A powerful convection countertop oven does everything a full-size oven can do. On top of that, it provides additional convenience through its new features, compactness, ease of handling, and energy-efficient form. Among the best countertop ovens is the ‘Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven.’ In terms of overall power, versatility, and performance, this oven goes quite a few notches beyond the confines of a typical toaster oven appliance. In this Wolf Countertop Oven review, you’ll discover how efficient this appliance is in cooking a range of items from cheesy garlic-parmesan crostini to broiled lamb chops, and more.
A typical toaster oven tray can’t achieve full-size baking. This Wolf countertop oven review will reveal how this handsome stainless steel convection countertop oven by Wolf Gourmet excels at full-size baking and more.
Wolf Gourmet was established in the year 2000. They manufacture highly specialized appliances that fall at the top-end of the quality continuum. There are many benefits of choosing this model. From its advanced convection technology to great attention to detail in design and features, this oven is a masterpiece. It’s an appliance that takes care of your cooking in the truest sense!
Read the below Wolf countertop oven review, to learn everything about this incredible kitchen appliance. While you can’t go wrong with a purchase such as this, it’s understandable that everybody has a different budget and set of specific cooking requirements. Because of that, we have a helpful buyer’s guide section at the very end, so you can make the perfect choice in selecting your next countertop oven.
Table of Contents
Wolf Countertop Oven Review
This appliance, the ‘Wolf Gourmet Elite Countertop Oven with Convection,’ is by far the most advanced countertop oven by Wolf Gourmet to date. Through its 7 cooking modes, each of which is uniquely calibrated, you can either bake, broil, roast, proof, toast/bagel, heat, or warm foods rapidly and thoroughly.
The heated air is circulated in a continuous momentum owing to the advanced convection technology. As a result, the advanced electronics, five heating elements, and the intuitive control mechanism all work in tandem to lead to evenly roasted and baked foods with no hot or cold spots. Moreover, you can get a lot done per session. Though this oven cannot roast a large-sized turkey like any of the best electric roasters, it does however have a spacious enough interior to accommodate most 9” by 13” stoneware dishes or up to a 5.5 lbs chicken.
When you’re cooking meat to the desired taste, it’s crucial to cook the meat to a specific preferred internal temperature. This Wolf countertop oven has a precision temperature probe that allows you to achieve predictable results. The probe can be instantly plugged in place using just one hand. It gives you complete control in achieving tender and precisely cooked meat to an exact preferred internal temperature. You can even cross-check the perfection by using one of the best candy thermometers, and you won’t be disappointed.
The handsome aesthetics, flawless internal mechanisms, and impeccable functionality are what make this product stand out from the crowd. Take the 2 easy-glide racks as an example. These racks slide in very smoothly and can easily be repositioned among the three height levels of the interior. Advanced technology is the hallmark of this appliance, and the spring-loaded door is the perfect testament to that claim. The innovative door with a seal opens and closes gently, and is designed to prevent heat loss.
Other features like the 5 heating elements, the halogen light, and the non-stick interior enhance the appeal of this oven. These are not just appealing but practical features that you should look for in any convection countertop oven. The 5 heating elements cause the food to be evenly cooked every single time. The bright halogen light lets you see the complete interior of the oven so you can visually monitor the progress of your cooking. The amazing non-stick interior and the removable side rack holders make maintaining the oven a breeze.
A complete summary of all the specifications & features of this countertop oven is stipulated below:
Specifications & Features
- Product Dimensions – 16.6 x 22.4 x 12.6 inches.
- Product Weight – 46.5 pounds (21.14 Kg).
- Product Material – Stainless steel.
- LCD Control Panel – The friendly, bright backlit LCD panel lets you keep a watch on the oven temperature as well as the probe temperature. Further, you can also view the timer settings, cooking mode icons, and toast shade settings.
- 2 Large Dials – The control panel has 2 ergonomic dials. The top dial can be used to select the shade (up to the darkness level) of the toast. The top dial also has a selection bezel to set the temperature (proof, warm, roast, bake, broil, toast, bagel) to the desired cooking mode. The dual-functionality of the lower dial lets you set the timer (for up to 4 hours) and the number of slices you wish to toast. Immediately above the top dial on the control panel is the start/stop button, which illuminates with a red light once the unit is switched on.
- Non-Stick Interior & Removable Crumb Tray – The Wolf Gourmet is super easy to clean up owing to the durable non-stick interior. And, the sturdy crumb tray is removable and dishwasher-friendly as it’s made of stainless steel.
