Our Place Wonder Oven Review: The Easy-Bake Oven for Adults
Updated: Feb. 15, 2024
With six different cooking methods baked-in, the Our Place Wonder Oven is like a better, more aesthetic Easy-Bake oven reimagined for adults.
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Back in 2019, the Our Place Always Pan solidified its place as one of the Test Kitchen’s favorite ceramic pans. Boasting eight functions, a steamer insert and a gorgeous array of colors, it’s no wonder we’re smitten with this beautiful cookware. Thanks to the popularity of the Always Pan and spinoffs like the Perfect Pot, Our Place is now practically synonymous with “pretty pans.”
From mini cookware to eye-catching tableware, home cooks can’t get enough of this aesthetic (and high-performance) cookware brand. Imagine our shock when the brand dropped the newest addition to their lineup: the Our Place Wonder Oven. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on the six-in-one appliance that fans are calling “the adult Easy-Bake oven.”
Sure, it’s lovely, but how does the recently launched Our Place Wonder Oven rank in terms of performance? As a home cook, shopping editor and freezer food enthusiast, here’s what I thought of the brand’s first foray into appliances. Spoiler: I’ve never been more in love with a little blue box.
What is the Our Place Wonder Oven?
Despite looking like an air fryer, the Our Place Wonder Oven—often referred to as the “adult Easy-Bake oven”—offers so much more than chicken wings and French fries (although it’s certainly capable of both). Instead, this six-in-one oven accomplishes a variety of cooking tasks. Presets for air frying, baking, roasting, toasting, reheating and broiling are all baked right into the appliance.
In addition, a clever optional steam function revives stable bread, backyard-fired pizza and bakery items. Inside the oven are two tiers that offer tons of space to cook up an entire supper with sides. Or, stick to just the bottom rack to roast a 4.5-pound chicken—seriously!
Our Place Wonder Oven Product Features
Four matte shades—char, blue salt, steam and spice—bring a warm and inviting tone to the kitchen. I picked mine up in blue salt, which perfectly matches the rest of my cookware. It also certainly looks prettier on my counter than the typically stale air fryer oven. Retro rotary dials, slip-resistant feet and a generously sized oven handle look sleek and fun.
Better yet, this thing has more accessories than Barbie. The miniature air fryer basket, baking tray and crumb tray offer ample ways to fire up your food. As someone who never really got over the loss of my coveted Easy-Bake Oven, I love the inclusion of mini accessories. It taps into the nostalgia of mixing up little cakes and cooking them with a lightbulb, minus the wait.
Three dials line the top of the Wonder Oven. Controls for temperature, cooking mode and time are well-labeled. Temperature selections range from 300 to 450 degrees, whereas the time dial allows for up to 40 minutes of cooking time. Modes include air frying, baking, roasting, toasting, reheating and broiling—nearly everything a home cook could hope for in an oven.
The 12-liter cooking capacity is just enough for both me and my husband, but the two cooking tiers make it possible to snag another set of accessories to serve more people if desired. Overall, the controls are intuitive and look cute to boot.
How We Tested It
Setting up the Our Place Wonder Oven is so easy. Just remove it from the box, insert the crumb tray below the bottom heating element, and fire it up for a fast lunch. The included instructions show where to slide in each rack, pan and air fryer basket for the best results.
Our Place does recommend performing a trial run without food prior to the first use. Set the temperature to 400 degrees and let it run for 10 minutes in bake mode to cook away any lingering factory odors. There was a slight odor for me, but nothing that put me off the oven.
Before using it to cook I thoroughly cleaned the air fryer basket, baking pan and rack inserts by hand. Our Place recommends hand-washing all accessories.
Air Fry
My first task was testing out the air fryer function. What better way to trial the crispy, crunchy results than cooking up a few frozen samosas? I preheated the oven according to the instructions, setting the temperature to 350 degrees for five minutes.
The steam function works with all the cooking modes, so I decided to try it with air frying. Before cooking, simply detach the 10-milliliter cup at the top of the unit, fill it with water and dump it into the water inlet beneath where the cup attaches to the unit.
Once preheated, I plopped down three samosas into the air fryer basket, filled up the water inlet using the directions included with the oven and set the timer to 15 minutes.
I wasn’t sure whether the steam function would work in conjunction with the air fryer, but I was pleasantly surprised! The samosas came out perfect—crispy on the outside and deliciously soft and steamy on the inside. The samosas didn’t turn out dry at all. My oven has some serious competition in this unassuming appliance!
Bake
One big draw of the Wonder Oven is the ability to use it like a traditional oven. As soon as I saw the promotional photos featuring cookies, I ran to the store to pick up some Pillsbury pumpkin cookie dough. For this test, I opted not to use the steam function.
