Today I’m going through 8 of the best countertop steam ovens on the market in 2026. These are the top convection steam ovens this year, according to buyer ratings and reviews. I’ve collated and compared as much info as I could find on each appliance to come out with this list.
The steam ovens discussed here are widely available for purchase in many markets and cover many price points. A countertop steam oven will put this method of cooking at your fingertips, especially if you’ve been wanting to test out the tender, juicy and golden results for yourself but don’t want the hassle or expense of remodeling your entire kitchen.Â
If you’re curious about how the best countertop steam ovens compare with larger or built-in models, my roundup of the best steam ovens gives a wider look at the top options across all categories.
Read an overview of countertop steam ovens for a complete picture of this topic!
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Jump to:
- Differences between countertop and inbuilt steam ovens
- The Best Countertop Steam Ovens: pros and cons
- Cuisinart CSO 300-N
- Nuwave Combi Steam Oven
- Fotile Chefcubii 4-in-1 Countertop Convection Steam Oven
- Anova Precision Oven 2.0
- Whynter TSO 488GB 40 Quart Grande Countertop Convection Steam Oven
- Tovala Smart Oven
- Balmuda The Toaster Steam Oven
- Panasonic HomeChef 7-in-1 Compact Oven
- Winners: the best countertop steam ovens of them all
- Winners: the overall best countertop steam ovens for combination of price and features
- Winner: the best countertop steam ovens for serious cooks
- Winner: the best countertop steam ovens for ease of operation
- The best countertop steam ovens for looks
Differences between countertop and inbuilt steam ovens
First off, the major differences between a countertop steam oven and an inbuilt steam oven:
A countertop steam oven is a standalone appliance which sits – you guessed it – on your countertop. It’s ‘plug and play’, so you can literally plug it in and get cooking.
Inbuilt steam ovens are mostly made by premium appliance brands. They’re like a traditional oven, except with a bunch of extra features including steam generation. Built in steam ovens are larger and (mostly) more expensive, and require an electrician to hardwire them into your power supply.
Benchtop steam ovens may be smaller, but some have just as many features as the top end wall ovens. Don’t be fooled by their size!
The Best Countertop Steam Ovens: pros and cons
The steam ovens mention below are listed at random. I haven’t ranked them in a specific order because each one offers different features and the best countertop steam ovens for you may not be the best for another cook.
Prices are averages at the time of publication and can vary; they are listed here in USD.
If you’d like a ‘best of’ and don’t want to read all the details of each appliance, scroll to the end of the post for an overview of my favorites!
Cuisinart CSO 300-N
Cost: around $380
This little steam oven has a special place in my heart. It was, for a very long time, the only option for a countertop combi steam oven.
The Cuisinart steam oven has 0.6 cu. Ft. capacity, and 9 single and combination cooking modes. It will run for approximately 2 hours on full steam without a water tank refill, which is outstanding given its size.
The good
The Cuisinart Convection Steam Oven is comparatively cheap, simple to use and reliable. I bought one and used it intermittently for a couple of years before gifting it to my Mom. She then used it daily for a few more years before upgrading to a larger steam combi (and gifted the Cuisinart to a friend). The thing still works, which is amazing for (what was then) a sub-$300 oven.Â
The Cuisinart CSO is not a big oven. You’ll struggle to feed more than a couple of people if you want to cook an entire meal in there. But it’s brilliant for steaming, baking and small-batch convection steam cooking. And the water tank is sizeable so you won’t be constantly refilling it during steaming. Overall a great introduction to steam cooking appliances.Â
The less good
The one thing the Cuisinart lacks in terms of operation is the ability to control the amount of steam in the combination function. It’s not a big deal for most foods, though, and not surprising given the price point.
Beware rust issues with this oven if you use it a lot but aren’t fastidious about maintenance. There’s a little drip tray which sits in the bottom of the oven, over the drain. If you don’t take the tray out and wipe out the appliance after use, you’ll find it quickly turns into a rusty mess on the floor of the oven.
Nuwave Combi Steam Oven
Cost: around $350
The Nuwave steam oven is newer to market than many others mentioned here. It’s got 120 preset options and runs at temperatures 50-450°F, with controllable humidity across those temperatures and an advertised 1°F temperature range accuracy.
