Bought this to replace an older Breville model that served me well for many years but had reached the end of its life. Was choosing between this and the newer Breville models but decided to go with the Kitchen Aid for a couple of reasons. One was it was bigger in internal size compared to most of the Breville's unless you get into its top-of-the-line model, which is far, far more expensive. Plus, it starts adding Apps which I have no use for on a toaster oven.
I also like that the dual fans are located at the rear versus the side. I'm no engineer, and it's entirely anecdotal, but I feel the fans at the back do a bit better job evenly blowing the hot air around the food. This is especially true when air frying. The included air frying basket as others have noted is a bit of a pain in the butt to clean. Just needs some diligence while cleaning up after something like chicken wings.
Another feature that sold me on the Kitchen Aid was that it has lower temps for its proofing function, (75* versus the Breville's 80*) When making sourdough the lower temp is beneficial for slower proofing enhancing the sour flavour of the dough and giving you time with the dough. You can always dial in a higher temperature if you want, but you can't dial in a lower than its minimum setting.
I found it takes a bit longer to toast than my older Breville, but the size difference between the two is substantial so I'm not going to fault the oven for having more real estate to try to heat up. It's air fry function works very well and with the size of this oven, I can put a 10" cast iron skillet in with room to spare. I'm convinced I could shoehorn in a 12" pan with no issues. If you have low shelf to counter space, you might find it doesn't fit. So maybe measure before you buy.
I haven't used the included meat prob thermometer yet so I can't comment on how well it functions. The magnet for the case that it comes with is very strong, so you won't have to worry about knocking it off the side of the oven.
You can change the temp and the time remaining on the fly by pressing the corresponding buttons and then turning the dial to the appropriate temp/time you want.
All in all, super happy. My only complaint was I waited and didn't purchase it sooner. Unless I'm doing something in my largest cast iron dutch ovens, I don't even bother using my regular oven. I use this oven multiple times a day for toasting breakfast products, to reheating leftovers without making them soggy in the microwave and for making dinner. Highly recommended.
| Brand | KitchenAid |
|---|---|
| Model Number | KCO224BM |
| Colour | Black Matte |
| Product Dimensions | 41.66 x 46.99 x 33.02 cm; 1.4 kg |
| Capacity | 28 liters |
| Power/Wattage | 1800 watts |
| Voltage | 120 |
| Material | Metal |
| Special Features | Manual |
| Item Weight | 1.4 kg |
