You’ve probably seen it sitting on a neighbor’s counter or glistening under the showroom lights at Williams Sonoma. It looks like a simple toaster oven, but the Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven (model BOV845BSS, for those hunting for specs) is basically a cult classic at this point.
Honestly? It's kind of expensive.
Most people see the price tag and immediately wonder why they shouldn't just buy a $50 Black+Decker and call it a day. But here is the thing: cheap toaster ovens have hot spots that will turn one side of your toast into charcoal while the other side stays pale as a ghost. The Breville doesn’t do that. It uses something called Element iQ, which sounds like marketing fluff but is actually just a smart way of moving heat around where it's needed most. If you’re baking a cake, the oven shifts the wattage to the top and bottom elements differently than if you were just trying to melt some cheddar on a bagel.
It’s about precision.
The Element iQ Secret Sauce
Most heating elements are either "on" or "off." They’re dumb. The Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven uses five quartz elements. These aren't those old-school metal coils that take forever to glow red. Quartz reacts fast. When you select a preset—and there are ten of them—the oven decides exactly how much power to send to each of those five bars.
Think about a pizza. You want a crispy bottom but you don't want the pepperoni on top to incinerate before the crust is done. The Element iQ system senses where the cold spots are and compensates. It’s like having a tiny chef inside the machine constantly adjusting the knobs so you don't have to.
Does the Convection Fan Actually Matter?
Yes. Sorta.
There is a lot of hype around "convection" and "air frying" these days. Let’s be real: an air fryer is just a convection oven with a louder fan and a smaller basket. The Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven has an onboard fan that strips away the "cold air curtain" that usually surrounds your food. This speeds up the cooking process by about 30 percent.
📖 Related: Act Like an Angel Dress Like Crazy: The Secret Psychology of High-Contrast Style
If you’re roasting a chicken, that moving air is what gives you the skin that actually crackles when you bite into it. Without the fan, you’re just baking. With the fan, you’re roasting. It’s a massive difference.
But it isn't silent. You’ll hear a whirring sound. It’s not "jet engine" loud, but you’ll know it’s working. Some people find it annoying; I think it just sounds like progress.
The Slow Cooker Replacement Nobody Mentions
This is the part that most people miss. The "Pro" in the name isn't just for show—it refers to the slow cook function. You can actually leave this thing on for ten hours.
Most toaster ovens would probably melt or start a fire if you ran them all day. This one is designed for it. You can put a Dutch oven (up to 3.5 quarts) inside, set it to "Slow Cook," and go to work. Because the insulation is better than your average cheap appliance, it holds the temperature steady. It's actually more energy efficient than heating up a giant 30-inch wall oven just to braise a single pot of short ribs.
Real Talk: The Dimensions and the "Interior" Struggle
Let’s talk space. You need to measure your counters before you buy this.
- External dimensions: 18.5 x 14.5 x 11 inches.
- Internal capacity: It fits a 13-inch pizza.
- Toast capacity: 6 slices.
It’s big. It’s a "countertop hog." If you live in a tiny studio apartment with six inches of counter space, this is going to be your new roommate. Also, it gets hot on the outside. Do not—I repeat, do not—leave a plastic cutting board or a loaf of bread sitting on top of this thing while it’s running. Breville actually sells a bamboo cutting board specifically designed to sit on top as a heat shield, which is a clever way to sell you more stuff, but it actually works.
Why the Interior Light is a Game Changer
The base model of the Smart Oven doesn’t have a light. The "Pro" does. It sounds like a small thing, right? It isn't.
👉 See also: 61 Fahrenheit to Celsius: Why This Specific Number Matters More Than You Think
When you’re broiling salmon and you need to catch it at the exact micro-second the fat starts to bubble but before the glaze burns, you need to see what’s happening. Opening the door lets all the heat out. The light in the Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven is bright, and you can replace the bulb yourself (it’s a standard G9 halogen).
The "No-Ghost" Interface
I hate appliances that require a manual to find the "start" button. This interface is basically two big knobs and a few buttons. One knob chooses the function (Toast, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat, Warm, Slow Cook). The other adjusts the temp and time.
The LCD screen turns orange when it's heating up and blue when it's done. Simple.
One weird quirk? The plug. It has a finger hole in it—the "Breville Assist Plug." It makes it easy to pull out of the wall without fraying the cord. It’s a tiny detail, but it shows someone actually thought about the person using the machine.
What Really Happens Over Time: Long-Term Reliability
I’ve talked to professional chefs like J. Kenji López-Alt, who has famously used Breville ovens in his test kitchens. These things are workhorses, but they aren't immortal.
The most common failure point? The thermal fuse or the door spring. After about three or four years of heavy use, you might notice the door doesn't snap shut quite as tightly, or the "Start" button requires a firmer press.
Pro Tip: To keep it running longer, don't use heavy chemical oven cleaners on the inside. The walls are coated in a non-stick material. Just use a damp cloth and some mild soap. If you let grease build up on the quartz elements, they will eventually fail or smell like a grease fire every time you make toast.
✨ Don't miss: 5 feet 8 inches in cm: Why This Specific Height Tricky to Calculate Exactly
Common Misconceptions
- "It’s just a glorified toaster." No. A toaster can’t roast a 4lb chicken or bake a tray of muffins. This can.
- "It replaces a microwave." It doesn't. It won't boil water or pop popcorn efficiently. It’s a dry-heat machine.
- "It’s an air fryer." Technically, the Pro model doesn't have the "Air Fry" preset that the newer (and more expensive) Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro has. The fan speed is lower. It’ll still get things crispy, but it’s not going to give you that "deep fried" texture on frozen French fries as quickly as a dedicated air fryer would.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
If you just unboxed your Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven, do these three things immediately to get the most out of it:
The "Burn-Off" Cycle
Before you cook actual food, run the oven empty on "Pizza" at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. There is often a factory residue on the elements that smells like burning plastic the first time it gets hot. You want that smell out of your house before you put a sourdough loaf in there.
Calibrate Your Toast
The "Toast" setting goes from 1 to 7. Start at 4. Breville’s "4" is darker than most people expect. Also, pay attention to the "Slices" setting. If you’re only toasting one slice but the oven thinks you’re doing six, it’ll blast it too hard.
Positioning is Everything
The rack has three positions: Top, Middle, and Bottom. The glass door actually has the positions printed on it so you don't have to guess.
- Top: Broiling.
- Middle: Toasting and Cookies.
- Bottom: Baking and Roasting.
Stick to those guides. The Element iQ is tuned specifically for those rack heights. If you try to bake a cake on the top rack, the top will burn while the middle stays raw.
Final Verdict
The Breville Smart Oven Pro Convection Toaster Oven is the gold standard for a reason. It bridges the gap between a cheap plastic toaster and a $3,000 built-in wall oven. It isn't perfect—it takes up space and the exterior gets hot—but the consistency of the heat is unmatched in the countertop world.
If you cook for one or two people, you might find yourself never turning on your "real" oven again. It saves time, it doesn't heat up the whole kitchen in the summer, and it makes better toast than anything else on the market. Just make sure you have the 18 inches of counter space to spare.
Next Steps for Setup:
Check the clearance behind the oven. You need at least 4 inches of space between the back of the oven and the wall to allow for proper venting of the convection fan. If you push it flush against the wall, you risk overheating the electronics and shortening the lifespan of the motherboard. Once positioned, verify the rack is in the "Middle" position with the "Auto-Eject" magnetic feature engaged—this pulls the rack halfway out when you open the door, saving your fingers from accidental burns.