Our team has collectively agreed that the Our Place Wonder Oven is basically an Easy-Bake Oven for adults. This visually nostalgic take on a classic air fryer was the brand’s first venture into kitchen appliances after the success of their coveted Always Pan. This multi-purpose six-in-one oven has all the bells and whistles of a classic air fryer, and then some. When it comes to Our Place, we can only expect the best — but does the Wonder Oven live up to the hype? Read on to learn more about the Our Place Wonder Oven and our honest review.
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What are the 6-in-1 features of the Wonder Oven?
The Wonder Oven features six modes with a variety of cooking methods. The Wonder Oven is able to air fry, bake, broil, toast, roast, reheat and bake to your preferred temperature.
What comes with the Wonder Oven?
The Wonder Oven comes with the device itself, one baking pan, air fryer basket, wire rack and crumb tray. Additional baskets and pans can be purchased on the Our Place website.
Related: Our Honest Review of the Our Place Dream Cooker
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What colours are available for the Wonder Oven?
The Wonder Oven comes in four core colours: Spice (muted pink), Char (black), Steam (beige) and Blue Salt (deep blue) — with two additional limited edition colours: Lavender (soft purple) and Sage (green).
How much does a Wonder Oven cost?
The Wonder Oven is priced at $250, with a $25-off discount as of December 23, 2023.
Is the Wonder Oven non-toxic?
The Wonder Oven’s bake tray is made with toxin-free and PFAS-free nonstick material, whereas many other air fryers and toasters use PFAS coatings. PFAS chemicals are synthetic materials that, when exposed to high temperatures, can leak into food and have shown to cause liver and kidney damage.
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How long do you toast in the Wonder Oven?
Though the Wonder Oven is capable of toasting bread for up to 60 minutes at a time, you wouldn’t want to do that. Ideally, the perfect time is between 5-10 minutes depending on how toasty you want your bread.
How do you preheat the Wonder Oven?
Before placing your food into the Wonder Oven, make sure to adjust the temperature as per the recipe, and set the timer for 10 minutes. Once the timer runs out, reset the time to the desired baking length. The Wonder Oven preheats 75% faster than conventional ovens, so the wait time is much quicker.
What is steam infusion? How does it work?
With just 1-2 teaspoons of water, the Wonder Oven creates and circulates hot steam throughout its interior, infusing your foods with locked-in moisture that draws out more flavour. This function is typically used for breads, desserts and steaks.
What are the pros and cons of the Wonder Oven?
As recipe developers, it’s important that each and every appliance we choose to occupy our kitchen has use beyond one function. Hence why the Wonder Oven’s ability to bake, broil, fry and more were a good enough reason why we should make room. For us, the goal was to ensure that each function was either able to maintain or enhance our ability to execute recipes fluidly without compromising on time, energy or space. We made a slew of dishes during the testing period which included frozen pastry bites, toasted bread, trout, loaded nachos and French meringues. These and many other dishes yielded a variety of outcomes in terms of taste, texture and appearance.
One of the roadblocks we came across during testing was the cooking times for certain boxed foods. While the Wonder Oven does having a baking function, we’re not entirely convinced that it’s a 1:1 equivalent to using a conventional oven. We made multiple frozen foods that called for a specific temperature and time — later finding that on each attempt, the cooking time varied quite significantly. Sure, this is great for saving time, however we found ourselves having to monitor the food in case it might burn. Everyday cooking like air frying trout proved to bode well — retaining flavour and reaching the ideal crispy texture.
In terms of utility, the Wonder Oven itself doesn’t take up a whole lot of counter space with only being a one-foot cube. It’s ideal if you’re low on countertop real estate and want a one-stop-shop for everything. The Wonder Oven does, however, produce a decent amount of heat expelling from the appliance. We’d suggest keeping it away from anything flammable, as per the instructions. Of course, we can’t forget about the visual appeal. The Wonder Oven is quite beautiful for a kitchen appliance, and the colours make having one feel personalized. We have no problem having the Wonder Oven on full display, as it makes for a great conversation starter.
Advantages
Disadvantages
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Should I buy the Our Place Wonder Oven?
At the end of the day, whether or not you choose to purchase the Wonder Oven is completely contingent on how intense you are about your cooking. If you’re a chef or professional recipe developer, the Wonder Oven isn’t going to replace any major appliances. That said, if you’re more of a casual cook or someone with limited time, the Wonder Oven is for you. Often with countertop appliances you’re compromising on visual appeal — not in the case of the Wonder Oven. Both functional and stunning, this device makes for a perfect addition to any kitchen. Sure, the price is a bit steep — however we think the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks in spades. Besides, didn’t you want an Easy-Bake Oven growing up?