Are Smart Toaster Ovens Worth Buying?
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2023
- “Smart” countertop ovens use advanced technology to take over cooking for you-or guide you step by step-while promising to replace a half dozen other appliances. Equipment expert Adam Ried reviews smart ovens to see if any are worth buying.
Buy our Winner June Smart Oven: cooks.io/3PIaH9d
Buy our Best Buy Tovala Smart Oven: cooks.io/3ZN9WAn
Read our full review: cooks.io/3Q2vkyq
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As always, *please* tell us if they can work after the manufacturer shuts down their web service, or if you're left with a giant paperweight.
And how much of your life you are agreeing to give to the company in order to use their app.
And do you need to pay a monthly subscription for your oven to perform certain kinds of cooking tasks...because you know eventually that'll be a thing
@DearHenryA I have a Cosori Oven and I just don't use the App.
They are already out of business. Bought out by weber.
They work from an app on your phone or an Alexa type AI. My Tovala can be set from the oven itself.
I have a June oven for a few years now. I use it for everything. It’s easy to use and it actually works well. It’s not one of those multi function cookers that does everything worse. Now I rarely use the full sized open. Highly recommend for everyone. It can replace an oven, toaster, grill, air fryer, and much more.
How about cleaning? Is it easy to clean?
I bought the June (partly on your recommendation) more than a year ago. It's FABULOUS! I use it every single day - and I don't make much toast. Reheating, broiling, roasting, air frying, dehydrating. There's even a "proof" setting for home made bread. LOVE IT. Air frying is a bit of a nuisance, though. Air fry chicken wings - they taste great, but the grease from the skin ends up coating the inside of the oven. Be prepared to clean it thoroughly after. Too bad no "self clean" feature! It's a counter hog, for sure, so it replaces the microwave that I rarely used for anything other than reheating leftovers. I don't miss the microwave, and couldn't do without this.
self cleaning oven is basically when the oven cranks the temp all the way up to burn away the grease, etc.. these disposable appliances arent going to be engineered to do that safely
I understand entirely. Just a fantasy list.@@JogBird
A good old Black and Decker $30 is my favorite. As a single dude I have been using them for well over 10 years. You have to replace them after 5 years as the elements grow weak, but once you master them, nothing else compares for the price.
Note: You have to be the brains. You can do it.
My husband had one when I moved in. I kept saying will replace it once it was broken. However, it’s still running well for almost a decade later.
As u mentioned, have to learn its weakness and strength to work with it. Otherwise, will be frustrated with its capacity and temperature control.
Now, I can’t help appreciating its durability, which is what I care the most. Buying an expensive appliance and watching it breaking down over a year or less is what I want the least.
YES! Mine got me through the pandemic. It does whatever you need an oven to do for 1-2 people and a huge energy saver.
I am almost blind, and I really like the Google assistant and Alexa support of my Wi-Fi enabled microwave. I can no longer😢 see the keypad and the display so voice control is extremely useful to me. With my Google assistant, I can only turn it on for my specified time, whereas Alexa also allows me to specify the power level. You might want to consider this kind of comparison in future testing, although that’s pretty detailed.
Great feedback!
Tovala pushes its meal subscription so you have to pretend to buy it and uncheck including the meals when you're on the oven purchase page and also do check the option for the steam version for $20 as that's what makes the oven really special and effective.
As ATK reviews more and more smart appliances, it would be helpful to mention if these devices work locally (within your own home network) or require an Internet connection (to a cloud service) to operate.
and any privacy / data collection issues
And whether they will work at all without the app / internet connection.
This last is why I have not bought a sous vide immersion circulator ... I really like the Joule, except the lack of on-board controls is a make or break for me. None of the other circulators interest me.
@@lizcademy4809 I have a Cosori Oven. I bought the black one because I like the color and I don't use the app. It works like a multifunction oven.
I think you can just look this up online, right?
