Thinking of getting a Chefree AFG01 Grill / Air Fryer? Check out my review on what to expect and see if it is a good fit for you.
Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check my disclosure
As a food blogger I occasionally get new products to review which is how I came across the CHEFREE AFG01 Grill Air Fryer.
Being an air fryer enthusiast, I welcomed the opportunity to review this Air Fryer & Grill Combo. Let’s take a look!
Click on this Amazon Product Link and use Discount Code CHEFAFG01 for £20 OFF The code is valid until 31 March 2023
Air Fryer and Indoor Grill
The CHEFREE AFG01 is more of a multi-cooker than a stand-alone air fryer. It comes with a large cooking pot with a grill plate and crisper basket as optional inserts.
• Cooking Pot: has an impressive 6L capacity that can cook proper big family meals. The ceramic coating makes it a cinch to clean plus it is dishwasher safe.
• Grill Plate: this heavy-duty grill grate turns the Chefree into an indoor grill. A huge plus if you love grilling but have no outside space, or rainy days to contend with!
• Crisper basket: this fryer basket is suitable for making fries and also air frying chicken nuggets and fish fingers.
Reasons to buy
- Large capacity allows the CHEFREE AFG01 to easily replace the oven and grill
- Easy to clean – inserts are dishwasher safe
- Economical – up to 80% more energy efficient than the oven
- High searing heat up to 265°C
- Allows for low-fat cooking and grilling
- Easy to use, lightweight
- Preheats and cooks very quickly
Things to note
If you only use the air fryer to cook frozen chips and chicken fingers then you would be better off with a cheaper and smaller air fryer.
The Chefree is a multi-function cooker and takes up a fair bit of space on your kitchen counter.
If you have limited space but still love cooking, grilling and baking then the Chefree can replace your oven and grill.
The Chefree In Use
The Chefree takes a bit of getting used to, as all home appliances do.
For example, all settings come with a short preheating time. Once you select a setting, the Chefree takes a few minutes to come to temperature before beeping to let you know to add the food. The cooking countdown only starts when the lid is closed.
Thankfully you can adjust the cooking time and the temperature while the food is cooking. I would however like the option to skip the preheating, as certain recipes do not require it.
Using the air fryer grill
The grilling feature is definitely one of the biggest advantages of owning the Chefree AFG01. You can grill up to four steaks, chicken drumsticks or burgers to perfection at the same time without any of the smoke and mess associated with the barbecue.
Cooking steak was so easy and you even get gorgeous grill marks on your steaks 🙂 What’s more, most of the fat drains from the food into the basket below allowing for healthier cooking.
You will need to adjust the cooking times depending on the size and thickness of your steak and how you like it done. Luckily you can simply lift the lid to check on the progress.
Using the cooking basket
I cooked proper family meals on my Chefree and found the large basket an absolute joy to use and to clean.
A whole chicken and potatoes took about 40 minutes and produced a beautifully golden, juicy chicken and soft yet crispy potatoes.
You do need to use a chicken of about 1.2kg as anything bigger will still to the heating element under the lid.
The Chefree can also cook for longer without heating up the kitchen. I made roast lamb shoulder and was thrilled with the results.
The cooking basket is much easier to clean than the usual air fryer baskets and I had no issues with burning or smoking. The air circulation is better than the pull-out basket air fryers.
Using the crisper basket
The crisper basket looks more like a traditional oil fryer basket. You will need to wear oven mitts to shake it which makes it a little trickier to use.
I found the crisper basket worked best when cooking frozen food like chips, hash browns and chicken fingers and so on. The food cooks quickly and turns out crispy and golden.
The verdict
For a family of four, the Chefree is a great option. It can replace the oven and works fantastically well as an indoor grill.
This is a versatile cooking appliance that takes a little bit of getting used to until you can realise its full potential.
The Chefree is definitely a multi-cooker and not (just) an air fryer. If you only use an air fryer to make the occasional plate of chips then you should opt for a smaller model with fewer functions.
I was supplied with a CHEFREE AFG01 Grill Air Fryer in order to write this review.
All opinions are honest and my own.
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