Our Place
Wonder Oven
About the product
We tested this trendy kitchen device to see if it’s worth checking out
Our Place is known for its nontoxic, multifunctional cookware that comes in a selection of beautiful muted colors. So it’s not surprising that the Our Place Wonder Oven, the brand’s countertop air fryer oven with a cute retro look, has been a hit on social media.
Not only does it air-fry, bake, roast, toast, reheat and broil, but it also offers unique steam-infusion technology that Our Place claims locks in moisture and improves flavor. Like Our Place’s other products, the Wonder Oven has a stylish appearance and comes in eye-catching colors like dusty blue and soft coral, setting it apart from the sea of stainless steel and black options on the market.
To determine if the Wonder Oven could live up to the hype, the BestReviews Testing Lab put it to work, air-frying frozen french fries, chicken wings, hot dogs and more; we also used its other functions, including the steam-infusion setting, for everyday cooking. We considered how efficiently it air-fried, how easy it was to operate and clean, and how much space it took up on the counter (happily, not a lot).
Ultimately, the Our Place Wonder Oven offered consistent cooking results and stood out as the most attractive, compact air fryer oven we tested. However, the smaller capacity makes it best for households of two or three people.
What is the Wonder Oven?
Product specifications
Type: Air fryer oven | Capacity: 12 L | Dimensions: 10.6” L x 11.5” W x 11.6” H | Weight: 11.6 lb | Material: Stainless steel | Control Type: Knob | Number of Functions: 6 | Temperature Range: 200 to 450 degrees
The Our Place Wonder Oven is a stylish, compact air fryer oven that holds up to 12 liters. During testing, we found we could fit approximately 1 pound of frozen french fries in its air-frying basket, so it’s just the right size for groups of two to three. We were impressed by how little space it claimed on our countertop, standing out as the most compact air fryer oven we tested. It’s lightweight, too, weighing just over 11 pounds, so it was even easy to take in and out of a cabinet if you wanted to put it away (though its attractive design is truly meant for being displayed).
The Wonder Oven features three simple, user-friendly knob controls for operation that were simple to figure out at a glance during testing. We were slightly disappointed with the temperature and time control knobs, though, because they didn’t allow us to set as precise a setting as air fryer ovens with a digital or LCD display. If you want to reduce the cooking time or temperature in the middle of cooking, you also have to turn the dial backward, and we worried that might put stress on the knob over time. However, we appreciated how easy it was to choose a cooking function and the oven’s overall versatility, which allows it to replace an air fryer and a toaster oven.
The Wonder Oven offered even, consistent air-frying results, producing very crispy, golden french fries in 15 minutes and juicy chicken wings with a crisp skin in 21 minutes. Overall, its air-frying times were on the slightly higher end among all the air fryer ovens we tested but still considerably shorter than conventional oven cooking times — it reduced the cooking time for the fries by 38% and the wings by 54% compared to our standard oven. The steam-infusion feature also worked well when we reheated a piece of leftover chicken, which was juicy and tender after cooking.
Pros
- Compact, stylish design: The Our Place Wonder Oven boasts an extremely compact design, with a 10.6-inch-by-11.5-inch footprint. It can fit easily even in smaller kitchens and apartments than most air fryer ovens. It also has a stylish, minimalist design and comes in several striking colors that look great sitting out on the counter.
- Versatility: Unlike standard basket-style air fryers that are often one-trick ponies, the Wonder Oven can toast, bake, roast, reheat and broil in addition to air-frying. It can replace an air fryer, a toaster oven and/or a slot toaster on your counter.
- User-friendly controls: With three simple knobs to control the function, temperature and time, the Wonder Oven is extremely easy to use right out of the box.
- Even, consistent air-frying results: During testing, the Wonder Oven air-fried all foods, including french fries, chicken wings, hot dogs, bacon and Brussels sprouts, evenly, with a crisp exterior and a juicy, tender interior.
Cons
- Imprecise temperatures: Because the Wonder Oven features a knob control for its temperature setting, we found it was more difficult to set a precise temperature than with air fryer ovens that have an LCD or digital display.
