Quick Picks
Short on time? Here are our top recommendations:
- Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro (~$400) — Best overall, app-guided cooking
- June Oven Plus (3rd Gen) (~$600) — Best smart features, AI food recognition + camera
- Tovala Smart Oven Pro (~$299) — Best for meal kits, barcode scanning + steam
- COSORI Smart 13-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven (~$180) — Best value, Alexa + Google + app
- Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven (~$250) — Best for families, smart thermometer + XL capacity
Introduction
Smart ovens have come a long way from basic toaster ovens with a timer. The best models in 2026 connect to your phone over WiFi, walk you through recipes step by step, and even recognize what you put inside them. If you’ve already built out a smart home with Alexa or Google Assistant, a smart oven gives you voice control over your cooking — no more running to the kitchen to check if the timer went off.
The real advantage isn’t just remote control. It’s guided cooking. The Breville Joule app tells you exactly what rack position to use and what settings to pick. The June Oven literally looks at your food with a camera and identifies it. The Tovala scans a barcode and programs the entire cook cycle automatically. These aren’t gimmicks — they’re genuinely useful features that help you cook better food with less guesswork.
We researched and compared five smart ovens ranging from $180 to $600, covering everything from a budget-friendly COSORI with full voice assistant support to a premium June Oven with AI-powered food recognition. Every oven on this list connects to WiFi and has a companion app. Here’s what’s actually worth buying.
Our Top Picks
Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro — Best Overall
The Breville Joule Oven is the result of Breville acquiring ChefSteps, the team behind the original Joule sous vide circulator. That cooking expertise shows. The companion app doesn’t just let you control the oven remotely — it walks you through hundreds of recipes with step-by-step photos, video guides, and automatic oven settings. Pick a recipe, hit “send to oven,” and it preheats to the right temperature with the right cooking mode. You just put the food in.
Hardware-wise, this is a seriously capable countertop oven. It has 13 cooking functions including air fry, bake, roast, broil, toast, dehydrate, slow cook, proof dough, reheat, pizza, bagel, cookies, and warm. The Element IQ system uses five independent quartz heating elements with smart algorithms to direct heat exactly where it’s needed. A sensor inside the oven tracks the actual air temperature and adjusts in real time for precise results.
The interior fits a 14-pound turkey, a 9x13 pan, or 9 slices of toast — big enough for real cooking, not just reheating leftovers. Build quality is typical Breville: brushed stainless steel, solid controls, and a design that looks good sitting on your counter.
Why it stands out: The app-guided cooking experience is the best in class — it turns anyone into a better cook.
Pros:
- Best-in-class companion app with guided recipes
- 13 cooking functions cover virtually any kitchen task
- Element IQ smart heat distribution for even cooking
- Large 1 cubic foot interior fits real meals
- Brushed stainless steel build quality
- WiFi connected with remote control
Cons:
- Premium price at ~$400
- Large footprint takes up significant counter space
- App requires account creation to access full features
June Oven Plus (3rd Gen) — Best Smart Features
The June Oven is what happens when a Silicon Valley startup builds a kitchen appliance. There’s a camera inside the oven that uses computer vision to identify your food — put a chicken in, and it recognizes it and suggests the right cooking program. You can also watch a live video feed of your food cooking from anywhere through the app, which eliminates the constant urge to open the door and check on things (which drops the temperature every time).
Beyond the camera, this is a 12-in-1 appliance: convection oven, air fryer, dehydrator, slow cooker, broiler, toaster, warming drawer, and more. The built-in food thermometer tracks internal temperature so you can cook meat to exactly the right doneness without guessing. The June app sends you a notification when your food hits the target temperature.
The oven learns your preferences over time. If you always cook your toast a shade darker, it remembers. The touchscreen display on the front shows cook progress, and the whole thing integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. If you’re the kind of person who wants the most technologically advanced kitchen gadget, this is it.
Why it stands out: AI-powered food recognition and a built-in camera set it apart from every other smart oven.
Pros:
- Built-in camera with food recognition AI
- Live video feed — watch your food cook from anywhere
- 12-in-1 functionality replaces multiple appliances
- Built-in food thermometer for perfect meat
- Learns your cooking preferences over time
- Alexa and Google Assistant support
Cons:
- Most expensive oven on this list at ~$600
- Camera and AI features require WiFi connection
- Large and heavy — not easy to move around
- Subscription was previously required for some features (check current status)
Tovala Smart Oven Pro — Best for Meal Kits
Tovala took a completely different approach to the smart oven. Instead of packing in every cooking mode imaginable, they focused on one thing: making it dead simple to cook a perfect meal with minimal effort. The oven has a built-in barcode scanner — scan the code on a Tovala meal kit or one of over 1,000 supported grocery store items, and the oven automatically programs the right cook cycle. No temperature guessing, no timer setting, no mode selection.
