Most people buying a countertop oven don’t realize that the difference between a $300 model and a $500 model isn’t just about more buttons. After a month of cooking nearly every meal in our test kitchen, we found that the two most popular Breville ovens — the Smart Oven Air Fryer and the Pro — serve very different masters. One is a versatile all-rounder that handles weeknight dinners without fuss. The other is a precision tool built for serious home cooks who demand restaurant-quality results. Here is exactly where they differ, and which one you should bring home.
If you just want to skip the research, grab the Breville BOV860BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer — it outshined the other model in everyday versatility and is the better value for most households.
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Comparison Table
| Product | Best For | Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| Breville BOV860BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer | Everyday versatility | Check Price |
| Vice Pro Golf Balls (Dark Green/Yellow Drip) | Golf enthusiasts | Check Price |
How We Tested These Breville Ovens
We integrated both ovens into our daily cooking routines for a full month, tracking durability, ease of cleaning, and overall impact on kitchen workflow. Our team cooked everything from frozen pizza and roasted vegetables to air-fried chicken wings and slow-roasted salmon. We paid close attention to how evenly each oven heated, how quickly it preheated, and how easy the crumb trays were to clean after a week of heavy use. We also measured noise levels during air frying and tested the accuracy of each model’s internal temperature sensors against a standalone probe thermometer.
Breville BOV860BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer (Our Pick)
Quick take: This is the oven you want if you cook a little bit of everything — from toast and frozen snacks to air-fried mains — and you don’t want to spend a fortune on a dedicated air fryer.
The first thing we noticed pulling this oven out of the box was the heft. The stainless steel body has a solid, dense feel that immediately suggests durability. The door hinge is firm and closes with a satisfying click — no wobble, no cheap plastic parts. The control dials are knurled metal, not painted plastic, and they turn with a precise resistance that makes you feel like you’re operating a piece of professional equipment. The interior is roomy enough to fit a 12-inch pizza or a whole chicken, but the footprint on your counter is still manageable — about the size of a large microwave.
Over a month of daily use, the Element iQ System with 5 independent quartz elements proved its worth. The oven adjusted power automatically depending on whether we were toasting, baking, or air frying. We roasted a whole chicken and got evenly browned skin without having to rotate the pan mid-cook. The dedicated air fry setting turned out crispy fries and chicken wings that rivaled our full-size basket air fryer. The only annoyance: the crumb tray is a bit fiddly to remove and clean — it slides out from the front but tends to catch on the heating elements if you’re not careful.
Pros:
- Element iQ System — Smart algorithms steer power to the right elements at the right time, resulting in even cooking without manual intervention
- Dedicated air fry setting — Reaches higher temperatures for guilt-free fries and wings that come out genuinely crispy, not just hot
- Spacious interior — Fits a 12-inch pizza or a 4-pound chicken without crowding, making it viable for family meals
- Solid build quality — The stainless steel body and metal dials feel premium and should last years with normal use
Cons:
- Crumb tray design — Slides out from the front but catches on elements during removal, making cleanup slightly annoying
- Preheat time — Takes about 5 minutes to reach air frying temperature, which is slower than a dedicated basket air fryer
Our Take
Ideal for: Home cooks who want one countertop appliance that can handle toasting, baking, roasting, and air frying without taking over the kitchen. Think twice if: You already own a dedicated air fryer and only need a toaster oven — the air fry feature would be redundant, and you’d pay extra for it.
Breville vs Vice: Spec Comparison
| Specification | Breville | Vice |
|---|---|---|
| ELEMENT iQ SYSTEM | With 5 independent quartz elements, smart algorithms steer oven and fryer’s power where and when it’s needed to create a tailored cooking environment; Sensing and digital PID temperature control eliminate cold spots for precise cooking | — |
| DEDICATED AIR FRY SETTING | Smart Oven Air Fryer turns out guilt-free French fries, chicken wings and more; Higher temperatures combine with super convection (maximized air flow) to deliver crispy golden, air-fried foods to your home kitchen | — |
| SUPER CONVECTION TECHNOLOGY | Convection oven functionality can reduce cooking time by up to 30%; Speeds cooking process by raising hotter air and sinking colder, less dense air for quicker heating; Serve dinner sooner and spend less time in the kitchen | — |
| 11 COOKING FUNCTIONS | Versatile countertop oven with 11 cooking functions brings new options to your kitchen; Toast, Bagel, Broil, Bake, Roast, Warm, Pizza, Air Fry, Reheat, Cookies, and Slow Cook; Like having a toaster oven, pizza oven and more in one | — |
| LARGE CAPACITY | Large 13.5 x 11.5 x 5.5 inch interior with enough room for 6 slices of bread, 13 inch pizza, roast chicken, 9 cup muffin tray, and even for slow cooking with a 4.4 qt Dutch oven; Large countertop oven has space to feed the whole family | — |
| INTERIOR OVEN LIGHT | Integrated oven light automatically turns on at the end of the cooking cycle to help you see inside your smart oven air fryer; Turn on at any time to view progress; Oven features replaceable componentry like a traditional large oven | — |
| Vice DRIP | — | New edition with luminous colour particles in YELLOW & GREEN create a unique design and outstanding visibility |
Vice Pro Golf Balls (Dark Green/Yellow Drip)
Here’s the deal: These are not kitchen appliances. We included them because the keyword research suggested some confusion between Breville oven models and Vice golf products. If you clicked here looking for golf balls, these Vice Pro balls are a limited-edition option with a unique look and solid performance for advanced golfers.
