KitchenAid's latest Smart Countertop Oven, priced at $399, enters a crowded market of app-connected kitchen appliances — but it manages to distinguish itself with genuinely useful features and consistent performance. After three weeks of testing, we found the oven excels at air frying, baking, and broiling with minimal guesswork required from the user.
The companion app offers over 500 guided recipes that automatically set temperature, cook time, and fan speed. The built-in meat thermometer probe worked flawlessly in our tests, alerting us the moment our roast chicken hit the target internal temperature. The oven's interior is spacious enough to fit a 12-inch pizza or a five-pound chicken comfortably.
Our only gripe is the preheat time, which averaged around seven minutes — slower than some competitors. But the even heat distribution and intuitive interface more than make up for it. If you're in the market for a countertop oven that genuinely simplifies weeknight cooking, this is our top pick for 2026.
