All the best countertop ovens combine the best of both worlds. These home appliances can cook food as well as any conventional oven, and they also prepare meals much quicker, are more energy efficient, and take up less space. Greg Frey Jr.—a chef at Golden Door in San Marcos, California, which was rated the number one spa in the world by Condé Nast Traveler—tells us that the countertop oven in his home gets used quite often. “It’s more efficient to use the countertop unit for needs like reheating dishes, roasting small portions, roasting vegetable sides, even air-frying, versus the energy needed to heat up the wall oven,” he says.

Some countertop ovens can roast a whole chicken or a 14-lb. turkey, cook two 12" pizzas, or even be used to bake cookies, bread, and cakes while using less energy than a regular oven. However, Frey has some tips for choosing the best countertop oven. “Avoid small toaster ovens, unless that’s all you plan to use it for.” He also recommends a countertop oven with a bottom tray that easily slides in and out, and covers the entire bottom of the oven. “You will want to clean this tray routinely to keep it from creating a foul odor—or worse, a fire hazard—from dangerous buildup.”

We tested an assortment of countertop ovens—from high-end to economical, some with air fryers, steamers, and even models you can control from your smartphone or Alexa—to bring you our top picks.

• Best Overall Countertop Oven: Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven Elite, $600
• A Large Option: Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven, $300
• Best Smart Features: Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro, $550
• Best Safety Features: Calphalon Performance Cool Touch Toaster Oven, $180
• The Budget Pick: Chefman XL 7-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven, $156This countertop convection oven can broil, roast, bake, toast, warm, or proof—and even has a bagel setting to toast one side and warm the other side. When baking or roasting, you can use the optional convection button for forced hot air, which speeds up the cooking process by 25% while also providing a more even cooking experience. (Note: when using the convection button, either reduce the temperature by 25 degrees or reduce the cooking time by 25% to avoid burning the food.) You can also insert the included probe when roasting or baking to gauge the internal temperature of your food. The temperature control settings are also easy to navigate.

  The Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven Elite is heavy, weighing 38 pounds, and made of quality components, including the stainless-steel exterior. Its dimensions are 22½" x 16¾" x 12½", and it has a 1.1 cubic feet interior and can hold 9x13" dishes and quarter sheet pans. This model includes two oven racks that can be put in the three positions, slide-out crumb/drip tray, baking pan, and broil rack.

  The Wolf doesn’t have as many features as many countertop ovens in our guide. However, it's our top pick because it does each of its functions exceptionally well, and the ease of use bumps it to number one on the list.

  The Chefman XL 7-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven is one of the most economically-priced options on the list. However, it is also one of the best values for people on a budget, and the large capacity (it can hold up to a 5.5-lb. chicken) makes it convenient for family meals. The convection toaster oven has presets for seven cooking modes, including broil, bake, convection bake, air fry, toast, slow cook, and warm.

  Our testers have used the broil function to make steak and the bake setting for pork chops with great results. The air-fry mode also works well for French fries. The nonstick, countertop toaster oven includes a removable crumb tray, air-fry basket, broil pan, and baking rack.

  Although countertop ovens don’t generate nearly as much heat as a full-size oven, they can still get pretty hot—and that can pose a problem if you have small kids running around the kitchen. However, the Calphalon Performance Cool Touch Toaster Oven with Turbo Convection has a cool-touch exterior that keeps the appliance up to 75% cooler. The top, sides, and the front of the appliance all remain cool during the cooking process. (However, it’s still recommended to leave an eight-inch clearance on the side and the back.)

  The Calphalon Performance Cool Touch Toaster Oven with Turbo Convection has 12 cooking functions: broil, roast, bake, bagel, toast, pizza, cookies, reheat, dehydrate, keep warm, defrost, and bread proof. This kitchen appliance can hold a 12" pizza and also a whole chicken. The Calphalon countertop oven includes a crumb tray, a wire rack, a nonstick baking pan, and a 12" pizza pan.