Our recommendations are made independently through Research & Testing. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links.

Breville BOV450XL vs Instant Omni Plus 18L Side-by-Side Comparison

Alan Nguyen
Alan Nguyen
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 18, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 18, 2023
The front of a closed stainless steel Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Toaster Oven on a white background.
The front of a closed stainless steel Instant Omni Plus 18L 10-in-1 Countertop Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven.

Our Verdict

6.5
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    6.8/10
  • Design (25%)
    6.4/10
  • Usability (25%)
    6.2/10
8.6
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    8.1/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.7/10
  • Usability (25%)
    8.4/10

The Breville BOV450XL and the Instant Omni Plus 18L are two of the best toaster ovens on our list. By comparing them, we can more clearly see the strength and weaknesses of their respective size categories.

Performance-wise, the Instant excelled at almost every test except for making toast where its convection fan wasn’t deployed. Even with the same power rating of 1800 W and four quartz heating elements, the Breville didn’t perform as well in baking pizza, french fries, and roasting a whole chicken. Moreover, we suspected the Breville’s smart heating algorithms may have caused inconsistencies in the elements.

Despite both being smart toaster ovens, the Breville’s unique features aren’t really useful besides the temperature conversion button. The status bar, automatic reminders, toggles, and presets make the Instant a lot more convenient than its competitor.

Both ovens have a sturdy build with a slide-out crumb tray and tray-level indicators on the glass door. However, the Instant shows more investment in the design department with its touchscreen and interior light. In addition to the basic baking rack and pan, it comes with an air fryer basket and rotisserie kit to cover more cooking methods.

In the end, the winner in this match is the Instant Omni Plus 18L — our current pick for the best smart toaster oven. Although the Breville BOV450XL lost, it’s still our current choice for the best small-sized toaster oven.

Inconsistent Heating

Breville Mini Smart Toaster Oven Performance

Instant Omni Plus 18L Performance: Excellent Air Frying Capabilities
6.8
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)7.8/10
  • Pizza (25%)5.5/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)6.6/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)6.5/10
8.1
Performance Scores
  • Toast (40%)7.3/10
  • Pizza (25%)8.6/10
  • Whole Roasted Chicken (25%)8.4/10
  • Baked French Fries (10%)9.3/10
7.8

Toast

7.3
Taste: 8
50% * 8 = 4.0
Even Surface Color: 8
20% * 8 = 1.6
Consecutive Usability: 7.5
30% * 7.5 = 2.3
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: 4/7
  • Cooking Time: 3m
  • Second Batch: 2m 36s
  • Convection: No

After following our Toast test procedures, we determined that this oven’s toasting level 4—3 minutes on the timer—was the best option, giving it a score of 7.9/10. At level 3, the bread was very lightly toasted and at 5 was darker than ideal and had a more uneven surface color.

At toast level 4, the Breville produced 4 pieces with mottled light golden to golden-brown color which looked quite appetizing. The color was not evenly distributed due to the oven’s lack of a convection system, though, so we gave it an 8/10.

The first batch of toast was nicely crispy outside while still soft and moist inside, deserving an 8/10 score for flavor. Our head chef, Tuyet Pham, determined they would go well with pretty much anything including an omelet, eggs benedict, and particularly sandwiches.

Even though the oven automatically adjusted the timer to 2 minutes 36 seconds, the color of the second batch was a bit darker. Also, the second batch was crispier than the first which made it more suitable for soup.

Overall, it’s a 7.5/10 for consecutive usability. Remember to reduce the heat by one level if you want the same result. Thanks to its high wattage, this oven has the fastest cooking time for toast among the toaster ovens we’ve tested thus far.

Taste: 8
50% * 8 = 4.0
Even Surface Color: 6
20% * 6 = 1.2
Consecutive Usability: 7
30% * 7 = 2.1
  • Function: Toast
  • Number Of Slices: 4
  • Toast Level: 2/5
  • Cooking Time: 5m 25s
  • Second Batch: 4m 1s
  • Convection: No

Using the steps of our Toast test, we determined that level 2—5 minutes 25 seconds on the timer—was the best option scoring a 7.3/10. In comparison, the level 1 and 3 had a more uneven while being lighter and darker surface color respectively.

