Published: August 20, 2026
Last Updated: August 20, 2026
Leading the pack for all-around smart cooking in 2026 is the Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro ($499.95 MSRP, 1800W, 13 cooking functions). For dedicated air frying, the Ninja Crispi was also the best lab-test performer for its modular glass construction and nontoxic lining. For complete hands-off meal-kit cooking, nothing beats the Tovala Smart Oven Pro‘s scan-to-cook QR system. Here‘s what each can do best, what to steer clear of (including discontinued models that other sites still suggest), and what points to consider before assuming that Wi-Fi connectivity is worth the upcharge. For the bigger picture, check out our smart appliances center.
Definition: Smart oven or air fryer: Must be Wi-Fi connected, must have pairing to a companion app or voice assistance, must have sensors, guided recipes, or AI-powered probes for automation of cooking decisions that a typical convection oven cannot do.
The short answer: The Breville Joule leads for overall smart cooking, and the Ninja Crispi wins for air frying. Do your best to avoid the no-longer-available smart ovens that need cloud connection.
Quick-reference comparison matrix
| Product |
Best-for use case |
Smart connectivity |
Capacity |
Price range (USD, MSRP) |
Key risk or limitation |
| Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro |
Households wanting one countertop appliance to replace a toaster, oven, and air fryer — with app-guided recipes and voice control (Alexa, Google Assistant) |
Wi-Fi + Breville+ app + Alexa/Google voice; “Autopilot” guided step-by-step cooking |
Fits 9 slices of toast or a 14 lb turkey; 1800W across 13 cooking functions |
499.95list; 499.95list; 400 during promotions (Gizmodo, May 2026) |
Premium price; full smart features require the Breville+ app ecosystem, separate from the non-connected Breville Smart Oven line |
| Tovala Smart Oven Pro |
Busy professionals and families who use meal kits and want automated scan-to-cook convenience with minimal prep |
Wi-Fi + Tovala app; QR scan-to-cook sets time, temp, and steam automatically for 900+ grocery items |
Medium — fits a 10″ pizza or 4 lb chicken; steam-assisted cooking |
249–249–299; discounts when bundled with meal-kit subscription (60–60–80/week) |
Strongest value tied to Tovala’s meal-kit subscription; without kits, functions as a capable but not exceptional compact smart oven |
| Typhur Sync Oven |
Home cooks prioritizing precision protein cooking (steaks, roasts, whole chicken) with automatic doneness verification |
Wi-Fi + Typhur app; built-in wireless AI meat thermometer auto-stops at target doneness |
27 QT; 360° turbo convection; handles batch cooking |
399–399–499 |
Newer brand with limited long-term reliability data; voice assistant integration not currently supported |
| Ninja Crispi Glass Air Fryer |
Individuals or couples wanting fast, crispy air-fried results in a compact, nontoxic appliance — CNET’s top-rated air fryer for 2026 |
Limited app connectivity; core strength is physical cooking performance, not smart ecosystem |
Modular glass vessels (multiple sizes); compact footprint for 1–2 person servings |
149–149–199 |
Dedicated air fryer only — cannot bake, roast, or toast; limited smart connectivity vs. full smart ovens |
| June Oven DISCONTINUED |
Previously targeted tech-forward cooks wanting AI food recognition and camera monitoring; no longer a viable purchase |
Wi-Fi + June app (shutting down); camera (shutting down); AI food ID (shutting down). Weber announced cloud shutdown August 2026 |
Medium-large; 12 cooking functions; dual-element convection |
Formerly 599–599–999; secondary market only at unpredictable pricing |
All cloud-dependent features will cease. Remote control, camera, guided cooking permanently disabled after server shutdown (source: weber.com) |
Methodology: Products included based on publicly available information, including top-10 Google SERP results for “best smart ovens and air fryers 2026” (August 2026), manufacturer product pages, and independent lab-tested reviews from CNET, Forbes Vetted, Tom’s Guide, and RTINGS. Prices reflect manufacturer list pricing at time of publication. No products were tested by the author or publication. All performance claims are attributed to named third-party sources.
What makes an oven or air fryer “smart” in 2026?
What is a “smart oven” or “smart air fryer”? This is an oven that hooks up to your home Wi-Fi connection and communicates with the associated app or voice assistant (using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant) to allow remote preheating, step-by-step recipes, live temperature updates, and automatic cooking adjustments. A digital display convection oven without Wi-Fi connectivity, like most existing digital ovens, is not “smart”.
