The handle on this doesn’t get at all hot. HOWEVER, pretty much every other part of the exterior, including the glass and all of the metal, get VERY hot. I’ve burned myself on the glass as well as the back edge of the oven after toasting something. Leave a little room around the edges, use your Ove Glove™ when opening, and consider getting the specially made cutting board that sits on top of this oven (http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BOV650CB-Cutting-BOV650XL-Compact/dp/B003LYZZ8Y) as it would allow you to keep stuff on top.
Also, the full size version of this oven is HUGE as far as toaster ovens go, so don’t even think about it unless you have lots of counter space. Otherwise the only real differences are that this one doesn’t do convection or have interior lights. I don’t really miss either option and it still cooks like a total boss. This has completely replaced my old toaster as well as my full-size oven, which I only use when a pan won’t fit into this one or it’s already in use, since this one cooks better.
I just asked my bride about this. (I can cook OK, but she’s a pro.) We have the bigger one. She said she loves it, says it does everything it’s supposed to do. Our main oven bit the dust about a year ago, and it took us a few weeks to decide what to get to replace it. In the interim, she used it for everything. She said the only shortcoming was the physical size.
I asked about convection, she said it works great but added that it doesn’t matter much to her. I asked if she would mind the small one. She said there’s various things she makes for dinner that can be done in the larger one that she could not do in one batch in the smaller one.
She’s picky about her kitchen tools… she doesn’t care much what they look like but cares a whole lot about how they work. She’s a fan of the big one, but guessed the small one would be OK if and only if she somehow couldn’t have the bigger one.
Dunno if this helps any. My guess is that you like whichever one you have
The woot prices for these things are great compared to what we paid for a “refurb” (new) back-when…
I bought a Factory reconditioned version of this model for $112 in October 2011 on Amazon, but returned it because it looked like it had been used for a while (still had lil bits o food on the grill).
I returned it, and spent $180 for a new one.
I use it at least once a day, it performs very well at all tasks, and cleans up pretty easy.
My previous toaster ovens ranged from $35-$100.
I do recommend getting the bamboo cutting board that fits nicely on top (Breville BOV650CB, for $30-35) because the top gets really HOT, and the cutting board keeps that from being a problem.
They say this is an 1800 watt oven which means you should be plugging it into 20 amp outlet make sure you have one in your kitchen. Most are 15 amp other than that they make a great product
I’ve had the larger version for a couple of years and use it every day. It’s great in the summer when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen. I never use my standard oven, just the Breville. Instead of the expensive cutting board for the top, I use part of a former bamboo dish rack - it came apart, so I trimmed the long pieces and it works great to keep things on the top, off the hot metal, and lets the air circulate.
Re pizza crisping, you can buy pizza screens at restaurant supply stores. They’re available in different sizes.
BTW, regarding how huge it is compared to a regular toaster oven, it’s not really a toaster oven, it’s a countertop oven that does toast.
I’ve been watching and wanting a Breville for some time, so I know this is a good price. Please note that while the larger and smaller versions are convection, this one is not. I’m hoping you get tha larger one in soon.
We’ve had this toaster oven over a year. I don’t understand the joy about toast. Sure, it’s good for bagels, etc., but plain toast? No way! It sucks. It only toasts the top half and takes 3-4 minutes to do that for a single slice; far more for 2-4 slices!
I do not recommend this, even for the low price; we paid almost twice as much at Williams-Sonoma and are not happy campers.
Most homes built in the last 15-20 years have 20A for kitchen and bathroom circuits, to accomodate things like a microwave, toaster oven, hair dryer, etc.
Anyone who is uncertain about their amperage can simply open the breaker box…you’ll see the amperage on the individual switches (15A and 20A mostly).
Simple math: in 120V areas (like the US) you’ve got 1800 watts on a 15A circuit. 15A x 120V = 1800W. For 20A, it’s 20A x 120V = 2400W.
I bought this at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for about $160 (I think) and it’s well worth it. Works great and I use it often. The digital readings & timer are nice. Can’t go back to one of those cheap toaster ovens anymore.
I just got the 800 version of this and it’s absolutely terrific. It’ll handle 3 bagels at once (6 halves). The temps are very stable and the cooking is very even.
Yes, the outside of any toaster oven is going to get hot. Make sure to leave enough room around it on all sides (back included). About 2-3 inches is enough.
They make a cutting board with heat-resistant feet that can be placed on top of it. This works well too. It might also help if you needed to place the oven under cabinets that were a bit close.
Also note if you have dishes that are a bit cold in the cabinet (it’s winter here) you can put them on top of the oven to warm them up while something’s cooking.
We’ve had the larger version (850) for several years and purchased another a few months back on Woot. Breville makes well-designed products. For everyday cooking/baking this is all you need. A whole Thanksgiving turkey is another thing…but a turkey breast…it can handle. Another thing, many compact ovens say they can toast and don’t. This one does.
I, too, bought the larger model, Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven, over 2 years ago. I haven’t used my full size oven since. True that it takes up a lot of counter space, but I use my regular oven for storage now so it works out. I have the Bamboo cutting board on top with my dutch oven sitting there. Aesthetically looks very nice on the counter and between this oven, microwave and my single portable induction burner cooktop, no heating up the kitchen (in Fla. that’s a plus) and there has been nothing I haven’t been able to cook. Well, no full size turkey but then there is only 2 of us so I bake the breast in the Breville. The kid does cupcakes and cookies (takes longer because only one pan fits at a time) they come out beautiful. Mine has the fan but I really don’t use it that much, haven’t found where it made that much difference in bake time or bake quality. It takes a little bit to heat up before the timer beeps and starts to count down. I checked the oven temperature a couple of times with an oven thermometer, it takes awhile to come up to temp, even after the ready beep sounds but once there it maintains pretty well. The outside does get hot, have been burnt a few times when not paying attention, handle can get pretty warm to the touch. Most times I don’t even preheat, I put the food in, turn on the oven, take a minute or 2 off the cook time and it comes out perfect. Augratin potatoes have the best browned top ever. Small roast, pork chops, fish–perfection. Pot Pies, wrap aluminum foil around the edge, comes out with super crispy crust. Bottom line, when this one eventually bites the dust, it will be replaced with same.
I recently bought the Breville YouBrew from Woot and was excited to see the smart oven now offered. Woot, please keep the Breville products coming. This is my third Breville purchase, because I also own a juicer, and I cannot wait to own more. Superior quality and they all look beautiful on the countertop.