The Toast Level 2 of the Instant Omni Plus 18L produced four pieces with an 85% even golden brown color. Since the fan couldn’t be deployed, the toast had some darker spots and lighter areas resulting in a 6/10.

The first batch of toast was nicely crispy while still soft and moist inside and we gave it an 8/10 for taste. Our head chef Tuyet Pham determined it would be excellent with omelet and eggs benedict but not so good for sandwiches or soup.

This is one of the few ovens with a smart program that automatically deducts time to reach certain temperatures when the oven’s already hot. Thus, the surface color of the toasts was quite consistent throughout multiple batches. In addition, due to its extra crispiness, the second batch was determined to be good enough for soup.

If you want the second batch to be similar to the first, remember to lower it by one level. Overall, the score for consecutive usability was 7/10.

5.5

Pizza

8.6
Cooking Time: 0
20% * 0 = 0.0
Crust: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Toppings: 6.5
30% * 6.5 = 1.9
Taste: 7
30% * 7 = 2.1
  • Function:  Bake
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 10m 30s
  • Convection: No

The Breville oven did not agree with the 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza we tried to bake. We gave it a score of only 5.5/10.

This oven took 10m 30s to bake the pizza which was only slightly longer than the recommended 10 minutes on the label. However, 10 minutes was the time limit of our Pizza test, so it failed the cooking time section.

The crust had a nice golden color but was soft and dry—a possible consequence of the long cooking time. Therefore, we could only give it a 7/10.

The toppings were mostly dry with uneven color. Plus, the cheese wasn’t well melted, so it received a 6.5/10.

After tasting, our chef gave the pizza a 7/10.

Cooking Time: 10
20% * 10 = 2.0
Crust: 8
20% * 8 = 1.6
Toppings: 8.2
30% * 8.2 = 2.5
Taste: 8.5
30% * 8.5 = 2.5
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 450°F
  • Cooking Time: 3m 50s
  • Convection: High

The Instant Omni Plus, having a very strong convection system, did not seem ideal for baking a 9-inch thick-crust meat pizza resulting in an 8.6/10.

A cooking time of only 3m 50s was extremely fast compared to the recommended 10 minutes on the label. After comparing it to other toaster ovens in our Pizza test, it was more than enough for a 10/10.

The crust, although golden brown, was a little soft with some lighter and darker areas due to the short cooking time plus strong fan. It got an 8/10.

The entire surface was a little too dry due to all the convection. In addition, while the cheese was nicely melted, caramelization wasn’t even due to the short cooking time. Thus, the final score for the toppings was 8.2/10.

Our chef gave the pizza an 8.5/10 for taste.

6.6

Whole Roasted Chicken

8.4
Cooking Time: 7.5
20% * 7.5 = 1.5
Skin: 5.5
20% * 5.5 = 1.1
Doneness: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Taste: 6.5
40% * 6.5 = 2.6
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 1h 5m
  • Convection: No

The Breville could barely fit the 3 lb chicken for our Whole Roasted Chicken test and scored a 6.9/10. The chicken grazed the safety guards that protect the upper heating elements while we were putting it in. During the roasting, quite a bit of grease splashed inside the oven and caused the heating elements to smoke a little.

The oven took 1h 5m to cook the chicken which was just 5 minutes longer than what we consider standard, so it got a 7.5/10.

After roasting, the skin had a quite even coloring although a bit too light, and remained soft. We awarded it a 7/10. In addition, the skin on the back got stuck to the baking pan during roasting.

The chicken’s internal temperature was 168-171°F which was very close to the USDA recommendation. However, there were a few pink spots near the bone, so we gave it a 7/10.

Even though the meat was juicy, the unappetizing chicken skin was enough that our chef lowered the score to 6.5/10 for taste.

Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Skin: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Doneness: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Taste: 7
40% * 7 = 2.8
  • Function: Roast
  • Temperature: 350°F
  • Cooking Time: 50 minutes
  • Convection: Yes

Following our Whole Roasted Chicken test, we chose a 3 lb chicken and it fit without a problem scoring an 8.4/10.

However, cleaning up was a big hassle as there wasn’t enough space below to use the drip pan. Worse still, during cooking fat splashed everywhere inside the oven causing the heating elements to smoke.

The roasting time was 50 minutes which was shorter than average and worthy of a 9/10.

The rotisserie kit and high convection together produced perfectly golden brown crispy skin deserving a 9.8/10. One thing to note is that due to the meat being considerably moist, the skin lost its crispiness in a relatively short time span.

The smooth rotation and high convection also allowed the whole chicken to be thoroughly cooked without any pink spots in just 50 minutes. The internal temperature was only a little higher than the USDA recommended 165°F-180°F at 178-190°F, so it got a 9/10.

The meat was almost fall-off-the-bone. Unfortunately, with it being so moist—to the point of softening the skin, our chef could only give it a 7 for taste.

6.5

Baked French Fries

9.3
Cooking Time: 5
20% * 5 = 1.0
Color: 7
20% * 7 = 1.4
Texture: 6.5
20% * 6.5 = 1.3
Taste: 7
40% * 7 = 2.8
  • Function: Bake
  • Temperature: 400°F.
  • Cooking Time: 25 m
  • Convection: No

The Breville did an acceptable job of baking 12 oz of french fries, scoring a 6.5/10.

It took 25 minutes, the limit of our Baked French Fries test, so this oven got a 5/10.

Except for a few golden pieces, the fries mostly lacked color. They only deserved a score of  7/10.

The fries had a variety of textures, none of which were good. The golden fries were dry and yet only slightly crispy. Also, the ones that lacked color were really soft, so it was only a 6.5/10.

Our chef gave the fries a 7/10 for taste.

Cooking Time: 9
20% * 9 = 1.8
Color: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Texture: 9.8
20% * 9.8 = 2.0
Taste: 9
40% * 9 = 3.6
  • Function: Air Fry
  • Temperature: 400°F.
  • Cooking Time: 15m
  • Convection: High

The Instant Omni Plus was excellent at baking 12 oz of french fries with a score of 9.3/10.

After performing our Baked French Fries test on different toaster ovens, we came to the conclusion that the ideal cooking time for baked french fries was 15 minutes. However, it wasn’t the fastest one on our list so it scored a 9/10.

The strong convection combined with the air fryer basket produced evenly golden fries worthy of a 9.8/10 for color.

What helped the color also baked perfectly crispy fries while retaining a nice amount of moisture. This earned the oven another 9.8/10 for the texture of baked french fries.

Our chef gave the fries a 9/10 for taste.

Can Be Improved With a Convection System

Breville BOV450XL Design

Instant Pot Omni Plus Toaster Oven Design Review: Modern Technology
6.4
design Scores
  • Exterior (20%)6.0/10
  • Interior (30%)4.0/10
  • Build Quality (50%)8.0/10
9.7
design Scores
  • Exterior (25%)9.5/10
  • Interior (30%)9.5/10
  • Build Quality (50%)9.0/10

In the Breville BOV450XL Mini Smart Toaster Oven Box

In the Instant Pot Omni Plus 18L Box
  • Model: BOV450XL
  • Warranty: 1-year limited
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan

On the packaging were some illustrations and basic information, and the oven was couched nicely between two foam pads. Breville’s user manual explains in detail how each oven function works. 

The default accessories, a baking rack and baking pan, were packaged in a fitted carton box. You can opt to buy a separate 11” pizza pan and/or a broiling rack to cover more cooking methods.