Three technologies define the category in 2026:
- Element iQ (Breville): Independent quartz heating elements that send power exactly where it is needed to heat food, for precise, zone-based temperature control via the Breville+ app
- Scan-to-cook (Tovala): Using a QR code to calibrate time, temperature & steam levels for 900+ grocery store items, and Tovala’s meal kits no user adjustment required
- AI-meat probe (Typhur): An integrated wireless thermometer measures the internal protein temperature continuously and stops cooking automatically when the desired doneness level is reached.
The difference is important because most appliances labeled “smart” are just digital touch screens. If the oven can not be viewed or managed through a phone application or voice command, it is just a digital oven.
Which smart ovens are worth buying right now?
The oven performs best overall and with app connectivity: the Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro. The Tovala Smart Oven Pro is best for meal-kit automation, and the Typhur Sync Oven is best for ideal cooking of protein in addition to automatic doneness confirmation. All connect to Wi-Fi, have their own corresponding apps, and have features impossible for any non-AI-convection oven to match.
Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro — best overall
Ranked as the top choice by all three: Forbes Vetted, Tom‘s Guide, and RTINGS in the year 2026, the Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro. Basic specifications:
- Power: 1800W, with the Element iQ smart heat distribution
- Functions: 13 modes toast, bagel, bake, air fry, broil, roast, pizza, cookies, proof, reheat, slow cook, keep warm, dehydrate
- Capacity: Holds 9 slices of bread, 14 lb turkey.
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi + Breville+ app with “Autopilot” guided cooking; Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
- Price: 499.95MSRP, promotionalpriceaslowas 499.95MSRP, promotional price as low as 400 (reported by Gizmodo, May 2026)
Voice control allows for hands-free preheat to a specific temperature (e.g., “Alexa, preheat Joule to 375°”). Initiating a full guided Autopilot recipe via voice is not yet available; this is done through the Breville+ app.
Tovala Smart Oven Pro — best for hands-off cooking
Tovala Smart Oven Pro is ideal for those who order meal kits or dislike decision making in the kitchen. Its scan-to-cook QR code sets time, temperature and steam level automatically, and no manipulation needed. Forbes Vetted’s review shows the oven’s steam-powered cooking gets results similar to a $1000 oven, proving it can affordably match a much higher-end appliance.
- Capacity: Fits a 10” pizza or a 4 pound chicken
- Price: 249–249–299; often discounted when added to Tovala’s meal-kit subscription (60–60–80/week for 3–4 meals)
- Limitation: The most compelling value proposition is centered around Tovala’s meal-kit platform. If one did not have the subscription, the oven would be a solid, though unremarkable, small smart oven.
Typhur Sync Oven — best for protein precision
The Typhur Sync Oven is aimed at home chefs seeking hassle-free steak, roast, and whole chicken doneness comparable to that offered by the best restaurant. This oven is equipped with a built-in wireless AI meat thermometer monitoring the meat‘s internal temperature in real time and automatically terminating cooking at the desired doneness (a Forbes Vetted differentiation pick during 2026 countertop oven testing).
- Capacity: 27 QT; 360° turbo convection
- Price: 399–399–499
- Limitation: Newer brand with a smaller amount of long-term reliability data compared to Breville or Ninja; Voice assistant integration is not available at this time
Which smart air fryers are worth buying in 2026?
According to CNET’s lab tests for 2026, the Ninja Crispi best dedicated smart air fryer ranked best overall because of its modular glass construction and nontoxic qualities. The Ninja Foodi DualZone is still our choice for families that want the flexibility of using 2 foods at 2 temperatures.
Ninja Crispi — best overall smart air fryer
In CNET’s 2026 lab test, the Ninja Crispi awarded best overall air fryer for their modular glass cooking vessels (multiple sizes available), safe non toxic coatings and reliable crisping. Price: 149–149–199. The small footprint is ideal for 1- 2-person portions. Main drawback: a dedicated air fryer like this one cannot do ‘all the other things’ that a multi function oven (like a Breville Joule or Ninja Combi) can do bake, roast, toast etc.
Ninja Foodi DualZone — best for families
The Ninja Foodi DualZone has two separate baskets to cook two different foods at two different temperatures at the same time example: chicken wings at 400 degrees in one basket and roasted vegetables at 375 degrees in the other. Capacity is more than four servings per batch. Price ranges from 179 to 229. The Ninja Foodi DualZone also has an innovation called “Smart Finish” which synchronizes the cooking so both baskets end at the same time removing an area of frustration for single basket air fryers.
Smart oven or smart air fryer — which one do you actually need?