I preheated the oven to 350 degrees, inserted the cookie sheet, set the timer for 12 minutes and watched the cookies expand and flatten as they baked. It’s hypnotizing! As I would with the oven, I let the cookies cool for a few minutes before enjoying to complete the baking process.
Verdict? Delicious. The oven is the ideal size to bake up a few cookies for me and my husband, and I didn’t have to dig around my cluttered cabinet for a baking sheet. Win!
Steam
I used the steam function while cooking up cheese-filled bread bites. While the cooking instructions on the package included air fryer instructions, I opted to use the oven instructions instead. That said, I did pull them out a few minutes early to prevent over-browning, so check on your food frequently throughout cooking.
The steam kept them soft and chewy while still allowing them to crisp up around the outside. Even my regular oven can’t deliver results as good as this!
Pros
- Six different cooking modes
- Easy-to-use rotary dials
- Comes in a selection of modern matte hues
- Small enough for tiny kitchens and counters
- Two-tier cooking capabilities
- Steam function
- Pleasant timer chime
Cons
- A bit pricey, but pretty standard for a toaster oven
- Cook times may need to be adjusted
- Radiates a bit of heat
FAQ
Is the Wonder Oven a good air fryer?
When it comes to the Wonder Oven’s air frying abilities, consider us smitten. It’s just as capable as our favorite air fryers, and comes with more temperature controls than the average single-drawer model. The glass front panel makes it easy to keep an eye on food and prevent over-browning.
Those new to air fryers should snag an air fryer cheat sheet for precise cooking times and temperatures. Despite the popularity of these appliances, cooking instructions rarely include directions for air fryers.
How do you cook with Wonder Oven?
It’s important to remember to preheat the oven before cooking. This is achieved by using the intuitive dials on the front to set the desired mode and temperature, then setting the timer for five minutes prior to cooking.
After that, cooking with the Wonder Oven is as easy as adding your food and setting the timer. The six-in-one functionality makes it easy to tackle everything from ooey, gooey cookies to crispy skinned chicken. I can’t wait to have extra oven space during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner prep!
What Other Reviewers Are Saying
Like me, reviewers adore the look and performance of the Wonder Oven, with most noting that any skepticism they had vanished at first bite.
“I really enjoy using this oven,” writes verified purchaser John G. He says, “My wife, a skeptic at first, has also hopped on the Wonder Oven bandwagon. We both love the way it fits on our counter, in both the physical and aesthetic senses. Practically speaking, it has handled all we’ve thrown at it, be it broiling salmon, air-frying hot dogs, baking cookies or reheating fried food.Where it has really shined is with leftover pizza, specifically in giving it a delectably crispy and thin outer shell on the cheese.”
Product Comparison
What is the difference between the Wonder Oven and the Ninja Foodi?
We’re big fans of the Ninja Foodi—so much so that we curated a trove of Ninja Foodi recipes! While the Wonder Oven and the Ninja Foodi are both air fryers, they’re both capable of more than the usual fare.
Ninja Foodi is an air fryer, pressure cooker, broiler, dehydrator, slow cooker and steamer all in one. In contrast, the Wonder Oven bakes, broils, air fries, reheats, roasts and toasts.
Our Place Wonder Oven vs. Balmuda Toaster Oven
I’m already the proud owner of a Balmuda toaster oven, the aesthetic multi-use steam oven, so I consider myself a bit of a toaster oven enthusiast. Compared to the Balmuda, there are a few differences. Firstly, the Wonder Oven is much taller. This comes in handy for those interested in two-tier cooking or roasting bigger items like chicken.
I hate to admit it, but when it comes to steam functionality, the Wonder Oven has the Balmuda beat. The Wonder Oven’s steam function works in every cooking mode, whereas the Balmuda’s steam function is restricted to certain cooking modes like bread and pizza.
The Wonder Oven also offers more temperatures to choose from when baking. Despite the fact that the Balmuda’s water cup is a lot cuter—it looks like a mini mug—there’s no place to house it, which enhances the likelihood of losing it. In contrast, the Wonder Oven has a dedicated nesting spot for its steam cup on the top.
Final Verdict
Those searching for an all-in-one appliance that bakes, broils, air fries, reheats, toasts and roasts won’t be disappointed by the Wonder Oven. The retro-modern look is just the tip of the iceberg. This little oven is bound to become your go-to for quick cooking tasks.
Just be careful—your oven might get jealous!
Where to Buy the Our Place Wonder Oven
Folks can purchase the Our Place Wonder Oven on Our Place’s website for just under $200. Price-wise, it’s pretty par for the course when it comes to toaster ovens—and most don’t offer this level of functionality. Snag one today and relive your Easy-Bake Oven days as an adult.
Originally Published: September 26, 2023