  • Model: 140-4002-01
  • Warranty: 1 year (US and Canada only)
  • User Manual
  • Baking Rack
  • Baking Pan
  • Rotisserie Kit and Lifter
  • Air Fryer Basket

Besides keeping all the accessories in place, the packaging also has interesting illustrations for the key information on the Instant Omni Plus 18L. You can quickly access the download page for the Instant Pot App thanks to the QR code on the package and the user manual.

Their website provides the full manual, how-to videos, FAQs, and more. You’ll also need to go there to register your product and activate your warranty.

6.0

Exterior

9.5
  • Weight:
    10.0 lbs (4.5 kg)
  • Length:
    15.7" (40.0 cm)
  • Width:
    14.2" (36.0 cm)
  • Height:
    8.9" (22.5 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    Yes
  • Crumb Tray:
    Slide-out

The small size didn’t stop Breville from designing a sturdy stainless steel outer shell. The shape of the back buffers makes it easy to wrap the power cord around them once things have cooled.

Also, the tray-level indicators on the glass door and the slide-out crumb tray are always nice touches. However, the oven’s exterior doesn’t provide good grip points to carry the oven.

We measured the oven’s footprint to be 15.74" x 14.17" x 8.86" which was slightly different in terms of height from the manufacturer’s 16.1" x 14.2" x 10.4".

  • Weight:
    25.4 oz (721 g)
  • Length:
    16.5" (42.0 cm)
  • Width:
    15.8" (40.0 cm)
  • Height:
    13.9" (35.3 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Color:
    Silver
  • Door Handle:
    cool-touch
  • Tray Indicators:
    Yes
  • Crumb Tray:
    Yes

An example of the Instant Omni Plus 18L’s clever design is the slide-out crumb tray not to mention its two strong base stands as well as air ventilation on two sides and the back. For safety, it has two buffers on the back to prevent the oven from sitting too close to the wall and a cool-touch door handle.

To accommodate its many cooking functions, there are tray-level indicators on the glass door. Our measurements of the oven’s footprint of 16.54" x 15.75" x 13.90" were quite different from the manufacturer’s 12" x 12" x 13.89" in terms of length and width.

We could explain that the difference in width was because we also took the dial and the back buffers into account but not the difference in length. Nonetheless, we didn’t find this to be a problem.

Control Panel

  • Type:
     LCD display + 1 control dial + 8 buttons
  • Temperature:
    120°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 minute - 2 hours
  • Indicator Light:
    No
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    No
  • Convection Toggle:
    No
  • Rotation Toggle:
    No
  • Automatic Preheat:
    Yes
  • Audio Cues:
    No

The control panel consists of 1 control knob for 8 functions and 4 buttons to set the time, temperature, and/or toasting mode. The digital display and the Start/Cancel button both shine blue when the oven’s plugged in and red when it’s cooking.

Beyond the standard stuff, you’ll find 3 unique buttons: Temperature Conversion (°F-°C), Frozen Foods, and A Bit More. The latter adds a specific amount of time depending on the cooking function.

The LCD screen will display ‘E01’ or ‘E02’ when there is a non-resettable issue with the appliance. When this happens, immediately unplug the cord from the wall outlet and call the Breville Customer Service Center.

The ‘E03’ shows up when the oven temperature exceeds its design limit. Should this occur, unplug your oven, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, then plug it back in.

The ‘E04’ appears when the room temperature is below the set minimum. If this happens, unplug the oven and move it to a warmer area.

  • Type:
    black LCD digital touchscreen + one master-control knob
  • Temperature:
    150°F - 450°F
  • Timer:
    1 - 60 minutes
  • Indicator Light:
    Yes
  • Status Bar:
    No
  • Light Toggle:
    Yes
  • Convection Toggle:
    Yes
  • Rotation Toggle:
    Yes
  • Automatic Preheat:
    Yes
  • Audio Cues:
    Yes

This oven has a black LCD digital touchscreen and one master-control knob. The display includes the cooking status bar, functions, and toggles for Light, Convection, and Rotation. Besides the automatic oven preheat feature, it features an audio cue to turn food halfway through the input cooking time.

