I Can't Imagine Life Without Our Place's Air Fryer, and Now It's on Rare Sale

Until recently, I was one of the last holdouts against the seemingly ubiquitous air fryer. Content to stick with my traditional oven, I ignored all the enthusiastic reviews claiming that air fryers cook quickly and efficiently, and can cook a surprisingly wide variety of dishes for their small size. 

But after Our Place, the much-loved brand behind the Always Pan, released its own air fryer called the Wonder Oven, the stylish design immediately caught my eye. I can honestly say that after the brand sent me a sample to test, I am a convert to the air fryer way of life. That's why I need to tell you about this rare sale: Right now, Our Place is having a sitewide Black Friday sale with discounts up to 40% off, including my beloved Wonder Oven.

The Wonder Oven comes in four matte colors — steam, char, blue salt, and spice — which makes it look less mechanical and cold in my opinion. It measures 11.6- by 10.6- by 11.5-inches, so it fits snugly beside my toaster on the counter, and thanks to its minimalist design doesn’t make the space look cluttered either. I love the square design, with a row of three knobs at the top, and that it opens up just like a mini oven. While the brand says it can perform six different functions, there are actually seven: It can air fryer, roast, bake, broil, and reheat leftovers, as well as toast bread and use steam (poured into a spout on top of the oven) to bring stale bread back to life. 

I started testing the Wonder Oven when my traditional oven mysteriously stopped working, so I was excited to start using it. Almost right away, the Wonder Oven replaced our oven entirely (and we still haven’t bothered to get it fixed). There are only three people in my household, one of whom is a toddler, and the small size was ideal for cooking up perfect portions for us. 

One of the hallmarks of the Our Place brand is that the cookware typically comes with several accessories, and the Wonder Oven is no different. It arrived with an air fryer basket, baking tray, and crumb tray. While none of the pieces should be cleaned in the dishwasher, the nonstick surface works like a charm. I just rinsed them one at a time under warm water and wiped them clean with a sponge — the whole clean up process didn’t take more than three minutes.

The Wonder Oven’s compact size might be deceptive to people who aren’t used to cooking with a multifunctional oven like this one. But the air fryer basket or baking tray can actually fit a half bag of French fries (enough for two people to split), four (thawed) sausages, or three diced gold potatoes. Overall, I found its 12-liter cooking capacity prevented me from cooking too much food.  

And it’s fast. This is the feature that ultimately sold me on the Wonder Oven. It can reach up to 450°F but it preheats in just five minutes. Just turn the first knob to the desired oven temperature, the second knob to the setting you want to use, and the third knob to cook time — there is no digital screen or beeping buttons to make you feel like you’re using a futuristic gadget, but for me that only added to it's so appeal. When I’m cooking, I’m looking for simplicity.

According to my testing, French fries crisp up in just 15 minutes, and vegetarian burgers are cooked in about 20 minutes if they’re frozen. I feel almost foolish for not trying an air fryer earlier — it has saved me so much time.  

The only roadblocks that I ran into is that the knobs can be a bit stubborn to turn, so you have to use a firm grip on them, and there’s no off-switch, so at one point when I realized I was overcooking something, I couldn’t stop the process without yanking the power cord out of the wall. Instead, I just had to force the timer back to the start position. But none of these issues ever deterred me from wanting to use it. 

There’s one more thing: I could accomplish most of the cooking tasks I described with any air fryer. But the Wonder Oven stands out for a few important reasons. First of all, it's spacious enough to feed my family, but still fits neatly on my counter. And realistically it's so versatile that I could get rid of my regular toaster and make the space look even tidier. But most importantly, no brand I’ve seen can outdo Our Place when it comes to design. 

The Wonder Oven is easily one of the most stylish appliances I have ever used. It hits the sweet spot where form meets function, and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about jumping on the air fryer bandwagon or needs an upgrade. Especially while it's on rare sale.

At the time of publishing, the price was $149.

Shop More Deals from Our Place's Spring Sale:

Always Pan 2.0

Perfect Pot

Better Bowl Set

Cookware Set

Splendor Blender