What makes the Tovala unique among smart ovens is its steam function. It can combine steam with baking, broiling, or air frying in a single cook cycle, switching between modes automatically. Steam keeps proteins moist and gives baked goods a better crust. Most countertop ovens can’t do this at any price.
The 6-in-1 functionality covers steam, toast, air fry, bake, broil, and reheat. The Tovala app lets you control everything from your phone and has a growing library of recipes that automatically program the oven. The oven itself is compact enough to fit under most kitchen cabinets.
If you pair it with Tovala’s meal delivery service, you get the full experience — meals show up at your door, you scan the barcode, and dinner is ready in about 20 minutes. But the oven works perfectly fine as a standalone smart oven too.
Why it stands out: Barcode scanning and automatic cook cycles make this the easiest smart oven to use — scan and walk away.
Pros:
- Barcode scanner auto-programs cook cycles
- Steam function for moist proteins and better baking
- 1,000+ supported grocery items beyond Tovala meals
- Compact footprint fits under standard cabinets
- Simple app with growing recipe library
- Optional meal delivery service integration
Cons:
- Smaller capacity than Breville or June
- Best experience tied to Tovala’s meal ecosystem
- Fewer manual cooking modes than competitors
- Steam function requires filling a water reservoir
COSORI Smart 13-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven — Best Value
At roughly $180, the COSORI delivers smart oven features at half the price of the Breville and a third of the June. It connects to WiFi through the VeSync app (the same app used by COSORI’s popular air fryers) and works with both Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. You can start, stop, and monitor cooking from your phone, set custom presets, and access over 100 built-in recipes.
The 13-in-1 functionality is impressive for the price: air fry, roast, bake, broil, toast, bagel, pizza, dehydrate, ferment, warm, sous vide, cookies, and slow cook. The 32-quart capacity fits a whole chicken, a 13-inch pizza, or 6 slices of toast. Temperature range goes from 80°F all the way up to 450°F, and the 1800W heating elements get it up to temperature quickly.
Build quality is solid with a stainless steel exterior and a dishwasher-safe crumb tray. It comes with four accessories: a wire rack, baking pan, air fry basket, and food tray. The interior light lets you check on food without opening the door. For someone who wants smart oven capabilities without spending $400+, this is the sweet spot.
If you’ve already got other COSORI appliances or use the VeSync app for smart plugs or air purifiers, this slots right into your existing setup.
Why it stands out: Full smart connectivity with Alexa, Google, and app control for under $200 — the best bang for your buck.
Pros:
- Under $200 — best value smart oven available
- 13 cooking functions including sous vide and ferment
- Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
- VeSync app with 100+ built-in recipes
- 32-quart capacity fits a whole chicken
- 4 accessories included in the box
Cons:
- No built-in camera or food recognition
- VeSync app can be slow to connect at times
- No Apple HomeKit support
- Doesn’t have guided step-by-step recipes like Breville
Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven — Best for Families
The Ninja Foodi Smart XL is built for families who cook big meals. The XL capacity fits two 12-inch pizzas on separate racks, a 5-pound chicken, or a full sheet pan of roasted vegetables — more food at once than most countertop ovens can handle. The “smart” in this model comes from the built-in Smart Thermometer that monitors your food’s internal temperature and automatically adjusts cooking or shuts off when it hits your target. No more overcooked chicken or undercooked roasts.
The True Surround Convection system circulates air around food from all directions, giving you even browning and crispy air-fried results. The 10 functions cover air fry, air roast, bake, whole roast, broil, toast, bagel, dehydrate, reheat, and pizza — a solid range for a family kitchen. The up to 450°F max temperature handles everything from gentle dehydrating to high-heat roasting.
Ninja included 6 accessories: 2 sheet pans, 2 wire racks, an air fry basket, and a crumb tray. Having two racks with two sheet pans means you can cook a protein on one level and vegetables on another simultaneously. That’s a real time-saver for weeknight dinners.
The smart thermometer probe is reusable and stores in a slot on the oven body when not in use. It tracks temperature continuously and displays it on the front panel, so you can see exactly where your food is at a glance.
Why it stands out: XL capacity with a smart thermometer makes this ideal for families cooking multiple dishes at once.