Audio cues include the beeps when you plug in the oven, select a function as well as adjust time and temperature, and when the oven finishes cooking. According to some reviews we’ve seen, they can be a bit loud, especially for households with children and/or pets. However, they can be turned off by pressing and holding the control knobs for 5 seconds until the screen displays S OFF.

Cooking Functions of the Breville BOV450XL Smart Toaster Oven

Cooking Functions
  • Toast (7 levels, 4 slices maximum)
  • Bagel (7 levels, 4 slices maximum)
  • Bake (1h 30m maximum)
  • Broil (High and Low levels, 20 minutes maximum)
  • Pizza (55 minutes maximum)
  • Roast (1h 30m maximum)
  • Cookies (55 minutes maximum)
  • Reheat (370°F maximum)

For safety reasons, all cooking functions have a predetermined timer limit after which the oven stops cooking. If you want to continue cooking, simply operate the oven in standard mode. The High setting of the Broil function does the job faster than Low and you’ll need to experiment with it to learn how quickly it cooks.

  • Air fry (180°F - 450°F)
  • Broil (350°F - 450°F)
  • Bake (180°F - 450°F)
  • Roast (180°F - 450°F)
  • Dehydrate (85°F - 175°F)
  • Reheat (120°F - 360°F)
  • Warm (170°F - 300°F)
  • Toast (level 1-5)

Even though there’s no Rotisserie function, the oven comes with a tailored rotisserie kit and a Rotation Toggle. Besides making dried fruits, herbs, and meat jerky, the Dehydrate function is also ideal for proofing bread dough at 85°F and Low Convect.

4.0

Interior

9.5
  • Heating Elements:
    4 quartz
  • Convection Fan:
    No
  • Lighting:
    No
  • Tray Levels:
    3
  • Rotisserie:
    No
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The Breville’s interior has a non-stick coating, 4 heating elements, and 3 tray levels (quite rare for its size). However, it has no internal lighting or convection system.

The oven uses 4 quartz heating elements, each with its own safety guard to prevent direct contact with baking pans and food. Unlike the more common nichrome style, these don’t heat the air in the oven, but rather radiate the infrared heat directly to the food or pan.

Overall, they produce more heat and cool down faster than nichrome. In addition, they’re easier to clean and are more energy-efficient but not as durable. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

  • Heating Elements:
    4 quartz and 1 nichrome
  • Convection Fan:
    Yes
  • Lighting:
    Yes
  • Tray Levels:
    4
  • Rotisserie:
    Yes
  • Safety Hook:
    No

The Instant Omni Plus has four golden quartz heating elements. These pipes use infrared light to cook, which produces more heat and also cools down faster.

They are also easier to clean and more energy-efficient but don’t last as long in terms of durability. However, if grease splashes onto the heating elements while cooking, it’ll leave permanent stains.

Featuring safety guards, the heating elements are kept out of direct contact with baking pans and trays. The oven even includes a coil nichrome heating element at the top, specifically for broiling.

To top it off, this oven has a powerful and not noisy convection system as an interior light. In addition to 4 tray levels, you can make use of the baking rack with its rack-up and down positions.

Capacity of the Breville Smart Toaster Oven

Capacity of the Instant Pot Omni Plus 18L
  • Length:
    11.5" (29.2 cm)
  • Width:
    11.0" (27.9 cm)
  • Height:
    6.7" (17.0 cm)

The BOV450XL had enough space for four slices of toast, an 11-inch pizza, or barely a 3 lb whole chicken.

We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be 13.86 liters compared to the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 12.74 liters. However, it could just be because we measured from the cooking chamber’s walls to walls whereas the manufacturer stopped before reaching the heating elements.

  • Length:
    13.8" (35.0 cm)
  • Width:
    12.6" (32.0 cm)
  • Height:
    8.7" (22.0 cm)

The Instant Omni Plus can comfortably fit a 12-inch pizza or a 4-pound chicken which is true to its description. However, it can’t quite fit 6 slices of toast. Moreover, when roasting only a 3-pound whole chicken with the rotisserie kit, there wasn’t enough space to fit a baking pan below. This wasn’t the case with a larger unit like the Cosori CO130-AO.

