Breville BOV650XL Toaster Oven Review

The Breville BOV650XL toaster oven is the 2nd of the three smart ovens created by Breville. It is a step down from the BOV800XL and a step up from the BOV450XL models.

This might be a step down from the higher end Breville model but it is still a full featured, quality made machine that will be enjoyed by those of you who want to do more than just make toast.

The 8 preset cooking functions will allow you to cook just about anything that can fit inside the roomy interior. If you want a toaster oven that allows you to take full control of your cooking then read on.

Exterior Housing Material

The exterior of the BOV650XL smart oven * is made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is great at repelling fingerprints and smudges, so it is easy to keep the outside body clean. I own the BOV800XL and have found this to be true. All you need to do is wipe down the outside with a damp cloth. Stubborn dirt may need a drop of soap.

Exterior Color

The entire body is silver colored, and has a brushed look. This model looks very modern and sleek.

Cord Length

Cord length is 36 inches

The cord is a hefty 3 feet in length, which is much longer than the cords on most other toaster ovens. Unless your kitchen is lacking in electrical outlets you should be able to plug this in.

The cord ends in a three pronged grounded plug, and the size of the plug is large. If your kitchen only has two prong outlets then you will need to have one replaced with a three prong grounded outlet. The instruction manual specifically states that you should not use a plug adapter, nor should you cut off the third prong from the plug.

The plug also has an “Assist Plug” finger ring that makes unplugging the cord safe and easy. I have appreciated this feature each time I have unplugged my Breville toaster oven.

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Convection

This is not a convection toaster oven.

Heating Elements

4 elements

There are four quartz elements – two on the top and two on the bottom. Each of the four elements is covered with metal. They are covered because heating elements are fragile and can crack or break if bumped. The covers also protect the heating elements from food that drips down.

This is a great safety feature that will help extend the life of the elements by protecting them. It also helps prevent fires that can happen when food comes in direct contact with the elements. This model may be expensive but it is thoughtful additions like this that make it worth the cost.

The heating elements are controlled by what Breville calls “Element IQ” technology. I won’t pretend to understand the science behind “Element IQ” but I can tell you that they do a wonderful job of toasting, baking, roasting, and reheating. If you are interested in learning more then you can read the article that I wrote about how “Element IQ” elements work.

Rack Positions

3 rack positions

There are three rack positions that can be use depending on the type of cooking being done:

• Top rack height position: BROIL function
• Middle rack height position: TOAST, BAGEL, PIZZA and COOKIE functions
• Bottom rack height position: BAKE, ROAST, and REHEAT functions

Using the proper rack position will ensure the best possible results because food will be at the correct distance away from the heating elements. Don’t worry about having to remember which rack to use because Breville has you covered. They included a rack position reminder on the glass door that you can refer to when needed. This is yet another thoughtful feature that Breville included.

If you like to cook with foil then you will be happy to know that you can use foil in the BOV650XL smart oven *. Not every toaster oven should have foil in it, so that is a plus with this model. Just make sure that aluminum foil doesn’t touch the interior walls or heating elements.

Rotisserie

There is no rotisserie feature on this toaster oven.

Temperature Range

120° F to 450° F for BAKE, BAGEL, COOKIE, PIZZA, REHEAT, ROAST, and TOAST
Low (300° F), Medium (400° F), and High (500° F) for BROIL​

The temperature options is one area where this toaster oven really shines. The temperature settings for BAKE, BAGEL, COOKIE, PIZZA, REHEAT, and ROAST can be adjusted in 10° increments, which is unusual for a toaster oven. Most other models can only be adjusted in either 25° or 50° increments, so you have much more control over the cooking temperature with this machine.

Just as the cooking temperatures offer complete control so does the BROILtemperature. Unlike most toaster ovens that have a single temperature setting for broiling, this model lets you choose from HIGH (500° F), MEDIUM (400° F), or LOW(300° F). The reason for these three broiling options is to allow users to decide how quickly food browns on top.

Warming Tray

The Breville BOV650XL toaster oven has a ribbed top and can safely be used as a warming surface. You can place a ceramic plate on top for warming, or you can use any of the BOV650XL accessories.

There is also a bamboo cutting tray (seen below in “Accessories”) that is specifically meant for this toaster oven that you can place on top. Anything placed on top of the bamboo cutting board will stay cool.

Watts

1800 watts

1800 is the maximum amount of watts that may be used during the cooking process, but it may not always cook at this high level. The “Element IQ” technology that controls the heating elements will adjust the amount of watts (power) needed based on the cooking function chosen, and the wattage used can be as low as 1300.

