Let’s face it, the introduction of the air fryer changed my life forever. I know, it sounds dramatic, but after watching my mum whip up a Christmas pavlova in an air fryer (yes, it can be done and I highly recommend it), I knew I simply couldn’t live without one.
So needless to say, I’ve been a regular user of my trusty air fryer for years. From the usual fries or bacon to the more unusual cake or eggs, it’s been a staple appliance that could almost do it all.
And yet, just when I thought you couldn’t there couldn’t possibly be a better appliance… Our Place launched the Wonder Oven in Australia. Loved by celebrities including David Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cameron Diaz, the Wonder Oven swiftly sold out in the US due to overwhelming demand.
“Appliances have a reputation for being big, bulky, and single-use, and what we’re offering is quite the opposite,” co-founder of Our Place, Shiza Shahid said. “And despite its small size, it opens up a world of cooking possibilities.”
When the opportunity to review the Wonder Oven came up, I jumped at the opportunity. Would it replace my tried and true air fryer, while also limiting my need to use the oven? Read on to see how it went.
New Idea’s Wonder Oven review verdict
- Our rating: 9/10
- Why we rated it an 9/10: As someone who usually only cooks one or two servings (and not for a whole family) this was the perfect appliance for me. It functions as an air fryer, but also allows me to roast, bake, grill and do all the things I would normally use the oven for, without the task of heating and cleaning a whole oven.
Pros
- Convenient
- Easy to use and clean
- Heats up quickly
- Multiple cooking settings in one appliance
Cons
- Not big enough for a large family
What’s so special about the Wonder Oven?
The Wonder Oven is a 6-in-1 kitchen appliance that is small enough to sit on your kitchen counter. The appliance is able to air fry, bake, roast, toast, reheat and grill.
It offers double the capacity of a traditional air fryer thanks to multilevel cooking, and also comes with a steam infusion feature that is able to preserve inner moisture and flavour when cooking, but also revives stale bread or pastry.
The Wonder Oven also has:
- 30 per cent faster cooking capability (based on average poultry cooking times on 190°C on Bake setting)
- Preheats in just 2.5 minutes
- 80-230°C heat range
- 60 minute timer
- 12L capacity
Wonder Over materials and size
- External size: 29.6 cm H x 26.9 cm D x 29.2 xm W
- Interior size: 19.3 cm H x 26.2 cm D x 25.4 cm W
- Weight: 5.3kg
- Wonder Oven: Stainless steel
- Bake Pan: Aluminium with toxin-free nonstick ceramic coating
- Air Fryer Basket: Chromed steel
- Wire Rack: Chromed steel
- Crumb Tray: Stainless Steel
How to use the Wonder Oven
After an easy set up that only required being plugged into an outlet, the Wonder Oven needs to run on the Bake setting at 200°C for 10 minutes for a trial run. Our Place warns there might be a small amount of smoke or odour on this trial run, which is perfectly normal, however I didn’t experience any.
Using the Wonder Oven is pretty self-explanatory. There are temperature, function and timer dials which are easy to navigate. Simply select the function, adjust the temperature and set your timer, which will ding at the end of your cooking time.
The steam infusion function is probably the hardest to use (although still very simple). The cap for the steam infusion sits on top of the Wonder Oven, and doubles as your measuring cup for the water going in. To operate, pour one or two caps of water into the inlet while cooking or reheating to allow moisture to infuse your food.
Results from our test
Using the Wonder Oven was quick, easy and convenient. As someone who usually goes to the gym after finishing work, I found that being able to preheat so quickly was especially beneficial; I could get home and cook dinner straight away, without having to wait 15 minutes or so for an oven to heat up.
The different modes were easy to use and navigate, and cleaning up was a much easier task than trying to clean a whole oven. All it needed was a quick wipe over with a damp cloth for the internal unit, and the racks and bake pan were easy to hand wash with my regular dishes because they were considerably smaller than regular baking pans.
However, the one caveat is that while the Wonder Oven will fit a whole chicken to roast, it isn’t big enough for a roast and vegetables at once. For larger meals like a tray bake or pizza, you’ll also still need your traditional oven – hence the mini pizzas in the video above!
Overall, is the Wonder Oven worth it?
If you’re living in a smaller house or apartment, that perhaps doesn’t have an oven or is just restricted to limited bench space, I’d absolutely say yes, this appliance is worth it. As someone who only cooks for one to two people, this is the perfect size and is very convenient to use and clean.
However, I will say that if you have a large family that you are regularly cooking a roast and vegetables or tray bake for, this might not be the appliance for you. Perhaps look at some of the larger double drawer air fryers, or just stick to a traditional oven.
Where to buy Wonder Oven
A Wonder Oven is available to purchase via the Our Place website, and costs $289. It is available in four colours – Steam, Char, Blue Salt and Spice – and comes with a bake pan, air fryer basket, wire rack and crumb tray.
There are also additional kits you can purchase for the Wonder Oven, including a Baker’s Kit (which comes with a square pan, round pan and 6-cup muffin pan) or an Essentials Kit (which features an extra air fryer basket and bake pan).
Wonder Oven in Steam
$289
Wonder Oven in Char
$289
Wonder Oven in Blue Salt
$289
Wonder Oven in Spice
$289