We measured the cooking chamber’s volume to be roughly 24.6 liters—a lot different from the manufacturer’s provided capacity of 18 liters. However, this could be because we measured from the cooking chamber’s walls to walls whereas the manufacturer stopped before reaching the heating elements.

Power Cord

  • Length:
    40.9" (104.0 cm)
  • Type:
    3-prong plug
  • Power:
    1800 W
  • Rated Output:
    110 V - 120 V ~ 60 Hz

The power cord is roughly 40.94"—plenty of length for household use—and can be wrapped around the back buffers for storage. The plug also has a nice little handle which makes it easier to grab.

  • Length:
    2.8 ft (0.9 m)
  • Type:
    3-prong plug
  • Power:
    1800 W
  • Rated Output:
    120 V ~ 60 Hz

The power cord is roughly 33.46"—more than long enough for household use. However, the cord can’t fully wrap around the two back stands as they are too high up.

Baking Rack

Accessories

Baking Rack
  • Length:
    11.5" (29.2 cm)
  • Width:
    10.3" (26.3 cm)
  • Height:
    0.3" (0.7 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The rack fits perfectly on the guide rails, which helps prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.

  • Length:
    12.4" (31.5 cm)
  • Width:
    11.4" (29.0 cm)
  • Height:
    0.9" (2.4 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The rack fits perfectly with the guide which helps prevent accidents when placing your food in the oven.

Baking Pan

Accessories

Baking Pan
  • Length:
    10.6" (27.0 cm)
  • Width:
    10.6" (27.0 cm)
  • Height:
    1.2" (3.0 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel with enamel coating
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Not advisable

Although the baking pan is a bit smaller than the rack, it still has more than enough space for a 3 lb chicken. Thus, it keeps most of the mess off the heating elements. 

However, even with the enamel coating, the chicken skin still stuck to the pan during our roasting test. Also worth noting is that the dishwasher can damage this coating.

  • Length:
    13.8" (35.0 cm)
  • Width:
    12.4" (31.5 cm)
  • Height:
    1.8" (4.6 cm)
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

Thanks to its perfect size, the baking pan does a great job of catching the meat juice and drippings from the air fryer basket. Thus, it helps prevent making a mess and avoid the danger of fire from dirty heating elements. Keep in mind that the dishwasher can damage the enamel coating.

8.0

Build Quality

9.0

The Breville is well-constructed and durable with a high power rating of 1800 W. All of its parts fit nicely and work smoothly, especially the LCD display and the buttons.

Thanks to the good insulation of the casing, the oven gets hot to the touch only after cooking for a long period of time at high heat.

The Instant Omni Plus 18L is a well-built and intricate piece of equipment, to say the least. It provides a helpful cooking status bar, smart programs, and automatic features. The oven does consume a lot of electricity so make sure your outlet can provide and handle 1800 W.

The meticulous design shows in the bottom tray, safeguards for heating elements, and cooling fan for its mainboard. However, the bottom tray can easily slide out if you tilt the oven. Also, during our roasting of a whole chicken, the hot drippings created some oxidation on the crumb tray.

Flawed Technology

Breville Mini Toaster Oven Usability Review

Instant Omni Plus 18L Usability: Not Yet Technological Perfection
6.2
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)8.0/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)4.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
8.4
usability Scores
  • User Control (30%)9.9/10
  • Ease of Use (50%)8.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)7.0/10
8.0

User Control

9.9

The Temperature Conversion button is a nice touch for international users. The cooking time can be adjusted in increments of 1 minute and the temperature in increments of 5°F. For some reason, this differs from what the user manual states.

The manual says that the FROZEN FOODS button adds the right amount of additional time needed to defrost the target foods in the Toast, Bagel, Pizza, Cookies, and Bake functions. However, we didn’t find it very useful since cooking time depends heavily on the food quantity and personal preference.

