Cooking is great. There’s an immense satisfaction to be had from sitting down and serving up something you’ve made yourself, whether you’re cooking for one or more than one. These days, however, kitchen space can be a bit of a premium. Whether you’re house-sharing, in a studio apartment or just in a small place, you might not need a full-size oven to cook for one, or simply may not have space.

Packing great cooking power into a much more compact form, mini ovens are a great way to get cooking when you have to economise on space. It can be tricky to choose from though, with there still being a range of sizes to consider, as well as different styles of oven including halogen and electric.

That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve rounded up the pick of the bunch in the mini oven market, to give you all the choice you need in your home cooking endeavours.

1. Sage BOV820BSS Smart Oven Pro

Sage’s powerful 2400W Smart Oven Pro is a sleek, high-tech choice for your mini oven needs. Utilising a clever ‘Element IQ’ function, this appliance is able to cook a huge variety of foods by intelligently adjusting the heating elements. By choosing the right settings from the easy-to-read digital display, you can ensure that your food gets cooked for the right amount of time, but also gets the right levels of heat applied to the right areas. The smart functions also extend to a number of presets for different foods that automatically comes on to keep your food warm once it’s cooked.

Also boasting some useful features, including a removable drip/crumb tray as well as a generous internal volume, this excellent quality convection oven is sure to cook great food time and time again.

2. Aicook Electric Grill Mini Oven

Aicook’s versatile mini oven squeezes numerous cooking functions into a very reasonably-priced package. With a straightforward user interface of 3 knobs, you can easily bake, broil, roast, grill and more to cook just about anything. It also uses a timer function that goes up to an hour, and the temperature is adjustable between 100 and 230°C to cover a wide range of cooking needs. Thanks to that and the 1500W element it’s more than capable of handling up to a full roast dinner; there’s enough room for a whole chicken.

It’s also very simple to clean, thanks to the supplied chrome-plated grill rack and the enamelled baking tray, and all-in-all is a well-built, simple and good quality machine.

3. Dualit 89200 Mini Oven

The durable stainless-steel housing of Dualit’s 89200 oven is a blend of vintage styling with modern technology. The simple, classic looks highlight a solid build quality, with a number of well-thought-out features that place the user firmly in mind. Featuring a door with double glazed glass, for better heat insulation as well as strength, the unit also has a non-stick interior lining and removable drip tray to facilitate simpler cleaning. Also useful is the top of the oven, which doubles as a plate warming area.

Operating simply via 3 dials, the 1300W element heats up to a maximum 230°C in just a few minutes, and has a timer function up to 2 hours. You can also use the oven to defrost, grill and bake, so this oven has got you covered on all bases.

4. Andrew James Mini Oven

Remarkable versatility and great functionality are at the heart of the surprisingly budget-minded Andrew James Mini Oven. The most obvious extra feature comes in the form of the 2 700W ceramic hotplates on top of the oven. These are suitable for use with any type of pot or pan and also feature independent controls so that they can be used at the same time as the rest of the oven. giving the Andrew James an all-in-one feel.

The 1500W oven itself is capable of cooking a variety of foods in a variety of ways, from roasting to baking to warming. With 5 preset cooking functions, as well as an easily-adjustable temperature control up to 230°C and a timer function up to 60 minutes, this is a solidly-built and highly versatile piece of cooking equipment.

5. Legend Halogen Convection Oven

Offering something a little different from the usual design of mini ovens, the Halogen Convection oven from Legend is a solid economical option. Built around a deep glass bowl that will hold even a full roast, infrared light heats the air which is then circulated around the food. This ensures your food cooks more evenly and more quickly and uses less energy than a conventional oven. With a maximum temperature of 250°C and various cooking functions including toasting, grilling as well as a defrost function, this is a flexible machine that will handle lots of food types.

You can easily adjust the temperature and timer via 2 dials on top and move the appliance thanks to some useful side handles. Cleaning is straightforward too as the bowl is fully removable, making this an easily maintained, economical package.

6. Klarstein MasterChef 60

The MasterChef oven from Klarstein is a super spacious and powerful appliance, boasting a huge internal capacity and features that make it much more than a simple oven. The size is one of the most notable elements of the oven; 60 litres internally allows for a massive amount of food to be cooked at once. Its sufficient space for an actual rotisserie spit, another standout part of the oven.

The 4 knob controls of the oven also allow for fine adjustments of temperature (between 100-230°C), a timer of up to 60 minutes with a handy alarm tone when time’s up. You can switch between the various cooking functions which include the rotisserie with ease. Ultimately, for a mini oven, the MasterChef stands out as something that is more than comfortable handling a large group of people as handily as a full-size oven.

7. Andrew James Mini Electric Cooker

The 1500W power, 20 litre internal capacity and compact outer of the Andrew James Mini Electric are an ideal combination to suit a small cooking space. By utilising a 20 litre volume efficiently, you’re given enough space for all but the largest meals. Thanks to 5 preset cooking functions, the appliance is also able to handle most cooking needs. All of these are easily adjusted via the easy-to-read dials on the front, which also allow for fine-tuning of temperature and time. The temperature ranges from 100 to 230°C, while the timer can run up to an hour and is clearly marked to allow for precise 5-minute increments.