Get a smart oven if you want one device to take the place of your toaster oven, conventional oven, and air fryer for a household of 3+ people. Get a dedicated smart air fryer if you cook for 1–2 people and want fast, crispy results more than the versatility of an oven. In 2026, owning a dedicated smart air fryer and oven is unnecessary for most households, as all smart ovens listed above include a dedicated air fry mode.
| Factor |
Smart oven |
Dedicated smart air fryer |
| Ideal household size |
3+ people |
1–2 people |
| Cooking modes |
10–13 functions (bake, roast, toast, air fry, dehydrate, slow cook) |
1–3 functions (air fry, reheat, roast) |
| Counter footprint |
Large — approx. 21″ × 17″ (Breville Joule) |
Compact — approx. 12″ × 12″ (Ninja Crispi) |
| Price range |
249–249–499 |
149–149–229 |
| Best for |
Replacing multiple appliances with one versatile unit |
Fast, single-purpose crisping with minimal counter space |
If you are unsure, start with the smart oven. You can air fry in a smart oven, but you cannot bake or roast in a dedicated air fryer.
What happens when a smart oven company shuts down?
If the manufacturer stops providing cloud services for the smart oven, it cannot use any of its app functionalities – remote control, guided recipes, real-time monitoring, automated cooking timing – despite the fact that the steaming and heating elements not affected. June Oven is the main warning case for 2026.
The June Oven (initially praised for its AI food recognition camera and app operated cooking) discontinued in 2023 (after Weber bought June Life). Weber announced the shutdown of the June Oven’s cloud servers and app support, confirmed on the Weber June Oven support page, in August 2026.
Web forum communities (r/juneoven, r/Appliances) record widespread user anger users report that the shutdown was effectively “bricking” the feature that warranted the original 599–599–999 purchase price.
Buying rule: Focus on smart ovens that actually perform internal cooking functions ( convection, air fry, broil) if not connected to Wi-Fi. Components such as app control, guided recipes, and voice control should consider optional features. If tomorrow the company decided to delete the APP, the oven should still perform all the core cooking functions to the same standard.
What features should you look for before buying?
Before you buy any smart oven or air fryer, consider these six factors in the order of their daily-use importance (not their marketing status). For a comprehensive overview of the various categories of connected kitchen devices (excl. Ovens and air fryers), take a look at our guide to the best smart kitchen appliances.
- Capacity: 4-6L (for 1-2 persons), 12L+ oven-style (for family-sized 3+ persons). Too small frustrates batch-cooking, too large wastes counter-space and energy.
- Power: 1300 Watts needed to safely preheat quickly and produce crispy air fry results. Breville Joule‘s 1800W is leading the field for the time being.
- App quality: Check both the iOS App Store and Android app store to see what the manufacturer ratings are like before purchasing. Stay away from appliances that require paid subscriptions or lock core cooking modes away.
- Voice control depth: Check which commands supported by your voice assistant. Preheat to 375° supported by most apps, Alexa and Google; start guided recipe for salmon usually requires a companion app.
- Coating safety: PTFE-free and PFOA-free markers if you want a nontoxic product. The Breville Joule and Ninja Crispi also both have non-toxic coating on the insides (double check the product page for the model you want).
- Cleaning ease: Dishwasher-proof basket and removable crumb trap minimize daily cleanup effort. Ceramic coatings are considerably more long-lasting than traditional non-stick, but are still only starting to appear in economy models.
Frequently asked questions
A smart oven is worth the premium solely if at least 3 times weekly you will be regularly practicing guided cooking or remote monitoring. If all you require is convection and air–fry your preferred non-connected oven such as the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (the non-app brother of the Joule) can match its cooking outcomes for 100–100–150 less. Only pay the “smart” premium if remote pre-heat, step-by-step Autopilot recipes, or voice command connectivity eradicate friction in your 7-day-a-week cooking process.
2. Can a smart air fryer replace a full-size oven?
In daily meals for 1–3 people, yes. An air fryer oven in 12L+ size can do roasting, baking, and air frying without heating the entire kitchen and preheats in 2–3 min, versus 10–15 min in a regular oven. For batch cooking, big feasts or multi-rack cooking, a real oven still needed.
3. What happened to the June Oven and can I still buy one?
The June Oven was discontinued in 2023 after the purchase of June Life by Weber. As of August 2026 Weber announced the sunset of all cloud servers and app support for the June Oven, which in turn disables all smart functionalities of the appliance. These smart features include remote control, live internal camera feeds, and AI-guided cooking. The oven itself can continue to heat and cook food, but not recommended to buy one because it would no longer have its defining “smart” features.
4. Are smart oven coatings safe?
The majority of smart ovens at the high end for 2026 are PTFE-free and PFOA-free. The Breville Joule and Ninja Crispi both utilize nontoxic coatings confirmed on each of their manufacturer product pages. For whichever model not explicitly sold as nontoxic (ex: “nonstick” does not necessarily imply PTFE- and/or PFOA-free coating), verify the manufacturer‘s specifications.