The A BIT MORE button, where each press adds a pre-set amount of time to each function, has a similar problem. It only seemed useful when the oven was still cold and we wanted to skip the preheating phase.

The Instant Omni Plus 18L has 8 settings to choose from but can serve more than 10 functions. Although the LCD display could be improved with better contrast, it’s not a big problem.

The master-control knob can be confusing for first-timers but it should take little effort to get familiarized with it. The temperature can be adjusted in 1°F increments by turning the knob slowly and in 10°F increments by turning the knob fast. Also, the timer is specified by the minute.

If you want to readjust the setting during cooking, simply tap the feature and adjust it with the knob. Don’t tap Cancel as it will reset your inputs and repeat the automatic preheating.

The convection setting is applicable to almost all except for toast. One thing to note from the manual is that most recipes recommend reducing the temperature by 25°F when convection is on.

The convection fan speeds can toggle between high and low which is not very common for ovens, especially at the same price range. The two exceptions are Air Fry which always uses High Convect and Warm using Low Convect.

4.0

Ease of Use

8.0

The Breville has an automatic preheating phase that lasts 1m 45s. Our tests saw it reaching around 180°F in that time. The temperature alert will sound when the oven reaches your selected temperature. Then, it will sound three times at the end of the cooking cycle.

It’s very easy to adjust cooking settings during use, especially compared to an analog unit like the Mueller MT-175. However, even though this oven doesn’t turn off upon opening the door, the door won’t stay partially open – it’s all or nothing.

According to the manufacturer, the Element iQ System’s smart algorithms focus power where and when it’s most needed, creating ideal cooking conditions every time. However, we didn’t notice a significant difference in performance when comparing it to other ovens of the same size/wattage.

If it’s not actively cooking, the oven will go into STANDBY mode after 10 minutes with no interaction. Although unplugging the oven resets your customized setting, Breville recommends doing so anyway after you finish using it.

When you adjust temperature and time for a function, the Instant Omni Plus saves your setting for next time use. After the oven finishes cooking, it will beep and automatically switch to Keep Warm mode until the display shows End.

After a period of no interaction, the digital display will show the word OFF similar to when you’ve just plugged it in. You’ll then need to push the knob once to turn it on. It’s advised to unplug the oven after you finish using it.

The light automatically turns off after 30 seconds of no interaction and turns on 30 seconds before finishing cooking. Opening the oven door pauses the cooking but the light stays on for another 30 seconds. Closing the oven door resumes the cooking but it will go into stand-by mode resetting all inputs after 5m30s.

Taking the rotisserie kit out of the oven can be a bit tricky even with the lifter. However, with a bit of practice, it’ll be no problem at all. The oven has good heat insulation, so the casing doesn’t get too hot to the touch at 350°F and 400°F but be careful at 450°F.

9.0

Cleanability

7.0

We cleaned the Breville in accordance with our toaster oven cleaning guide. Thanks to the stainless steel exterior and non-stick interior, it was very easy to clean. Removing crumbs was also easy thanks to the slide-out crumb tray, although we still had to tilt the oven to get the last of them out.

The upper heating elements got stained by smoke from splattered grease during our roasted chicken test. Fortunately, we had no problem removing the stains by brushing the elements with a paste of baking soda and water. We were also able to easily scrub the burnt chicken skin off of the baking pan.

We cleaned the Instant Omni Plus 18L following our toaster oven cleaning guide. Despite having an internal and external coating, it still wasn’t easy to clean due to some very tricky nooks and crannies. The small gaps between the heating elements and internal walls didn’t help either.

Most of the mess came from the considerable fat splatter from roasting a whole chicken. It left difficult stains on the heating elements and their safeguards which were already tricky to clean.

With the removable oven-bottom tray, cleaning up the crumbs was extremely easy but we still had to tilt the oven to get all of the crumbs out. On the bright side, having thought it would be difficult to clean caramelized bits of food from the air fryer basket due to the fishnet design, we were happy to find this wasn’t the case.