, and slow cook functions. 

What we didn’t like: The individual components—including the wire fry basket—must be hand-washed, which is cumbersome after messy cooking tasks, like frying chicken. It does everything speedily, including making toast and preheating, but its performance sometimes fell behind other models as a result. Condensation and steam can be overwhelming during high-heat, high-convection cooking tasks. It's smaller than the Pro version.

Key Specs

• Weight: 28 pounds, 12 ounces
• Dimensions: 18.5 x 15.75 x 11 inches
• Type and dimensions of air fry basket: Standalone wire basket; 11 x 12.75 inches
• Interface type: Manual, with 3 dials and 5 push-buttons, including turbo convection
• Functions: Air fry, bagel, bake, broil, cookies, dehydrate, reheat, roast, slow cook, toast, and warm
• Minimum temperature: 120˚F
• Maximum temperature: 450˚F
• Warranty: 2-year limited

Editor’s Pick Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro

$550 at Amazon $500 at Williams-Sonoma $500 at Sur La Table

What we liked: Like our top pick from Breville, the air fry function on this oven was top-notch, with fries and wings coming out crispy, golden, and juicy. The large cooking chamber makes this a good swap for traditional oven cooking, allowing the user to roast and bake for a (small) crowd. The ability to cook with convection (even when not air frying) is a huge time saver, and we appreciated the truly expansive list of functions. This oven is basically the same as our top pick, but it also has app connectivity, which allows you to monitor the oven and program it with preset recipe steps. 

What we didn’t like: A fair amount of condensation collects at the door during certain cooking tasks. The app can be glitchy, and we would like to see further developments and oven-app integration. It’s undeniably pricey.

Key Specs

• Weight: 23 pounds
• Dimensions: 21.5 x 17.3 x 12.8 inches
• Type and dimensions of air fry basket: Standalone wire basket; 11.75 x 15 inches
• Interface type: Manual, with three dials and six push-buttons, including an “A bit more” button to add a little extra cooking time
• Functions: Air fry, bagel, bake, broil, cookies, dehydrate, pizza, proof, reheat, roast, slow cook, toast, and warm
• Minimum temperature: 80˚F
• Maximum temperature: 480˚F
• Warranty: 2-year limited

The Best Mid-Priced Air Fryer Toaster Oven

KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven

$320 at Amazon $250 at Williams-Sonoma $320 at Kitchenaid.com

What we liked: A sleek offering, the KitchenAid did a great job at toasting bread, which came out evenly golden; it also had good heat distribution. The air fryer basket slotted into the oven easily, and French fries came out crunchy and evenly cooked. It comes with a probe that you can use with the “Meat Probe” function to track food's internal temps as it cooks.

What we didn’t like: The chicken wings were wan, and the metal on the door got hot. The temperature settings are in five-degree increments.  

Key Specs

• Weight: 37 pounds, 4 ounces
• Dimensions: 18.5 x 1.5 x 13.5 inches
• Type and dimensions of air fry basket: Standalone wire basket, 12 x 12.25 inches
• Interface type: Manual, with one dial and six buttons 
• Functions: Toast, bagel, bake, broil, air fry, dehydrate, meat probe, convection bake, roast, keep warm, reheat, and proof
• Minimum temperature: 450°F
• Maximum temperature: 150°F
• Warranty: Limited warranty