- Difficult to add and remove food: The Wonder Oven’s handle design didn’t allow the door to open completely flat, so we sometimes had trouble adding or removing food from the oven, especially when it was hot.
- Slower air-frying: While we appreciated the Wonder Oven’s air-frying results, we found that it had some of the slowest cooking times among the air fryer ovens we tested.
- Limited capacity: The Wonder Oven’s 12-liter capacity is really only large enough for two to three people, so it may not work for larger families or entertaining.
Who is it for?
With its compact design, the Our Place Wonder Oven is ideally suited for homes with limited countertop space, making it a great fit for apartment dwellers. Its versatility also allows it to do double-duty for air fryer and toaster oven functions, freeing up additional space in your kitchen.
However, with its limited capacity, we think it works best for households with one to three people. And finally, because of its stylish design, the Wonder Oven is perfect for anyone with strong opinions about the aesthetics of their appliances — it looks fantastic sitting out on the counter.
How we tested
To evaluate the Our Place Wonder Oven’s air-frying ability, we air-fried several popular foods, including french fries, chicken wings and bacon. We also prepared the same foods in a standard oven to compare the finished foods’ texture and cooking times to determine how efficient the Wonder Oven was.
Air-frying french fries
Our frozen french fries didn’t have air-frying instructions on their package, so we used an online recipe that called for tossing the fries with olive oil and salt. Next, we placed them in the Wonder Oven’s air-frying basket in a single layer and cooked them at 400 degrees for seven minutes. We then shook the fries to ensure they cooked evenly on both sides and returned them to the oven for another eight minutes.
We cooked the fries for 15 minutes in total.
Air-frying chicken wings
To prepare the chicken wings for air-frying, we tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika until they were completely coated. We set them in the Wonder Oven’s air-frying basket in a single layer and cooked them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Next, we turned the wings over to ensure they cooked evenly on both sides and cooked them for another 11 minutes.
In total, we cooked the chicken wings for 21 minutes.
Air-frying hot dogs
We readied the hot dogs for air-frying by making several slices down their lengths. Next, we placed them in the Wonder Oven’s air-frying basket and cooked them for six minutes at 400 degrees. We then transferred them to hot dog buns and returned them to the oven for another two minutes.
We cooked the hot dogs for a total of eight minutes.
Air-frying Brussels sprouts
We prepared the Brussels sprouts for air-frying by tossing them with olive oil, sliced garlic, salt and pepper. We placed them in a single layer in the Wonder Oven’s air-frying basket and cooked them for six minutes at 375 degrees. We then shook the sprouts to ensure they cooked evenly and put them back in the oven for another seven minutes to finish cooking.
We cooked the Brussels sprouts for 13 minutes in total.
Air-frying bacon
We placed the bacon in a single layer in the Wonder Oven’s air-frying basket and cooked it at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Price and where to buy
The Our Place Wonder Oven regularly costs $195. It is available at Our Place and Amazon.
Setup process
The Our Place Wonder Oven was very easy to set up, but the process took about 15 minutes from start to finish. Fortunately, the hands-on effort was pretty limited.
- Find the right spot: The Wonder Oven requires a flat, level spot on the counter. Because it only needs an inch of clearance on all sides, we had no trouble finding a location for it in our testing area. It was the most compact air fryer oven we tested, so it would easily fit many kitchens.
- Wash accessories: Our Place recommends washing all of the oven’s accessories before using it for the first time, including the air fryer basket, wire rack, bake pan and crumb tray. They aren’t dishwasher-safe, so we washed all the components in the sink with warm water and dish soap. After rinsing the accessories, we dried them and inserted them in the oven as the manual directed.
- Do a test run: After the Wonder Oven was placed on the counter and the accessories were washed, we plugged it in to do a test run. Our Place suggests running it without food to remove any residue leftover from manufacturing and shipping, so we turned it on in Bake mode at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Once we completed this step, the Wonder Oven was ready to use.
Design
While the Wonder Oven offers solid cooking performance, its design may be its biggest selling point. It isn’t all about its looks, though — the simple controls also make it easy to use.