@@lizcademy4809 I have had the anova for years and its great. Onboard controls and you can use a smart phone with the app over BT or your home wifi
The June smart oven has been discontinued as of May 2023. it was announced that June was acquired by Weber Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Which probably means that Weber will be coming out with a new version under the Weber brand. They would not have purchased the company if they planned to take their products off the market.
@@barcham I think that happens all the time, right? It is probably not in their best interest to do that, but it still happens very frequently.
I suspect Weber Grills are about to be discontinued ! Charcoal is one nasty hit on the environment. Gas is not as bad but still bad.
I get a bad vibe from having another bit of my everyday life becoming public... Mercy sake, video of your food choices on the internet and a refrigerator knowing you use milk after its expiration date.
@@robertl.fallin7062 I doubt that backyard grilling has any measurable impact on the environment, but I wouldn't want my refrigerator's contents up in the cloud.
@@azrobbins01 It happens quite often, in all industries.
I still don't understand the payoff. How is it worth $300+ to see a picture of food cooking from across town on my phone if we're never supposed to leave the house with an oven still on? Temperature sensors are nice, but how much time does it really save me if I'm in the kitchen anyway and I usually just need a quick thermometer stab or two to confirm the doneness? Toast takes less energy in a small toaster, and usually comes out fine once I get the timing down.
Yes they're nice, but I still don't see from this video why people are so enthusiastic about them. Did they test to see how much time is really saved for a given recipe, or just rely on the level of enthusiasm when testers saw a cool new thing? The latter is more of a survey than a test, IMO, and wouldn't even be a good survey unless the testers were in separate rooms (surveys in a group setting are prone to bias from people who just go along with the group).
It's just a fad.
As someone with more than 40 years experience in Information Technology, I can state unequivocally that the top enemies of electronics are heat and moisture. Ovens with integrated microcomputers and cameras are just future problems waiting to happen. I can see the camera lense becoming cloudy with grease and humidity building up inside the electronics. Sure, they can be fun gadgets, but will my meals come out tasting any better than the rotisserie chicken I currently cook in my 25-year-old Toastmaster rotisserie toaster oven? I doubt it, and I think I paid around $50 for that. Somehow I don't think too many of these 'smart' ovens will still be working in 25 years.
The June oven has been unavailable for close to a year. The website says “Sold Out” which is decidedly different from “Out of Stock”
I made the same comment before seeing this. So I assume we cannot get one.
I see that the June oven hasn’t been available since Weber took it over. There is no mention of it on the Weber website, either.
I have a CORSORI smart oven.
I paid about $125.00 14 months ago.
I love it!
I use it 2-3 times a day.
It does everything and keeps the kitchen cool in the summer.
I have a Corsair Dual Blaze, love it, I use it downstairs in my basement kitchen, it’s out of the way but very handy downstairs price is right too
Love my June oven but not sure I’d recommend it. Something weird is going on with the company ever since Weber bought them out. They’ve actually been out of stock for like a year. I don’t have an MBA, but seems to me like not selling a product isn’t a recipe for a healthy company. Really makes me worried about long term viability.
@@XCodes Agreed - and it's normally something I look out for. The good thing with the June is that if all the servers go dark, it still functions as a toaster oven (and a very good one at that - it's the best I've ever used personally). You still have all the "dumb" functionality, and believe it or not, some of the smart functionality. The food recognition models run locally on the device, so it still works without internet. You lose out on the obvious connected features such as app control, Alexa integration, etc.
What keeps me from recommending it at this point (other than you simply can't buy one anyway) is I really don't know how long the company may be around. Considering the price, that's not a risk I would take.
They most likely bought the company to eliminate competition.
Have an elderly aunt that had a box of meal cards that you inserted into a counter top oven and the card activated the oven to cook multiple items at the same time. Each card had a meat and a vegetable dish listed with all the ingredients needed.
How elderly was your aunt Danny? Your comment is not very credible. What card? Was it the Ace of Spades?
I have been watching the June website for a year now and I have not seen them available to buy. The last time I checked they did not have any ovens or any of the accessories in stock. I really have no idea what is going on.
