First let me clear up some confusion: There's now only one Power Air Fryer Oven, and it's the PowerXL Air Fryer Pro that you can see here. To cut a boring story short, they had to change the name, but the product is the same one you probably saw for the first time on TV, only slightly more expensive now than it originally was.
Ok, now that's out of the way we can start this needlessly comprehensive Power Air Fryer oven review. 🙂
The Power Air Fryer oven (PowerXL... call it what you like) really is a leading air fryer at the moment. The capacity and the functionality you get for the (relatively) low price makes it strongly worth considering.
For the rest of this review, I'm going to tell you what it can do, what it can't do, who should buy it, and who should pick a different air fryer.
Let's dive in.
Table of Contents
What’s so Good about the Power Air Fryer Oven?
All air fryers do the same thing: They cook foods to a crispy texture without the use of oil. What varies from one model to the next is how.
How much food can they do in a single batch? How quickly can they do it? How well can they do it? (Yes crispy is good, but dryed out is awful) And how easily can they do it? (Meaning how much will you have to fuss with it to get the food you want?)
So in those departments, how exactly does the Power Air Fryer Oven stand out? Unsurprisingly, the first way is - as the name suggests - the size.
Standout Feature #1: The Size
The PowerXL Air Fryer holds 6qts. That's a big air fryer. Most other popular air fryers are closer to 3qts capacity. This is a machine for you if you regularly cook for a big, hungry family.
6qt capacity affects how much food you can cook, but it also affects what you can cook. Most air fryers can cook most popular foods, whether it's chicken wings, fries, baked potatoes or crispy cauliflower, so long as you get the quantity right. But there are some fried (or baked or roasted) foods that only the PowerXL Air Fryer oven can cook. The simplest example is a whole 4lb chicken!
More than Just Quarts: Think Racks and Rotisserie
There are, of course, other near 6qt air fryers, but here's a crucial thing to understand: The Power Air Fryer Oven has racks like a regular oven. Other Air Fryers just have a basket where you drop everything on top of everything else.
The racks (and the ability to remove them) mean you can get more food into the same space, with more airflow between items, so you can produce more in a batch, even compared to another fryer of the same capacity.
The Rotisserie function is the other key: You can't rotisserie cook anything in a regular Air Fryer. You can't lift whole chunks of meat off the floor of their baskets let alone spin them around to expose them to the heat source evenly. With the PowerXL this is an option.
Standout Feature #2: The Price
Some people ask "Why would I get the PowerAir Fryer when the Gowise 8 in 1 also has 6qt and it's so much cheaper?" and I refer them to the above.
If you really want a bargain, and you don't need racks, or a rotisserie, or to make batches of food for more than 4 people very often, we do recommend the Gowise 8 in 1.
But if you want to spit-roast, bake and air fry large quantities of food on a regular basis, the extra cost of the PowerXL is more than justified. It just gives you so many additional options for meals on top of regular air fryers.
What does a Typical Power Air Fryer Oven Review Say?
If you're making your purchase based on the aggregate of customer opinions, you'll be happy with what you find.
At the time of writing, the average Power Air Fryer Oven review has high ratings across thousands of reviews. It's hard for any product to get above 4 stars across that many purchases, and only really our top reviewed air fryers managed to accomplish this.
Positive
Very versatile/great for everyday use: Many pleased customers have commented that they use this machine every day and use it for a wide variety of dishes. Meats, seafood, veggies. Roast, fry, rotisserie. Most customers seem to really use all the features that make this air fryer oven stand out.
Easy to Clean: With features like a crumb tray, and lots of space to get inside and wipe, the PowerXL Air Fryer is much easier to clean than other air fryers, even of a similar size.
Tasty result: A positive Power Air Fryer Oven review normally states that the food they cooked in their Power AirFryer Oven has come out tasty and well-cooked. That’s what I like to read when it comes to a cooking appliance.
Negative
The Two-Month Warranty: More than one Power Air Fryer Oven review stated upset that the product didn't have a longer warranty. Its warranty period after all is only 60 days. Other air fryers have 6 months and 12-month warranties where this one is particularly short. The important question is whether or not this affects the quality of the product.
While some of these reviews went on to say they'd had faults with the machine the overall review numbers tell us this is a vocal minority that, unfortunately, were either unlucky with their purchase and experienced real defects, or had a problem after not following the user manual correctly.
