Best Air Fryer themed review-led article Review

DISCLOSURE – THESE ITEMS WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Sian Manning
Best Air Fryer Review Led Article
Swan Nordic Duo 13-in-1 Air Fryer RRP £129.99
Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Air Fryer 5L RRP £149
As always I was delighted to be chosen to write this review, I don’t (or should I say didn’t) own an air fryer, I live in a small house with a kitchen that resembles the size of a pantry – I have seen bigger kitchens on a rubber dinghy! However I now own 2, one with a large single basket (the Haier) and one that has two separate baskets (the Swan).
Each item arrived well packaged and in their own branded boxes, well packaged and supported for transit. The Haier was packaged in recyclable materials and no plastic which I did think was a nice touch. The Swan did come in a large plastic bag as is typical for a lot of small electrical items.
I managed to find space in the kitchen for both for reviewing and got to cooking some home staples to test them out, fresh cut chips and homemade chicken nuggets, with three children what else could we cook!
First up the Swan Nordic Duo 13-in-1 Air Fryer – to start with this is a beautiful addition to any kitchen, it is a modern grey with wooden effect handles (also comes in white for a different aesthetic), sure to fit in with the most stylish kitchens. I really like the layout of this machine, the selections for power and cooking are on the front and laid out in a simple and easy to use format.
The drawers come out well and what I really like on this air fryer is that there is a little button on the top of each handle so that the baskets click in and out of place, making sure you know that the basket is in the correct position for cooking.
Selecting the correct function for cooking is a simple task and the touch screen panel is easy to use as well as being illustrated so you know what you are pressing and selecting. The temperature and time selecting is also an easy process if you don’t want to use one of the pre-set options available.
I used the selection for fries and wasn’t disappointed. There are also pre-set functions for fish, bacon, vegetables, toast, defrost, bake, dehydrate, prawns, steak and chicken. My 11 year old cannot wait to cook bacon for his breakfast and I am more than happy with the ease of use being such that he will manage this with minimal supervision.
The two baskets can either be used alone or can be used together with synchronised heating, meaning that you can set them independent of each other but have them both finish cooking at the same time.
The baskets are as you would expect fully removable and the inner racks can be removed, all have a non-stick coating and can be washed with soap and hot water, they are also dishwasher safe if you prefer to clean that way.
The Swan is quite a big bit of kitchen kit and measures in at 31cm high, 36.5cm deep and 42cm wide.
After cooking food with this air fryer I can confirm that it does cook food evenly, the chips that I cooked were cooked well, whether they were at the bottom of the basket or the top, they were cooked through, crispy and as good as they could have been for home cooked potato chips. I did also cook sweet potato fries in the other basket which cooked equally as well and were confirmed delicious by my 10 year old who ate the lot! The chicken nuggets were evenly cooked, browned and nowhere near as greasy as when they cook in the oven, I’m not sure how this is possible but it has to be a bonus!
Overall the Swan Nordic Duo 13-in-1 Air Fryer is an easy machine to use, it gives good consistent results and with dual baskets it is big enough to cook for an entire family, with two different items being cooked at once and able to be set independent of each other too.
Next up the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Air Fryer 5L, this air fryer is a sleek dark grey single large basket fryer. It is very modern with it’s dark grey and black façade, and modern control panel on the top of the fryer.
The power and functions panel are on the top of the unit and are all on a easy to use touch panel, this for my kitchen is harder to use, it also makes it harder for my son who cannot quite see the top of the unit and has to stand on a stool, so for anyone who is slightly shorter or maybe even disabled or wheel chair bound this unit may not be the best for them. The basket slides in and out easily and sits flush with the body of the main unit so that you know it has been replaced properly.
When it comes to selecting the options for cooking they are all on the top panel and can be easily selected using the touch panel, there are no buttons so it is sleek and easy to keep clean and maintain even when cooking. The temperature and time selecting is also an easy process if you don’t want to use one of the pre-set options available, I set the time and temperature to cook chips and this was an easy process. I used quite a lot of potatoes to test the air fryer’s ability to cook a fairly large quantity and give consistent results. This is easier to achieve as half way through cooking this air fryer gives you a reminder to give the basket a shake and move the food around to help keep it cooked evenly. There are 6 cooking functions available to select on this air fryer, they are air fry, bake, roast, grill, dehydrate and defrost. The temperature range goes from 80-200 degrees, with a wide range you can cook a wide range of food.
The air fryer is easy and intuitive to use, with a simple selection of the function you want, the cooking temperature and time you would like to cook it for and then just hitting the start button, it couldn’t be much simpler and my nearly 12 year old is able to cook using the air fryer with a small amount of supervision.
The removable basket is large enough to cook 4 portions of food, good for a family and has a 5 litre capacity. The tray in the basket keeps the food cooked evenly, lets the grease and fat drop to the bottom so food doesn’t sit in it and also comes out for cleaning. Cleaning wise the basket can be cleaned with hot water and dish soap or can be put into the dishwasher, whatever your preference.
The product dimensions are 36.6cm deep by 27cm width and 32.2cm high a smaller footprint for a smaller kitchen or a kitchen lacking in counter top space.
Having cooked a few times in the last week with this air fryer the food has come out consistently delicious, well cooked and has been easy to use and keep clean too, this is a huge bonus in any busy house. Chips, chicken and vegetables have all cooked well, evenly and quickly thanks to this air fryer.
Overall the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Air Fryer 5L has proved to be a worthy kitchen addition, it is easy to use, compact and gives good results, it has made dinner time quicker and easier and means I don’t have to turn the ‘big oven’ on every night for dinner.
Having tried both air fryers I would now like to give you my personal opinion on a few different areas and give a mark out of 10.
Ease of use: The Swan 10/10 The Haier 8/10
Look – The Swan 9/10 The Haier 9/10
Value for money – The Swan 8/10 The Haier 10/10
How the food tastes – The Swan 9/10 The Haier 9/10
Overall I would say that if you are looking for an air fryer for your family or you have a need to cook more than one item at once then you wouldn’t go far wrong with the Swan, with its two baskets it is perfect for a two item meal, nuggets and chips, or chips and onion rings etc.
If you are looking for an air fryer for larger single portions then the Haier is great and with its large capacity drawer you can also roast large pieces of meat, great for a roast dinner if you lack on oven space and need to find alternatives to get everything in. All in all a win either way and you whatever your need, space and budget in your individual kitchen these are both great options and will have you covered.
You can purchase the Swan Nordic Duo 13-in-1 Air Fryer from shop.swan-brand.co.uk.
You can purchase the Haier I-Master Series 5 Compact Air Fryer 5L from small-appliances-uk.haier-europe.com.