This toaster oven has the ability to draw a lot of electricity during the cooking cycle and needs to be the only item plugged into the electrical outlet being used. Also, your circuit breaker needs to be a minimum of 20 amps to handle the power draw of this model.  Anything less and you may find that this toaster oven ends up tripping the circuit breaker during use.

Some electrical outlets are wired to other outlets. You will know if this is the case if you plug just the BOV650XL * into an outlet and find that the lights flicker or the breaker is tripped during use. If this happens, try a different outlet.

If you are unsure if your circuit breaker can handle the power of this model you can call an electrician to look at your circuit breaker.

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LCD DIsplay

There is a LCD display, though it is not as large as the display on the BOV800XL. The display on the BOV650XL is much more basic than its older sibling, the BOV800XL.

The LCD display on this model shows the selected cooking temperature, toast or bagel slices and darkness setting, or a countdown timer during cooking. It also shows if you select the FROZEN FOOD option on cooking functions that use it. The background color of the display is blue when not in use but features are being selected, turns to orange during cooking, then returns to blue when cooking is finished.

The background color is one of my favorite features on my Breville smart oven. You can see at a glance if the toaster oven is in use or if cooking is done. The colors make sense, too. Blue represents cool (not in use), while orange represents hot (in use).

Some people wish that it shows the current time when not in use, but it doesn’t. When not in use the LCD screen goes dark about 10 minutes after cooking is done. Despite not showing the time, the display is very user friendly, and even kids are able to use it in conjunction with the buttons.

Type OF Controls

There are a combination of dials and buttons on the control panel, which work with the LCD display. Here are the controls, starting from the top on down:

• • START / CANCEL (button)
  • FUNCTION (dial)
  • TIME / TEMP (darkness / slices) (dial)
  • FROZEN FOOD (button)
  • TEMPERATURE CONVERSION (button)

The FUNCTION dial is used to choose the type of cooking you are going to do. It is as easy as turning the dial to TOAST or REHEAT.

After choosing a cooking function, use the TIME / TEMP dial to set the cooking time and temperature (seen on the LCD display).

The FROZEN FOOD button is incredibly convenient, and should be used when cooking frozen bread, bagels, pizza, or cookie dough. When pressed, the Breville will automatically add an additional amount of cooking time to thaw the food before cooking it. If you have wondered why this is called a smart oven, I’m guessing that right about now you are starting to figure it out!

The TEMPERATURE CONVERSION button allows you to toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius, which is visible on the LCD display. If you have a foreign recipe the toaster oven will do the temperature conversion for you with the press of a button! This is yet another convenient feature that Breville added.

Temperature Control Options

You may be familiar with other models that have one knob that controls the settings for toast, and another that sets the temperature for cooking. That is not how the Breville BOV650XL * works, and I like what it does much better.

When you want to cook something, you will choose one of the eight preset cooking functions, then make adjustments as needed to the cooking time and temperature. The reason I like this better is because the oven will automatically adjust the heating elements to provide just the right amount of heat on the top and bottom, which results in perfectly cooked foods. Models with less control over cooking do not provide the same results as the three Breville smart ovens.

Toast Darkness Adjustment

You have total control over how dark or light you like your toast. First you select TOAST on the COOKING FUNCTION dial. Next you use the TEMP / TIME (darkness / slice) knob to select how many slices of toast are being cooked and the level of darkness. Toast shade ranges from 1 (lightest) to 7 (darkest).

The Breville BOV650XL toaster oven will remember your last used options. This means that your personalized toast settings will be used the next time you choose the TOAST cooking function, and will remain there until you either unplug the machine or change them. Smart, isn’t it?

The above steps are the same if you choose BAGEL instead of TOAST, and your bagel settings will also be remembered.

Preset Cooking Functions

There are 8 preset cooking functions:

• • BAGEL
  • BAKE
  • BROIL
  • COOKIES
  • PIZZA
  • REHEAT
  • ROAST
  • TOAST

Each of the 8 cooking functions is preset with the optimum settings for each function. Although these are the settings Breville thinks is best, you are free to change them any way you want. The machine will remember your settings and use them the next time a customized function is selected. Your customized settings will stay until you either change them or unplug the machine.

Timer

The timer can be set anywhere from one minute to two hours. Two hours is incredibly generous! Most other toaster ovens have timers that range from just 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.

You should be able to cook just about anything you want within the two hour time limit. If you need extra time you can add it at any point during the cooking process. You can also change the temperature during the cooking process.