The Nuwave also has a compact footprint, at just 13.9in wide by 14.9in high and 14.75in deep. It’s got a modern black and steel aesthetic and a decent sized water tank, which the company says will run for 50 minutes at full steam (100% humidity at 212°F).
Pros
The oven looks great and if you want an appliance with plenty of presets to get you going with simple options, this is a positive feature. It’s also very well priced for the precision it offers.
The controllable humidity is excellent, and rare for steam ovens of such compact size. The small size of the Nuwave also makes it a very worthy air fryer, as does the exposed element at the top of the oven.
Cons
If you’re cooking regularly for a lot of people, the size of the Nuwave steam oven is restrictive. You’ll also have to remember to clean it well and mop up the excess water in the evaporator dish at the bottom of the oven every time you use it, to prevent rust issues in the long term. The exposed heating element at the top (great for quick broiling and air frying) can be difficult to clean.
Fotile Chefcubii 4-in-1 Countertop Convection Steam Oven
Cost: around $500
The Fotile Chefcubii is a newcomer to the countertop steam oven category. The brand is not, though; I’ve seen Fotile referred to as ‘the biggest appliance brand you’ve never heard of’. In fact, the Chinese company has been making high end kitchen appliances for more than 20 years. They have more than ten thousand employees and a large research and development program across many categories.Â
The Chefcubii steam oven is a high spec oven which bills itself as a multifunctional 4-in-1. It has bake, steam, air fry and dehydrate modes, with 40 preset functions and a 1 cu. Ft. capacity.Â
Unlike the mostly black and stainless steel steam ovens in this list, the Chefcubii has a white casing offset by two minimalist-looking aluminum dials.
Pros
This is a very attractive appliance. The white outer blends well with both modern and traditional decor, and the dials on the front are unobtrusive. It’s a great size and will easily accommodate a family meal.
The oven has plenty of cooking options and the 40 preset menu functions make it simple to get started whether you’re familiar with combi steam cooking or not. I love that those presets are printed on the inside of the door for a ‘cheat sheet’ that’s always visible.
Cons
As with so many highly featured steam ovens, it can be hard to work out what settings to use if you don’t want to stick to the preset menu.
A handful of the negative reviews of this oven mention that the door is crooked and difficult to open. Apart from that the reviews are largely positive.
Buy the Fotile Chefcubii 4-in-1 Countertop Convection Steam Oven
Anova Precision Oven 2.0
Cost: about $1200
Known for their innovative and very precise sous vide appliances, Anova launched their first steam oven with much hype a few years back. In 2024 they came out with a completely redesigned version 2.
The Anova Oven 2.0 addresses many of the issues users had with the first version (connectivity and build quality were the two most frequently described problems).
In the interests of full disclosure, I worked with Anova during the development and launch of the first Anova oven. I own a first generation and the newer 2.0. I know the ovens well, but I have not been compensated for including them in today’s list, beyond affiliate links as per other items in this article.
The Anova Precision Oven 2.0 is different to the other ovens we’re looking at here. It was developed to compete with professional level combi ovens in a home setting, and it does that very well. Precise temperature and steam control are key features, and the oven has a connected app with hundreds of recipes to get you going. It’s got a large water tank that lasts for multiple hours of cooking with steam.
Pros
The Anova oven is extremely flexible in terms of control and can cook almost anything once you know how to drive it.
Sous vide is easy and can be done without a bag; steaming is a breeze, bread is outstanding and meat and fish cook fast and with perfect texture.
With 1.2 cu. Ft. capacity, you can fit just about anything in here that you would in a standard oven. With that sizeable footprint, it really is more comparable to an inbuilt oven than a countertop oven in terms of features and functionality.
Cons
I mentioned above that you can cook almost anything once you know how to drive the Anova Precision Oven. That’s the down side for many people. If you already understand the concepts of cooking with steam you’ll be fine, but when you’re new to it, the Anova oven can be overwhelming. The connected app does help, but if you’ve never used a steam oven before you should expect to commit to a learning curve.