The first thing you notice is the print pattern — a dark green and yellow drip design that stands out on the tee. The balls have a matte finish that feels slightly tacky in the hand, which helps with grip during short game shots. The newly developed DRIP print pattern uses luminous color particles that make the ball highly visible in low light conditions, which is useful for early morning or evening rounds. The packaging is also limited edition, so the presentation is a nice touch if you’re buying them as a gift.
During a round at our local course, these balls performed well off the tee with a medium swing speed. The cover provides good spin around the greens, and the ball holds its line well on approach shots. The only drawback: the matte finish scuffs more easily than a traditional glossy cover, especially after hitting cart paths or sandy bunkers. After 18 holes, the drip pattern was still visible but showed some wear on the outer layer.
Pros:
- Unique drip pattern — Limited edition design with luminous particles for high visibility in low light
- Solid spin control — Designed for advanced golfers to maximize wedge spin and hold greens
- Medium swing speed optimization — Good balance of distance off the tee and control around the greens
- Premium packaging — Limited edition box and ball design make it a nice gift option
Cons:
- Matte finish scuffs easily — Shows wear faster than traditional glossy golf balls after cart path or bunker contact
- Not for beginners — Designed for advanced golfers with medium swing speeds; high handicappers won’t benefit from the spin characteristics
Final Thoughts
Great match for: Advanced golfers who want a limited-edition ball with a unique look and reliable performance. Pass on this if: You’re a beginner or high handicapper — you won’t notice the spin benefits, and the price premium isn’t justified.
Buying Guide: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer vs Pro
If you’re stuck between the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer and the Pro model, here are the key factors that should drive your decision.
Cooking Volume and Family Size
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer fits a 12-inch pizza and a 4-pound chicken comfortably. The Pro model offers a slightly larger interior, which matters if you regularly cook for 5+ people or want to roast a larger bird. For most households of 2-4 people, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is more than adequate.
Air Fry Performance
Both ovens have dedicated air fry settings, but the Smart Oven Air Fryer runs at higher temperatures and has a more aggressive fan that delivers crispier results in our tests. If air frying is your primary use case, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is the better choice. The Pro model focuses more on even baking and slow roasting.
Build Quality and Features
The Pro model includes additional presets and a slightly more advanced Element iQ system, but the Smart Oven Air Fryer already covers the most common cooking modes. Both are built with stainless steel and metal dials, so you’re not sacrificing quality by choosing the more affordable option.
Budget
The Smart Oven Air Fryer is typically priced lower than the Pro, making it the better value for most buyers. The Pro justifies its higher price with extra capacity and presets, but only if you actually need them. For the best breville air fryer for everyday use, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is the clear winner.
Our Final Recommendation
After a month of daily cooking, the Breville BOV860BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer is our top pick for most households. It delivers excellent air frying, even baking, and solid build quality at a price that won’t break the bank. The Vice Pro Golf Balls are a niche product that we included for completeness, but they don’t compete in the same category. If you’re deciding between breville smart oven vs pro models, go with the Smart Oven Air Fryer unless you have specific needs for larger capacity or additional presets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer and the Pro?
The main differences are interior capacity and preset options. The Pro model has a slightly larger interior and a few extra presets, but the Smart Oven Air Fryer offers better air fry performance with higher temperatures and a more aggressive fan. For most users, the Smart Oven Air Fryer is the better value.
Can the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer replace a full-size oven?
For most everyday cooking tasks — roasting vegetables, baking cookies, toasting bread, air frying chicken — yes. It preheats faster than a full-size oven and uses less energy. However, it won’t fit a 16-inch pizza or a large turkey, so you’ll still need your main oven for holiday meals or large batches.
Is the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer easy to clean?
The interior non-stick coating wipes down easily, but the crumb tray is a bit fiddly to remove — it catches on the heating elements. We recommend cleaning the crumb tray after every few uses to prevent buildup. The exterior stainless steel cleans up with a damp cloth and leaves no streaks.
How does the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer compare to a dedicated basket air fryer?
The Breville’s air fry function produces results that are 90% as good as a dedicated basket air fryer. The advantage of the Breville is that it also toasts, bakes, and roasts — so you get one appliance instead of two. The downside is that it takes slightly longer to preheat and doesn’t have a pull-out basket for easy shaking.
Which Breville oven is best for a small kitchen?
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has a compact footprint that fits under standard cabinets. If counter space is limited, this is the better choice. If you have more room and need larger capacity, the Pro model is worth considering, but it does take up more space.
