Contents
Duronic AF1 /B Oil Free Air Fryer Multicooker
Pros
- Great value
- Adjustable temperature
- Colour options - Black or White
- Stylish design
- Easy to clean
Cons
- No rotating paddle
Duronic is a relative newcomer to the consumer electronics and kitchen appliance market, having begun in 2005. However, since that time they have been gaining credibility and trust amongst British consumers by designing and building quality products with people and innovation at the forefront of what they do.
Introducing the Duronic AF1/B
Here we review Duronic’s low-fat fryer, or to be specific, the AF1 /B Healthy Oil Free 1500W Air Fryer Multicooker.
The AF1 is available in black or white, but we reviewed the black in our tests, and to be honest, we prefer that colour. Black kitchen appliances are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and the Duronic, with its gloss plastic outer casing, really looks striking.
First up, we love that a young and relatively new player in this market provides a 2-year warranty which underlines Duronic’s confidence in their products.
The Duronic AF1 is priced with the budget-conscious in mind, so if you’re looking to give low-fat cooking a try for the first time with minimal expense, this would make an ideal choice to go for.
Heating is provided by hot air circulation with little or no oil needed. In our tests, we cooked a basket of frozen thick-cut chips with no added oil for 20 minutes – they came out cooked perfectly with great taste, just what you want from a cooker like this.
There’s no transparent viewing lid as with other fryers such as the Tefal ActiFry plus, but not everyone feels the need to keep checking their food. There’s also no stirring paddle, so a quick shake of the food basket midway through cooking is advised. Some reviews report that no rotating paddle is a good thing as having one can break up delicate food items such as fish.
All removable parts are dishwasher safe so cleaning the unit is simple and convenient. The unit is well built with a sturdy handle to insert and withdraw the food basket. If you have children around, then you’ll be pleased to hear this fryer has a cool wall exterior, so tiny hands won’t get hurt should they happen to touch it while it’s on.
There’s an adjustable temperature dial, so you can set this to the appropriate temperature up to 200 degrees depending on what you’re cooking. The built-in timer has an auto-off function and gives an audible alert when the food is ready.
One of the advantages of self-contained mini cookers like this is a splatter-free, safe and odourless cooking experience. We all know how the smell of a deep fat fryer can linger for hours, but with this unit, smells are almost non-existent.
So what kind of dishes can you cook with the Duronic AF1?
The answer is LOTS! Here are just a few ideas we came up with after a quick brainstorm:
Creates dishes such as:
Chips, Chicken Wings and Drumsticks, Lamb Chops, Sweetcorn, Chinese Spring Rolls, Indian Samosas, Battered Fish, Roasted Vegetables, Soups, and even cakes and desserts!
This model is popular with buyers on Amazon, with over 1400 reviews left, giving it an average rating of 4½ out of 5.
The dimensions are 31 cm x 33 cm x 23 cm, and the fryer is rated at 1500 Watts.
As this is a budget model, there’s no spoon (for the oil) included, but a nice surprise was the free recipe book, especially since this is a lower-priced unit. The Duronic health fryer is an economical choice for the budget conscious, and as mentioned, the 2-year warranty is the icing on the cake.
Duronics AF1 – what do the customers say?
Overall, the Duronic health fryer has overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many comments around the ease of use and great tasting food it cooks – without the oil.
Some were initially concerned about opting for a relatively unknown brand but were glad they did in the end due to their fantastic results. One reviewer even went as far as saying it had taken over all the cooking in her kitchen! We can understand this too, as health fryers do give you lots of options of what to cook with them.
Customers like the large capacity basket, fast cooking time and evenly cooked results.
One reviewer reported that the power cord is only 30cm long, which is wrong. All you need to do is gently pull on the power cord, and more cable will be released from the unit, up to about 1 metre in length, which we found to be long enough on our test worktops.
Some customers would have liked to have seen a separate panel, allowing them to cook different foods separately, but given the price, we don’t see this as a big issue. If you want a divider, then consider the Russell Hobbs 20810 fryer (see our review here of that).
Summing up
All in all, the Duronic AF1 Multicooker is an excellent option for budget-conscious buyers. If you’re new to low-fat cooking, then this would be an ideal choice. With over 700 positive reviews on Amazon, you can be confident that this relatively unknown brand will deliver in terms of great-tasting, healthy food.