Nuwave Air Fryer Review
The Best Air Fryer of 2021
Gourmia (Amazon), Gourmia, NuWave, NuWise, Oster and NuWise are among the most popular air fryer models in Consumer Reports’ rating system. When we direct you to retailer links from our site, you may get affiliate commissions. We use 100% of all fees that we receive to help our nonprofit mission.
To test whether or not air-fried foods taste like real food, testers cooked French fries in the laboratory.
Photo: John Walsh/Consumer Reports Crispy fries without all the oil? That is what air fryers promise, which might be the reason why American consumers continue to buy them year-over-year at 10 percent. According to NPD Group, the pace of air fryers’ development is predicted to continue at this rate over five years. So, you don’t need to be late to sign up. They don’t even fry foods in these irregularly-shaped countertop ovens. In reality, they’re small convection ovens. An fan circulates heat to cook food quickly in the basket. This little appliance was originally designed to be used for small finger foods, such as fries, chicken nuggets and even pizza bites. The air fryer is capable of cooking just about anything you could put in the deep-fryer, oven, or stovetop. Most have small capacities, though, from 2 to 5.8 quarts (often smaller than claimed, according to our measurements).
Our lab results showed that air fryer models produced delicious food. Staff members however weren’t tricked into thinking the foods were deep-fried. Larry Ciufo is the Consumer Reports’ test engineer responsible for air fryer testing.
The instructions for heating and cooking time vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. We found only minor variations in browning but staff didn’t see any significant differences in food quality. Ciufo states that the food tasted identical despite having different temperatures and cooking times. “The real difference among air fryers comes down to convenience, so we designed our tests around that.” It is important to evaluate how easily the controls can be read and used, what noise level a model emits, and how hard it takes to clean one. Below is a summary of seven of the best air fryers based on CR’s latest testing, arranged alphabetically.
Tip: Avoid overloading an air fryer’s basket. This can cause uneven cooking results and slow down the airflow to all foods. Check out this deep dive to learn more about how to make the best of an air fryer. For more info as you shop, see our air fryer buying guide . For updates about deals, product reviews, tips for shopping and more, check out the Consumer Reports Holiday Gift Guide.
This is one of the smallest capacities we have rated. It holds 2.4 quarts of measured food. Easy to follow controls, including pre-programmed settings make cleaning your air fryer easy. It takes some effort to clean the basket, so it earned a Very Good rating during our cleaning tests. You can also use it quietly.
Final Thoughts
It is hard to identify who the air fryer is meant for. First, the size of this air fryer would make it impossible to fit in an average home kitchen. To put it in perspective, we took my wife’s Nespresso machine and my “space-saving” Keurig off the counter just to get this on. We couldn’t find any cabinet space to keep it in between uses.
Even with its huge size, Brio feels strangely small when trying to make something. With 15.5 quarts, I thought I could cook enough food for 2 meals or more for myself and my wife. Not so – because chicken thighs tend to be small, I was able to cook 5. It would not be possible to fry 2 chicken breasts simultaneously if we had chicken breasts. This method is unlikely to work for larger families but will be sufficient for two people.
The appearance is the final factor. Beef and chicken are fresh cuts of meat that come without any coating. Although root vegetables were fine, other vegetable dishes such as Brussels sprouts (fried with bacon bits), came out looking deflated. This fryer will only allow you to cook something with a crisp or brown appearance.
The first time I received Brio for review, it was easy to find on NuWave. Today I’m writing this because the fryer does not appear on the products page. But its sibling, a 14.4 quart model, does. You could only find the link via Google Search. It was impossible to find the fryer using their navigation, which is rarely a good sign.
I really like the idea that the air fryer can be used for food like frozen chicken strips or fries. But I don’t know what else you could create that would look delicious enough to be a meal I want. Amazon is $164.99, while NuWave sells it bundled with a pressure cook for $299.99. Given the odd size and other issues with the packaging, it’s possible to get a standard-sized fryer that will not eat your whole counter.
Price: $164.99 on Amazon , $199.99 at NuWave Where to buy:
Cooking French Fries
French fries are my absolute favorite dish. For our honeymoon, my wife and I traveled to Belgium, and we absolutely loved that we could find a fry shop on almost every corner. One of our favorite memories was when we had dinner with a family friend. They were so generous to allow us to use their large in-home deep-fryer. After that trip, we promised each other to have the same appliance if ever possible. However, air fryers have made it possible to avoid the messy and dirty deep fryer by opting for an easier, mess-free option.