Same with me. “Sold Out” for a year or more.
Great review as always. My 25 year old Farberware Convection/turbo oven finally ended it's life. I think the fan bearings wore out. I did buy a Cuisinart TOA-70 but it just isn't the same. That Farberware did ALL the things that the new ones do except all the app technology. I really wish I could get another Farberware.
Oh no. Too expensive for me. I’ll just use my convect/air fryer/toaster oven.
Adam, excellent reviews of these ovens. Looking forward to more of your kitchen appliance reviews!
I need one. Could you all do a review of these same things that are not the SMART ones please? The ones that say they do all these things and rotisserie. Thank you
Did you try searching the channel for such reviews?
Wonder why you didn’t include any Breville models, considering they won your recommendation for regular toaster ovens.
I was thinking the same!
Me too.
ATK updated their original equipment review (first published in February 2022) about a year ago to include the Breville Joule Smart Oven which they recommended. This video was recorded for ATK TV on PBS before then.
@@sandrah7512 • Thanks! I was looking at the Breville because I don't have the air fryer & dehydrater. I thought this might be worth the space & the price to only have one appliance. However, I depend on the America's Test Kitchen reviews because they are so thorough.
It's so good to see you again guys!
I inherited from my dad his Breville non-smart toaster oven, the same one recommended by ATK previously.
It's not very good, unfortunately. The convention heating has poor circulation, the door is a pain to close, and the oven light doesn't stay on very long. Also lacks a few important safety features you'd expect to see in luxury ovens.
Countertop convection/toaster ovens still have a ways to go.
I love how it allows me to cook myself some toasts from across town! ^_^
It is the appliance these days. We all need to prepare toast from a distance right?
Thank you!
Finally! We see Bridget here! I hope you are well, Bridget, I was getting worried about you. I want to see the whole team at least from time to time.
I wish the split with Chris Kimball was more amicable. For a while he was still part owner, and it would've been nice to see him make a guest appearance. Imagine the new hosts opening a segment by talking about an old ATK recipe, and they bring in Chris to explain how the old recipes was developed. He then passes the torch back to the new hosts to explain why it's being updated, and hangs around to try the results. At the end, the current hosts put in a plug for Milk Street, treating it as another good educational resource instead of a hated competitor.
Instead, there was animosity and politics behind a curtain, sudden unexplained disappearances, and we were left to speculate and read unconfirmed clickbait rumors. That's why it's concerning when anyone doesn't appear for a while. We never know if they'll come back, and if they don't, we never get an explanation to give us closure.
Anyway, I'm glad Bridget is OK. Sorry for the rant. Your comment just got me thinking about why we get nervous in the first place.
@@WilliamDye-willdye Thank you very much for sharing your point of view. It looks like we did not actually get Bridget back, it was more like a prerecorded thing, in my opinion.
Just saw an ad on Facebook for the Tovala for $49 if you order meals six times in six months
Question: Who's paying $1,100.? 💸💸For a Toaster Oven. Also, who's putting the Toast 🍞 or food in the oven, while you are across Town? 🤔Mystery !!
Right. If you're not home, who's going to eat it?
Today is late Nov. 2023, and this video says it was posted 1 month ago, say October 2023. As far as I can tell the June Oven has been discontinued by Webber, who bought June in 2021, since May of 2023.
So how do I get the June oven, and if I cannot, why was this video posted to UA-cam after the over is no longer available?
Not an IoT oven, but I haven’t used my regular stove/oven since I got a breville smart oven xl. The smaller one would be useless, but I can fit all my baking pans in the larger one and it works great and doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen and house.
My ANOVA is incredible! Sous vide perfection. Omg
Thank you
I have a Breville and love it. There’s only two of us and I’m a vegetarian so the oven is fine for almost all our needs. I make cookies, muffins, and biscuits in it. I make my husband’s chicken in it as well as a vegetable dishes for myself. We make pizza is it. We rarely ever turn on our regular oven.
