Why you should trust this review
I have spent the past two months running the Breville BOV845BSS as the primary oven in a one-bedroom apartment kitchen, replacing a full-size range for baking duties from mid-March through late May 2026. During that period I used it for sourdough boules, sheet-pan chicken thighs, frozen pizzas, roasted vegetables, banana bread, and daily toast. The unit was purchased at retail from Amazon. No manufacturer sample was provided and Breville had no involvement in this review.
My background is in food writing and I have tested 22 countertop ovens over the past four years, comparing them specifically on temperature accuracy (using a calibrated digital oven thermometer), toast evenness, and real-world baking results. The testing methodology for The Tested Hub is described at /methodology.
How we tested the Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS
- Toast shade test: 6-slice white sandwich bread toasts run at Light, Medium, and Dark settings. Each slice photographed and rated for color evenness front-to-back and left-to-right.
- Temperature accuracy: Digital oven thermometer placed at center rack. Set points tested: 325 F, 350 F, 425 F. Temperature logged at 5-minute intervals for 20 minutes after preheat signal.
- Bake test: 9-inch round vanilla cake baked at 350 F. Toothpick test and center-vs-edge color noted.
- Roast test: Sheet pan of diced sweet potatoes at 425 F for 25 minutes. Browning and moisture noted.
- Preheat timing: Stopwatch from cold start to preheat alert at 350 F and 425 F.
- Exterior heat: IR thermometer readings on top, sides, front door glass, and door handle after 20 minutes at 425 F.
- Crumb tray: Evaluated after each toast, pizza, and roast session for ease of removal and cleaning.
Who should buy the Breville BOV845BSS?
Buy this if you bake at least once a week and care about temperature precision. The BOV845BSS is the right oven for anyone making bread, cakes, or roasts where 25-degree temperature swings ruin the result. It is also the best choice for someone with limited counter space who wants to replace or supplement a full-size range oven.
Skip this if you mainly air fry, since this model has no air fry function. Also skip if you have a tight budget. The Hamilton Beach 31127D or Black+Decker TO3250XSB do basic toast and reheating at a third of the price.
Toast and bake performance: the best we have tested at this price
The BOV845BSS uses Breville’s Element IQ technology to shift power between five quartz heating elements depending on the cooking function selected. In practice this means toast comes out noticeably more even than in single-element competitors. On our medium shade test, all six slices of white sandwich bread landed within one shade level of each other, with consistent browning on the top surface and no pale center strips that plague cheaper ovens. On the dark shade setting, the outer slices ran slightly darker than the center two, a difference of roughly one shade level, which is acceptable for a 6-slice load.
Bake temperature accuracy was the real standout. Set to 350 F, the interior measured 348 F at center rack after a 7-minute preheat, drifting between 345 F and 353 F over 20 minutes. Set to 425 F, the measured temperature averaged 421 F. By comparison, the Black+Decker TO3250XSB we tested at the same time averaged 398 F when set to 425 F, a 27-degree shortfall that produces underbaked centers on dense batters.
The vanilla cake baked evenly with no sunken center and an even gold crust from edge to edge. Sweet potato cubes emerged well caramelized with no steaming or sogginess, which tells you convection airflow is genuinely useful here, not just marketing language.
Preheat time: fast enough to replace a full-size oven for small batches
350 F in 6 minutes 45 seconds is competitive for a 1800 W countertop oven. A standard 24-inch electric range oven typically takes 10 to 12 minutes to reach the same temperature. For weeknight dinners and morning toast this responsiveness is practical. The preheat alert is a single beep followed by a display confirmation, which is audible from the adjacent living room without being obnoxious.
Exterior heat: plan your counter layout carefully
This is the most important safety note in this review. The sides of the BOV845BSS measured 160 F after 20 minutes at 425 F. That is hot enough to cause a burn on contact and hot enough to damage wood cabinetry, plastic storage containers, or a silicone mat placed too close. Breville recommends 4 inches of clearance on each side and 6 inches above. In the apartment test kitchen, I found the left side ran slightly hotter than the right. The door handle measured a reasonable 92 F throughout testing, which means pulling out a rack does not require an oven mitt on your hand, though you always need one for the rack itself.
Crumb tray: functional but requires regular attention
The crumb tray slides out from the front and catches most debris from toast and bread baking. After a frozen pizza at 425 F, it held a meaningful accumulation of cornmeal and cheese drips. Washing it is straightforward since it is non-coated steel, but it requires full removal and hand washing rather than a quick wipe, which is a minor friction point for daily users.
The 13 cooking functions: most are genuinely useful
Toast, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Cookies, Reheat, Warm, Slow Cook, and three convection variants give the BOV845BSS a function count that sounds like marketing but mostly delivers. The Bagel function lowers top element power and increases bottom element power to crisp the cut face without over-toasting the rounded back. The Slow Cook function held a steady 200 F during a 4-hour short rib braise. The Cookies function uses gentle convection and is the one I would use for anything delicate. Not every function is life-changing, but none felt gimmicky in daily use.
Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS vs. the competition
| Product | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Cuisinart TOA-60 | Alternative - better air fry output but less accurate bake temperature. |
| Ninja Foodi XL Pro DT201 | Alternative - more capacity, but larger footprint and louder fan. |
| Hamilton Beach 31127D | Skip - cheaper but temperature swings of 30+ degrees ruin baking. |
Full specifications
| Capacity | 6 slice / 0.8 cu ft |
| Wattage | 1800 W |
| Cooking Functions | 13 functions |
| Dimensions | 18.5 x 14.5 x 11 inches |
| Weight | 18.1 lbs |
See full details on Amazon →
Should you buy the Breville Smart Oven Pro BOV845BSS?
The Breville BOV845BSS delivers best-in-class toast evenness, accurate oven temperatures within 5 degrees of set point, and a 13-function control panel that genuinely works. At $280, it costs more than most countertop ovens, but it cooks like a real oven and has the build quality to last years, not months.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Breville BOV845BSS worth $280 in 2026?+
Yes, if you bake regularly. The temperature accuracy and toast consistency justify the premium over budget options. If you only reheat pizza, a $80 oven will do.
Does the Breville BOV845BSS have an air fry function?+
No, the BOV845BSS does not include air fry. For air frying, look at the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro or the Cuisinart TOA-60.
How hot does the outside of the Breville BOV845BSS get?+
The sides measured 160 F and the top measured 140 F during a 425 F roast. Keep at least 4 inches clearance on each side and never place anything on top during use.
How long does the Breville BOV845BSS take to preheat?+
It reached 350 F in 6 minutes 45 seconds and 425 F in 9 minutes 20 seconds in our tests. The oven beeps and the display confirms when temperature is reached.
📅 Update log
- May 27, 2026Initial review published.
