Smeg Combi Steam Oven review: a multi-functional countertop oven that looks stunning and cooks well

Smeg Combi Steam Oven: one-minute review

There’s no denying that the SmegCombi Steam Oven is a sleek and beautiful piece of kitchen technology that cooks food well in a variety of ways. I tried out the bake, convection bake, air fry, and steamer functions as well as a number of the preset recipe functions. Every single item I made came out perfectly delicious, though I did need to keep an eye on my food and I took a couple of items out early to prevent overcooking.

However, there is one major issue I had with the Smeg Combi Steam Oven. I cannot figure out exactly who this countertop oven is for or what it might replace in one’s kitchen. I already own an oven and a toaster oven and the Combi can’t replace either of those. It’s too small to replace an oven, unless you live in space that doesn’t have room for a full-sized oven. I suppose it could replace a toaster oven, but it has a much larger footprint than the (similarly-sized on the inside) toaster oven I already own. And while I’m sure you can make toast in it, like in any kind of oven, there is no designated toast feature on the Combi.

Smeg Combi Steam Oven: price and availability

• List price: $999.95 (about £770 / AU$1,500)

That’s right, the Smeg Combi Steam Oven is over $1,000 once you pay sales tax. It’s available at upscale kitchen stores like Williams-Sonoma and Crate and Barrel.

The Smeg Combi Steam Oven is only available in the US at the time of writing, but it may become available internationally at a later date.

• Value score: 3/5

Smeg Combi Steam Oven: specifications

SMEG Combi Steam Oven: design and features

• Beautiful mid-century aesthetic
• Two knobs to access a variety of functions
• Bake, air fry, steam, and more

The Smeg Combi Steam oven is advertised as a 10 in 1 oven. Just don’t call it a toaster oven! It’s a countertop oven that cooks in a whole bunch of different ways. According to Smeg, the oven uses "Galileo Multicooking technology: innovative airflow patterns and professional algorithms for outstanding results in a compact design.” It offers traditional cooking functions like bake and convection bake along with steam and air fry functions to perform a variety of cooking tasks.

The Combi has 33 automatic chef recipes that take the guesswork out of cooking meat, fish, vegetables, bread, pizza, and desserts. Just choose your preset, pop in your food, and get ready for some deliciousness.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The enamel mid-century design is sleek and gorgeous. You can choose from five different colors: black, white, red, cream, and light blue. It comes with the following cooking accessories: two grill racks, an enameled cooking tray, and a perforated cooking tray. The guides along the sides of the oven have two different positions so you can cook on the upper level, lower level, or both at once. The guides can also be removed so you can easily access the sides of the oven for easier cleaning. The window is large and the light inside is always on while cooking so you can keep a close eye on your food’s progress.

The top of the Combi opens up to reveal a water compartment, where you pour in water for the steam function. The interior of the lid has a cheat sheet with all of the chef presets listed as well as a QR code so you can access the owner’s manual, how-to videos, and other information. This water tank is why the Combi is so large - much larger than any toaster oven I’ve ever seen. However, the interior is virtually the same size as my large toaster oven, just two inches wider.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

There are two dials for controlling the SMEG Combi Steam Oven and a screen between them. There are three menus you can access via the left dial: Traditional Cooking Menu, Steam Cooking Menu, and Chef Menu. The Traditional Cooking Menu lets you choose broil, air fry, bake, convection bake, convection bottom bake, warm, and defrost.

Within the Steam Cooking Menu, you can choose convection (for pure steam cooking), convection bake (for bake plus steam), and convection broil (for broil plus steam).

When you enter the Chef Menu, you can choose from among 33 presets for a variety of meats, fish, vegetables, desserts, and breads. The use of the dials definitely takes some studying of the user manual and some practice. It’s not necessarily intuitive.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Smeg Combi Steam Oven: performance

So how did the Combi perform? Overall, excellent. I cooked a bunch of meals in the Combi and there wasn’t a dud in the bunch.

There was definitely a weird smell the first couple of times I used it, even though I performed the one hour burn off (empty oven on highest setting) to get rid of any residues left from the manufacturing process. And it’s quite noisy, getting up to 65 dB(A) at times.

