Best of · Kitchen
Best smart ovens of 2026: Breville Joule vs Anova vs Tovala
A real smart oven connects to an app and runs your cook for you. Half the “smart ovens” on store shelves can’t. Here is which is which.
Our pick: Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro for most cooks; Anova Precision Oven 2.0 for steam and sous vide
Breville
Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV950)
9.0$499.95
The best smart oven for most kitchens: Breville’s excellent oven plus app-driven Autopilot cooking.
Pros
- • 13 cooking functions
- • Autopilot changes modes for you
- • Fits a 14-lb turkey or 9 slices of toast
- • Alexa and Google voice control
Cons
- • Large footprint (21.5 x 17.3 in)
- • Smart features live in the app
Anova
Precision Oven 2.0
8.6$1,299
A true combi steam oven for the countertop. It is the most capable here and also the most expensive.
Pros
- • 0–100% steam control with a 2.4 L tank
- • Sous vide and wet-bulb sensing
- • Probe and interior camera
- • 1.2 cu ft (38 L)
Cons
- • $1,299
- • 52 lb and 23 in wide
- • Some app features need a subscription
Tovala
Smart Oven Pro
7.8$349 (from $119 with meal orders)
The best budget smart oven if you will use the meal kits or scan-to-cook groceries.
Pros
- • Scans barcodes on grocery items to set the cook
- • Steam + bake combo
- • Very cheap with meal orders
Cons
- • Small: about 6 slices
- • Mediocre toaster
- • Built around its meal service
Breville
Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV900)
8.5$399.95
Not actually connected, but it cooks like the Joule for $100 less.
Pros
- • Same 1 cu ft cavity as the Joule
- • 13 functions
- • Element IQ heating
Cons
- • No Wi-Fi or app control
- • No Autopilot
The best smart oven for most people is the Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro. It is a 13-function countertop oven whose app can run an entire cook, switching modes as it goes, and it toasts as well as it roasts. If you want steam, sous vide, and the most control, the Anova Precision Oven 2.0 is the one to beat. One warning before you shop: plenty of ovens called “smart” have no Wi-Fi at all.
| Oven | Price | Capacity | Wi-Fi app | Steam | Power | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro | $499.95 | 1 cu ft (9 slices, 14-lb turkey) | Yes (Joule app, Autopilot) | No | 1,800 W | 38.9 lb |
| Anova Precision Oven 2.0 | $1,299 | 1.2 cu ft (38 L) | Yes (dual-band) | Yes, 0–100% | 1,800 W | 51.8 lb |
| Tovala Smart Oven Pro | $349 list | About 6 slices | Yes (scan-to-cook) | Yes | n/a | n/a |
| Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro | $399.95 | 1 cu ft | No | No | 1,800 W | 38.9 lb |
Best smart oven overall: Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro
The Joule is Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro with Wi-Fi and a much better brain. It has 13 presets (toast, bagel, bake, air fry, broil, roast, pizza, cookies, proof, reheat, slow cook, warm, and dehydrate), eight rack positions, and room for a 13-inch pizza or a 5-quart Dutch oven. The app’s Autopilot recipes switch modes mid-cook, for example roasting and then broiling, and push a notification when food is done. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant too.
Best combi steam oven: Anova Precision Oven 2.0
Anova’s oven is a restaurant-style combi oven shrunk to countertop size. A 10-cup (2.4 L) water tank feeds steam from 0 to 100%. A wet-bulb sensor makes true sous vide possible without bags. It also has a food probe, a 1080p interior camera, and 12 cook modes, including air fry, proof, and dehydrate. The range runs from 77 to 482°F. At 51.8 lb and almost 23 inches wide, it replaces a wall oven for many households, and at $1,299 it is priced like one.
Best budget smart oven: Tovala Smart Oven Pro
Tovala is a smart oven and a meal kit in one. Scan a Tovala meal’s code and the oven runs the whole steam-bake-broil sequence. It also reads barcodes on some supermarket frozen foods. The Pro lists at $349, but the price drops to $119 after six meal orders. The trade-offs are size (about six slices) and middling toast. It is the best fit for people who would otherwise order takeout.
Don’t need Wi-Fi? Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Remove the app from the Joule and you get the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. It has the same 1 cu ft cavity, the same 13 functions, and nearly identical cooking for $100 less. If you will never use Autopilot, this is the smarter buy.
What to look for in a smart oven
- Real connectivity: an app that preheats, sends done alerts, and ideally runs multi-stage recipes.
- Capacity: 1 cu ft fits a 13-inch pizza and a 9 x 13 pan. Under 0.8 cu ft is a toaster oven.
- Steam: only worth paying for if you bake bread or want sous vide-style results.
- Clearance: Breville asks for about 4 inches around the oven. Measure under your cabinets.
- Subscriptions: Anova gates some features behind a plan, and Tovala’s value depends on its meals.
How we compared
Specs come from Breville, Anova, and Tovala product pages and authorized retailers, checked in October 2026. Performance notes draw on independent reviews such as CNN Underscored’s smart oven tests. Scores weigh cooking versatility, how useful the connected features are, value, and footprint. We did not run our own cooking tests for this guide.
Questions we get
What is a smart oven?
A smart oven connects to Wi-Fi so an app can preheat it, monitor it, and in the best cases run a whole cook automatically. Some brands, Breville especially, use “Smart Oven” as a product name for ovens with sensor-controlled heating and no connectivity.
Who makes the best smart oven?
Breville, with the Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro, for everyday cooking. Anova makes the most capable countertop smart oven, the Precision Oven 2.0 combi steam oven, at more than twice the price.
What’s the difference between the Breville Smart Oven and Smart Oven Pro?
The original Smart Oven Pro adds a slow-cook function and an interior light. In the current air fryer line, the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro has 1 cu ft and 13 functions vs 0.8 cu ft and 11 functions on the standard Smart Oven Air Fryer. See our full Breville comparison.
Is a smart oven worth it?
Yes if you use the automation, like Breville’s Autopilot or Anova’s steam recipes, or scan-to-cook. If you mostly toast and reheat, a non-connected countertop oven cooks just as well for less.
Can you use aluminum foil in a smart oven?
Generally yes, but follow your manual. Breville warns against covering the crumb tray or touching the heating elements. Never block the fan or steam vents on combi ovens like the Anova.