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Kitchen head-to-head

Breville Smart Oven Air FryervsDreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer

The 2018 Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer still averages higher than the 2023 Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer, 8.2 to 7.4, on the back of Durability.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

Breville

8.2

A countertop oven that air-fries properly, which is a different machine from a basket fryer.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer

Dreo

7.4

A probe and a water mister instead of presets, which is a chef's tool priced like one.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Durability, Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer ahead 8.8 to 7.0. They come closest on Performance, 9.2 to 9.0. Left of center is Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, right is Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer versus Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer run left from the axis labels, bars for Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer run right. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer: Performance 9.2, Value 6.6, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 8.4, Quietness 8.0. Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer: Performance 9.0, Value 6.2, Durability 7.0, Ease of use 7.4, Quietness 7.2.Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer (left)Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer (right)PerformanceBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer — Performance 9.2 out of 109.2Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — Performance 9.0 out of 109.0ValueBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer — Value 6.6 out of 106.6Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — Value 6.2 out of 106.2DurabilityBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — Durability 7.0 out of 107.0Ease of useBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer — Ease of use 8.4 out of 108.4Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — Ease of use 7.4 out of 107.4QuietnessBreville Smart Oven Air Fryer — Quietness 8.0 out of 108.0Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer — Quietness 7.2 out of 107.2Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

Leads on Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Quietness.

  • You would rather replace a toaster oven than add a single-purpose appliance
  • Baking evenly matters as much as crisping
  • Cooking for more than two people at a time

Take the Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer

  • Proteins you want arriving at a target internal temperature rather than after a set time
  • You will happily run an app and refill a water tank to get there
  • Cooking is something you enjoy rather than something you get through

What each one gets wrong

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

  • Counter space is limited — the footprint is large
  • You wanted one job done cheaply rather than six jobs done well

Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer

  • Your cooking is mostly frozen food at high heat, where none of this buys you anything
  • You want an appliance with nothing to update, connect, or refill
  • It costs several times what a competent basket fryer does, and crisps no harder

Specs, side by side

SpecBreville Smart Oven Air FryerDreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer
FormCountertop oven with rack—
Element controlElement IQ, individually driven—
CapacityFits a small tray or a whole chicken6 quart basket
Probe—Dual-sensor cook probe, wired into the basket
Water tank—200 ml atomizer reservoir
Modes—Chef, Classic, and Probe

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

The Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer is 5 years newer. Why does it score lower?
Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2018 model takes Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Quietness, widest on Durability at 8.8 to 7.0. The 2023 model doesn't lead a single axis.
What did the 2023 model improve?
Nothing that shows up in the 5 axes. Its own listed weakness reads: Your cooking is mostly frozen food at high heat, where none of this buys you anything.
Which one ranks higher in "The air fryer you can run while someone is on a call"?
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer sits at #1 in "The air fryer you can run while someone is on a call", Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer at #4.