Which model do you have - still in love with it a month after this post? Thanks!
I purchased the Breville Smart Oven Pro approximately 9 months ago. I do still love this oven. I rarely use my regular oven. Now keep in mind it’s just my husband and myself, but I cook everything I would cook in a big oven. My daughter even bought one for her family of four and her mother-in-law bought one. Everyone is happy with it. It toasts, it air fry’s, it bakes, it broils, it makes pizza, and it dehydrates(which I haven’t done yet). I just baked an acorn squash in it. Not one complaint to date.
I have been trying to get the June oven for over a year but since the company’s been acquired by Weber it says the June oven has been discontinued. Why are you promoting this oven as your top pick?
I recently bought a Kalorik They have a bunch of different models. I bought the manuel one. I am fed up with with all this computer crap. After a few years it stops working because they keep changing the software and the machine c an not use the new codes.
I really like the built in temperature feature since I have trouble baking. Thank you Adam.
You can buy a wireless thermometer that works in the oven and out on the grill.
I have a Kitchenaid stove and the convection oven has a temperature probe and a variety of programs for different meals. I used to have a large Panasonic microwave/convection oven that also had a temperature probe and a variety of programs for meals. That microwave was close to 30 years old when I gave it away as I bought my Kitchenaid convection oven, and still working great. Built in temperature probes with programmed functions are nothing new.
Adam is my fav!
Wish I’d known about this before I bought my $2200 Induction range, which works so freakin’ fast it scares me half to death! But, I guess even with one of these, you still need a stove top. I think I’ll wait until they make one that can do all of this AND my laundry/ironing! 😊
I’ve never had a toaster oven in my life, and at age 58, I don’t think I’ll ever get one. My family has never seen the need for one, and I’ve never had the counter space. If I was single, I could see the usefulness in one of the smaller smart ovens for the prepackaged meal kits like those by Tovala.
What about power consumption requirements
I'm pleased with my TOB-260N1 ... I don't think I'll be buying an eleven-hundred-dollar toaster oven any time soon!
Would you say it uses less energy than a regular electric oven? Would it replace a standard size oven for most baking / cooking?
Hey, Bridget is back! So nice.
Delayed time starts and remote operation of the oven suggests that the food has been left in the oven by someone to cook at a later time. Not sure the scenarios in which this would work.
Considering even a regular one is a waste of space, making it an expensive waste of space that monitors you and sells your data is a HUGE downgrade.
NOT a waste of space for me. I use my Tovala instead of my oven. If you don't use the app there is no way to track your cooking instructions.
I have the old-fashioned dumb toaster oven, but these really intrigue me.
My dumb toaster oven goes with my dumb watch ⌚ 😂
The Breville is not as fancy but makes a great roast chicken
I’ve heard of the June oven and there very nice, but pricey yes.
Time to redo this testing now that the June oven was killed by Weber.
Will the manufacturers add burners to the top of the oven?
Apart from a potential space-saving feature, that doesn't sound all that practical or safe. These ovens are supposed to sit on you countertop. Putting burners on top means pretty much anything cooking in a pot would not be visible to the a good chunk of the population never mind adding ingredients or stirring/whisking etc. and raising and lowering the vessel. And any counterspace located under an upper cabinet would not be considered a useable location.
I bought a Cosori for the rotisserie.
June must be a hit. Writing this on Xmas day 2023 and ALL June models have been 'Sold Out' indefinitely for weeks. Nada from Santa.
As for Tovala, they're giving it away (Seriously), or selling the 'Pro' version for under $100., if you buy their meal plan. If I liked meal plans, I'd be tempted, However, I would probably not be an ATK fan if that were the case.
We have a traditional old fashioned cheap toaster oven & we’ve been fine with it for 8 years.
Then this video probably isn't for you...
@@InstantlyGratifiedit’s not for anyone, they’re junk
Yay! Now big brother can actually see camera footage of what you're cooking. No thanks.