The Anova is also the most expensive countertop steam oven on the market, so it’s not an impulse purchase for most people.
If space is a problem in your kitchen, the very large size of the Anova oven can be difficult. Great for cooking flexibility, this is an outsized countertop appliance that demands plenty of countertop real estate.
Whynter TSO 488GB 40 Quart Grande Countertop Convection Steam Oven
Cost: about $350
Whynter’s steam oven is the largest of the appliances in today’s list, in fact the largest countertop steam oven I’ve seen. It just beats the Anova Precision Oven for capacity, with 1.4 cu. Ft. of space vs Anova’s 1.2 cu. Ft. It’s got a large (47oz) water tank to match that capacity, so refilling during cooking shouldn’t be an issue.
The Whynter oven has 8 cooking modes: ferment, preheat, yogurt, air fry, dehydrate, steam, roast, and bake.
This oven is big, black and has all the controls located on a touchscreen panel above the door.
Pros
Size is the big and obvious pro here. If you want the ability to roast a whole turkey in a countertop steam oven, you’ll get it with the Whynter.
The oven has a multitude of functions as preset options, and a DIY mode for when you want to go it alone.
Cons
The Whynter steam oven is notorious for being hard to operate. More than a handful of the reviews I found also reported poor build quality and customer service. It’s got its fans and has mostly positive ratings, but this is overall the least well-reviewed countertop steam oven I’ve come across.
Buy the Whynter TSO 488GB 40 Quart Grande Countertop Convection Steam Oven
Tovala Smart Oven
Cost: about $300
Tovala ovens were initially promoted as part of the brand’s pre-made mail order meal system. While researching this article, though, I see they’ve done somewhat of a shift in their marketing. While you can still buy the meal subscription along with the Tovala oven, the company now embraces users wanting to cook their own recipes with the appliance. There are 5 cooking modes: steam, bake, broil, reheat and toast.
Tovala boasts a smartphone-controlled app which sets automated cooking cycles that take the guesswork out of your meal. You can choose from their bank of recipes for a guided cooking experience with those automated cycles. Or, scan a Tovala meal or compatible grocery store product directly on the front of the oven and it’ll do the rest.
The oven is relatively small, holding two of the brand’s little foil-tray dinners at a time. It’s definitely akin to a toaster oven rather than a full sized oven.
Pros
If you love the idea of heat and eat meals but hate how they’re always dry or rubbery when heated in a conventional oven, the Tovala oven is perfect for you.
The range of scannable grocery store items is ever-expanding, so you aren’t locked into Tovala meals if you want premade dinners.
This oven also doesn’t take a lot of counter space, so it’s great for apartment kitchens and holiday homes.
Cons
It’s pretty obvious that Tovala are going for the time-poor and tech-loving among us. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I’m unsure how flexible the oven is for anyone who wants to do all their own cooking.
This oven is only available in the USA, so if it appeals you’ll need to live stateside.
Balmuda The Toaster Steam Oven
Cost: about $300
I wasn’t sure whether to include the Balmuda oven here. It’s not a true steam oven, rather a toaster which uses a little humidity. But it is cult-popular and it does use steam, so here we are.
Balmuda is a Japanese brand and their appliances have a lovely build quality and finish. This little toaster oven is no exception; it comes in several different colors and looks gorgeous in the kitchen.
There are 5 cooking modes; sandwich bread, artisan bread, pizza, pastry and oven. Those modes hopefully give an indication of what the appliance aims for: toast, toast, pizza and the occasional breakfast pastry.
Pros
What it does, it does very well. For crispy, golden toast with a fluffy and chewy interior, the Balmuda is a dream.
The oven is teeny tiny and very nice looking, so it’s excellent for smaller and open kitchens. Not steam oven related, but there is a matching kettle which makes for a pretty pair.
Cons
The size of the Balmuda may be a pro for some but it is small. It works well for one or two people making toast or warming pizza, but no more than that.Â
The Balmuda is only a kind-of-steam-oven. It’s a great machine but it’s not a good option if you want to cook steam oven meals rather than just making amazing toast.