The User Manual is a bit sparse: Some critical reviews said the instructions in the manual weren't very thorough and they had to do some experimentation to get the right final texture on their fried goodies. Fortunately, there's Youtube to help with this.
Large Machine: The downside of having that huge capacity? It's going to take up some counter space. The exact dimensions are below, but if you're considering this, make sure you either have enough existing counter space or storage space to put it when not in use.
What are the Technical Specifications?
General
Power (watts) | 1700 |
Cooking capacity | You can choose from the 6 quart or the 8-quart models |
Timer (yes/no) | Yes, you can adjust the time manually or select a pre-set function |
Temperature control (yes/no) | Yes |
Special features: | The control panel is filled with lots of different digits, symbols and arrows. They are easy to figure out, but here’s a brief tutorial on what they do and how to use them:
Power start/stop button: this button turns the machine on and off. It also begins the cooking process when pressed a second time. The default temperature is 370 degrees Fahrenheit and the default time is 15 minutes. From there, you can adjust the temperature and time. Internal light: the light inside the unit allows you to keep an eye on your food as it cooks. The light will/should come on whenever you open the doors. Just press the light bulb button whenever you want the light to come on when the food is cooking and the doors are closed. Temperature control: you can adjust the temperature by intervals of 5 degrees Fahrenheit. There are “up/down” arrows which you press to select your desired temperature. The lowest cooking temperature is 150 degrees F and the highest is 400 degrees F. Time control/timer: hit the “up/down” buttons next to the clock symbol to set the timer for any duration from 1 minute to 60 minutes. Pre-set cooking functions: The pre-set cooking functions are labelled with little illustrations. They have been programmed to cook at a particular temperature, for a set time. The functions are: Fries Chops/steak Fish Shrimp Chicken Baking Dehydrator: the dehydrator functions from 90 degrees F to 170 degrees F and the time can be adjusted by 30-minute intervals. You can dry-out all kinds of fruits to make healthier treats for sweet-toothed snackers. Rotisserie: this includes a rotating rotisserie spit and an oil-drip tray. This function corresponds with the “rotation button”. This button is the one with the curved arrow symbols. |
Colour | Black with a white label and illuminated control panel. They do make these in white and red too |
Dimensions & Weight
Size | 6-Quart: 14.96 x 13.4 x 14.56 inches
8-Quart: 16.25 x 14 x 15 inches |
Weight | Approximately 18 pounds |
How do You Use it?
There are a few comments scattered about various review sections about this being an easy machine to use. On the flip side, there are also a handful of comments saying that it takes a little bit of getting used to. I think it depends on what you’re using it for, how closely you read the manual, and what your prior experience is.
Anyway, here is a brief (ish) rundown on how to use the Power AirFryer Oven.
When you take it out of the box: get rid of all the packaging, wrapping, stickers… anything that clearly shouldn’t be there past the delivery process. The manual states that you must wash all of the parts and accessories before your first time using the machine. You can put the accessories in the dishwasher, which is a handy bonus. Dry the parts and reassemble them into the machine. The manual comes in handy here.
When you’re ready to cook: Figure out what you are cooking and how you’d like to cook it. Do you want to use the rotisserie feature, the rotating basket, or the racks? Pick which one you want, and place your ingredients in or on it (either in the basket, spread out on the rack or secured with the rotisserie tools). Pop the tray/basket/rotisserie and food into the oven unit. Close the door and make sure the unit is plugged in and turned on. If you’re using a pre-set button, simply press the one you want and leave the machine to do the job. It will automatically set the appropriate time and temperature. (A huge added convenience not always available on machines of this price)
If you want to choose your settings manually, press the time button, and use the arrows to increase or decrease the time. Do the same with the temperature. Your manual gives you a good guide as to what temperature and time to use for different foods.
When you’re done with cooking, make sure you clean the equipment so they don’t hang around with caked-on food for too long. Give the interior of the unit a wipe with a damp cloth and throw the trays/basket/rotisserie tools into the dishwasher. You can also wash them manually with soapy water.
How do You Clean it?
Some people have had a bit of trouble with cleaning the basket and the trays, finding that they must soak them to soften caked-on food. Apart from that, yes, it is fairly easy to clean.
The basket, trays and other accessories (rotisserie skewers etc.) are all made of stainless steel and are dishwasher safe. The manual does address the “caked-on food” situation by saying that a good soak will take care of that. You can even do a good ol' vinegar soak if need be. That’s pretty standard for any cooking tray or rack. It is also advised that no abrasive surfaces be used on the accessories.