There is an audible alarm that beeps when the countdown timer reaches zero, but that is the only sound you will hear from this timer. There is no ticking sound, so often heard on other toaster ovens, which is a welcome relief to many who own this model.

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Alarm

There are two times during use that you will hear the alarm on the BOV650XL * toaster oven. The first time is when preheating is done. Have you ever had a toaster oven that didn’t let you know when preheating is done? When that happens you have to make an educated guess and hope that you put your food in at the right time. If you put the food in too soon it will get overcooked. If you put it in too late it will be undercooked.

That problem is eliminated with this model. The preheat alert tells you exactly when it is time to put food inside for cooking. This is another of the benefits Breville added to their line of smart ovens.

The second time you will hear the alarm is when food is done cooking.

The alarm is perfect to my ears. It is loud enough to be heard from another room, but not too loud. That being said, a few people found it to be too loud and wished they could lower the volume, while one person said he wanted the alarm to be louder. The overall consensus felt the same as me, that the volume and pitch is just right for the alarm.

Always On

There is no “always on” option for this machine. Given that the timer goes to two hours it is unlikely that you will need to cook anything for longer than that. If you do, simply add additional time as the timer counts down.

Personally, I’m glad that there isn’t an “always on” option. My previous toaster oven had this feature and I hated it! Several times either my husband or I thought we turned it off but turned the toaster oven to “always on” by mistake. It is scary to realize that a toaster oven has been on for an unknown amount of time, and I don’t have to worry about this with the Breville smart oven.

Automatic Shutoff

Every cooking function shuts off automatically when cooking is done.

Auto-Eject Rack

Unlike the BOV800XL, this model does not have the auto-eject rack feature. This was a disappointment to some, but is easily remedied with a toaster oven rack pull tool *. There are several styles to choose from, none of which are metal due to the potential for electrical shock.

BPA FREE?

According to Breville, all of the parts that come in contact with food in the Breville BOV650XL toaster oven are BPA free.

*

Crumb Tray

The crumb tray for the Breville BOV650XL smart oven * is very easy to access and clean. The tray is located on the front of the machine, under the door. You do not need to open the door to remove the tray.

Breville has done an excellent job with the crumb tray in all three of their smart ovens. Unlike most crumb trays which are flat, this one is recessed. The benefit of the recessed tray is that food collects in the recess and doesn’t get knocked off the tray when you pull it out of the machine for cleaning.

The tray is coated in a nonstick material to make cleaning it easy. I have yet to find a food that sticks to my crumb tray and can clean it with a quick wipe of a damp cloth or sponge.

You can wrap the tray with aluminum foil if you want an even easier way to keep it clean. Just make sure that the foil doesn’t touch the heating element above it. Read what I wrote about how to safely use aluminum foil in a toaster oven to find out why this is important.

Door

The door is made of tempered glass. The glass gets hot during cooking, as is true of any toaster oven, but the handle is large enough to prevent you from getting burned when you open the door. I have owned my BOV800XL for several months now and have never gotten burned while opening or closing the door.

The handle protects you from burns, but it also has another function. When the door is open the handle rests on the counter. When open, the door is completely flat. I’ve seen other toaster ovens where the door stays open at an upward angle, which can lead to accidental burns as you reach inside the machine. This isn’t something you have to worry about with this model.

Exterior Temperature During Cooking

Pretty much every toaster oven gets hot on the outside, but some are hotter than others. The Breville gets hot, too, but not burning hot. I usually cook foods at 375° F – 400° F. I’ve touched both exterior side walls and the top to see how hot it gets at these cooking temperatures. It is hot, but I am able to keep my hands on the exterior without discomfort. That being said, I would keep plastic away from the sides, such as from bread bags, to prevent melted plastic on your machine.

Handles

There are no handles on the sides of the BOV650XL toaster oven. You don’t need handles to move this as long as you don’t try to move it while it is hot. There is plenty of room underneath the machine for you to place your fingers and get a good grip on it.

In Use Light

The “in use” light for the Breville smart ovens is a bit different than on other toaster ovens. The START / CANCEL button has an outer ring around it that glows orange when the toaster oven is in use. The LCD display’s background color also acts as an “in use” light by turning orange while cooking.

Interior Light

There is no interior light.

Nonstick Interior

The interior has been treated with a nonstick material,which makes keeping the inside clean an easy task. I have found mine to be very easy to clean, despite my husband’s best efforts to make a mess when cooking in it!

