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Bella 4qt Air Fryer
By Luke Sakal, 2/25/2022
I had never really considered getting an air fryer before. It is a rare occasion that I actually fry something, so I never considered it a high priority. However, one day in the midst of one of my classes, a discussion broke out about air fryers — a discussion filled to the brim with praise. Following the wisdom of the crowd, I decided that I simply must try this magical device. With the help of a coupon and a holiday sale, I nabbed one for $25.
Plugging it in, I was greeted by a single button lighting up on the touch screen, which reads POWER/START.
Given this is the only button and it implies that it turns it on, I of course tap it. This brought me to a screen with multiple options. Looking at the touch screen, one might already have some idea of how to use it.
The up and down arrows by the “temp” label increase and decrease the cooking temperature respectively. The same is true for the “time” label and its arrow buttons. These natural mappings allow the user to quickly understand the relationship between the cooking options and the arrows. Tapping the MENU button will cycle through the different cooking presets visible at the top row. This time tapping the POWER/START button will, unsurprisingly, allow the appliance to start cooking.
There is also a good amount of feedback when adjusting these options, which allows the user to see what their actions incur. For the temperature and time, one will see the numbers change as you tap the arrows, displaying on the screen the new time or temperature one has selected. When using the MENU option, the current selected preset will have its lights blink on and off and the temperature and time will show the defaults for that setting. The POWER/START option brings you to a new menu (if not powered on yet) and has some audio cues that indicate cooking has begun, such as a clicking noise and fans.
Thankfully, this product has decent error tolerance. Should one make a mistake on the temperature or time, they can adjust these settings at any point during the cooking process. For instance, if I put the temperature at 400 degrees Fahrenheit by mistake when I wanted 350 degrees, then I can simply hit the down arrow for the temperature five times, as it adjusts in 10-degree intervals. This is definitely useful when it comes to time. For example, when flipping a piece of chicken that I’m cooking in the air fryer, I’ll often realize it needs more time than what’s left on the clock. Since I can just up the time as it cooks, I don’t have to turn off the machine or wait for it to finish. This also helps with the effectiveness of the air fryer, as I can actually accomplish my task in one go.
Speaking of effectiveness, the air fryer does pretty well in that area, as well. If I want to cook frozen youtiao, it cooks my frozen youtiao. If I want to reheat a cold grilled sandwich, the air fryer will make it a toasty grilled sandwich. If I want to incinerate the severed remains of my enemies, then I’m out of luck because that leg isn’t fitting in there. Barring size limits or high temperature requirements, the air fryer seems to cook the things I put in it. This does come with a slight caveat, however. You need some idea of the temperature and time for whatever you’re cooking. Otherwise, things could come out burnt or undercooked.
The knowledge of cooking times is probably the hardest part when it comes to the learnability of the air fryer. It comes with a manual for common dishes, but if you don’t have that handy or are cooking something a bit less mainstream, you might need another resource. Personally, I just guess most of the time. There’s also the issue of trying to turn the machine off before the cooking time has ended. After a bit of experimentation, I found that holding the POWER/START button will turn it off, but this isn’t completely obvious from the get-go. During my first few uses, I would just unplug the machine, which was a bit of an inconvenience. However, the learnability isn’t bad, despite those two issues. I did not have to consult the manual a single time when using it for most things. Most of the labeling was clear and I was able to get the hang of it after about two uses.
So far, I have had no issues with the safety of this air fryer. By its very nature, it can cause harm if you touch it in the wrong place, much like a stove. However, none of the areas I’ve had to touch when using it have been anything more than warm. The handle and even front of the basket has never been hot enough to cause pain. The dashboard for selecting temperature and time doesn’t get hot, either. The most danger probably comes from trying to take food out of the basket, since that involves grabbing food out of hot metal. May I suggest using some chopsticks and not your fingers?
Overall, I’ve found this air fryer to be effective and fairly learnable. I have not had to consult the manual to operate it and it has cooked things perfectly fine given the correct time and temperature are used. The natural mappings and feedback contribute to the learnability. Meanwhile, the error tolerance and relative safety take away any sense of anxiety that could arise during its use.
With all this in mind, I agree with the rest of my class from that day. Definitely a worthwhile addition to the kitchen.