This air fryer is big enough to hold an entire chicken and comes with a rotisserie spit - here's what it's like to use
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- A high-quality air fryer has an intuitive user interface and can bake, roast, grill, and fry a range of foods in a short time.
- I like the Chefman Rotisserie Air Fryer because it's large enough to fit a whole chicken, comes with a rotisserie spit, has a window to help me track cooking times, and cleans up effortlessly when I'm done.
- Though it is more expensive than a lot of other air fryers (currently $109.99 on Best Buy and Amazon), it holds nearly seven quarts of food, comes with a number of recipes and accessories, and is backed by a one-year limited warranty.
Originally, I thought air fryers were a gimmick that would die off after a couple of years. Yet, they continue to grow in popularity, and I can't remember the last time I went a day without using one. They are useful for everything from heating up snacks to cooking a healthy dinner.
One of my complaints with a lot of units is that they aren't large enough to cook both the main course and sides at the same time. The large-capacity Chefman Rotisserie Air Fryer fixes this problem and has several other perks. Below are my experiences with this appliance.
Specs
The design of the Chefman Rotisserie Air Fryer is unique for a few reasons. First, it opens up from the top, rather than relying on a drawer you pull out (like most air fryers). Secondly, there is a window in the front that allows you to monitor the progress of your meal. Lastly, as the name suggests, there's a rotisserie spit that rotates inside.
In addition to the spit, the air fryer comes with a stainless-steel fry basket, easy grip claw for removing hot inserts and larger foods, non-stick baking pan, and a rack. A full-color, 16-recipe cookbook with photos is also included, and you can access more recipes online through "Club Chefman" using the code on the back of the recipe book.
The Chefman air fryer is also fairly large at 6.8 quarts, but the exterior dimensions are relatively modest at 11 inches tall by 14.5 inches deep by 14 inches wide. It can fit inside of most cupboards, and won't feel too burdensome on top of your counter.
This appliance has a temperature range of 175 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit, and the timer ranges from 1 to 60 minutes. There are also keep-warm and reheat functions along with eight presets, including fries, chicken, steak, and more.
Set-up process
To determine how intuitive the user interface of an air fryer is, I like to try to operate it before I read the user manual. I had no problem getting the Rotisserie Air Fryer going with no instructions. First, you clean the base bowl. Then, you plug the unit in, press the temperature and time buttons and use the plus and minus buttons to adjust how long you want to cook at what heat, then press Start. The whole process took less than five minutes. Even the rotisserie spit was simple to install.
What makes the air fryer stand out
My favorite thing to make in the Chefman Rotisserie Air Fryer is blackened Cajun chicken. I just rub two pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, toss them in the air fryer, flip the breasts halfway through, and after about 30 minutes, the chicken is done. The chicken comes out moist and delicious.
I even brought this air fryer with me to a party to make bacon-wrapped tater tots. The tots cooked evenly and ended up being a hit. They were gone in a matter of minutes. I put the tots on top of the rack so they wouldn't sit in the bacon grease, which made the bacon crispier.
After the timer runs out, I like that the air fryer keeps my food in a holding pattern at 175 degrees Fahrenheit. And, at any time during the cooking process, I can look in through the window to see how my food is coming along without opening up the unit and releasing all of the heat.
I've tested a lot of air fryers, so I have a pile of mismatched accessories that I never use. With the Chefman Rotisserie Air Fryer, I actually found the included components helpful. For example, the claw grip has been incredibly useful for removing whole chickens from the air fryer.
The air fryer is also easy to clean. Though none of the components are dishwasher safe, the base bowl is a breeze to clean with soap and water thanks to its nonstick surface. And, I'll confess that I did put some of the accessories through the dishwasher without any problem.
Cons to consider
As soon as the air fryer arrived, I popped a chicken in it to test the rotisserie. At six pounds, the chicken was fairly large, and, well, it was too big for the rotisserie to work effectively. My poultry did not turn so much as it wobbled. So, you may want to save the rotisserie for your kebabs, game hens, and smaller organic, free-range chickens. Regardless of the rotisserie fail, the chicken came out moist and delicious with crisp, flavorful skin.
I found the Chefman air fryer was not as efficient as other units I've tested. It took me an hour to cook two pounds of homemade French fries from raw to golden brown. Most air fryers take between 30 and 50 minutes. It also took 11 minutes to toast bread. Granted, the toast was cooked evenly and the fries tasted excellent - it just took a while. Any larger unit is likely to take longer than its smaller counterparts, but the Chefman also appeared to "leak" a lot of heat. I was not able to put my hand on the exterior for long because it was so hot. This suggests the heat isn't being used efficiently.
My last complaint is related to the accuracy of the recipe booklet. All of the listed cooking times are much shorter than it actually takes.
The bottom line
Pros: The air fryer has a 6.8-quart capacity, there's a window for watching the progress of your food, and it has a rotisserie spit.
Cons: This model cooks slower than most, only game hen and smaller chicken fit on the rotisserie, and the cookbook is inaccurate.
Despite the slow cook times, I'm a fan of this air fryer. I like that I can watch my food cook, the accessories are actually useful, especially the rotisserie, and I appreciate that the large-capacity bowl fits enough food for my hungry family. If you are looking for a versatile air fryer, I strongly recommend trying this one.