Look at your kitchen counter right now. If it's anything like mine, it’s a graveyard of gadgets you thought would change your life but mostly just collect dust and breadcrumbs. Then there’s the Our Place Wonder Oven. It arrived on the scene with a massive amount of hype, mostly because the brand behind it, Our Place, basically owns the "aesthetic kitchen" corner of the internet thanks to their Always Pan. But here’s the thing: a pretty face doesn’t roast a chicken.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking into how this 6-in-1 air fryer toaster oven actually stacks up against the heavy hitters like Ninja or Breville. Most people buy it because it looks like a prop from a Wes Anderson movie. Honestly, that’s a valid reason to like a product, but we need to talk about whether it actually cooks. It’s a wire-frame-meets-steam-infusion box that promises to air fry, bake, roast, toast, reheat, and broil.
Does it do all six well? Sorta.
The Real Deal on the Our Place Wonder Oven Technology
Most air fryers are basically just small, aggressive convection ovens. They blow hot air around a basket at high speeds to get things crispy. The Our Place Wonder Oven does that too, but it adds a tiny little water inlet on the top. This is the "steam infusion" part. If you’ve ever heard of the Balmuda toaster—that cult-favorite Japanese appliance that costs a fortune just to make bread taste like it came from a Parisian bakery—this is Our Place’s attempt at bringing that tech to a multi-functional device.
You pour a teaspoon of water into the cap, and it creates a humid environment inside. This keeps your leftovers from turning into leather. Ever tried to reheat pizza in a standard air fryer? It usually gets way too crunchy. The steam helps maintain the integrity of the crust while the heat melts the cheese. It's a game changer for bagels too.
The interior is surprisingly small, though. We’re talking 12 liters. For a single person or a couple, it’s fine. If you're trying to feed a family of five or roast a massive Thanksgiving turkey, you’re going to be disappointed. It fits a 4.5-pound chicken if you’re lucky and know how to truss it properly.
Size Matters More Than You Think
Don't let the marketing photos fool you. It looks substantial, but the footprint is actually quite compact. That’s the trade-off. You save counter space, but you lose cooking capacity. It measures roughly 11.6 inches deep, 10.6 inches wide, and 11.5 inches tall. Compare that to something like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which is a beast that takes up half a kitchen island.
Because the Our Place Wonder Oven is tall rather than wide, you can’t easily fit a standard baking sheet in there. You have to use their proprietary pans or very small specialized bakeware. It comes with a wire rack, a crumb tray, an air fryer basket, and a bake pan. They are all coated in a toxin-free non-stick ceramic, which is a big selling point for people trying to move away from PFAS and PFOA chemicals often found in cheaper appliances.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Controls
We are living in the era of digital touchscreens. Everything has a "Smart" button now. The Wonder Oven ignores all of that. It uses three physical dials.
- Temperature
- Function
- Timer
It feels retro. Some people hate it because the timer isn't precise to the second. If you want exactly 3 minutes and 42 seconds of cooking time, you’re basically guessing with a physical dial. However, there’s something deeply satisfying about the "ding" of a mechanical timer. It’s one less circuit board to fail in three years.
One major quirk: the air fry setting is fast. Because the heating elements are so close to the food in such a small cavity, things can go from "perfectly golden" to "incinerated" in about sixty seconds. You have to watch it. Forget what the back of the frozen fry bag says. Subtract at least five minutes from the recommended time and check on it frequently.
The Cleaning Situation
Cleaning an air fryer is usually the worst part of owning one. The Wonder Oven's ceramic coating makes the bake pan fairly easy to wipe down. But the wire rack and air fryer basket? Those are still a pain. Grease gets baked onto the mesh, and since it's a toaster-oven style instead of a drawer style, you’re reaching into a box to wipe down the interior walls.
If you spill something on the heating elements at the bottom, it's going to smell like a campfire for the next three uses. Pro tip: always keep the crumb tray in place, and honestly, maybe just hand-wash the accessories even if they say they can handle the dishwasher. Heat and harsh detergents eventually kill non-stick surfaces.
Is the Steam Feature Actually Useful?
Honestly, yes. But maybe not for why you think. It’s not "steaming" your vegetables like a steamer basket. It’s just adding enough moisture to prevent dehydration.
