Energy efficiency has become the number one consideration when buying new household appliances.
Higher living costs mean we’re looking to make savings where we can, no matter how small. Microwaves and air fryers are enjoying a boom in sales as they use less energy to cook meals and snacks than the hob and oven.
These machine marvels are great, but often only offer one function. If you’re looking for a countertop device that can do more, a mini oven ticks most boxes.
Perfect for small flats, tiny caravan kitchens or for having as a secondary oven to use when you’re whipping up dishes for big events like Christmas, mini ovens heat up rapidly meaning they can reach the desired temperature and cook ingredients far more efficiently than a traditional oven. Most options offer functions in addition to reheating, like roasting, grilling and baking - and some even come with an air-frying option too.
Whether you’re making mini pizzas or want the heavenly scent of freshly baked pain au chocolat filling your home on a weekend morning, a compact mini oven can make it happen, and at the snip of the pre-heating time of regular ovens.
They won’t burn a hole in your wallet either; most range from the £40 mark to a couple of hundred pounds depending on the make and the functions offered.
Best countertop mini ovens at a glance
- Best overall: Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Multifunction Oven DT200UK - £249, Amazon
- Best for programming gold: Samsung Easy View™ Convection Microwave Oven - £249, Very
- Best for aesthetics: Our Place Wonder Oven - £195, Our Place
- Best for watching: Sage Smart Oven - £329.99, Currys
- Best for tiny kitchens: Cookworks 28L Mini Oven with Hob - £128, Argos
- Best for budget: Lakeland Digital Mini Oven – £89.99, Lakeland
- Best for multifunctional marvel: Tower 42L Black Mini Oven with Hot Plates - £135, Dunelm
- Best for fakeaways: Russell Hobbs 26680 20L Air Fryer Mini Oven - £92.99, Amazon
- Best for students: Daewoo Mini Countertop Electric Cooker - £99.99, Amazon
- Best for party catering: IGENIX IG7131 Electric Mini Oven - £79.99, Currys
If you like the idea of having an additional device to help you cook meals faster, we’ve rounded up the best mini ovens to sit on your counter.
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Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Multifunction Oven DT200UK
Best: overall
Offering a whopping 10 functions in a device that measures just 50.5 x 43.5 x 33.5cm, Ninja’s mini oven is as impressive as the rest of its kitchen appliances. This compact machine can cook pizza, grill, roast, bake, toast and crisp bagels perfectly across three racks. Oh, and it can air fry too, allowing you to enjoy previously guilty pleasures for a fraction of the oil.
The mini oven can make mains and sides simultaneously saving you from having to clean extra appliances and it can do it up to 40 per cent faster than a conventional fan oven. It’s perfect for big-family homes and small kitchens to replace a conventional oven.
Comes with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £249.00, Amazon
Samsung Easy View™ Convection Microwave Oven with HotBlast™ Technology, 28L
Best for: programming gold
Using convection technology to cook food more efficiently, Samsung’s countertop oven is practically indistinguishable from a regular microwave. The stealthy helper offers six power levels and a whopping 39 programs to help you cook whatever is on the table.
One of its biggest draws is HotBlast Technology which zaps your foodstuffs with heat from multiple air holes so it cooks nice and evenly. There’s also SLIM FRY which is essentially an air frying function and ECO Mode to save money on bills when the unit is on standby.
Buy now £249.00, Very
Our Place Wonder Oven
Best for: aesthetics
The six-in-one appliance from Our Place comes with an air frying function, but it can also bake, roast, toast, reheat, and broil, making it an invaluable piece of kitchen tech.
The compact dimensions make it ideal for small households or spaces - for instance, you could feasibly use it in a caravan as long as you have mains power. Steam infusion ensures food comes out crispy on the outside and juicy inside: the best combination for everything from fries and wings to cookies.
Comes with a one-year warranty and a 100-day trial period.