The Mini Electric Cooker offers a complete bundle of a well-built oven (also available in 2 colour options, white or black) with solid functionality and good-quality cooking. An excellent pick for those of you on a budget.

8. Salter EK1950 Halogen Convection Cooker

Salter’s entry into the world of energy-efficient halogen cookers represents a winning combination of economy and cooking power. With an energy saving 1400W halogen lamp, it promises to cook your food faster and more evenly, additionally requiring fewer fats/oils to cook with. Therefore it prepares food more healthily too.

A versatile machine too, it comes with a variety of different racks so that cooking more than one food in the oven at once is a breeze. It is nonetheless large enough inside, at 12 litres, to hold large joints of meat, and will also bake, steam and grill food with ease.

The glass bowl is removable, meaning you can comfortably move it around and clean it. The side handles are also an advantage, should you wish to serve at the table directly from the cooker.

9. VonShef Mini Oven

The super-efficient size of this extra-compact mini oven from VonShef provides great cooking power in a wallet-friendly package. Coming in at just 9 litres, it’s an ideal choice for somewhere in which space is at a real premium, but the cooking quality is not. Thanks to quartz heating elements top and bottom, it gets up to temperature very quickly and reaches the maximum 230°C in a matter of minutes.

The appliance also benefits from a straightforward interface, operating with just 2 dials to set temperature and time (programmable up to 30 minutes). Also featuring a sleek, uncomplicated design with a very lightweight build that remains remarkably sturdy, this is a no-nonsense oven that does a simple job very well, with no fuss.

10. Cookshop Halogen Oven

The Halogen Oven from Cookshop offers a convenient bundle of energy efficient and high-quality cooking with a reasonable price tag. Initially boasting a generous 12-litre volume, comfortably enough for large cuts of meat, cakes and the like, it also comes with some very useful grates, allowing you to layer different foods to cook different foods all at once. Another nifty feature is the extender, which sits on top of the main bowl and adds an extra 5 litres of volume, giving you up to 17 litres. The lid also facilitates another level of convenience, being hinged so as not to get in the way.

With simple temperature and time controls, up to 250°C and 60 minutes respectively, this oven will bake, grill, steam and more, even cooking from frozen. With sturdy construction and great features, this is a top buy.

11. Tower T14012 Mini Oven

A compact design that still boasts a large capacity, the neat styling and convenient functionality of the Tower T14012 is hard to beat. Thanks to its 23 litre internal volume, there is comfortable room for plenty of food. A supplied baking tray as well as wire rack means that you’re able to cook multiple items at the same time, and you can quickly switch between its 4 cooking settings thanks to the bold and well-designed control knobs. These also facilitate temperature control, from 100-230°C, and timer controls up to 60 minutes.

Ultimately, it’s hard to go wrong with this oven from Tower. Allowing you to conveniently cook a number of ways with hassle-free controls, and turning out well-cooked food every time, it does everything it needs to and does it well.

12. Elgento E14026 Compact Oven

Whether you’re cooking for one or cooking for a crowd, don’t let the name fool you – Elgento’s Compact oven still packs in plenty of cooking quality into its small size. The 16 litre internal capacity is enough for a good-sized dish of food, even up to full chickens and similar. Featuring 2 quartz heating elements, at the top and bottom, it’ll get up to temperature quickly, with a range from 90-230°C.

The 60-minute timer is easily set, with the dial also showing 2-minute increments for an increased level of accuracy (which makes it ideal for things like baking), and 2 additional dials help you control temperature and choose from the 4 cooking settings.

It also features a few neat element to make it a little more user-friendly, with a cool-touch handle on the door and a removable crumb/drip tray to simplify the cleaning process.

Which Mini Oven should I go for?

Best quality & features – The BOV820BSS Smart Oven Pro by Sage has the best features of all the ovens on test here, with the high quality of the product justifying the high-end price tag. Most notably are the digital display and controls powering the ‘Element IQ’ system. The way in which this system helps to control the temperature of the oven, based on whichever of the 10 presets you’ve chosen, is highly intuitive and ensures that your food is cooked evenly, and to perfection, every time.

Having 10 presets in this oven is also a real advantage. Including toaster and grill settings, options for specific food types and even a slow cook option if you want to cook without needing to constantly monitor it, the Sage has you covered. The auto-shutoff features add to this, meaning that it’ll keep your food warm when it’s done cooking but won’t let it overheat.

It’s thanks to this versatility, as well as the great build quality, powerful elements, and user-friendly design that puts the Smart Oven Pro at the top of our best buy list.

On a budget – The Mini Electric Cooker from Andrew James isn’t the absolute cheapest on our list but packs a lot into what is still a very reasonable price. In terms of functionality, it does everything required of it without being flashy (that said, it does look great). An ideal temperature range, simple but well-crafted controls and a solid build quality that outshines the modest price, it’s not-so-budget features at a decent budget price.

