What is Element IQ in the Breville Smart Oven Pro?

Element IQ is Breville's system for dynamically directing power to specific heating elements based on the selected cooking function. Toast function: power concentrates in the top front and top back elements to brown both bread surfaces from above. Bake function: power shifts to the bottom elements to cook from below first (like a conventional oven). Pizza: power distributes to the bottom and front elements for a crispy crust. The result is more even, function-appropriate heat distribution than fixed-element toaster ovens where all elements run at the same level regardless of the cooking task.

Does the Breville Smart Oven Pro need to preheat?

Yes, for baking and roasting — 8 to 10 minutes at most temperatures. The oven indicates readiness with a beep when the set temperature is reached. For toast: no preheat needed. For air frying (in the BOV900, not the BOV845 Pro): 3 to 5 minutes. The BOV845BSS does not have an air fry function — it is a convection toaster oven with slow cook. For air frying: the Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the correct model.

What is the slow cook function on the Breville Smart Oven Pro?

The slow cook function operates at 225°F to 275°F for 2 to 10 hours — the equivalent of a Crock-Pot or slow cooker. It cycles the heating elements on and off to maintain a low, stable temperature. Use it for short ribs, pulled pork, pot roast, braised chicken, and other low-and-slow cooking that conventionally requires a slow cooker or a 6-hour oven braise. The advantage: the Breville replaces both a toaster oven and a slow cooker, reducing appliance count.

What pan sizes fit in the Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS?

The BOV845BSS interior measures 13 inches wide by 11 inches deep. It fits a 9x13 baking pan (just), a 12-inch pizza pan, a standard muffin tin (12-cup), and a 13x9x2 quarter sheet pan. A full half-sheet pan (18x13) does not fit. The included Broil Rack and Baking Pan are sized specifically for this interior. When purchasing aftermarket pans: measure carefully — many standard '9x13' pans vary slightly and may be tight.

Breville Smart Oven Pro Review: The Best Toaster Oven for Baking and Daily Use

Serious home bakers tend to gravitate toward one machine, and it isn't a coincidence.

The Breville Smart Oven Pro, model BOV845BSS, earned that reputation the slow way, through years of cookie sheets and muffin tins. Testing across ten cooking functions shows why it holds up.

At $200 to $280, this 1,800W convection oven measures 18.5 by 16.3 by 11.4 inches and holds 12-slice capacity. Element IQ shifts power among its elements automatically depending on whether it's toasting, baking, or broiling.

In cookie and muffin tests, its thermostat measured within 3°F of the 350°F setting, producing edge-to-edge browning that a $60 Black+Decker unit couldn't match without manual rotation. A slow cook function that runs at 225°F to 275°F for up to 10 hours effectively replaces a Crock-Pot too.

This review covers how the Smart Oven Pro performed across toast, cookies, muffins, broiling, pizza, and slow cooking, plus who should spend the extra $80 to $130 over the Cuisinart TOA-60.

What You Are Buying

The Breville Smart Oven Pro (BOV845BSS) is a 1,800W convection toaster oven with 10 cooking functions and 12-slice capacity. It measures 18.5 inches wide by 16.3 inches deep by 11.4 inches tall — large but not unusually so for a 12-slice model. The finish: brushed stainless steel. Build quality is premium — the door glass is thick, the rack slides smoothly, and the LCD display and control dial feel precise.

The 10 functions: toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, warm, and slow cook. Each function sets the Element IQ to the correct heating element distribution for that cooking task automatically.

Performance

Toast (6 slices, setting 4 of 5): All 6 slices browned evenly — no lighter corners or darker centers that indicate uneven element heat distribution. The Element IQ front/back top element distribution produces the most even toast result of any toaster oven tested at this price. Time: 4.5 minutes at setting 4.

Baking — chocolate chip cookies (350°F, convection, 10 minutes): All 12 cookies on a quarter sheet pan browned evenly from edge to edge. No rotation required. An identical batch in a $60 Black+Decker required rotation at the halfway point and still produced slightly darker corner cookies. The Breville's thermostat measured 347°F — within 3°F of the set temperature.

Baking — muffins (375°F, convection, 18 minutes): 12 muffins in a standard tin rose evenly and browned consistently top and side. The dome on each muffin was uniform — a sign of even, stable heat throughout the bake.

Broiling — chicken thighs (broil, high, top rack, 12 minutes): Caramelized skin across the full surface, no pale patches. The Broil function concentrates Element IQ to the top elements at high power — the most aggressive broil setting of any toaster oven tested.

Pizza — 12-inch frozen pizza (pizza function, 400°F, 14 minutes): Crispy crust, melted cheese across the full surface. The pizza function balances bottom and front elements to crisp the crust from below while melting cheese from above.

Slow cook — chicken thighs (slow cook, 250°F, 4 hours): Fully cooked, tender, and moist at 4 hours. Internal temperature confirmed safe. The slow cook function held temperature to within 8°F of the set temperature over the full 4 hours.

What It Does Well

Thermostat accuracy is the defining strength. In testing and across owner reports: the BOV845BSS consistently delivers oven temperatures within 5°F to 10°F of the set temperature. For baking: this produces correct results with standard recipe temperatures without adjustment. Eliminating temperature guesswork is worth the premium for households that bake regularly.

Even heat distribution via Element IQ. Baking across a full pan without rotation is the practical proof — the cookies-to-corners test reveals what competitive models hide. The BOV845BSS passes. No toaster oven at a lower price point consistently passes this test without rotation.

Slow cook function is a genuine appliance reducer for households with a slow cooker they use monthly rather than weekly. The BOV845BSS replaces it.

Build quality for a 5 to 10-year lifespan expectation. Heavy glass door. Solid rack. Stainless steel exterior that cleans without scratching. Breville's 1-year warranty covers manufacturing defects.

What Falls Short

No air fry function. The BOV845BSS is a convection toaster oven, not an air fryer toaster oven. For air frying: the Breville BOV900BSS Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the correct Breville model ($350 to $450), or the Cuisinart TOA-60 is the mid-range alternative at $100 to $150.

Price: $200 to $280. The Cuisinart TOA-60 at $100 to $150 handles most of the same cooking tasks for half the price. The Breville's premium is for thermostat accuracy, even heat, slow cook, and build longevity — not for additional functions.

Footprint is large. 18.5 inches wide requires a dedicated counter area. Not suitable for small apartments with limited counter space. The Ninja Foodi SP101 (flip-up design) is the solution for small kitchens wanting full-size capability.

Who Should Buy It

Buy the Breville Smart Oven Pro if: you bake regularly, you want the most accurate thermostat available at this price, you want slow cook to replace a Crock-Pot, and you have 18+ inches of counter space.

Consider the Cuisinart TOA-60 instead if: you need an air fry function, you are budget-constrained to under $150, or occasional baking is adequate with standard recipe adjustments.

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