I recently purchased a Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer and wanted to share an honest and unbiased review! Read on to see if this is a product that could add value to your life.
Air fryers are all the rage and for good reason. We can now “fry” up some crispy snacks without the negative effects of using oils. What’s not to love?
But with prices ranging from less than $50 to well over $2,000, it’s hard to know how to choose the best one. I recently purchased the Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer and wanted to share my opinion of this product. Is it worth the price?
For comparison’s sake, let’s first take a look at the less expensive, basket-style air fryers.
Basket Air Fryer
I have wanted an air fryer for quite some time as I had heard great things about them. As it happens, a friend gave me one that she no longer used and I was very excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, I found myself completely underwhelmed with the product.
It was a basket air fryer, which I assume is supposed to make it seem more like a “real” deep fryer but, in my opinion, this setup works against it.
Items must be laid in a single layer with some space between them. Since the cooking surface of the basket itself was quite small this didn’t leave room for many items. As it turns out, this is why my friend was no longer using it. She would have to cook food in batches, with the first batch sitting out getting cold while she cooked the second batch.
The air fryer did come with a rack that rested on the surface of the basket to create an extra cooking surface but that created problems of its own.
The air fryer recipes I have seen require that the food be shaken, turned or rotated halfway through the cooking process.
It’s impossible to shake the basket with a freestanding rack inside without the food on the rack flying everywhere. If you opt to turn or rotate the food instead, that involves somehow removing the rack to get at the food beneath it. The rack sits down inside the basket and there’s not enough room available between the rack and the sides of the fryer to grasp it. In addition, there are no sides on the rack, no way to hold that food in place while lifting it.
For me, the whole process was just more trouble than it was worth
Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer – Is it Worth The Price?
The Pampered Chef Air Fryer opens from the front, similar to a toaster oven. This is a huge improvement from the basket air fryers because it’s easier to get food in and out, as well as turn/rotate food (just slide the racks out!)
This is a great feature to me because the design is similar to a toaster oven and I love my toaster oven. I’m a single person so it’s perfect for creating single-serving meals. It doesn’t heat up my kitchen like an oven does and uses a fraction of the electricity. And, by some weird coincidence, my ancient, secondhand toaster oven gasped its last breath the very moment I was considering the Pampered Chef Air Fryer.
Because this air fryer has the ability to air fry, bake, toast, and function as a rotisserie (it comes with a rotisserie basket for french fries and a skewer for whole chickens), I have used it just about every day since I got it.
The rotisserie cooks a 4lb chicken in 45 minutes, which is much more time-efficient than putting it in the oven.
The 9”x10” cooking surface on each of the 2 racks that are included provides plenty of room for family-sized meals but there’s room for a 3rd rack (which can be ordered separately) if you want even more cooking space!
This Pampered Chef Small Bar Pan fits perfectly on the rack for baking saucier or more tender options;
You can even use this as a food dehydrator. I love these Pampered Chef Fruit Leather Trays because they make delicious and healthy snacks!
Despite the ginormous cooking capacity of this appliance, the entire unit measures a mere 14½” tall x 12 3/4″ x 14 1/4″ to enable it to fit in the smallest of spaces!
But…Back To Me
So, what do I do with my Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer?
I have made homemade Chinese dumplings, fried vegetable spring rolls and Chinese-style pancakes using the air fryer. I have toasted sandwiches, including western breakfast burrito, veggie bagels and made spinach and feta pizza for one.
I have made whole meals using this baby such as homemade chicken tenders with french fries. I can bake potatoes, roast ears of corn or bake pork chops.
My favorite air fryer recipe are these bacon wrapped cheese dogs that I made with my granddaughters:
What can’t I do with this air fryer? I can’t answer that question because I haven’t had anything fail me yet!
Bottom Line -Is the Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer Worth The Money?
By now you’re asking yourself how much this prized piece of machinery costs, right? And is the Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer worth the money?
I will tell you that, from my experience, it IS worth the money. While I’ve gone over the specifics in regard to cooking, I can also say that there is a 1-year warranty, with a no-holds-barred, for-any-reason return or replacement policy. You can send it back for any reason whatsoever! Yes, even if it just doesn’t match your kitchen.
Add to that the 4.7/5 star rating out of 976 reviews and I think we can say that this is a bargain at the price of $289!
Want an even better price? Talk to me about getting 50% or more off the price by hosting a party. Click here to reach me and let’s talk!
Have you used the Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer? What did you think of it? Leave a comment below and share your experience!
