Best Our Place Air Fryer: Which Wonder Oven Should You Buy?

All three offer steam infusion, a stainless interior and a ceramic-coated bake pan. Prices move week to week and vary by color and retailer, so treat the bands as a guide.

We bought and cooked with the ovens ourselves, and we scored each one on crisping, cleanup, controls, footprint and how well it seems built to last. The foods that told us the most were fries, wings, frozen sourdough, cold pizza and a whole chicken.

We did not force one identical recipe set onto all three, because each oven shines at different jobs. We noted how each oven handled the foods it suits and watched for long-term weaknesses, especially the analog timers on the two knob models and the standard Wonder Oven's difficult cleanup after months of use without a liner.

Coating wear, plastic parts and replaceable components got as much attention as crispness. A great first cook means little if the timer fails in a year or you cannot find a spare tray.

Who it suits

Buy the Pro if you cook in it daily and want it to replace a toaster, an air fryer and a small oven. It also proofs bread dough, dehydrates fruit such as pineapple and bananas, and bakes two pies at once.

What we like

The controls are the biggest step up over its siblings, since you set an exact temperature and see it on screen. Steam infusion helps when baking.

What could be better

The outside of the oven gets very hot while cooking, so give it clearance from walls and cabinets. The 16.75 by 13.25 inch footprint is large for a small counter, so measure before you order. The materials section covers the plastic vent and steam cap.

Who it suits

This is the pick for one or two people who want a toaster and air fryer in one footprint. It works more like an air fryer than a toaster oven, so cookies bake differently than in a full oven.

What we like

It holds heat well once hot and the ceramic bake pan resists burnt-on residue. It can be a little noisy, but the price and size are hard to beat.

What could be better

The door handle sits close to the counter edge, so heavy items on the bottom rack are awkward unless you pull the unit forward. The steam reservoir cover sticks up on top like a button, so the top is no use for storage. Some units heat inconsistently or run hot. Extra trays are difficult to find in the right size and expensive when bought from the maker.

Who it suits

Families who batch cook and would rather skip a touchscreen. Watch your first few cooks closely, and keep the receipt.

What we like

You get the Pro's cooking space without the Pro's price, with air fry, bake and roast across three racks.

What could be better

The timer risk is the reason it lands third. The official warranty page does not list this model, so confirm coverage before you buy.

Air Frying and Crispiness

All three crisp well, but the Pro gave us the most even browning once we loaded food toward the front. The standard Wonder Oven crisps wings in a smaller batch, and the Large crisps vegetables well. None replaces a basket-style fryer for a big batch of fries in one layer, since the ovens work with air moving through a cavity rather than a drawer.

Steam Infusion and Reheating

Steam infusion means adding one to two teaspoons of water to the reservoir so the oven releases steam while it cooks. It helped keep the chicken juicy, and it makes reheated leftovers taste closer to fresh. Cold pizza revives well, which is the best reason to own one for leftovers.

Baking, Roasting, Toasting and Broiling

The Pro's toast performance is the best of the three because you can set a precise time. Broiled salmon came out moist, and roasting is a strength on every model. Baking cookies is fine, though they turn out different from a full-size oven.

Preheat Speed and Temperature Accuracy

The Pro preheats in about five minutes or less. The standard Wonder Oven has no preheat beep, no indicator light and no real-time readout, so you guess when it is ready. Some units run hot or fail to hold accurate temperature, so an inexpensive oven thermometer is worth having on any model.

Analog vs Digital Controls

The knobs feel solid and there is little to break, though the timers on the two analog models are the trade-off covered in their reviews. The Pro's touchscreen gives you exact settings and silent mode, and it is the only model where we would not need a separate timer.

Beyond how the ovens cook, what they are made of is the other question shoppers ask. Our Place says the interiors are stainless steel and the accessories are made without PFAS, and the bake pans are cast aluminum with a ceramic nonstick coating. The standard Wonder Oven and Large also carry a no PFAS or PTFE claim. For background on why shoppers ask, see EPA's overview of PFAS health and environmental risks.

The Pro is not plastic-free. The steam-water cap on top is plastic, which sits oddly with the non-toxic pitch, and the rear vent pushes hot air with a faint hot-hair-dryer smell during the first cooks. Run a first empty cycle in a ventilated kitchen. The outside also gets very hot, so keep the oven off the counter edge and away from kids.

Cleanup is easy on some parts and a chore on others. The stainless interior of the Wonder Oven wipes clean with soapy water, and the ceramic bake pan resists burnt-on residue.

Accessories are not dishwasher-safe on the Wonder Oven, so plan to wash by hand. Air-fryer liners keep the interior cleaner, though the oven can still be hard to clean after months of use. Our guide on how to clean the Our Place Wonder Oven walks through the routine.

With cleaning and materials covered, price is the last piece. At about $185, the standard Wonder Oven is the easiest to justify. The Large at about $245 is good value if you accept the timer risk. The Pro at about $325 is worth it if you will use proof, dehydrate and digital settings, since the extra money buys features rather than space. The Pro and Large share the same footprint and 1700W element.

We do not have a sourced running-cost figure, so we will not quote one. Wattage is the fair comparison: 1400W for the standard model against 1700W for the other two.

Put the value math together with your own kitchen and the choice gets simpler.

By household size and counter space

Choose the 13 qt Wonder Oven for one to two people and tight counters. Choose the Pro or Large for families, and measure first, because both are 13 inches tall and about 16.7 inches wide.

Analog or digital

If you toast often, digital is worth it. Analog knobs suit cooks who want simplicity and do not mind a separate timer.

When to spend more

Spend on the Pro if you bake, proof or dehydrate weekly. Otherwise the savings on the standard model buy a second appliance.

Our Place is not the right answer for every kitchen. These three cover the gaps.

Cosori TurboBlaze (basket-style)

A basket-style fryer suits big batches. The 6 qt basket is quiet, cleans easily and crisps fries and wings quickly, though the drawer feels a bit flimsy.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer (compact)

The Breville fits a 12 inch pizza, toasts bagels well and handles air frying for nuggets. Its fan is high-pitched during air frying.

Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven

The Cuisinart cooks well for a family of four and runs hot. Some units break within a year, and cleaning is mixed.

Past the top pick, the choice comes down to counter space and budget. Buy the 13 qt Wonder Oven if you have a small kitchen and a modest budget, and pair it with a separate timer. Buy the Large only if you need the space and have confirmed the warranty. If you want simple, quiet batch cooking, the Cosori TurboBlaze is the better basket fryer.