Panasonic HomeChef 7-in-1 Compact Oven
Cost: about $500
7 appliances in 1, you say?! The Panasonic HomeChef is one of those rare everything-in-1 boxes which actually seems to do most of those things well, if the reviews are to be believed.
The Panasonic oven offers convection bake, steam, steam-convection bake combo, airfry, slow cook, ferment, and sanitize settings. It’s got a 0.7 cu. Ft. capacity, which puts it in the mid range of countertop steam ovens for size.Â
The water tank for this oven will run steam for up to an hour, and there are 18 auto cook menu options.
Pros
This is the middle-of-the-road option in terms of price and size, but its features and build quality are great. The Panasonic is possibly the best countertop steam oven to get if you want most of the bells and whistles but you can’t afford to lose a ton of counter space.
Panasonic is a global brand so you should get global brand service and support with this oven, too.
Cons
The Panasonic is ugly. There’s no nice way to say it. Boxy and boring, this may be one of the best countertop steam ovens to use, but it leaves a lot to be desired in design.
The Winners: which are the best countertop steam ovens of them all?
Like I said up top, I don’t like the idea of ranking the best countertop steam ovens because everyone has different needs from their oven. However, there are a few standouts.
Winners: the overall best countertop steam ovens for combination of price and features
It’s a tough call to pick one overall winner under this banner, but I think the Panasonic HomeChef just beats out the Fotile Chefcubii here.
The HomeChef oven has limited control when it comes the steam functions, but it looks to cook a great number of things very well. It’s also simpler to operate than the Fotile.Â
Winner: the best countertop steam ovens for serious cooks
The Anova Precision Oven is the clear winner here. It is the most expensive steam oven on the list, but it backs up the price with stellar functionality and flexibility. The level of control you can apply in terms of settings, steam percentages and temperatures is unlike anything else on the market.
Winner: the best countertop steam ovens for ease of operation
The little, relatively inexpensive Cuisinart convection steam oven wins hands down for ease of operation. There are really only a few options available and they can all be easily set with the dial and buttons on the front of the appliance. No apps, no fuss, what you see is what you get.
The best countertop steam ovens for looks
I don’t choose my kitchen appliances solely on appearance, but if I were going to, Balmuda The Toaster Oven and Fotile Chefcubii are the most attractive of the bunch here.
I hope this article has been helpful! If you choose a countertop steam oven based on my info, I’d love you to leave a comment below, to help other readers work out what might suit their needs! And, as always, I’d be thrilled if you’d share my content with friends and family who love to cook.
22 Responses
Yes, I would agree about the presets and camera features! I have used both extensively for testing purposes but my natural inclination is to manually choose my own settings rather than presets (this applies across all brands, not just Anova). The presets are enormously helpful for people new to steam/combi steam/sous vide, however, so I can see why they are included as features.
I have the Avova 1.0. Loved it until the wires in the door got pinched and broken. That was a design flaw and while I think I can fix it that is going to happen again. I was never happy with the connection options. They worked intermittently at best. That said, you really don’t need that function.
The steam control was excellent. I loved it for sous vide and for reheating things. I miss that steam oven, but not willing to spend $1300 for the new version. Maybe I’m old fashioned but many of the preset cooking options and camera recognition are marginally useful for someone that has a clue about cooking.
Stay away from Anova they are unreliable, customer service is horrid. Their solution is to send you a coupon for a hundred off a new oven that has the same problems as the one that just died on you.
I’m sorry to hear of your bad luck with the Anova ovens! Were they both the first generation model? I have a first gen and a second gen (both still very much in operation); the newer model is VERY different from the older one, in terms of user interface and design. They are certainly more expensive, but still not at the level of a built-in compact steam oven. Like you, I’ve not seen anything comparable in the countertop offerings – the feature set and precision of the Anova is still by far the best in that category, even if build quality can sometimes leave something to be desired. If you have the capacity in your kitchen to try a built-in model, it might be worth checking seconds/scratch and dent appliance stores – they sometimes sell the higher end hardwired units for hugely reduced prices (they’re end of line models, change of mind returns, or have minor imperfections etc). If you luck out you could find yourself picking up a great brand for only a little more than a new Anova.