All my best,
Cynthia
cynthia@cynthiaeats.com
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Hi, I’d want to try out “The Pampered Chef Air Fryer,” because you mentioned that it can air fry, bake, toast, and serve as a rotisserie. And because you’ve never had a problem with it, I think it’s worth a shot to see how it compares to other air fryers. I think the price is reasonable, and I appreciate your mentioning the one-year warranty.
Excellent article.
I’m sure you’ll love it!
Woah! I’m really impressed with this air fryer. I’m new to the game so I’m just now learning about what this machine does and I’m really impressed and surprised that not everyone is talking about the great benefits this fryer has. As I was reading your review and seeing all the things you can do and all the different recipes you can create, I thought this was going to be a little bit over $500, but for my surprise it’s not even close! Less than $300 for such a functional kitchen product? Sign me up!
I am in love with my air fryer and I think you’ll like it too!
Can you tell me where it is manufactured?
Although many of the Pampered Chef products are manufactured in the USA, the air fryer is manufactured in China.
My old Power Air Fryer is about to die. No handle on the front door of it and it looks like it’s seen better days. I’ll be hosting a party in a month.
I hope your party was a success and you earned a new air fryer!
I have recently purchased this air fryer and also just became a consultant! I just love everything about it!
Congratulations on your new air fryer (you’re going to LOVE IT!!!) and congratulations on becoming a Pampered Chef consultant. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know!
We’re finding it takes longer to cook than the recipe calls for. Are doing something wrong?
Is there a particular recipe that you’re referring to or is this just a general observation?
How does it compare to a basket air fryer? We make awesome chicken nuggets with the basket one and wonder if the oven will produce the same results.
Yes, the Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer cooks as well as a basket fryer with the added benefit of a front opening door for convenience!
My full size oven & my toaster oven will make French fries as good as this air fryer and with a lot less mess. The basket is too small for anything over a single serving. The same goes for chicken wings. It reheats leftovers that you want to come out crispy but so will a toaster oven or oven broiler for a lot less money. Waste of money and counter space. Then there is this HUGE blue display that constantly blinks when the fryer is not in use. I have to unplug the unit to make it stop. Ridiculous! Thankfully I do NOT have to plug and unplug my microwave, toaster, coffe maker, etc. every time I want to use them. What a major design flaw! Save some money & get a toaster oven.
First, let me say that I agree with you about the blinking light and I have contacted Pampered Chef about that design flaw. I’m hoping they will add an on/off switch!
I also agree that a basket-type air fryer is small and inconvenient to use. The air fryer I’m reviewing here opens in the front and has much more space for cooking. I use it as a toaster oven, a toaster, air fryer and food dehydrator so I consider it to be a space saver, as I can replace 4 appliances with just this one.
The Pampered Chef Deluxe Air Fryer uses about half the energy that my oven does and doesn’t heat up my tiny apartment. It’s also worth noting that I’m a single person and can cook entire meals in it.
Thank you for stopping by my website and taking the time to share your opinion!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Yeah! Good to hear such great reviews. I have never air fried but I’ve wanted to try this. I just bought this Pampered chef air fryer and Im anxious to try it out.
I was able to score the $100 off in August.
Fingers crossed that it’ll encourage me to get back to cooking and eating at home more.
I know you’re going to love this appliance as much as I do! Please come back and let me know your favorite ways to use it!
It’s a rip-off. Hard to clean. Cost is double for like item at Kohls.
I checked Kohl’s website but I didn’t anything comparable for half the price. I’m happy you got a deal!
My current convection toaster oven is nice but I have scorched my hand on the tempered glass on occasion. It looks like the door is insulated to keep it from becoming hot to the touch. Is this correct? If it is, it should be talked about as a selling feature.
Is there a vent on this unit? I have slots at the top of my current unit and it is turning the underside of my cabinets brown/greasy.
Yes, the door is insulated by a double wall. The air fryer vents from the top but I do not have any reside on the surfaces above it.
How easy is it to clean? All doshwasher? Any staining of product happening?
The racks and fry basket are dishwasher safe. The drip tray is handwash only. As for cleaning the interior of the air fryer, I use a paste of vinegar, water and baking soda. You can use a quality dishwashing detergent (such as Dawn) on a damp cloth.
I have had mine for two years and use it several times per month. Unfortunately the door will no longer stay closed and even though I try and prop something against it, it won’t stay closed. I’ve cleaned it out so I know it’s not crumbs, food etc. preventing it from closing. Very frustrating.
Sometimes the door seal will pop out making it impossible to latch the door. If that’s the case, simply pop it back in and the problem should be solved. If that’s not it, contact Pampered Chef Solution Center at (888) 687-2433. They will help you troubleshoot the situation.