Buy now £195.00, Our Place
Sage Smart Oven™ Air Fryer Stainless Steel Countertop, Silver
Best for: watching while you wait
This slick, stainless steel design offers 10 cooking functions including air fry using convection cooking to get deliciously crispy results with practically zero oil. The Element iQ® System directs heat to where it’s needed so there are no cold or raw spots when the timer pings. Monitor things through the window and adjust where needed on the clear LCD display.
Like all electricals sold by John Lewis, it comes with a two-year guarantee included.
Buy now £329.99, Currys
Cookworks 28L Mini Oven with Hob
Best for: tiny kitchens
When space is tight, every piece of cooking equipment counts. For tiny homes, studio flats and student accommodation, Cookworks’ mini oven topped with two hot plates means a hot homecooked meal is possible even in the tightest of spaces. The 28L 2500W machine can reach temperatures of up to 220° and offers a rotisserie function as well so you can enjoy juicy chicken when you fancy it.
For safety, only one hob will work when the oven is in use. A one-year manufacturer’s guarantee is included in the purchase.
Buy now £128.00, Argos
Lakeland Digital Mini Oven – Black
Best for: budget
It looks like a microwave and can operate like one, but this device does so much more than simply reheating food.
Enjoy rotisserie chicken and homemade yoghurt, each very different dish done to perfection in Lakeland’s digital mini oven. It’s chock full of functions (nine, to be exact) to streamline cooking, from pre-heating to keeping warm so you’re always at the optimum temperature for whatever’s on the menu. Everything from the digital display to the wide viewing window and host of accessories is designed to help you get dinner on the table quicker.
Buy now £89.99, Lakeland
Tower 42L Black Mini Oven with Hot Plates
Best for: multifunctional marvel
Perfect for large households, this mini oven comes with 1000W and 600W hotplates on top to maximise its cooking abilities. Use these to warm up sauces or soup while the oven takes care of the rest of your courses. The temperature can be adjusted from 90° to 230° and there’s a 90-minute timer to help you keep an eye on timings. Comes with a three-year guarantee.
Buy now £135.00, Dunelm
Russell Hobbs 26680 20L Air Fryer Mini Oven
Best for: fakeaways
Make perfectly baked pizza, crispy French fries and juicy chicken wings in Russell Hobbs’ mini oven which comes with an air fryer option included. There are four other cooking modes - bake, grill, toast and keep warm - offering excellent versatility for whatever whets your appetite. The machine uses a 1500W convection fan to channel high heat around the 20L capacity, cooking dishes up to 2.5 times faster than traditional methods. Faster cook times mean less energy used and hopefully a drop in household bills.
Buy now £92.99, Amazon
Daewoo Mini Countertop Electric Cooker
Best for: students
An astonishingly budget buy, Daewoo’s small but mighty electric cooker comes with a grill function and hot plates on top, packing in a ton of cooking options in one device. The 32L capacity is plenty for a small household, cooking enough portions for dinner with enough room to make leftovers or batch cook too. The heat can be adjusted from 100° - 230° and there’s a 60-minute timer function to help too.
Comes with a three-year guarantee.
Buy now £99.99, Amazon
IGENIX IG7131 Electric Mini Oven - White
Best for: party catering
Whether you've got a roaring appetite or you just fancy a little snack, this mini oven from Igenix can help satisfy your stomach. The 30L capacity is generous enough to use as your main cooking appliance if you're in a small home while keen hosts might also appreciate the gadget to help when they're throwing a dinner party. It's loaded with four functions and runs on 1500W, while taking up about the same countertop room as a standard microwave.
Buy now £79.99, Currys
Verdict
Hand a P45 to the rest of your kitchen appliances; they'll be out of work the moment you unwrap your new Ninja mini oven. What bowled us over the most was the number of cooking functions, followed by the double tray that let you do more in the same amount of space.
That said, it is quite expensive. If you're looking for a souped-up microwave, Samsung's version takes it to the next level and offers an air fryer-like function that you'll find yourself using more than you think.