The unit itself needs to be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Obviously, safety precautions apply. Make sure the unit is unplugged and cold before cleaning, so on and so forth.
What’s the verdict on cleaning? Yes, it’s easy to clean if you have a dishwasher. You may need to do a bit of soaking and scrubbing for caked-on food. The unit needs a quick wipe-down.
How Does it Compare?
Here's how the Power Air Fryer Oven compares to other models around the same price.
Power AirFryer Oven vs. Philips Avance Air Fryer XL
The Phillips Avance Air Fryer XL is around the $300 mark, give or take, so it’s a much more expensive investment than the Power AirFryer Oven. Unlike the Power Air Fryer, it has a pull-out, drawer-style basket as opposed to an oven-style door. The time and temperature are adjustable by using the digital screen, and you can fry, bake, roast, grill and steam.
Which one’s for you?
If your budget is larger and you prefer a drawer-style cooker, the Phillips could be the one. However, if different cooking styles (rack/basket/rotisserie) appeal to you, I’d still go for the Power AirFryer Oven.
vs Todd English
The Todd English Air Fryer and Rotisserie is more along the lines of the Power AirFryer Oven. It has baskets, racks, pans, and a rotisserie cooking option. The capacity of the Todd English is pretty large; it can hold almost 10 Quarts when the basket is not being used.
Which one’s for you?
If you have a large family and need something which holds lots of food, the Todd English is a good choice.
vs Nuwave Brio
The NuWave Brio 6-Quart Air Fryer is another model that has a drawer-style basket and different cooking styles. There are 6 different buttons for fries, frozen fries, nuggets, steak, poultry and fish. It also has “pre-heat” and “reheat” functions. The cooking abilities are similar to those of the Power AirFryer Oven, but it does not have the rotating basket or rotisserie features. Because it's missing those features, the Nuwave Brio is slightly cheaper, but if you're looking for the best-rated basket style fryer, the Gowise 8 in 1 is still our recommended option.
Which one’s for you?
It depends on which style of air fryer/oven you prefer. If you like the oven-style design with the ability to see your food as it cooks, the Power AirFryer Oven is a good one for you.
vs Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a totally different kettle of fish in terms of aesthetics and functionality. And price. It usually costs much more than the Power Air Fryer Oven. But it's pretty awesome.
It has a brushed silver outer and manual-dial control panel as opposed to a digital screen. It is similar to the Power AirFryer Oven in the sense that it has a transparent oven-door and the option to cook on a rack. There are 7 cook functions: air fry, convection bake, convection broil, bake, broil, warm and toast. It's bigger again, with more capacity. The primary benefit in my mind is that you can do pizza in it.
Which one’s for you?
If you have a very basic kitchen without a proper oven and toaster, the Cuisinart model could be the right one. You can use it as a mini oven and toaster and it looks much more like a “feature” or “main” appliance than an accessory or alternative cooking option. If however, you don't want something that big, or don't need that many features, or don't want to spend that much, the Power Air Fryer still wins.
Where can I Find a Replacement Basket?
You can purchase a replacement basket from the Power AirFryer Oven website for under $20.00. You can find replacement parts and accessories on the Power AirFryer Oven website. They sell racks, baskets, drip trays and rotisserie sets.
What’s the warranty?
60 days.
Does it Come with a Recipe Book or Cookbook?
Yes, you should receive all 3 of the AirFryer Oven recipe books. These are America’s #1 Favorite Fried Foods Revealed 2nd Edition, Rotisserie Mastery Cooking Guide, and Dehydration Creations Guide.
What's The Best Price for the Power Air Fryer Oven and where can I buy it?
Prices for air fryers are changing fast at the moment. The best option is to check at Amazon. Just make sure you check often as prices change all the time.
Verdict: Is the Power Air Fryer Oven for You?
The answer is yes IF:
- You regularly cook for a family of 4 or more.
- You plan to use it for a range of dishes (rotisserie, whole chickens, vegetables etc) not just for french fries and chicken wings.
- You have enough countertop space to fit it.
If that's you, you won't find a cheaper air fryer to give you this much flexibility and possibility. Grab a PowerXL Air Fryer on Amazon and be happy.
We hope you've found this review helpful.
Leave a Reply