Bella - 2.6 qt. Analog Air Fryer - Black

I was skeptical, but so glad I purchased this air fryer. It is awesome for heating leftovers--I'm able to revive chicken strips and fries that would normally be too soggy. After I pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes they are magically more crispy than they were the first time. I've experimented with several foods-cookies, canned biscuits/crescent rolls, hot dogs, and of course the usual fried foods: fries, mozzarella sticks, sweet potato fries, etc. I've been pleasantly surprised. Make no mistake, this unit is basic. It can get a little loud at times, but not bothersome to me. There are no extra buttons or fancy settings. There's just a temperature setting and an analog timer. But that's plenty for me. The cooking process is not exactly a science. I typically have to check several times to make sure the food is just right (not burnt, cooked thouroughly). It works great for the price!

I love using this for cooking things I normally would pan fry. There is definitely a learning curve in regards to figuring out the best cooking temperatures and times for certain things, but it comes with some recipes that provide helpful starting points. There are some items that I feel my toaster oven does just as good of a job in cooking, but other things - such as chicken - the air fryer is truly is more superior, and faster, at. The fryer itself is really quiet and stays surprisingly cool to the touch when in use. The basket isn't very big, but I'm only cooking for two people at the most so it's not really a problem for me. The big advantage of this over pan frying is that you can pretty much leave it unattended while it's cooking.

The item works as directed but there is a lot of prep work required. Tried fries. Found you can not put near as much in at a time as the recipe provided indicates. If you do, they do not cook evenly. We tried shaking as suggested but it didn't improve the finished product. Fries on the edges were way overcooked by the time the entire batch was done. This was true even when further reducing the amount placed in the fryer at a time. However, the fries that did cook well tasted great. Overall, for one batch, it was an hour to prep. (Many fry recipes with other methods are similar). Then we cooked the recipe in 3 batches and each one took about 25 minutes. So there is a lot of time and effort. Going to continue trying different methods to see if I can improve results.

I bought this on sale out of pure curiosity. I've wanted to try an air fryer just to see how things turn out as a healthier option (and cleaner and better smelling) to deep frying, but I wasn't willing to spend $100+ to find out. It's actually pretty great. It does single servings of some food very well. It takes some trial and error to get the right mixture, but you can get it close to what you're used to. My only real complaint is the size of the frying container itself. Like I said, you can do single servings in there pretty easily, but definitely not much more. And I wish there was a way to cancel the timer instead of just twisting it back to the start. I guess you can let it run (because it keeps timing even while unplugged), but I like to turn stuff all the way off when I'm not using it. Overall, very happy with it.

You basically get the same result from using your oven in about the same amount of time. It also can't cook a lot at a time. It can cook evenly if you turn/shake it often, but to get things crispy you'll usually end up overcooking it. Food coated in flour or batter will come out more flaky rather than crispy like it does when cooked with oil. You may get it close if you drench them in oil, but that defeats the purpose of the air fryer. I tried salmon and the skin crisped but it was dry, plus it took the same amount of time as using the pan. I'm not a particularly good cook, but I get better results with pan and oven.

I bought the Bella air fryer on a whim as it was listed as a daily deal. I knew of these appliances, but I had never seen one used in person or tasted food cooked with it. Now that I have one, though, I must say it does a darned good job "frying" food without oil. I've cooked french fries, chicken strips and reheated battered cod in the thing, and they all came out much better than if I had used the oven or (God forbid) the microwave! Of those, I'm really impressed with the chicken strips. They really turn out good. Anyway, I'm quite pleased with it, and I'm sure it'll become one of the more used items in my kitchen.

I have stopped using my deep fryer and nuwave oven because this air fryer is lite as the young people say. This air fryer is so convenient and easy to clean up it's the first thing I grab to fry before reaching for any other device. I actually have pitch my skillet and I feel good by eating fry food (without the oil) more than once a week. The fat which I use is little to none will drain in the bottom pan, making me feel guilt free every time I use this air fryer. I actually think it's healthier eating from now on, it's juicy and not dryed out. I have notice how much oil and calories a person can save In a year. And I have to say my meals are very tasty and delicious, my family and friends love it. Now I just need the air fryer to be larger, because my guest are increasing by the day. Thank you this device have saved my life.

I was skeptical on whether or not an air fryer was actually worth purchasing but I can happily say that I’ve been using it every day to make French fries and sweet potato fries. They do come out a slightly drier than most fries—though this could be due to me using very little oil—but knowing that they’re not deep fried makes them more forgivable and just as enjoyable. This particular fryer can cook about one large potato’s worth of fries at a time, about 2 person serving. If you’re looking to cook enough for more than that, you may want to consider a larger air fryer.