Smeg’s countertop 10-in-1 multifunction oven goes on sale today.

Priced at £849.95, you can buy it from , the Smeg flagship store in London, and it’ll soon be available from other retailers. It has not yet launched in the US.

At this price, it’s not the kind of appliance you might buy on a whim. But for some people, it’ll be a perfect, problem-solving purchase. Smeg envisages potential buyers as people living solo, renters and those with compact kitchens. If that’s you, here’s why you might want to invest.

Air fryer ovens are transformative: they make cooking simpler and cheaper. You won’t have to fiddle with your inbuilt oven’s incomprehensible multifunction buttons to set an alarm, or heat up a giant cavern just to cook a few fish fingers.

Plus, an oven doesn’t necessarily have the range to perform all the cooking functions of a countertop appliance, including air frying, steaming and grilling.

But this type of countertop cooker will be a dominating presence in your kitchen and at best, they tend to look functional.

Smeg’s ’50s-style retro line comprises some of the best-looking appliances and devices around. We’ve reviewed its espresso coffee machine, its espresso maker, coffee grinder, jug blender and more – and every device is well-made, useful and will be an aesthetic asset to your kitchen.

Smeg’s countertop oven is no different, with a curved build and high-gloss finish. At launch, it’ll be available in cream and black – but we expect more colour options to follow.

As it’s a 10-in-1 appliance, you might even be able to reduce your countertop clutter if you buy one.

Cooking functions:

• Air fry
• Bake
• Convection (it’s not clear how this setting will differ from the air fry mode, which is also convection cooking)
• Grill and gratin
• Bottom heat cooking (for pizza and pastry cases)
• Warm
• Defrost
• Three steam settings: pure, convection (for roasts) and grill

It has a huge, 30-litre cooking capacity, making it larger than any of our recommended air fryer ovens.

But its large capacity does have its disadvantages. For a start, you’ll need to have the counter space to accommodate its 50 x 50 x 40cm dimensions.

Second, it won’t be as cheap to run as a smaller air fryer and, as there’s more internal space to heat up, it’s unlikely to cook as quickly. But it will be quicker and more budget-friendly to run than a full-size integral oven.

Smeg’s countertop oven has 33 inbuilt recipes, across meat, fish and vegetable dishes, as well as baked goods and pizza. You input the weight of your cooked food and the oven will intelligently adjust the cooking time and temperature for perfect results. There are more recipes via the My Smeg Assistant digital platform, which you’ll be able to access with a QR code when you buy.

You can from today, for £849.95. It comes with an enamelled cooking tray, a perforated tray and grill.

We’ll be reviewing it as soon as we can but in the meantime, for more air fryer and countertop cooker buying options and buying advice, have a look at our round-ups of the best dual-drawer air fryers, the best Ninja air fryers, the best air fryer ovens and the best air fryers overall.