In recent years a new appliance is making its way into the kitchens: the air fryer. The name can be misleading because it is not a real fryer, but an evolution of electric ovens. The name fryer was given because the food that made them famous are potatoes that simulate fried potatoes without using oil or greatly reducing their use.

However, an air fryer can be used to cook any type of food and in different ways, thus making it a very versatile appliance.

In today's test we are going to see an evolved air fryer, which further expands the uses of this device. In fact, the first models were interesting appliances but with some limitations, for example the closed structure and the not always very high capacity.

The AICOOK TXG-DT10LB model instead offers an appliance with a good capacity and above all with a structure more similar to an oven.

Technical features

360 ° high speed Vortex hot air system

Watts 1500W

Capacity: 10 liters

Functions: 8 preset cooking programs

Max temperature: 200 ° C

Includes: 3 trays, rotating basket, rotisserie and skewer cooker

Dishwasher safe accessories

The sprotello can be removed for easier cleaning

Dimensions: 33.6 x 33.6 x 36.5 cm

Manual and recipe book included in the package

How it looks

The AICOOK DT10LB air fryer has a nice design and good construction materials. The structure is well finished, the external shell is in glossy plastic while in the upper part there is a metal plate with the perimeter open. This is where the fryer pulls in the air from, which is why it must always be left free and you don't have to put anything on it.

The controls above the door are touch. This allows the device to have many adjustments and settings without affecting the product line.

On the sides we find the temperature and time adjustments, with intuitive + and - keys to precisely set the desired values. However, these buttons are only used if you want to do a manually set cooking or change the preset programs of the fryer. If, on the other hand, we rely on the 8 programs, we only have to select the corresponding key from the central ones and then press the cooking start key.

(Touch controls Aicook air fryer)

The preset programs are convenient to start and are designed for cooking potatoes, meat, fish, pizzas and other baked goods and even other types. However, you will hardly be satisfied from the first use, also because cooking always depends on the size and quantity of the individual food you put in the oven. So it is always advisable to check the cooking or start by reducing the recommended times. Then, once you have experience, you can play it safe either by using the programs or by modifying them or by setting the ideal values.

The keys below, on the other hand, are the light on / off key, the preheating to heat the oven before putting the food to be cooked, the key that activates the rotisserie (if we have inserted the suitable accessories) and finally the only key red, the one for turning the oven on / off.

(Aicook air fryer Accessories)

The interior is spacious also because the capacity is 10 liters. A very good value and one of the highest in the category as many models are 5 or 6 liters.

On the sides there are rails to place the trays included with the AICOOK air fryer. Those present in the package are 3, all non-stick and of the same size (26 x 23 cm). One pan is normal while two are perforated.

On the sides we also find the holes for the rotating accessories, then the basket, the rotisserie and the skewer. The basket is a cage cylinder that rotates on itself during cooking. The rotisserie consists of two pointed elements to block foods such as a chicken to make it on the spit. The skewer cooker consists of two metal discs to be placed on the sides held together by metal skewers. We prepare the skewers by putting what we want on the skewers, then we fix them to the two discs creating a cylinder to put in the oven for cooking.

The classic oven structure instead of the closed ones of the first air fryers is undoubtedly a great advantage. Thanks to the glass, we can always keep cooking under control, while the possibility of removing the door greatly facilitates internal cleaning.

Proof

I tested the AICOOK DT10LB air fryer with various types of food to test its versatility as well.

French Fries (Aicook Air Fryer)

Obviously I started with the French fries like, l cooking that made these devices famous. I must say that the first results were not entirely satisfactory, because a little experience is needed to understand how to make the most of this air cooking. Like the oven set on ventilated, it tends to dry out the outside and this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage with potatoes. A potato that is too crunchy on the outside and still a little raw inside is not good, so you have to do some tests, not only with the time and temperature settings. For perfect cooking, you also need to prepare the potato in the best possible way. The cut should not be too large, even rinsing the fries under cold water helps. In this way, excess starch is removed, then dried with a cloth and started to cook.

French fries (Aicook air fryer)

To make them tastier, you can add a little oil before cooking. Season them lightly in a bowl and then put them in the basket. The added fats remain a fraction of what a fried potato immersed in oil absorbs.

In the end, after several tests, I got an excellent result, then if you want you can continue the experiments by cooking them with spices such as paprika, turmeric or whatever you like best.

(Aicook Air Fryer - Rotisserie)

Another test I really cared about is spit-roasted chicken. It is a food that I always take at the village market and I liked to make a comparison since even that of the rotisseries is cooked in the electric oven. Only rarely are chickens cooked in a wood oven.

To cook it I did not use condiments, only spices from the garden and salt added on the inside. Then I fixed it to the rotisserie and put it in the oven.

I used the preset program, just added a few minutes because the chicken was big and needed more time to cook well and make the skin crisp and brown.

In the end, however, the result was excellent, I think it is the cooking that satisfied me the most. For now I have done it only once, I hope it was not a stroke of luck because it could become a dish that she will usually do.

Chicken on the spit (Aicook air fryer)

I also tried the skewer cooker as a swivel accessory. Not having a lot of meat at home to make a real mixed skewer, I did a test for fine palates: skewers alternating pieces of sausage and wurstel. I would have liked to do something more refined, perhaps even with vegetables, but I was more curious to try the accessory than to test my skills as a chef. It is undoubtedly an interesting accessory and those who love skewers, including vegetables or fish, can have fun trying many types.

Meat in general, however, is always good, but cooking in the oven is certainly not new. I also tried some pork steaks on the bone and a good result came out. Then go to taste if you prefer to continue making them in a pan or not. However, we must be careful with the cooking times and not overcook it because it becomes not very satisfying. The basic rule, however, is always to cook it less than recommended, evaluate the cooking and possibly do another one or two minutes to make it perfect.

Aicook air fryer (steaks)

On the other hand, I have not tried fish much. With the fillets all good but I did not expect different results. Soon I would like to try it with a whole fish but I think the only difficulty may be getting the cooking times right. Once you find those I think it can be great.

The only function that has not convinced me is that for drying. I think anyone who wants to use this feature a lot to make dehydrated and dry foods should think about getting a real dryer.

For the next few days maybe I'll also try something leavened to cook. For now I have only heated the baked goods and obviously for this reason the AICOOK DT10LB air fryer is fine. Not particularly fond of sweets, I don't even like making them, but I'll try to make something.

Finally, a summer note on an advantage of the AICOOK DT10LB air fryer that is not always thought of. In the summer, using the oven or cooking in general can be tragic. The kitchen becomes very hot and then eating in that environment is impossible. An appliance such as the AICOOK DT10LB air fryer in turn heats the environment because it throws out a lot of hot air during cooking.

Its compact structure, however, allows us to put it outside during cooking. For example, I have the garden and I place it on the table I have outside. But this can also be done by those who do not have a garden but have a balcony. In this way the heat stays out and you do not heat the kitchen which remains at pleasant (or at least acceptable) temperatures.