X

Take a look at Amazon's new food-scanning smart oven

The $249 Amazon Smart Oven is a four-in-one convection oven, air fryer, microwave and food warmer. Let's take a look at its key features.

headshot2
headshot2
Molly Price
amazon-smart-oven-2
1 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Meet the Amazon Smart Oven

Amazon released the AmazonBasics Microwave last year. Now, it's adding the Amazon Smart Oven to its kitchen appliance lineup. For $249, you'll get a convection oven, air fryer, microwave and food warmer in this Alexa-enabled device. 

amazon-smart-oven-7
2 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Scan-to-cook technology

The Amazon Smart Oven can recognized packaged foods from 365 Whole Foods, Gardein and Marie Callender's. Scan your food's barcode with the Alexa app and the oven will cook it just right. 

img-2250.png
3 of 11 Screenshot by Molly Price/CNET

Food recognition

Here's what you'll see when you scan a package in the Alexa app. 

amazon-smart-oven-6
4 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Convection cooking

The tall wire rack that comes with the oven is for convection cooking and air frying. You'll also get this nonstick baking pan. 

20191122-121441
5 of 11 Molly Price/CNET

Cookies

We baked two casseroles and this batch of chocolate chip cookies in the Amazon Smart Oven. Results were consistently good, and it make the oven feel as reliable as my own full-size model at home. 

amazon-smart-oven-food-1
6 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Air frying

I wasn't wowed by the oven's air-frying capabilities, but it still delivered good mozzarella sticks at the push of a button. Tumbling air fryers or air fryers with a basket are still your best bet. 

amazon-smart-oven-4
7 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Design

If you don't want to cook with Alexa, you can use the cooking mode buttons or keypad on the front of the oven. There's also an Alexa button for simpler commands like "reheat one cup of coffee".

amazon-smart-oven-5
8 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Auto roast

Use the lower wire rack and baking pan to roast in the Amazon Smart Oven. I used the auto roast feature to cook a 5-pound chicken and monitored it in the Alexa app. 

img-2253.png
9 of 11 Screenshot by Molly Price/CNET

Monitoring

You can watch oven temperatures as well as temperature probe readings in real-time through the Alexa app. 

amazon-smart-oven-food-2
10 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Chicken!

Our test chicken came out surprisingly well. The skin was crispy, and the meat was juicy and tender. 

amazon-smart-oven-1
11 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Should you buy it?

There are smarter smart ovens out there. Those ovens are also significantly more expensive. If you're an Alexa fan and you have the counter space, the Amazon Smart Oven is a great way to get a little help in the kitchen. 

More Galleries

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)
yamaha01.jpg

Yamaha motorcycle and instrument designers trade jobs (pictures)

16 Photos
CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)
dia-de-los-muertos-3318-001.jpg

CNET's 'Day of the Dead Devices' altar (pictures)

9 Photos
2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: concept cars
conceptss01_440.jpg

2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: concept cars

14 Photos
Best sound bars under $300
polk-magnifi-mini-15.jpg

Best sound bars under $300

18 Photos
2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke reports for diesel duty
2018 Ford F-150 diesel

2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke reports for diesel duty

22 Photos
Music-friendly cell phone accessories

Music-friendly cell phone accessories

11 Photos
Cosplay at Comic-Con 2016: From Stormtroopers to Sansa Stark
dsc0515.jpg

Cosplay at Comic-Con 2016: From Stormtroopers to Sansa Stark

34 Photos