- 2-Easy Glide Racks & Spacious Interior – Both the easy-glide racks glide in and out of the oven smoothly for easy accessibility to the food. These are sturdy, stainless steel racks, that can withstand most 9” x 13” stoneware dishes or a chicken weighing up to 5.5 lbs.
- 5-Years Limited Warranty Period – The warranty backing is for five years from the original purchase date. In case you notice a defect in workmanship within this stipulated period, you can turn to Wolf Gourmet for a quick, satisfactory resolution.
- Free Gift – With the package, you get a premium 3-ply 12” x 12 “ stainless steel cookie sheet.
- Perimeter Fan – You get advanced convection cooking through the unique perimeter fan. It circulates heated air completely, resulting in faster cooking and even baking. Cooking time is reduced by up to 25%. With a quick press of a button located on the control panel, you can use convection to roast or bake your favorite dishes.
- Integrated Temperature Probe – For tender cooked results of your meat, now you can cook precisely to a desired internal temperature selection. Through the integrated temperature probe, you have full control over your food’s internal temperature. And, for this, you need not open the door of the oven to check. You can set and monitor the internal probe temperature through the probe selection button and the LCD panel, respectively.
- Unique Temperature Control – This is the type of high-performance temperature control functionality that makes this appliance unique. For each cooking mode, there is fine-tuning and unique calibration of the temperature through intuitive controls. This results in perfection in baking, roasting, and broiling performance each time.
- 5 Heating Elements – Each of the multiple Incoloy heating elements has a sufficient overall role to play. They contribute towards accurate heating so that there are precise and even baking, roasting, and broiling outcomes. These elements are nickel-based, high-grade stainless steel, which makes them incredibly durable and free from corrosion and burnout tendencies.
- Multiple Cooking Modes – These modes result in precise and predictable results each time you cook. You can select from among the 7 cooking modes. You may choose to bake, broil, roast, proof, bagel & toast, heat, or warm foods.
- Interior Halogen Lighting – This feature wasn’t there in the previous variant of this item. The helpful halogen light makes it possible for you to monitor the progress of your cooking while the door is shut.
What We Liked
- 7 cooking modes.
- Unique temperature control.
- The convection, probe, & start/stop functions are activated with the push of a button.
- High-grade stainless steel material.
- Long-lasting heating elements.
- Integrated temperature probe.
- Spacious, easy to clean non-stick interior.
- Sturdy and durable built-quality.
- 5-year limited warranty period against defects and workmanship.
- LCD monitoring.
- Ergonomic design.
What We Didn’t Like
- At over $600, the price is steep for most pockets. Yet, in terms of quality and performance, this is the ultimate countertop oven to possess.
Critical Analysis – Wolf Countertop Oven
The ‘Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven’ deserves full credit for its high performance, excellent construction, and easy operation. The oven’s craftsmanship is robust, embodying components of the highest quality standards. It’s got a sturdy, durable look as well as mechanism. It certainly matches the expectations people have from the highly specialized nature of Wolf Gourmet appliances.
The well-articulated control panel with LCD makes the operation super easy for anyone. Whether you’re a layman or an expert chef, you’d appreciate how well this machine operates. You get outstanding, precision-based results from the convection and probe settings.
This unit is relatively large compared to most countertop ovens. This means you need to be prepared to shell out quite some bit of your kitchen countertop. However, the trade-off makes this purchase well worth your investment in both space and money. This is because you’re achieving all your baking, broiling, and roasting goals admirably, besides just the toasting requirements.
The only drawback is the steep price. Though, the high price isn’t unfair since it accounts for the superior construction, astonishing features, and high performance. It is a real oven-made compact, and it’s an elite one!
Buyer’s Guide
Buying the right oven for your home or restaurant kitchen is essential for the satisfaction of your family and your business, respectively. The investment in an oven is not just about baking, broiling, roasting, toasting, or warming food for the sake of it. It’s more to do with selecting the right oven, to experience tender, delicious, and precise cooking results.
While you’re out searching the marketplace, whether, to a brick-and-mortar outlet or online, you’ll come across various choices, ranging from the conventional oven to the convection countertop style. The purview of this article is to focus on countertop ovens. Countertop ovens are compact and highly useful where space is constricted, such as in commercial kitchens. When a countertop oven is equipped with a fan and exhaust system, it’s called a convection countertop oven. An efficient convection countertop oven is easy to use, cooks quicker and more evenly, and a breeze to transport and install.
Our buyer’s guide will assist you in choosing the right convection countertop oven for your needs.