The moment I got the chance to evaluate the Nuwave Brio Digital Air Fryer, it was obvious that regular or sweet potato fries would be the most important. It was a simple question that I had: could I recreate the delicious crunchiness of French fries without using a deep-fat fryer?
First, I cut medium-sized Idaho potatoes into 1/4-1/2-inch by 4-inch batons. They were skinned, so I did not peel them. I just like “skin on” style French fry. I tossed the fries in a bit of salt and a little oil to help facilitate the cooking.
I heated the oven to the required 400° F. Then, after the preheat alarm went off I put the fries into the food bag and returned the NuwaveAir Fryer to its original cooking chamber. I set the timer on the Quick Start Guide for 18 minutes, then waited with patience to see how it would work.
These are the Results
The fries tasted even better when you compare them to my other attempts of making fries at home. They were definitely better than traditional French fries. However, the 90% lower fat content and less mess made them more appealing. Furthermore, one recipe trick I learned along the way that made fries more delicious for me and others will help you make them even better.
To make a crispy and delicious fry, pre-cook your potatoes. Nearly all the fries you’ve ever had have been prepared in some way. They can be frozen and pre-cooked, or you make them from scratch. Fries should always be cooked two times before being served.
There are however a few exceptions to this rule.
Five Guys Burger and Fries for example makes their fries right to your order. This is why, after the fries sit for a bit, they often become softer, almost more like roasted potatoes. This isn’t a bad thing, definitely more of a preference, but I absolutely believe cooking fries a second time makes them better and far tastier.
After trying them out for the review, I still had large quantities of fries. I placed the fries in the refrigerator. I then took the fries out of the fridge and, with a great deal of brilliance the next morning, loaded them into an oven at 375 degrees F for 5 minutes. This result came out much like a french fry that had been deep fried. These were crisp on the outside but fluffy and crunchy in the middle.
I put the fries in the refrigerator, and the next afternoon in a fit of brilliance, I loaded the cold fries back into the preheated air fryer at 375deg F. for 5 minutes. I was much closer to the french fry that you would find in deep fat.
Beyond making fries from scratch, I have found a lot of success in using frozen pre-made fries in this fryer. Many options are available, and I have had great success using frozen waffle fries in my Nuwave Brio 6qt Digital Air Fryer. The included fry basket divided allows you to simultaneously make French fries and frozen chicken nuggets.
Nuwave Brio 6-Quart Air Fryer Review
Fried foods are known to be high in fat, which is bad for your health. With the Air Fryer, you can make healthy and delicious fried food with hot air circulation technology. Nuwave Brio Air Fryer, one of the most popular air fryers available for your frying needs.
Today I am going to review the Nuwave Brio Air Fryer 6-Quart. You may have recognized the Nuwave Brio 6-Quart Air Fryer as it has been featured on “As Seen On TV” for many occasions. Nuwave Brio Digital Air Fryer sells well because it is more affordable than rival brands. But does this air fryer actually live up to the hype? Let’s have a look first at the pros, and then make our decision.
My NuWave Brio 6-Quart Digital Air Fryer review will give you all of the information you need to make up your mind.
Take a quick look at 2 top quality Nuwave Air Fryers
NuWave is another prominent brand who has made great advances in air fry technology. In my experience, I’ve found their appliances to deliver a good quality of air fried food with no compromise made to the taste. Without further delay, I’m going to share my two favorite NuWave oven fryers.
NuWave’s quality offerings allow you to have healthy, crispy fried food.
Fried food is the life of a party, as we are all there to have fun and tasty junk food is always the most enjoyable. The NuWave Brio made it easy to stop worrying about the damage I was doing to my health by all of the deep-fried foods I ate.
The NuWave XL air fryer is large compared to other models I have tested. The appliance has dimensions of 19.6 inches, 17.7 inches, 16.2 inch and a total weight of 19.38 pounds. It can also cook for larger parties.
This was an invaluable help when I needed to prepare starters and snacks for a friend or family gathering.
The versatility of the air fryer means that it can be used to cook almost any type of food. A long variety of foods have been cooked, from fish and potato fries to crispy fried chickens. Even the fryer has been used to roast, barbecue, roast and grill. It is a versatile appliance that offers a lot of useful functions. This makes the unit a very good value.
.Nuwave Air Fryer Review
