An oven appliance includes a housing defining a discharge vent, a cooking chamber positioned within the housing, an exhaust duct providing fluid communication between the cooking chamber and the discharge vent, an air handler operably coupled with the exhaust duct for urging a flow of heated air from the cooking chamber, through the exhaust duct, and out of the discharge vent, and a catalytic converter assembly. The catalytic converter assembly includes a catalytic element positioned within the exhaust duct for lowering volatile organic compounds from the flow of heated air and a catalyst heater positioned upstream of the catalytic element for selectively heating the flow of heated air.

An oven appliance includes a housing defining a discharge vent, a cooking chamber positioned within the housing, an exhaust duct providing fluid communication between the cooking chamber and the discharge vent, an air handler operably coupled with the exhaust duct for urging a flow of heated air from the cooking chamber, through the exhaust duct, and out of the discharge vent, and a catalytic converter assembly. The catalytic converter assembly includes a catalytic element positioned within the exhaust duct for lowering volatile organic compounds from the flow of heated air and a catalyst heater positioned upstream of the catalytic element for selectively heating the flow of heated air.