Consumer Reports – September 2019

Thanks to the promise of (nearly) guilt-free french fries, the air fryer has

solidified its spot as a hot countertop appliance. Using little or no added oil, it

relies on a fan to circulate hot air to cook food in a flash. We sampled air-fried

fries, chicken wings, and chicken nuggets, and while none had that deep-fried

taste, they were still delicious. These appliances can also bake and reheat food.

CHEFSTEPS JOULE SOUS VIDE COOKER

$199

We found it harder to attach this model

to a pot and to clean it, but it heats the

water a bit faster. to set its time and

temp, you have to use an app on your

smartphone. It measures 11 inches long

and is slimmer than the Anova.

THE ANOVA PRECISION

$100-$149

An adjustable clamp makes it easy to use

with various-sized pots, and it’s a cinch to

clean. The WiFi and the Bluetooth versions

let you manually set cooking time and

temperature. But at almost 15 inches long, it

may not store easily in a kitchen drawer.

A drawer-style basket makes it easy to use,

and the appliance stops cooking when the

timer dings.

It reheats food quickly (think of leftover

Chinese food or a slice of pizza).

Cleanup is pretty easy for many of the air

fryers we tested—and of course there’s no

oil to discard.

It offers a simple way to add more veggies

to your family’s diet. Kale chips, anyone?

There’s a learning curve to get food just

right, because you can’t see it cooking.

Browning may not always be even.

Most models we tested have small

capacities. For some foods, you’ll have to

cook a single layer at a time. So that bag of

frozen Tater Tots may require cooking in a

few batches.

Some models are noisy, which can be

annoying.

WHAT TO COOK:

FRENCH FRIES /

CHICKEN WINGS /

VEGETABLES / BAKED

EGGS / BANANA BREAD

/ SALMON / STEAK

Every air fryer we tested

does a good job cooking;

the differences are in the

conveniences. The NuWave

boasts a capacity of 5.8 quarts

and has electronic controls that

are among the easiest to see and

use, but it’s on the noisy side.

NUWAVE 37001

$130

75

The top performer among the

models under $100 we tested,

this Farberware is also among

the quietest. The capacity is

3.2 quarts. The basic dials are

fairly easy to use, but the food

basket is tough to clean.

FARBERWARE HF-919B

$70

71

This air fryer has a slightly

smaller footprint and a

capacity of just 3 quarts. The

electronic controls with pre-

programmed settings are

simple to use. It’s on the noisy

side, but cleaning the inside

and outside is fairly easy.

NINJA AF100

$100

71

WHAT IT

CAN DO:

“FRY” /

ROAST /

BAKE /

REHEAT

TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS

same temperature

throughout—and

won’t be overdone.

We evaluated two

models, and both

delivered perfectly

tasty results.

For crispy fries, cut

potatoes into uniform

pieces and soak in water

for 30 minutes. Then

drain, rinse, pat dry, and

coat lightly with oil.

Pat foods dry for better

browning.

Mixing breadcrumbs

with a little oil before

coating food may help to

make it extra crispy. Coat

food liberally, because the

whirring fan may cause

some of the breadcrumbs

to fall off.

Avoid overfilling the

basket. It can slow down

cooking and keep air from

reaching all of the food,

giving you uneven results

and a soggy meal.

Check food often as it

cooks. Staffers who tried

the tested air fryers at

home found that cooking

times sometimes varied

from the recommended

times in recipes.

Flip the food or shake

the basket during cooking

for more even results.

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SEPTEMBER 2019 CR.ORG 43