However, unlike every toaster oven I’ve used, it doesn’t get hot on the outside. Even when going full tilt, it only reached a very touchable 76 degrees on the outside. The fan stays on while the oven cools down after cooking is complete, presumably to help it cool down faster. It does take some time to cool down, and a progress bar on the screen lets you know how the cool down is progressing.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I made two different kinds of (sweet potato) french fries: from scratch and pre-made frozen. For the scratch variety, I cut up a sweet potato and coated the wedges in oil and seasonings.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

The frozen ones I just dumped out on the tray. I used the French Fry Chef Menu preset for both, which was actually a traditional baking mode rather than an air fry mode as you might expect. In both cases, the fries came out crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and totally delicious. I also baked a sweet potato whole using convection bake as I typically would and that also came out great.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I baked blueberry muffins using the Muffin preset from the Chef Menu, which includes steam. The muffins came out moist and delicious. I’d say the browning was a bit uneven; I took them out one minute early because I was afraid some of them might overcook. I probably didn’t need to do that, though.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I used the Roasted Vegetables preset many times, since I eat them just about every day. The most challenging vegetables I made in the Combi this way were brussels sprouts. I make them all the time; when I make them on the stovetop they tend to be slightly soggy but when I make them in the oven they tend to dry out (unless I use a ton of oil.) In the Combi, I used a minimal amount of oil, just a quick spritz all over. They came out crisp, tender, and amazing.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I also tried making vegetables in Air Fry mode, using a recipe I found online. I put broccoli, red peppers, and a frozen veggie burger patty in for 10 minutes at 390 degrees. Again, the veggies were delicious: crisp and tender. The burger was fully cooked, just right.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I had to make pizza in the Smeg Combi Steam Oven. There is a dedicated Pizza preset in the Chef Menu, but since Smeg is an Italian company, I know it was talking about homemade pizza. I wanted to make frozen pizza. In fact, I made two different ones over the course of my testing period.

In both cases, I followed the directions on the box. I did one in convection bake mode and ended up taking it out a couple of minutes early so it didn’t burn. I did the second one in regular bake mode, and actually had to add a couple of minutes to the bake time. In the end though, both pizzas came out perfect: lightly browned, fully cooked in the middle, not burnt anywhere.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

I steamed frozen pierogies (potato dumplings) using the steam mode. The pierogies came out fully heated through, moist, and delicious.

I didn't make toast. Why? Because there is no dedicated toast function. Obviously you can Google how to make toast in any oven, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why Smeg didn’t include a toast setting in the Chef Menu.

Cleanup isn't exactly a breeze, because everything is hand wash only. The trays definitely take some elbow grease, but I was able to get them completely clean every time. The oven itself is another story. The instructions say to let the oven cool and then use a regular cleaner, nothing abrasive, to clean the Combi. I did exactly that, using Dawn Powerwash and a Scrub Daddy (gentle sponge).

When that wasn’t enough, I went out and bought some Dawn Professional Heavy Duty Degreaser. That didn’t do it either, despite plenty of elbow grease. I don’t want to damage it with an abrasive cleaner or steel wool, so it just isn’t as clean as I’d like.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Smeg Combi Steam Oven?

Buy it if

You want a sleek and stylish countertop oven

The Smeg Combi Steam Oven is a beauty for sure. Since it comes in five different colors, at least one of them will look amazing in your kitchen.

You want a multi-functional mini oven

The Combi lets you air fry, bake, steam, and more with a flick of the dials.

You want an easy way to cook quick and delicious food

I’m all about getting a good meal on the table without a lot of fuss and the Combi definitely helped make that happen.

Don't buy it if

Money is a consideration.

At over a grand (with sales tax) this costs more than some full-sized ovens and far more than a toaster oven.

You want to replace one of your current appliances

The Combi takes up a lot of counter space and I don’t know what appliance this would replace. Maybe your toaster oven, but only if you have no need of a dedicated toast function.

You want easy cleanup

I’ve cleaned and cleaned the Combi but it remains stained at the bottom. An abrasive cleaner might do the trick, but Smeg warns against using abrasives.

Smeg Combi Steam Oven: also consider

If you're not sure about the Smeg Combi Steam Oven, here are some other options to consider...

Ninja Double Oven Air Fryer

Cook two different items two different ways at the same time in this two-compartment air fryer oven. While not cheap, it’s a lot cheaper than the Smeg Combi Steam Oven, and earned a place in our roundup of the best air fryers.

Read our full review here.

Ninja Combi Multi-Cooker

This ultra-flexible countertop oven bakes, steams, air fries, and more. While it’s not nearly as pretty as the SMEG Combi Steam Oven, it has a lot of the same functionality for a lot less money.

Read our full review here.

How I tested the SMEG Combi Steam Oven

• I used multiple Chef Menu functions
• I tested air fry, bake, convection bake, and steam modes
• I cleaned it after each use

I’ve tested quite a few kitchen appliances over the years, both for review purposes and in my private life as the primary cook in my family for several decades. I love a cool cooking gadget and anything that lets me get a nutritious meal on the table fast.

I tested the Smeg Combi Steam Oven for about two weeks. I cooked a variety of foods using a variety of cooking modes, as detailed in the Performance section above. I used a few different presets in the Chef Menu section, as well as the bake, convection bake, steam, and air fry modes. I cooked a variety of fresh vegetables, french fries (both fresh and frozen), muffins, pierogies, veggie burgers, and frozen pizzas. After each cooking session, I cleaned all the accessories and the oven itself to assess how easy it was to clean.

Read more about how we test.