When a retired pastry chef and restaurant owner chooses the oven for her Skoolie… which one does she choose? Ha! It took me a while and a stack of research, but here are the reasons I choose the Breville Smart Oven Air (not an affiliate link).
- Since it will be the only oven in the Skoolie, it needs to be able to actually bake things. In other words, it needs to be more than a toaster oven. We had a glorified toaster oven in our first Tiny and it was good for many things but sometimes the limitations were vexing. I read the product material and the reviews until I was confident that this oven could handle any baking challenge we are likely to throw at it.
- Size: It’s a small oven that is roughly the same size as the larger toaster ovens on the market. It takes less space than a small size range, and since our Skoolie will have less than 130 sq ft of living space, that was important. It still has enough space inside the oven to roast a 14 pound turkey, as long as the turkey is square. LOL! Just checking to see if you’re paying attention.
- Power: It takes less power than a small range. It may still require more power than a small solar power system can handle, however… we have plans for an off-grid bread oven outside. No worries. And this will still be great for those times and places where we are able to plug in an umbilical cord. I won’t use it at the same time as a hair dryer or curling iron (obvs, as I don’t own those things) or when the heater is on. We already have that habit so that won’t be a problem.
- Features: This oven has some really fancy features! The one that really caught my attention was the dehydrate function. When we sold the restaurant, the new chef/owner wanted my Excalibur dehydrator and so I gave it to him. I’m still kicking myself – can you tell? I’ve missed having fresh yogurt, kale chips, and pineapple flowers (among other things). Now FINALLY, I can do all of those things again – without an additional appliance in my home. SCORE! As a bonus – there is an “Air Fry” function and I think that might be fun to explore.
- Price: The Breville Smart Oven Air is $399 pretty much everywhere. I checked. This is not a cheap item but there are cheaper oven models in the product line. Less bells and whistles = more affordable. It is still a better value than buying a full size (or even a fun sized) range. And we already have a induction cook top.
NOTICE: There is a lot included in the box with this oven, so wait to purchase bits and pieces until you’ve seen what comes with it. I didn’t realize that and now I have an extra air fry basket that I don’t need.
MONEY SAVING HACK: I bought the oven using the ibotta app, so I got money back on my purchase making the price $339 instead of $399 – every bit helps! Referral link: get your $10 bonus when you sign up and get started. I have loved using the ibotta app at the grocery and online stores. I have gotten $134 back since I downloaded the free app 47 days ago. YAY!
Xaver and I will enjoy using this cute little oven in our new haven-home! I think it is the right oven for us and I can’t wait to move in and get cookin! 
