When you’re in the market for a high-quality Breville microwave, the choice often narrows down to two feature-rich models: the Breville Combi Wave and the Breville Smooth Wave. Though they share a premium stainless-steel build and advanced inverter mechanisms, each serves different cooking needs. In this comprehensive comparison, we’ll explore their key differences, performance, use cases, and what makes one more suited for you than the other.
Main Difference Between Breville Combi Wave and Smooth Wave
The **main difference** is functionality: the Combi Wave is a 3-in-1 appliance (microwave, convection oven, air fryer), while the Smooth Wave is a dedicated high-performance microwave optimized for even heating and quiet operation.
What Is the Breville Combi Wave?
The Breville Combi Wave (model BMO870, including the BMO870BST variant) is a multifunction kitchen appliance that doesn’t just microwave — it can also convection cook and air fry. According to its manual, the unit has a 1.1 cu ft (32 L) capacity.
Power-wise, the microwave input is 1,200 W, while the convection heating element is rated at 1,400 W, and the grill at 1,100 W. The output microwave power is about 1,100 W. It comes with a 12.4-inch glass turntable.
Some standout features include:
- Element iQ® System: intelligent algorithms steer power among the microwave, convection oven, and grill to optimize cooking.
- Fast Combi mode: this alternates microwave, convection, and grill to cook food faster than a conventional oven.
- From-Frozen preset: designed to cook frozen food by combining microwave, grill, and convection in stages.
- Air Fry</strong): using the included Combi Crisp pan, you can air-fry food inside the cavity.
- Smart Cook / Smart Reheat / Smart Defrost: built-in presets simplify common tasks.
- Soft-close door and quieter operation: the door closes gently, and its operation is engineered to be less noisy.
- Accessories include a Combi Crisp pan and a trivet/rack for convection cooking.
In short, the Combi Wave is a versatile powerhouse: it replaces multiple appliances and is ideal if you want more than just microwave reheating.
What Is the Breville Smooth Wave?
The Breville Smooth Wave (model BMO850BSS1BUC1) is a refined, dedicated microwave. It’s designed for precise reheating, defrosting, and cooking — focusing on consistency, ease, and quietness.
Key specifications:
- Capacity: ~1.2 cu ft / ~34 L.
- Wattage: 1,200 W (or around that, depending on region).
- Turntable: 12.4-inch diameter.
Core technologies include:
- Sensor iQ® Technology: monitors steam released by food and adjusts cooking time and power automatically for more precise results.
- Power Smoothing Inverter™: instead of cycling power on and off, it adjusts power intensity smoothly to avoid hot spots.
- 15 Smart Presets: includes Smart Cook, Smart Reheat, Smart Defrost, plus common tasks.
- Shortcuts Panel: inside the door, for quick tasks like melting chocolate, reheating pizza, softening butter, etc.
- Soft-close door and **quieter operation**: door is 80% quieter; operation is ~50% quieter than typical microwaves.
- A Bit More button: gives you a quick 30-second (“+30”) increment without restarting the cycle.
- Child Lock and mute options: for safety and reduced sound.
In essence, the Smooth Wave is optimized for heating food evenly and quietly, with smart intelligence — excellent for daily reheating and delicate tasks.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Here’s a side-by-side look at how the two models compare:
| Feature | Combi Wave (BMO870) | Smooth Wave (BMO850) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Functions | Microwave + Convection Oven + Air Fryer | Dedicated Microwave |
| Capacity | 1.1 cu ft / 32 L | 1.2 cu ft / ~34 L |
| Power (Microwave) | Microwave input 1,200 W; convection 1,400 W; grill 1,100 W | ~1,200 W (some sources list 1,250 W) |
| Heating Technology | Element iQ®, Power Smoothing Inverter | Sensor iQ®, Power Smoothing Inverter |
| Smart Presets | About 19 (including air fry, fast combi, oven, etc.) | 15 presets (Smart Cook, Reheat, Defrost, etc.) |
| Accessories | Combi Crisp pan, trivet/rack | No special pan included, turntable only |
| Door & Noise | Soft-close door, quieter design | Soft-close door (80% quieter), 50% quieter operation |
| Special Modes | Air Fry, Fast Combi, From-Frozen, Oven, Grill | Smart Reheat, Defrost, Cook, +30, A Bit More, Shortcuts panel |
| Ideal For | Versatile cooking: crisping, roasting, reheating small meals | Precision reheating, defrosting, one-touch tasks |
- The Breville Smooth Wave Microwave takes the guesswork out of cooking with Sensor iQ...
- SENSOR iQ TECHNOLOGY: Automatically adjust power to precisely cook or reheat; Countertop...
- POWER SMOOTHING INVERTER: Microwave automatically adjusts power intensity and delivers...
- SMART COOK, REHEAT & DEFROST: Featuring 15 in-built smart presets putting all the power at...
- QUIET MICROWAVE WITH SOFT CLOSE DOOR: Countertop microwave has 80% quieter soft close door...
Pros & Cons
Combi Wave – Pros
- Multi-function: replaces separate microwave, oven, and air fryer.
- Fast Combi mode saves time by combining cooking methods.
- Element iQ ensures intelligent power distribution.
- Soft-close door and child lock add usability and safety.
Combi Wave – Cons
- Larger footprint due to its convection and air-frying components.
- More complex interface; steeper learning curve.
- Slower preheating for oven mode vs a dedicated oven.
- Some users report error codes or issues:
> “Combi Wave 3 in 1 … started giving me an E-08 error code …”
> “My Breville (Combi 3 in 1) trips the circuit breaker …”
Smooth Wave – Pros
- Very even heating thanks to Power Smoothing Inverter
- Sensor iQ adjusts cooking intelligently: avoids overcooking or drying edges.
- Quiet operation: soft-close door and reduced noise.
- User-friendly shortcuts panel for quick tasks.
- A Bit More / +30 functionality is very handy for incremental reheating.
Smooth Wave – Cons
- Single-function: no oven or air-fry capability.
- Smart presets are fixed; less creative flexibility.
- Some users report reliability or durability concerns:
> “We got a Breville Smooth Wave … Less than 4 months later, the Breville wouldn’t heat …”
> “Cannot get it to make popcorn … packet of pre-packaged popcorn popped a pathetic 50%”
Which One Should You Choose?
Here are some scenarios to help you decide:
- Pick the Combi Wave if you want an all-in-one countertop appliance. If you often roast, bake, crisp, or air-fry foods, this gives you a lot of flexibility without buying separate appliances.
- Pick the Smooth Wave if your main need is a smart, powerful, and quiet microwave for reheating, defrosting, and cooking small meals with precision. Ideal for daily use, leftovers, or delicate tasks.
- Space consideration: if your counter space is limited, the Smooth Wave’s simpler build may be more manageable than the bulkier Combi Wave.
- Maintenance: Combi Wave includes a crisp pan and rack to wash, while Smooth Wave is more straightforward to clean.
Final Thoughts
Both the Breville Combi Wave and Smooth Wave are premium, thoughtfully engineered kitchen appliances. While they share some intelligent power control technology, they are clearly designed with different use cases in mind.
If you value versatility and want to combine microwave functionality with air frying and convection baking, then the Combi Wave is a compelling choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a dedicated, precise, and quiet microwave that gives you consistent, evenly heated food, the Smooth Wave shines brightly.
Ultimately, the best microwave depends on how you cook: whether you want one appliance to do it all, or a smart, dedicated microwave that excels at what it does. Choose based on your habits, space, and cooking priorities.