The Competition

• Calphalon Air Fryer Oven: While we previously named this a winner, in our most recent round of testing it fell short (we think it might have been redesigned or changed manufacturers). It failed miserably when air-frying French fries and chicken wings; the fries were mostly limp and the wings were flabby rather than crispy-crunchy. The rack is also unstable; when pulled out, it tilts downward, and the pan/food slides towards you. It’s also a smaller oven, which limits its versatility; it only held four pieces of toast (we could fit at least six in our other winning ovens), and fitting the frozen pizza inside was tight. 
• GreenPan Premiere Convection Air Fry Oven: While this oven produced crispy, golden chicken wings and fries, there were a few things that prevented it from being a winner. First, it’s one big ‘n tall toaster; it took up a lot of counter space. It was also a little too powerful when baking frozen pizza, resulting in a slightly charred pie. Oddly though, in our toast test, it took nearly nine minutes to toast bread to shade setting five, which was about four minutes longer than our favorite oven from Breville. The air frying basket has to be placed on a tray, which inhibits browning, and temperatures are only available in 25-degree increments. It’s also the same price as the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which performed better and was easier to use.  
• Cuisinart Digital Air Fryer Toaster Oven: This air fryer runs aggressively hot, in large part due to the XL fan on the top; every test produced dark, almost-burnt results. In high-fat foods, like chicken wings, this resulted in a large amount of rendered fat to clean up. The cooking chamber is small compared to most other models.
• GE Digital Air Fryer Toaster Oven: This stainless steel appliance has the smart look of a “chef’s kitchen.” The large top-of-unit fan produced extra-dark, extra-crispy results, which may not be to everyone’s taste. It’s loud, and the timer begins automatically, without accounting for preheating. That resulted in over- and under-done food. There are no presets for things like fries and wings, but the user manual offers helpful guidelines.
• Instant Pot Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven: With a touchscreen interface, this techy model was a pain to keep clean and grease-free. It was also the loudest and largest of the models we tested, with a hulking overhang that doubled as a door. The temperature can be set to specific degrees, but every button pressed sounds like an irritating beep.
• Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fryer Oven: This model initially caught our eye due to its smaller footprint; it’s very short. But with only room for “top” and “bottom” rack positions, food got too dark no matter where it was situated. Its small chamber is tricky to clean well, and the side-handle door was awkward to use. We did like the standalone fry basket, that slid neatly into the side grooves.
• Toshiba Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo: While this model has the potential to toast, bake, and air-fry well, we found it frustrating to use. A confusing interface and the inability to adjust settings while it was in preheat mode resulted in overcooked food in most of our tests. Folks who plan on air frying often will appreciate the 11 settings under that function, including chicken nuggets, squid rings, and spring rolls.
• Our Place Wonder Oven: While this oven looks charming, it felt cheap and its controls were imprecise.

FAQs

Can an air fryer replace a toaster oven?

Although air fryers perform some cooking tasks very well, they are not a 1:1 replacement for a toaster oven. The design of standalone air fryers is not ideal for cooking in large batches; we found that XL air fryers lagged in efficiency and function. Air fryers are best for approximating fried food with minimal oil and easier cleanup. Toaster ovens excel at traditional baking and cooking tasks on a smaller (and quicker) scale. They’re both pretty great at heating up leftovers, though.

How do air fryer toaster ovens work?

Toaster ovens with air fryer capabilities include a convection fan. Cooks can manually turn the fan on and off for cooking functions like bake and roast, although it automatically turns on when the air fry function is chosen. This fan allows air to circulate more efficiently, leading to all-over browning and crisping. Most air fryer toaster ovens include perforated baskets, too, which aids in air circulation.

What's the best way to clean an air fryer toaster oven?

Before first use, most brands advise setting an air fryer toaster oven to a high temperature for a period of time to get rid of anything leftover from the manufacturing process. (Check your air fryer toaster oven's manual for specific instructions). You should also remove and clean the accessories with soapy water and dry them. To clean the interior of the oven, we recommend wiping it with a cloth or sponge dipped in soapy water (dish soap is good). Then, wipe down again with a clean, damp cloth.

Why We’re the Experts 

• To find the best air fryer toaster ovens, we tested nine models. We used them to toast bread, air-fry French fries, make chicken wings, and more.
• We've also separately reviewed air fryers and written about how to clean both air fryers and toaster ovens.
• Rochelle Bilow is a commerce editor for Serious Eats and has written many reviews, including on portable grills and balloon whisks.
• Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Serious Eats, where she has been reviewing gear for almost two years. 
• After receiving reader complaints about the Calphalon Air Fryer Oven's performance, we re-tested it. We found the current iteration lacking in its air fryer capabilities and updated this review accordingly. In tandem, we tested three other ovens from Breville, KitchenAid, and GreenPan—two of them merited being added as top picks.