What Sets A Convection Oven Apart From A Standard Oven
Cooking Time & Temperature Controls
The same recipe will take a different amount of time to cook in different conditions. Hence, when choosing a convection oven over the standard oven, the cooking will happen faster. To adhere to the difference, you will be required to adjust the cooking time and temperature through the controls on the convection oven. The best models can do this adjustment automatically, depending upon the recipe in question.
Other Adjustable Controls
Convection ovens feature programmable controls that allow you to activate a recipe program by pushing a single button. There are also manual controls so that you can adjust the settings as per your specialized cooking needs.
Fan
An inherent part of every convection oven is the fan inside. If you’re majorly into baking delicate items like cakes, you may want to look for a convection oven that lets you power the fan on and off, since the hot blowing air can affect delicate baking. Additionally, some premium models allow you to make adjustments to the fan’s speed.
Keep “Warm” Feature
More specifically, this is the cook-and-hold feature many convection ovens offer. This means, once the food is cooked, you may wish to leave it in the oven for a desired specified time so it remains warm and ready for serving.
Steaming Feature
Are you vying to make the perfect artisan bread, or juicy beef or turkey dishes with very little oil use? If yes, you’ll benefit from the steam circulation feature (connected to a water connection) that some convection ovens offer in the baking chamber.
Factors To Consider When Buying A Convection Countertop Oven:
The Size & Capacity
When choosing the right countertop oven for your kitchen, you would want to weigh in two important considerations — the cooking space and capacity you desire and the existing counter space that’s available in your kitchen. In deciding the cooking capacity, you can think of the food items you cook most often. Yet, it shouldn’t be so big that it hogs up most of your available kitchen counter space. The Wolf Gourmet countertop oven reviewed here does the toasting as well, so you may want to make more room in your kitchen by getting rid of your existing toaster.
The Features
There are several convection countertop models to choose from. Each has a set of features, which may or may not include all that you’re looking for. The set of features to look for depends on how often you’ll be using your oven and the types of dishes you’ll cook most often. For instance, if you love making pizza often, then’ you’ll benefit from an oven that has a pizza drawer.
Here’s a list of some premium features:
Digital Control Panel
Everybody appreciates an appliance that has easy-to-adjust settings that aren’t in any way overcomplicating what ought to be a simple process. We consider countertop ovens with a simplified, few button preset operation, to be more user-friendly and desirable. Audible alerts and automatic shut-off are some neat features to look for. You are alerted with a beep when the food is ready. Or, according to your settings, the oven shuts off automatically after 30-60 minutes.
A well-designed digital control panel won’t collect any dust. It will have useful display information, preferably in LCD format, and ergonomic adjustment buttons and knobs for the temperature and other adjustments.
Automatic Ejecting Racks
Auto-eject racks make it safer and easier to collect the food. Auto-eject racks partially pop out once you open the oven door to collect the cooked food.
Inside light
This is one of the most useful features. A nice bright halogen light inside the oven lets you see everything that’s happening inside. So when it’s time to check up on your cooking progress, you need not open the door each time. This feature is especially useful when you’re cooking delicate foods like broiling steak, baking a sponge cake, or melting cheese.
Well Insulated Body
Premium models won’t be skimpily insulated. A sufficiently insulated oven body makes for a safer overall cooking experience. This way, you’re eliminating the chance of burning your hand and other heat-related accidents.
Wattage
The wattage range is anywhere from 750 watts for a basic oven to 1800 watts for the best convection units. Adequate wattage ensures you won’t have trouble doing advanced cooking.
The Aesthetics
It always helps to have chosen a countertop oven that matches the general decor of your kitchen and other appliances. Generally, a sleek, modern stainless steel look will go with most modern kitchens.
Multiple Cooking Modes
The Wolf countertop oven reviewed above had 7 modes. That sort of versatility and configuration helps you get precise cooking results in a vast array of cooking styles. This means, you can do your toasting, broiling, roasting, heating, warming, proofing, and baking all through one appliance. If that happens, you will be able to get rid of your independent traditional toaster and make additional room in your kitchen countertop.
Final Thoughts
The ‘Wolf Gourmet Elite Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven’ is a fabulous convection countertop oven. It helps you get superior, authentic results in all your baking, broiling, and roasting endeavors. Its five high-end Incoloy heating elements along with the high-performance convection technology, lead to quicker and more accurate cooking with minimal energy use.
It is a sturdy, durable, powerful, and handsome-looking appliance that adds to the overall appeal of your kitchen. It has multiple features and ease of handling as the cornerstone of its incredible performance. The relatively higher price is worth it, especially if you look at it from a long-term use perspective. Furthermore, you have the extensive 5-year guarantee backing, in case there is a defect in the workmanship of this model within that stipulated time frame.