I'll just buy 3 of the one on the right then.
I live in Connecticut and a big issue is the cost of electricity.
What's with the black & white clips?
It’s cool but I wonder 1 how long it will last and 2 how pricey it is!
Can you do an episode on frothers pls? 😊
I truly miss you all!
Im Lockung for a Infrared Oven for Funktion Grill and Fructuosa and deshidrate Food
Michael Scott could have benefited from one of these, no more grilled foot
Amazing how far technology has brought us!
Are these similar to what Starbucks uses for their frozen breakfast sandwiches and other frozen foods?
No, those are "high speed" ovens, TurboChef is a popular brand. They are commercial equipment with a very specific use case.
There's Bridgetta !!!!!
I would say yes😊 use it all the time
It's so weird to hear the words "Google Assistant" uttered in the Test Kitchen 😅
How lazy have we become that we need a camera in an oven on our phone.
SMART appliances, etc., are SPYING on YOU!
love my Wolf countertop oven
Was just researching it yesterday after seeing it at Williams Sonoma. Every long term owner loves it. But $750 is a hard pill to swallow.
Maybe not get one that smart, but I do use toaster ovens more than my conventional oven to save on gas. I have solar which helps cut down electricity costs.
Interesting that this video was presented just a few hours ago given that the recommended oven isn't even available anymore. It just seems a bit, out of touch.
1100.00 Never cheap ones, never. Use an air fryer, then go back to your stove , times are to unsettled right now. Not about to have one of these on my kitchen counter top, I’m a neat every thing in its place person this thing sitting on my countertop never.
#hotcakesAdam. You just made my day, your awesome ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I find it amusing to imagine if pets were intelligent enough to clean themselves.
You tell me to buy it. I click the link. It’s UNAVAILABLE! 😫
Will it fit a frozen pizza like the Breville?
They have to be at least big enough to cook a normal sized frozen pizza.
I do not know of a single Michelin star restaurant that uses smart appliances. If that is the case, it is far better for a home cook to learn how to gauge doneness of food, by using a thermometer and by experience than to rely on an internet connected device.
Birdsong has a couple June ovens in their kitchen they were using to make soufflé. They only have 2 stars though.
@@readams Are the souffles the signature dish?
Except good luck getting a june oven. sold out for 7 months. Seems like its never comming back.
Or why not just stick with traditional regular oven?
💎💎💎💎💎💎💎
Toaster oven, I mean. You have a microwave, an oven, a stove, what more do you need? That "smart" controller is too creepy.
They bought the company to eliminate competition.
or to acquire the technology for a future product in their design phase
1. Why do you need cameras inside the oven when it has a WINDOW?
2. Who the heck cooks from across town?
I've been watching ATK for more than 20 years, but sometimes I think you don't eat enough fish.
combine a little image analytic a thermometer and talk to siri. big deal?
Too much computer time involved. KISS it. KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY.
That's nice but none of them can do rotisserie!
ill stick with dumb appliances thannks
The June Android app hasn't been touched in more than a year and isn't even available for download on a modern Android device. No thanks to the June.
Ya sorry guys not sold...
AAAAAAADDDDDDDAAAAAAAMMMMMMM - "dude chef"
I have a 1st gen brava - I don't care for it. Essentially a $1,500 toaster oven for me, which is a total waste
Until it can grab something out of the freezer or fridge, put the right amount in a container, and then heat it up, it's not that smart!
Don't buy June, so many complaints about this oven...customer service is not very helpful..just saying. Wait untill technology catches up with cooking 😂
Why buy a toaster of any kind?
Of course not.
Big, expensive and stupid. That's what I pay chefs for. I do not mean to be nasty. It's a joke.
Sounds great but I don’t have kitchen space for it
Buy two of the three hundred dollar ones. Save 400!
Smart? Please. If they were so smart, they wouldn't let things burn.
Rather have dumb appliances that need no internet
$1100 for a toaster oven?! 🤬🖕