Side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus.
Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro
Best Smart OvenNinja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven
Best Compact PickPrice
$500-$550
$170-$230
Summary
The top pick from both Serious Eats and Good Housekeeping, this app-connected oven handles 13 cooking modes with autopilot precision. A chef-tested recipe library and multi-stage cooking sequences set it apart from every other smart oven.
CNET's #1 overall pick for 2026 — it preheated faster than every competitor and placed first or second in nearly every test. The flip-up hinge design stores it in just 7 inches of wall clearance, making it the only serious option for tight kitchens.
Pros
- App-controlled with chef-tested recipe library and multi-stage cooking sequences
- 13 cooking modes: bake, air fry, broil, roast, pizza, cookies, proof, reheat, slow cook, keep warm, dehydrate, bagel, toast
- Sleek, large-capacity design with high-quality included accessories
- Whole chicken, cake, and pizza all cooked evenly in Good Housekeeping lab testing
- Used consistently in Good Housekeeping Lab for over a year with positive results
- Fastest preheat time of any model tested by CNET — by a significant margin
- Unique flip-up hinge stores against the wall in just 7 inches of clearance
- Best-in-show air fryer function across CNET's testing
- Placed first or second in nearly every single test category
- Most compact footprint of any full-featured countertop convection oven
Cons
- Premium price point — significantly more expensive than non-connected Breville models
- Large footprint requires substantial counter space
- App dependency means full feature set requires smartphone pairing
- Air-fried wings not as crispy as dedicated standalone air fryers
- Short interior (about 6 inches tall) limits cooking bulkier foods like whole chickens
- Low ceiling means heating coils get dirty faster than taller models
- Loading and unloading food is clumsy due to the shallow interior
- Harder to monitor food while cooking due to limited visibility
Our take
This is what you buy when you want the Breville experience plus a genuinely useful app — not gimmicky AI, but real chef-tested recipes that actually control the oven. Serious Eats called it their single favorite countertop oven, full stop.
For small kitchens, this is the no-brainer. The flip-up design is genuinely clever, the air fryer function is best-in-class, and the speed is unmatched. Just know the low ceiling limits what you can cook inside.
Buy