Think about a baguette that’s two days old. Usually, that’s bird food. If you put it in the Our Place Wonder Oven with a bit of water in the inlet, the steam reactivates the starches in the crust while the heat warms the center. It comes out soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. It’s magic for bread.
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For air frying frozen mozzarella sticks? The steam doesn't do much. In fact, you should probably skip the water for anything you want to be intensely crispy. Moisture is the enemy of a good crunch.
Comparing the Competition
If you’re looking at this, you’re probably also looking at the Ninja Foodi or the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket. Those are better "workhorse" machines. They are built for volume. They look like industrial equipment.
The Wonder Oven is a lifestyle choice. It’s for the person who cares that their kitchen looks cohesive. It comes in colors like "Steam" (an off-white), "Char" (a dark grey), "Sage" (the iconic green), and "Spice" (that earthy pinkish-orange). It looks like a piece of decor.
But let's be real about the price. At roughly $195, you are paying a "design tax." You can get a basic Ninja air fryer for $90 that will cook fries just as well. You can get a massive air-frying toaster oven from a brand like Instant Pot for $140. You buy the Our Place version because you want a "pretty" kitchen and you appreciate the ceramic non-stick coating.
Longevity and Reliability
Our Place as a brand is still relatively new to the electronics space. While the Always Pan had some early issues with the non-stick wearing off too quickly (mostly due to people using too much heat or metal utensils), the Wonder Oven seems more robust.
There are no complex motherboards or Wi-Fi chips to glitch out. It’s a heating element and a fan. That simplicity usually translates to a longer lifespan. The most common complaint isn't that it breaks, but that it's just too small for what people expected. Measure your dinner plates before you buy this. If you can’t fit your favorite plate in there to reheat a meal, you’re going to be annoyed.
Who Should Actually Buy the Our Place Wonder Oven?
This isn't for everyone. If you’re a "meal prep Sunday" person who roasts three trays of broccoli at once, skip this. It's too small. You’ll be cooking in batches for hours.
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But if you are a city dweller with a tiny kitchen? It’s perfect. It replaces your toaster and your air fryer, saving you precious inches of counter space. It’s for the person who eats a lot of leftovers and wants them to actually taste good the second time around. It’s for the person who wants to stop using "forever chemicals" in their cooking.
It’s also surprisingly good for bakers. Because the heat is so consistent and the steam keeps things moist, it makes incredible small-batch muffins or even a tiny loaf of focaccia.
Actionable Tips for New Owners
If you decide to pull the trigger and get one, there are a few things you should do immediately to get the most out of it.
- The Burn-Off: When you first take it out of the box, run it at 450°F for about 20 minutes with nothing inside. This burns off the "factory smell" and any protective oils on the heating elements. Open a window; it’s going to smell weird.
- The Water Limit: Only use the provided cap to measure water. Don't just pour water in there. Too much moisture can actually mess with the crisping process and potentially cause mineral buildup inside the vent.
- Preheating: Even though it’s small, give it 3 to 5 minutes to preheat. The "instant heat" claims are a bit of an exaggeration. You want those walls hot before you put the food in.
- Check the Back: The back of the unit gets incredibly hot. Ensure there is at least 4 to 6 inches of clearance between the oven and your wall or backsplash. You don't want to melt your outlet covers or damage your paint.
- The Dial Trick: Since the timer is mechanical, if you want to set it for a short time (like 2 minutes), turn the dial past the 10-minute mark first and then bring it back down to 2. This "winds up" the spring properly so the timer doesn't stall out.
The Our Place Wonder Oven is a specialized tool. It’s a beautiful, functional, slightly overpriced, and very small appliance that excels at specific tasks. It won't replace a full-sized oven for a holiday meal, but for Tuesday night salmon or a Saturday morning bagel, it’s arguably the best-looking way to get the job done.
If you prioritize aesthetics and toxin-free materials over raw capacity, it’s a solid win. If you just want the most powerful air fryer for the least amount of money, keep looking.
Next Steps for Your Kitchen Setup
Check the dimensions of your most-used baking dishes and plates. If they are wider than 10 inches, you'll need to invest in a set of toaster-oven-sized bakeware alongside the oven. Also, take a look at your current countertop clearance—ensure you have enough vertical space for the steam to vent safely without hitting the underside of your cabinets. Once you’ve confirmed the fit, stick to the ceramic-safe cleaning tools to ensure the interior coating lasts as long as the exterior looks good.