Ninja Foodi XL Pro vs Breville Smart Oven Pro Side-by-Side Comparison
Ninja Foodi XL Pro vs Breville Smart Oven Pro. Two different large digital convection toaster ovens, both have the word ‘pro’ in their names.
Specifications
Design
The Ninja DT201 shows a high build quality in all of its design features from the exterior and interior to the included accessories. What stood out to us the most was the powerful convection system and the number of heating elements. We couldn’t confirm the accuracy of the Ninja’s claim that it had ‘up to ten times the convection power’ of a traditional full-size convection oven, though.
The Breville showed a lot of investment in its design from the exterior and interior to the accessories, especially compared to inexpensive units like the Black+Decker CTO6335S. For example, its carrying handles, interior safety hooks, convection system, internal lighting, feature toggles, and additional cooking functions. It does have some room for improvement, however.
Usability Comparison
The straightforward control panel on the Ninja DT201 allowed for easy adjusting and readjusting of the cooking settings. Moreover, the informative display combined with distinguished buttons removed all of the guesswork when it came to operating the oven.
The oven’s practical cooking functions shined all the more in combination with the 2-level even cooking feature. The oven’s interior could be improved with a coating for easier cleaning, though.
The Breville also shows investment in features of usability including the toggles and extra cooking functions in the user control as well as automatic mechanisms to increase ease of use. However, the actual delivery left a few things to be desired compared to the ones on our list of Best Large Toaster Ovens.
Performance Test
The Ninja DT201 performed differently on each of our tests but even at its worst, it still gave good results. We were most impressed with the oven’s ability to quickly reach and maintain its temperature despite the large cooking chamber. This could be attributed to the oven’s high power output, powerful convection system, and a total of 5 heating elements.
With these factors, you don’t even need to turn food during cooking, especially if you incorporate the air fryer basket. Interestingly, this was one of the few units where we felt increasing the food amounts would lead to even better results.
The strong power output of 1800 W didn’t seem to help with the Breville’s performance in our test dishes as much as other toaster ovens with the same output, including the Cosori CO130-AO. It performed the best in roasting a whole chicken but not to an outstanding degree.
This unit is advertised as having the Element iQ System™ which is a smart heating algorithm for improving heat distribution. However, our test results showed no significant increase in the cooking time or evenness of caramelization.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Straightforward and informative control panel
- Tailored cooking functions
- Family-sized capacity
- Tray-level suggestions
- Sturdy construction
- Well-designed accessories
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Useful toggles
- High-contrast digital display
- Non-stick interior
- Sturdy construction
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel exterior
- Cool-touch door handle
- Convenient slide-out crumb tray
- No safety mechanism for the door
- Faulty interior light upon received
- No safety mechanism for the door
- In need of an additional oven rack
- Not very budget-friendly
Conclusion
It’s interesting to compare two different large digital convection toaster ovens that both have the word ‘pro’ in their names—the Ninja Foodi XL Pro (DT201) and Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS). Let’s see who is the actual pro and who is the amateur.
The two toaster ovens are equal in terms of interior features—both having an interior light, a convection system, and more than 4 quartz heating elements. They also go toe-to-toe in their build quality with their responsive control panel and well-insulated stainless steel casing.
Both machines are easy to use, having well-designed cooking functions and an informative digital display. However, the extra toggle switches of the Breville failed to actually increase ease of use, as opposed to the Ninja.
The Breville’s performance scores aren’t as high as the Ninja’s despite also having a convection system and the same power output. The key differences can be boiled down to the Breville not being able to maintain the temperature as constant and distribute the heat as evenly as the Ninja.
Behind the Comparison
Alan Nguyen is a writer and product reviewer at HealthyKitchen101. His major in English language teaching taught him to present concise information. In addition to his cooking hobby, he values the practical aspects of household appliances.
Tuyet Pham is an award-winning Saigonese chef passionate about delicious and healthful foods. At HealthyKitchen101, she develops recipes and collaborates with our Research, Testing, and Review lab to evaluate the performance of cooking appliances. Her assessments add a strong authoritative voice to our product scoring process.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
