The best benchtop and convection ovens for easy and compact cooking

Best for: Dinner done in a flash

Want to make midweek meal prep as quick and painless as possible? You’re not alone! Ninja’s Combi 14-in-1 multicooker is fast becoming a cult item for time-poor people who still want to eat well. That’s because this appliance promises to cook complete family meals in just 15-minutes. You could be making a one-pot pasta on the bottom rack, while perfectly grilling meatballs on the top rack. How great is that?

Other features worth noting are the HyperSteam function (perfect for steam roasting vegies and meat) and an air fryer mode. It’s a great little appliance that can make a big change to your dinner routine.

Key features:

• 14-in-1 functionality with settings such as: Bake, steam, prove, crisp, slow cook, sear, air-fry, grill and Combi Meals.
• Can make a complete family meal (for 8 people) in as little as 15-minutes
• Recipe book included
• Steam and bake function allows you to cook meat from frozen, if necessary
• All accessories are dishwasher safe, making it easy to clean
• Average of 4.5 star rating from customers

Also available at:

• $479 (usually $599) from Myer
• $499 (usually $599) from David Jones

Best for: all-in-one benchtop cooking

A hybrid compact oven and air fryer, this Breville model uses higher temperatures with super convection to deliver golden, crispy goodies with little to no oil.

“We love our Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. We can handle almost all of our meals with it – from air frying up some French fries, making toast in the morning, reheating food, and preparing casseroles. It handles it all,” wrote a five-star reviewer.

Key features:

• 10 cooking functions including air fry and slow cook
• Two-speed super convection fan
• Element IQ System
• Interior light
• Toasts six slices at once
• Includes air fry basket, roasting pan and pizza pan
• Two-year warranty

Also available at:

• $499 (usually $629) from Amazon
• $579 from Breville

Best for: saving space and time

A convection oven with full steaming capabilities, this Cuisinart benchtop oven can cut cooking time as much as 40 per cent when using steam.

“Excellent and versatile, compact multi-oven,” wrote a five-star reviewer, “also a great-looking device with useful self-cleaning. Have not used the main regular oven since purchase of the Cuisinart”.

Key features:

• Nine single and combination functions
• Specialised bread proofing technology
• 1.4L removable water reservoir
• Includes wire rack, baking pan, broiling rack, crumb tray and drip tray

Also available at:

• $339 from Betta
• $369 from Bing Lee

Best for: an affordable benchtop oven

Toast, bake and grill your dishes with this straightforward compact oven from Sunbeam. 

“Great for a single guy (or girl) in a small kitchen,” wrote one customer in a 5-star review, “will do small roasts, pizzas or just about anything”.

It has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 345 customers on The Good Guys, with another customer sharing: “Super convenient mini oven that I keep on my kitchen bench top. I use it all the time now to heat up pies, chips, pastries that would otherwise end up soggy if I used the microwave.”

Key features:

• Settings and modes include warm, grill, bake, toast, turbo convection, pizza, roast and reheat
• 60-minute timer
• Includes pizza tray, baking pan, reversible wire rack, crumb tray
• 1400W
• One-year warranty

Also available at:

• $118 from Bing Lee

Best for: energy efficient features

Bake the perfetto pizza and cookies or roast the most succulent meat in the Breville Smart Oven Pro, which reduces cooking time by up to 30 per cent when used on the convection setting.

“The heat distribution is even and very versatile as you can toast, grill, roast, reheat warm and even slow cook!” wrote a five-star reviewer, “Size is good for toast or pastries but can also fit whole chicken and big enough for roast beef.”

Another customer on the Breville website shared: “I have used a Breville oven for the past 10 years. I rarely use my big oven. The Breville cooks everything from toast and everyday dinners to Christmas cakes, desserts and slow cooked meals. It’s versatile, reliable and economic. The meal is often cooked by the time the big oven takes to get up to temperature! This new oven seems as good as the previous one.”

Key features:

• Element iQ with five independent quartz heating elements to move power where it’s needed
• 10 pre-set cooking functions
• Toasts six slices at once
• Slow cook function
• Non-stick cavity coating for easy cleaning
• 2400W
• Oven rack, enamel bake pan, enamel grill rack and non-stick pizza pan included

Also available at:

• $449 from Breville

Best for: benchtop-only cooking

Whipping up meals, baked goods and snacks is easy with this benchtop oven from Ninja, which has a 29 litre capacity and enough room to roast a 2.3kg chicken with veggies, or two 13-inch pizzas. It also has 10 cooking functions including air fry, bake, roast, grill and toast, with a digital display handle and a 90-second preheat time.

“Purchased to use in our caravan and its better than the oven in my kitchen,” one customer said in a 5-star review on The Good Guys, where it has a 4.7-star average from over 55 customers.

“Anything from pizza to a whole chicken has turned out perfectly and fast. Highly recommend this product,” said another customer in their 5-star review.

Key features:

• 10 functions including air fry, air roast and dehydrate
• True surround convection
• 2400W
• One-year warranty
• Includes accessories

Also available at:

• $429 from Bing Lee
• $449.99 from Ninja