TechRadar Verdict
The Smeg Combi Steam Oven has a whole host of features for the countertop chef.
It has 33 automatic recipe presets for a variety of easy meals.
Plus, it bakes, broils, convection bakes, air fries, steams, and more.
Our testing produced a bevy of well-cooked and delicious food with minimal effort.
However, the large footprint and enormous price tag may make it difficult to find its target demographic.
However, there is one major issue I had with the Smeg Combi Steam Oven.
I already own an oven and a toaster oven and the Combi cant replace either of those.
Its available at upscale kitchen stores likeWilliams-SonomaandCrate and Barrel.
Just dont call it a toaster oven!
Its a countertop oven that cooks in a whole bunch of different ways.
Just choose your preset, pop in your food, and get ready for some deliciousness.
The enamel mid-century design is sleek and gorgeous.
you might choose from five different colors: black, white, red, cream, and light blue.
However, the interior is virtually the same size as my large toaster oven, just two inches wider.
There are two dials for controlling the SMEG Combi Steam Oven and a screen between them.
The use of the dials definitely takes some studying of the user manual and some practice.
Its not necessarily intuitive.
Smeg Combi Steam Oven: performance
So how did the Combi perform?
I cooked a bunch of meals in the Combi and there wasnt a dud in the bunch.
And its quite noisy, getting up to 65 dB(A) at times.
However, unlike every toaster oven Ive used, it doesnt get hot on the outside.
Even when going full tilt, it only reached a very touchable 76 degrees on the outside.
I made two different kinds of (sweet potato) french fries: from scratch and pre-made frozen.
For the scratch variety, I cut up a sweet potato and coated the wedges in oil and seasonings.
The frozen ones I just dumped out on the tray.
I baked blueberry muffins using the Muffin preset from the Chef Menu, which includes steam.
The muffins came out moist and delicious.
I probably didnt need to do that, though.
I used the Roasted Vegetables preset many times, since I eat them just about every day.
The most challenging vegetables I made in the Combi this way were brussels sprouts.
In the Combi, I used a minimal amount of oil, just a quick spritz all over.
They came out crisp, tender, and amazing.
I also tried making vegetables in Air Fry mode, using a recipe I found online.
Again, the veggies were delicious: crisp and tender.
The burger was fully cooked, just right.
I had to make pizza in the Smeg Combi Steam Oven.
I wanted to make frozen pizza.
In fact, I made two different ones over the course of my testing period.
In both cases, I followed the directions on the box.
I steamed frozen pierogies (potato dumplings) using the steam mode.
The pierogies came out fully heated through, moist, and delicious.
I didn’t make toast.
Because there is no dedicated toast function.
Cleanup isn’t exactly a breeze, because everything is hand wash only.
The trays definitely take some elbow grease, but I was able to get them completely clean every time.
The oven itself is another story.
I did exactly that, using Dawn Powerwash and a Scrub Daddy (gentle sponge).
When that wasnt enough, I went out and bought some Dawn Professional Heavy Duty Degreaser.
That didnt do it either, despite plenty of elbow grease.
Should you buy the Smeg Combi Steam Oven?
Since it comes in five different colors, at least one of them will look amazing in your kitchen.
Don’t buy it if
Money is a consideration.
Maybe your toaster oven, but only if you have no need of a dedicated toast function.
You want easy cleanup
Ive cleaned and cleaned the Combi but it remains stained at the bottom.
An abrasive cleaner might do the trick, but Smeg warns against using abrasives.
Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker
This ultra-flexible countertop oven bakes, steams, air fries, and more.
Read ourfull review here.
I love a cool cooking gadget and anything that lets me get a nutritious meal on the table fast.
I tested the Smeg Combi Steam Oven for about two weeks.
Read we test.
