Breville BOV800XL Review

When I was doing my research online for a toaster oven I found out a couple of important things to consider before making your purchase. These are:

- Versatility
- Capacity
- Function
- Form

It's understandable that you might want to buy the first toaster oven you see based simply on price, but I think that would be an unfortunate mistake. If you're going to spend the money, spend it on a toaster oven that can do everything you want, and that will last a long time. In this review we'll look at the above criteria as they relate to the Breville BOV800XL.

Versatility

This is an oven built for two; or one if you prefer. Although billed as a toaster oven, the way I see it, it's really a scaled down version of a standard-sized convection oven. Standard ovens are great, if you have a big enough family like mine. But if you're like my in-laws, where there's just the two of them, or you live alone, using a big stove is overkill. As one commenter aptly put it, "In many cases it can serve as a replacement for its larger cousin the conventional oven".

I think the designers at Breville have gone to great lengths to create an appliance that fits the needs of many smaller families. Versatility is a common theme I have run across in many of the comments that I've read. There are 9 programmable setting (Toast, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat, and Warm) that are already pre-programmed with temperature and cooking time, eliminating the guesswork. However, you can tailor these settings to your individual need.

Just like on a regular oven, the unit's broil function activates just the top heating elements to melt and brown food. Unlike a regular oven, this one also does toast; it activates the top and bottom heating elements to seal and crisp (works great with frozen waffles too). When it comes time to baking, the Breville BOV800XL uses both the top and bottom heating elements and the convection fan, to make sure everything inside and out is fully cooked.

What I really appreciate about this toaster oven is how well you can control the temperature. Heating elements in regular toaster ovens always work at full power. They get turned on and off in an attempt to stop the oven from overheating. The Breville BOV800XL works much differently, similar to a dimmer switch.

The company calls this the Smart Oven's Element IQ. By precisely controlling temperature in this manner, it puts the power where it's needed most for the specific cooking task. Element IQ delivers the right power at the right time and when adjusted to taste, it even remembers.

Capacity

The capacity of a toaster oven is really important. If it's not big enough to cook the meals you want, then really all you have is a glorified toaster. The Breville BOV800XL has 1800 watts of power and a generous 4/5-cubic-foot nonstick interior; enough to cook virtually any meal for one or two people.

The interior is big enough to accommodate a 13" pizza pan, which is included. By the way, the presets for both fresh and frozen pizza work real well. Those who enjoy baking will appreciate that a 13" x 9" baking pan can easily be accommodated, as can the larger pan that comes with the unit. Loaf pans and small muffin pans are no problem.

Because the Breville is slightly larger than most toaster ovens, it can be used for items that normally would need to go into a regular oven. However, with outside dimensions of 18-1/2 by 12-1/2 by 10-3/4 inches, it will still fit nicely on a kitchen counter.

Function

Not only has Breville done a wonderful job employing the latest technology in the BOV800XL, they have done while keeping the end user in mind. For example, the magnetic door has an auto-eject wire rack that helps to prevent getting burned when removing food. The door seal is real nice too, so it won't heat up your home unnecessarily wasting energy.

This toaster oven has a crumb tray in the front, unlike the Cuisinart model. That makes it simple to pull out any time you want, to brush off crumbs or wash off any accidental spills. The timer turns off the oven at the end of the cycle, and this works across every cycle; pizza, bake, broil, etc, not just the toaster.

Every cycle has its own smart default settings, which work quite well, eliminating all the guesswork. If you want to mess around with things, you'll be happy to know that it can remember your own settings for temperature, time and the like.

As mentioned, the default settings are real nice. The toast setting is excellent and you can toast up to six pieces at once. The bagel setting toasts the top of the bagel at a higher temperature, making it nice and crispy, while the bottom remains soft and warm.

Frozen waffles made in the Breville BOV800XL are a dream. They are nice and crunchy on the outside, yet stay nice and moist on the inside.

Form

From what I've read, many owners feel that this Breville is the ultimate toaster oven; it's extremely versatile, nicely sized, and both easy to use and easy to clean. They've used a high quality stainless steel that looks gorgeous, without attracting too many fingerprints. The over-sized handle and control knobs not only look good, they're also really practical. It's easy to grab the handle and open the door, and it stays cool to the touch.

If you need reading glasses, then you are sure to appreciate the easy-to-read LCD display, which like everything else on this toaster oven, looks real special. The temperature, function and time controls are knobs that are good looking and highly practical. Unlike a button, you don't need to keep punching it to go up or down; just twist the dial to get to where you want to go, as quickly as you need.

Plus, a minimum number of icons make life much simpler. There are just three buttons for frozen food, convection and temperature conversion. Most of the functions are spelled out so that you don't have to keep referring to the manual to figure out what the picture actually means.

Not only do you get a high quality and useful toaster oven, you get a beautiful one as well. You can leave it out on display and conveniently accessible for everyday use. It certainly beats lugging an appliance out of the cupboard every time you want to use it.

I have seen some place on the internet trying to sell the exact same product for well over $300, shipping included. However, you don't need to pay anywhere near that much because I have seen it for far less on Amazon. I have seen other sites trying to match their price, but I like Amazon because they offer free shipping, have good customer service and ship things fast. Check their site for the lowest prices.

The following accessories are included:

- 13-inch non-stick pizza pan
- 12-by-12-inch enamel baking pan
- 12-by-12-inch enamel broil rack.

The Breville BOV800XL is covered by a one year limited warranty.

The Breville BOV800XL has received rave reviews everywhere I've looked. On Amazon, it's received 4.5 out of 5 stars; an unprecedented 89% rate it a four star or better with 75% giving it five stars. Here are some of the comments:

- "A Fantastic Second Oven for Serious Cooks"
- "Great oven for baking bread"
- "Nice Oven"
- "Very, very nice appliance"
- "The absolute best"
- "Perfect little oven"
- "Attractive looking and professional functioning"

As some owners have noted, there are a couple of minor issues that you should know. Some people feel that the cord, being less than 3 feet, is a little short. What that means is that you will need to have an outlet near the place you plan to use the oven. Unless you live in a very old house that has not been brought up to code, this should not be a problem. Also, depending on the situation you may not be able to operate other appliances on your electrical circuit; this appliance draws around 15 - 20 amps. Again, for the overwhelming majority of people, this should not pose a concern.

Amazon is an authorized Breville retailer. It's a good idea to purchase from a Breville Authorized dealer because, according to their manual, their warranty only applies to products purchased through authorized retailers.

Amazon currently includes free shipping which can save you quite a bit of money. They usually have the lowest price available. Click here to view current prices on Amazon.

I believe that Amazon is the best place for reviews from people who actually use the product. While undertaking my research, I came across over 500 reviews for this model. Click here to read more.