Pros:
- XL capacity fits two 12-inch pizzas or a 5-pound chicken
- Smart thermometer auto-adjusts and shuts off at target temp
- True Surround Convection for even cooking
- 6 accessories included — 2 sheet pans for multi-level cooking
- 10 cooking functions cover family meal needs
- Probe stores neatly in the oven body
Cons:
- No WiFi or app — “smart” is limited to the thermometer
- Large footprint — needs dedicated counter space
- No voice assistant integration
- Heavier than most at over 25 lbs
Comparison Table
| Feature | Breville Joule | June Oven Plus | Tovala Pro | COSORI 13-in-1 | Ninja Foodi XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$400 | ~$600 | ~$299 | ~$180 | ~$250 |
| WiFi / App | ✅ Breville+ | ✅ June App | ✅ Tovala App | ✅ VeSync | ❌ |
| Voice Control | ✅ Alexa | ✅ Alexa, Google | ❌ | ✅ Alexa, Google | ❌ |
| Cooking Functions | 13 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 10 |
| Capacity | 1 cu ft | 1 cu ft | Compact | 32 qt | XL (2 pizzas) |
| Camera | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Smart Thermometer | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Air Fry | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Steam | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Best For | Guided cooking | Tech enthusiasts | Meal kits | Budget smart | Families |
How to Choose the Right Smart Oven
Picking a smart oven depends on what “smart” means to you and how you actually cook. Here’s how to think about it:
What kind of “smart” do you need?
App-guided cooking — If you want an oven that teaches you to cook better, the Breville Joule is the clear winner. The app walks you through recipes and automatically sets the oven. Great for people who want to expand beyond basic cooking.
Set it and forget it — If you want to scan a barcode and walk away, Tovala is built for that. It’s the least hands-on option, especially paired with their meal service.
AI and cameras — If you want the most technologically advanced option, the June Oven’s food recognition and live camera feed are unmatched.
Voice control on a budget — If you mainly want to tell Alexa to preheat the oven while you’re in another room, the COSORI does that for under $200.
Capacity matters
Think about what you’re actually cooking. A single person or couple can get away with the compact Tovala. A family of four needs the Ninja’s XL capacity or the Breville’s 1 cubic foot interior. If you’re cooking two dishes at once on separate racks, the Ninja is the only one designed for that.
Ecosystem fit
If you’re building a smart home, check what ecosystem each oven supports. The COSORI works with both Alexa and Google. The June and Breville work with Alexa. The Ninja and Tovala have no voice assistant integration. If you already use smart plugs and smart speakers in a specific ecosystem, pick an oven that matches.
Counter space
Every one of these ovens takes up significant counter space. Measure your available area before buying. The Tovala is the most compact. The Ninja is the largest. If counter space is tight, you might want to look at a smart air fryer instead — they deliver similar results in a smaller footprint.
FAQ
Are smart ovens worth it over a regular toaster oven?
If you just need to toast bread and reheat leftovers, a regular toaster oven is fine. Smart ovens earn their price when you use the connected features — guided recipes, remote monitoring, automatic cook programs, and voice control. The Breville Joule’s app alone can help you cook dishes you wouldn’t attempt otherwise. If you cook regularly and want better results with less effort, a smart oven pays for itself in the food you stop ruining.
Can smart ovens replace a full-size oven?
For most cooking tasks, yes. The Breville and June both have 1 cubic foot interiors that handle chickens, casseroles, sheet pan dinners, and baking. Where they fall short is very large items (a full Thanksgiving turkey) or cooking multiple large dishes simultaneously. Most people find they use their smart oven for 80-90% of cooking and only fire up the full-size oven for big holiday meals.
Do smart ovens work without WiFi?
Yes — every oven on this list works manually without an internet connection. You can set the temperature, time, and cooking mode using the physical controls. You just lose the smart features (app control, guided recipes, food recognition) until you reconnect. The Ninja doesn’t use WiFi at all, so it’s always fully functional.
Which smart oven uses the least energy?
Countertop smart ovens use significantly less energy than a full-size oven — typically 1200-1800W compared to 3000-5000W for a wall oven. Among our picks, the Tovala is the most energy-efficient due to its compact size and efficient steam cooking. The COSORI and Ninja are in the middle. The Breville and June draw the most power but are still far more efficient than heating up a full-size oven for a single dish.
How do smart ovens connect to Alexa or Google Home?
The COSORI connects through the VeSync app — you link your VeSync account in the Alexa or Google Home app, and the oven appears as a controllable device. The June Oven uses the June app with Alexa and Google integrations. The Breville connects through the Breville+ app with Alexa support. Once linked, you can say things like “Alexa, preheat the oven to 375” or “Hey Google, set the oven timer for 20 minutes.” If you’re new to this, our smart home voice control setup guide walks through the basics.