Look and feel
The Our Place Wonder Oven definitely offered the best aesthetics among all the air fryer ovens we tested — it looks simply fantastic sitting out on the counter. Our test model came in Blue Salt, a lovely muted blue with gray undertones. It comes in three additional colors — Spice, a muted coral; Steam, a warm beige; and Char, a soft charcoal — as well as two limited-edition shades, Lavender and Sage.
Its stylish design makes it an excellent option for anyone who finds most countertop appliances too bulky and utilitarian. If you choose a color that complements your kitchen decor, it’s definitely an air fryer you won’t mind having a permanent place on your countertop.
Durability
The Wonder Oven weighs just over 11 pounds but is made of sturdy stainless steel, so it had a durable, high-quality feel during testing. The only possible concern we had about its longevity was its knob controls. They can be a little tough to turn, so we sometimes had to use some force when setting the function, temperature and time knobs. Over time, we wondered if they would hold up well, though we didn’t notice any issues with the knobs feeling loose or wobbling while testing it.
Controls and settings
Even though the Wonder Oven’s knobs are sometimes difficult to turn, the controls are highly intuitive. There are just three knobs: one for the temperature, one for the function and one for the time. Operating the oven is as simple as turning the respective knob for each to your chosen settings. Once you set the time, it begins cooking and then chimes when your food is ready.
While the knob controls are easy to use, they don’t allow for the same precision with the temperature and time settings as air fryer ovens with a digital or LCD display. The Wonder Oven’s markings for the temperature knob are placed in 50-degree increments, while the markings for the time settings are arranged in 10-minute increments. When we wanted to set the knobs between those increments, we had to guess a bit.
What can it do?
- Air-frying: The Wonder Oven offered solid air-frying results, with the foods all crisping nicely. We were especially pleased with how well it handled frozen french fries, giving them a crisp, golden exterior and tender interior in 15 minutes. We were also pleased with how juicy our finished chicken wings were and how crisp it got our bacon. However, it struggled a bit with Brussels sprouts, so some were nice and crisp on the outside and tender inside, but others were somewhat soggy.
- Baking: We used the Bake function to make chocolate chip cookies from a store-bought roll of dough, which turned out crispy on the outside but still slightly soft on the inside. The Wonder Oven did bake faster than our standard oven, though, so we had to reduce the cooking time recommended on the dough’s packaging by two minutes. We also baked a small ramekin of macaroni and cheese and found it was fully cooked through in 18 minutes, though we finished it up with the Broil setting to brown the top.
- Toasting: We toasted two slices of bread in the Wonder Oven, which turned golden brown in a little over three minutes. However, we found it was important to keep an eye on the oven when toasting to ensure the bread and bagels didn’t get too dark since there wasn’t a darkness setting.
- Roasting: We roasted a mixture of carrots, sweet potatoes and red potatoes in the Wonder Oven and were very pleased with the results. In just 25 minutes, the veggies were tender but slightly charred and caramelized on the outside.
- Broiling: We used the Broil setting to brown the top of our baked macaroni and cheese, which took just two minutes.
- Reheating: We used the Reheat function to heat up a leftover piece of chicken, which took only eight minutes. The finished product was pretty juicy, though we did use the steam-infusion feature with the Reheat function.
- Steam infusion: The steam-infusion feature requires adding a small amount of water to the reservoir. We paired it with the Reheat function to heat some leftover chicken, which turned out juicy and tender.
Our Place Wonder Oven: Should you get one?
The Our Place Wonder Oven is a beautiful countertop air fryer oven with a compact design that can fit most kitchen counters. It’s versatile enough to replace both an air fryer and a toaster oven or slot toaster, freeing up additional counter space. That makes it an excellent option for apartments and other homes with small kitchens. It’s also ideal for anyone who is just as concerned with an air fryer oven’s appearance as they are with its performance and versatility — it’s unquestionably the most stylish model we tested.
However, its compact design limits the Wonder Oven’s capacity. It works best for two to three people, so we wouldn’t recommend it for medium or large households or anyone who entertains regularly. Compared to other air fryer ovens, it also has fewer functions, limiting the recipes you can prepare. If you’re someone who experiments with different cooking methods, you’ll probably prefer a larger air fryer with 10 or more functions.