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Forget the deep fryer; There is a new must-have kitchen utensil on the market. At less than 30cm square (smaller than most microwaves), it would look right at home in a children’s play kitchen, but it’s supposedly the only appliance you need.
Introducing the Wonder Oven. You can grill, toast, bake, air fry, broil and reheat. It has caused a sensation in the United States and was sold out just eight days after its release.
The creators, online cookware brand Our Place, have many A-list fans, including the Beckhams and Oprah Winfrey, and the oven itself has been endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow, who described it as “adorable” in a guide of gifts for your lifestyle brand. Oh. But do we really need another trendy kitchen utensil? Not to mention a £195 one that, as far as I know, does the same things I’ve been doing for years without it.
Ahead of going on sale in the UK at Selfridges next week, Sarah Rainey (pictured) put one through its paces, led by Our Place co-founder Shiza Shahid.
Before it goes on sale in the UK at Selfridges next week, I put one to the test, under the guidance of Our Place co-founder Shiza Shahid.
“This is not just another appliance,” insists Shiza, 34, who lives in Los Angeles. “It’s a one-size-fits-all product that makes everyday cooking a little healthier, easier and more delicious.”
The Wonder Oven is an attractive device. With its sleek, rounded edges and Instagram-friendly colors (mine is a beige shade called ‘Steam’), it makes my clunky black deep fryer look like a piece of industrial machinery.
There are only three dials on the front: one to choose the mode, another for the temperature (up to 450F or 230C), and a timer.
Inside it looks like a mini oven, with two different levels for cooking multiple foods at once and a collection of racks, baking sheets and a crumb tray. Coated with non-toxic ceramic, Shiza says you can clean it with warm soapy water.
At first glance, it seems small and far from innovative, and the Americanisms (F instead of C, ‘broil’ instead of ‘grill’) have the potential to be irritating to an English cook. However, manufacturers claim that it uses half the energy, preheats 75 percent faster, and cooks up to 30 percent faster than a conventional oven.
But can it really replace my oven, toaster and air fryer? I tested the different modes to find out…
ROASTED: WHOLE CHICKEN
My family loves a Sunday roast and since I bought my air fryer I have been cooking all the chicken to save oven space. However, the Wonder Oven has a 12 liter capacity (compared to 6 liters for the air fryer), so I can cook a medium or large bird, up to 2kg.
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) on ‘Roast’ while you prepare the chicken. I rub mine with spices and rapeseed oil, put a halved lemon in it and then put it on the bottom shelf for 20 minutes.
Then, it gets complicated; You should raise the temperature to 350F (175C) for 10 minutes, then change the mode to ‘Bake’, increase the temperature to 375F (190C) and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature of the bird is 160F (70C). ). If the skin begins to char, add a teaspoon of water through the inlet at the top of the oven to generate more steam.
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
VERDICT: What a revelation! A perfectly cooked golden chicken with melt-in-your-mouth white meat inside. All that temperature adjustment is a little bogus, but the end result is worth it. 5/5
The Wonder Oven’s compact size is a drawback. About six cookies fit on two trays; It’s no use if you’re baking for a crowd.
BAKE COOKIES
The oven’s ‘Bake’ function has gained viral fame on TikTok, with over 20 million ‘Wonder Oven Cookies’ videos.
However, this is where the Wonder Oven’s compact size becomes a drawback. About six cookies fit on two trays; It’s no use if you’re baking for a crowd.
METHOD: You will need to set the oven to “Bake” and the temperature to 325F (160C). There is only one baking sheet, but you can reuse the air fryer basket by lining it with parchment paper.
I make a half portion of my standard cookie recipe (butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, flour, baking soda, and chocolate chips), divide the dough into six, and place them on the two trays.
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes
VERDICT: Although they look and smell delicious, the taste is disappointing. They are still doughy in the middle and the outside has an unpleasant, crunchy, almost fried texture.2/5
AIR FRYING AND HEATING: FRENCH FRIES
My air fryer can cook oven fries in 20 minutes, but requires shaking the basket regularly to ensure crispiness. Could the Wonder Oven, which also blasts hot air at foods from 360 degrees, work better?
METHOD: There are no official instructions for frozen fries, so I empty a portion of crinkle cut fries into the basket provided (this is a deeper, criss-cross version of the rack), set the mode to ‘Air Fry’ and the temperature at 390°F (200°C).
After 15 minutes, they look golden brown and piping hot. It takes a while for the kids to come to the table, but the ‘Reheat’ function saves the day; French fries only need a few minutes at 200°F (95°C) for the crunch to be restored.
TOTAL TIME: 18 minutes
VERDICT: Not only does it cook the fries a little faster than the air fryer, but they are also tastier. The only drawback is the capacity: there is only enough space for two portions, so a family meal would not fit.4/5
GRILL: SALMON AND MIXED VEGETABLES
We don’t usually eat a lot of salmon, but the makers of the Wonder Oven say its ‘Grill’ function makes ‘the juiciest meat and fish imaginable’. Could we convert?
By adding a tray of mixed vegetables underneath, it’s also an opportunity to put multitasking to the test.
METHOD: I start by preheating the oven to 400F (200C) on ‘Broil’. Next, I brush the salmon with olive oil, glaze it with a mixture of honey, sesame oil, and lime juice, and cook it on the bottom rack for 10 minutes.
I drizzle oil over the chopped vegetables and put them on the baking sheet. Then, I raise the temperature to 450°F (230°C), apply a little more glaze over the salmon, and move it to the top shelf while I put the vegetables on the bottom one. Give the salmon five minutes, until the internal temperature is 140°F (60°C), and the vegetables 10 to 15 minutes.
TOTAL TIME: 20-25 minutes
VERDICT: It’s all perfectly tasty, but there’s no discernible improvement over baked salmon.3/5
The exposed bottom heating element makes this not just an oven, but a giant, modern toaster.
TOASTS: CHEESE TOASTIE
The exposed bottom heating element makes this not just an oven, but a giant, modern toaster. The steam keeps the bread soft and chewy in the center and also works as a toasted sandwich maker.
METHOD: I turn the dial to ‘Toast’ and set the temperature to 450F (230C). Next, I fill some fresh white bread with cheese and sliced tomato, lightly butter both sides to prevent sticking, and place it on the baking sheet on the top shelf. I set a timer for five minutes, check for toastiness, and give it another three minutes until golden brown.
TOTAL TIME: 8 minutes
VERDICT: I’m impressed with how the oven has toasted both sides; It did the same job as a retro toast maker without crushing my sandwich. The tomatoes are hot without burning my mouth and the cheese is gooey and oozes perfection.5/5
OVERALL VERDICT
If you didn’t get along very well with your air fryer, this might be for you. It looks stylish (if a bit Fisher Price toy-ish with its twisted knobs) and takes up minimal kitchen space.
The ‘Bake’ function is a disappointment for me, but it makes a great roast chicken for the family and a decent cheese toastie… if you have £195 to spare.