We tested the Sage oven that Stanley Tucci favours in his kitchen – here's why it's a five-star buy

Even though I review air fryers for a living, I must confess that even I found the Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer to be formidable at first. It's a big, bulky countertop-oven-style appliance that would be more at home being used to cater to a Thanksgiving dinner in the Midwest than in my tiny London flat. 

But this is Stanley Tucci's favoured oven, the one he uses in his Instagram cooking videos that we watch obsessively. So we just had to test it, to see how it measured up. 

The first thing to know about this Sage Oven is that it has a real depth of functionality, with 10 settings: toast, crumpet, grill, bake, roast, warm, pizza, air fry, reheat and slow cook. And the temperature range is mightily impressive too, ranging from 50 to 230°C. Those high numbers mean that you can make proper pizzas with a crispy base, rather than just warming up a frozen one.

But those are just the specs, and it's crucial to see how this oven got on under test conditions, to see if it qualifies as one of the best air fryers. Here's what I thought when I tried it out for myself. 

Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer: Product specs

• Capacity: 22 litres
• Modes: Toast, Crumpet, Bake, Roast,Grill, Pizza, Air Fry, Reheat, Warm and Slow Cook
• Weight: 13kg
• Power: 2400W
• Dishwasher safe: No
• Size: 47 x 37 x 28 cm (h x w x d)

Who tested the Sage Smart Air Fryer Oven?

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Editor for Ideal Home and has been covering appliances, cookware and cleaning products on the website since 2022. She's tested dozens of air fryers since then (alongside every other kitchen appliance you can think of), both at home and at the dedicated Future test facility. 

She tested this Sage Air Fryer Oven at home, trying it out with a range of different foods to see how those ten functions stacked up.

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The first thing that has to be said is that the Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer is seriously big. Its dimensions mean that you will probably need to clear some space on your countertop way in advance of its arrival. You might even want to make some space by selling off your old slow cooker and air fryer, it's that big. 

It's mammoth capacity-wise too. With 22 litres of space inside, it's a cavernous space that means this air fryer will qualify to graduate to our guide to the best air fryers for a family of four, too. 

So, when it arrived at my door, I was a little overwhelmed. The box, while massive, is almost as pretty as the appliance itself and it's packed full of helpful resources too. The recipe cards are fantastic, and there's a whole booklet you can download via the Sage website if you want more. 

There is some plastic packaging inside, but this acts to secure the oven in place and prevent it from bumps and knocks. Within the box, you'll also find the inserts neatly packaged up, these are the pizza tray, the mesh tray, the baking tray and the grill rack.

The version of the Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer that I was sent to test is in fact a special edition, which is available from Harrods for £659.00. It's more expensive than the standard stainless steel version thanks to the stunning design which is inspired by ancestral Aboriginal Australian art. 

The box of this limited edition model has a corresponding design, while the standard version is more like the other Sage products you might be familiar with, such as the brand's coffee machines. I find that this oven sits perfectly next to my treasured Sage Barista Express Impress, if you already have a Sage product and are thinking of starting a collection. 

To get started, you just need to plug the air fryer in and get to grips with the controls. There's a knob that lets you dial through the functions and then another knob for temperature adjustment and another to set the time. Everything is programmed through the generous LCD screen, which adds to the overall pleasing look. 

Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer: Performance

Good looks aside, you're going to want to know how this thing cooks, which is why I started off with the air fryer classic, chips. I used frozen on this occasion just for ease and got to grips with how the tray system worked inside the oven. 

Inside, there are three different levels where you can slot your tray. Helpfully, there are words written on the glass of the oven door so you can see which level corresponds to which function. The top level is reserved for grilling, crumpets and air frying. The middle is best for pizza and toast, and everything else finds a place on the bottom layer. 

The trays themselves also seem to operate on a magnet system, so that when you pull open the oven door, the tray comes with it. This saves you from having to put your whole hand into a very hot oven, which I for one am very thankful for.

So, I set the chips off for a little less than their recommended cooking time in an oven. As with most air fryers, this oven takes a minute to warm up and then beeps to let you know it's ready. From there it was plain sailing, with the internal light also very helpful for letting you see the progress of your food easily. 

The chips came out delightfully fluffy, and the mesh insert was good for getting the crisp on the outside that is essential with potatoes too. With that mountain climbed, I moved on to another air fryer must-do, which is bacon. 

I have been exclusively cooking bacon in my standard dual-zone air fryer since I got it, so I was dubious about this oven being better for this particular job. To my surprise, I found that putting down foil was much easier with this style of air fryer, which meant less mess, and the overall cook seemed improved. After only a few minutes, the bacon was ready, which makes speedy weekend breakfasts very easy indeed.

As far as a balanced meal goes, my testing regime was calling out for some vegetables, which is where a mix of Mediterranean courgettes, peppers and tomatoes comes in. I wanted to see what the bake function was like alongside the ability to air fry, so I popped them in with a drizzle of olive oil to cook. 

I used the baking tray on this occasion, though I soon wished I'd used my trusty tin foil to save on washing up. This is one definite benefit of this countertop oven style, as it's actually less faff here to use foil, while it can be too fiddly in the drawer-style air fryers. 

On the whole, though there does tend to be a little more cleaning to do around the oven compared to a basket air fryer, including the oven door and around the hinges, where excess food tends to fall through.

The veg cooked just fine during the bake function, though it took longer than air frying, as it's set to a lower temperature. If you do invest in this oven, I'd recommend playing around with the functions to see what suits the food you want to cook best. With so many settings, it's really worth properly getting to grips with them. 

Aside from the phenomenal air frying, the thing that I've really found this oven handy for is all of the smaller jobs that I don't want to turn my actual oven on for. 

That includes toasting, as you can toast up to six slices of toast at a time thanks to the extra large capacity and grilling. I also love the reheat function, and how easy it is to bake frozen bread back to life with this air fryer too. My next mission with this oven? Making a proper pizza in it, as the temperature range means you should be able to get that well-baked base that you need.

On the whole, I've been so impressed with the cooking power on offer with this air fryer, and I just love how much functionality is packed in. It couldn't be easier to use, and it looks the part too.

How does it compare to other air fryers?

We've tested dozens of air fryers here at Ideal Home. Of all of those, our top-rated choice, which we dive into in our Ninja VersaZone Air Fryer review, allows you to separate its one large drawer into two smaller compartments whenever you feel the need. By comparison, this air fryer oven is a very different product, but both have the versatility to make cooking for a family easier. The Ninja VersaZone is more of a typical air fryer however, and might suit those who aren't looking for loads of functionality. 

In terms of comparing an oven of the same style, our Lakeland Digital Mini Oven review is an insight into a countertop oven that is super affordable but doesn't quite hit the mark. It lacks a true convection oven setting and can only fit in small baking trays. The Sage has no problem in either of those areas, and I think it looks a whole lot nicer too. 

Should you buy the Sage Smart Oven Air Fryer?

If you're wary about investing in a countertop oven style air fryer, then I can understand your doubts. This is a big, bulky, expensive investment and the number of functions can be a bit dizzying.

In essence though, I think you'll love using this premium air fryer if you have the space, would make the use of the oven-like functions and if you can stretch to the price. This is more expensive than even the top range Ninja air fryers out there, but it does have a lot going for it if you can spare the cash. It also absolutely looks the part, especially if you're going for that industrial-style look in your kitchen. And with The Tucc's endorsement, you know you can't really go wrong.