Under Counter Mount

This model cannot be mounted under a cabinet.

Wire Rack Stopper

The higher end smart oven, the BOV800XL, has wire rack stoppers on two of the three rack positions that prevent the rack from being pulled completely out of the oven. I was surprised to see that Breville didn’t include the rack stoppers on this model because I consider them to be an important safety feature. Accidentally pulling a rack all the way out can result in burning hot food spilling onto the floor and/or your legs and feet. Take care when pulling out the rack from any of its positions.

Included Accessories

• • 10” × 10” enamel baking pan
  • 10” × 10” enamel broil rack

Optional Accessories

The Breville smart oven that I bought (the BOV800XL) came with a nonstick pizza pan and I have to admit that I don’t use it. I replaced Breville’s pizza pan with a stainless steel one. Why? Because I wanted to be able to safely cut up my pizza while it was still on the pan and not worry about scratching up the surface. Cutting a pizza on this pan will ruin it. Just be aware of that if you consider buying a pizza pan for this model. Amazon has several 12” stainless steel pans, all of which cost less than Breville’s nonstick pan.

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Breville created the following video to show off the various features and functions of the Breville BOV650XL. It is a good video that shows how to use the control panel. It also provide a nice overview of how each function works.

Dimensions: Length 15.5” x Height 10.25” x Depth 16.25”
Weight: Less than 21 pounds

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Duration

The warranty for the Breville BOV650XL * is 1 year.

Customer Support Experience

Most people are extremely happy with this toaster oven, and raved about how well it worked even after the warranty expired. But, as so often happens with any model, there are also a few people who had machines that failed within the warranty period. Breville made good on their warranty and replaced defective units.

Breville is a quality company that stand behind their products. Some people found that their machines failed just outside the one year warranty time-frame. When that happened and they contacted Breville and their problems, Breville sent replacements.

I’ve done enough review research on toaster ovens to know that this is not at all the norm. Most other manufacturers would do nothing for problems outside the warranty period. My advice to you is to always contact the manufacturer if you have a problem with your machine, even if the warranty has expired.

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• • Quality – Pretty much everything about this machine screams quality made
  • Intuitive – This model is so easy to use that even kids can work the control panel without needing the instruction manual
  • Cooks Evenly and Quickly – The “Element IQ” heating elements do an excellent job of heating and cooking
  • Heating Element Covers – The covers protect the heating elements from bumps that can crack or break the elements
  • Temperature Conversion – Easily switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature displays
  • Preheat Audible Alert – There are a series of beeps that let you know when preheating is done and you can put food inside to be cooked
  • Assist Plug Finger Ring – This might be a little thing, but it is incredibly helpful
  • Size – The interior is large enough to cook a nice variety of foods

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• • Uses a Lot of Power – The power needed to use this toaster oven can cause circuit breakers to trip if they don’t have at least 20 amps
  • No Wire Rack Stoppers – The rack can be pulled completely out of the oven because there is nothing to stop it from coming out all the way
  • Size – This model may be too large for some kitchens
  • Price – The price may be beyond the budgets of some people, but the number of features necessarily causes an increase in price when compared to other models

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 The price of the Breville BOV650XL * is admittedly high, but is justified by the quality craftsmanship and number of included features. Given how well this model performs I think the price is reasonable. At least one person even said that she loves her machine so much that she would buy it again regardless of the cost.

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At the time that I wrote this review there are almost 600 customer reviews for this model on Amazon. Of those reviews, over 460 of them are 4 and 5 star ratings. That’s very impressive! It shows that people are not only willing to pay for quality but are satisfied with how well it performs.

This model has been available since 2010, so it has been around long enough for people to know how well it will perform over time. The huge number of positive ratings have held up throughout this entire time frame. The reason I say that is because people have the ability to change their original ratings, and early ratings are just as positive as recent ones.

Here are the most helpful online sources I used to research the Breville BOV650XL toaster oven. You may find additional helpful information by visiting any or all of these sources:

• • Product information on Amazon *
  • Breville Website
  • Breville BOV650XL Instruction Manual

The Breville BOV650XL toaster oven is an excellent model that will give you complete control over your cooking options. I have every reason to believe that it is just as well made and functions as wonderfully as the BOV800XL that I have.

If you absolutely have to have the ability to use convection cooking then go with the BOV800XL. But if you want to save some money and don’t care about convection cooking, then buy the BOV650XL. It truly is a smart oven that is loaded with premium features and delivers on the promise of fast, even cooking and toasting.

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