The smallest option – VonShef’s 9 litre Mini Oven is far and away the best option for when you really need to make the most of a small space. At just 35.4 x 28.1 x 19.4cm, it’ll take up minimal room on your countertops or wherever it’s needed. That said, it’s definitely small and mighty, with 1050W of heating power to complement its small size, and is much tougher than you might think.

Most efficient cooking – The Halogen Oven from Cookshop wins on efficiency for a number of reasons. Firstly, the nature of halogen as a means of cooking uses less energy to produce the heat for cooking, and by using convection it cooks things up to 3 times more quickly than a conventional oven. Therefore, you have an oven that cooks things with less energy, and for less time. Cookshop’s take on the halogen oven uses this technology to prepare food in a number of ways, including from frozen.

It’s also pretty efficient with space and gains further points by merit of an expandable internal volume. It’s fair to say that it won’t break the bank either, so it’s even financially efficient.

Best for students – the 9 litre Mini Oven from VonShef definitely stands as the best option for students. Owing partly to the very compact size, it will easily fit into the typically small spaces afforded to students, whether it’s in a shared kitchen or on a desk in your room. Should you also be a student without too much cooking experience, the simple dual-knob controls are hard to get wrong. Finally, probably the most typically student-friendly aspect of it is the price – you’d probably spend more on a night out than on this little oven.

Best for entertaining – the MasterChef 60 from Klarstein is about as big as mini ovens come, so if you’re cooking for a crowd, look no further. Relative to the other ovens on test, the 60-litre internal capacity is colossal and will fit (as claimed) 2 whole chickens, if that happens to be on your menu. Multiple shelves and the rotisserie function mean that it’s versatile enough to cook plenty, and is powerful enough to mean you won’t keep people waiting for long.

Mini Oven Buying Guide

A mini oven is an appliance that seeks to take your day-to-day cooking requirements and simplify them while taking up significantly less physical space than its conventional-sized counterpart. They are ideal if you have limited room in your house or apartment, mostly requiring just a small chunk of your countertops, and while they are often used just cooking for one, some are quite capable of entertaining larger groups. One big advantage offered by mini ovens in comparison to full-size ones is energy efficiency, as they use far less electricity. Nonetheless, even within the mini oven category, there is some variance in energy economy.

Compact ovens also have varying functionality, something else to consider when shopping around – depending on what you cook, how many you cook for and how much time you have can all impact your choice. To help you with making this decision, we’ve compiled some pointers to fully inform your mini oven choice.

What size should I buy?

This can come down to a number of elements. For instance, if you’re replacing a full-size oven and using the mini oven as a complete stand-in, then you’ll most likely need one of the bigger and more sophisticated mini ovens. Some have much bigger internal capacities, and with that more functions. For instance, some serve as more direct replacements for full-size ovens, complete with hobs as well as the internal functions. It is of course also worth keeping in mind how much space you have where you expect to keep your mini oven.

You’ve also got to consider how many you’re cooking for, as well as the type of cooking you do most often. Cooking for big parties or families? The bigger the better, to fit multiple dishes, crock pots and so on. Cooking for one or two? You can probably get away with a more compact option.

Energy efficiency

Mini ovens are, by design, more economical than a full-size oven because of their size. They only need to heat up a much smaller area, and therefore typically cook food a little quicker than in an equivalent regular oven. This, in turn, means that they are switched on for less time, and with a smaller surface area, also produce less waste heat.

In general, most mini ovens are around the 1500W power mark, which is a good middle ground. Naturally, some are more powerful than that and as such may use more energy. One consideration you can make, however, is the option of a halogen oven, which creates heat through a halogen bulb and generates infrared light waves to cook food via convection. This often leads to shorter cooking times and a reduced electricity usage.

How easy is it to clean?

Cleaning is a pain, really. As such, particularly with smaller appliances, ease of cleaning comes to the fore as a major consideration for frequent, convenient use. There are different features that lend themselves to keeping your mini ovens shinier for longer – keep an eye out for non-stick linings. This keeps food from sticking to the surfaces, but also means that they’re far more ‘wipe-clean’ as opposed to ‘scrub-clean’.

Halogen ovens are also quite easy to clean on account of their general design; food naturally comes off glass relatively easily, but most have removable bowls so that you can get to it easily. They also, to a point, self-clean; by adding water/detergent and running the unit as normal, the internal fan that usually handles convection will swirl the water and handle grease or food deposits in a matter of minutes.

What kind of cooking do you do?

The kind of cooking you do regularly will influence the type of mini oven that’s right for you. For instance, if you’re a keen baker, then precision in terms of time and temperature is vital. In that kind of context, an oven with more precise controls and settings could well be the superior option. On the other hand, if you’re more of a casual cook and don’t need all the bells and whistles of an expensive machine, something much simpler will do the jo. After all, you don’t need complex settings if you’re just popping something simple in the oven.

That’s everything you ought to need when it comes to considering your new mini oven. With (most of the time) all the functionality of a conventional full-size appliance, albeit at generally lower prices and always better space economy, mini ovens are becoming more and more popular. Now, you can make an informed decision and buy the mini oven that’s right for you.