I’ve always been skeptical about air fryers. My friends have told me they’re life-changing. I’ve always argued they’re just glorified ovens.
But with Kmart recently dropping its glass airfryer onto the market at $99, I saw my opportunity to investigate the craze without breaking the bank.
After taking it for a spin over a few sharehouse dinners, I wouldn’t say I’m fully converted to the cult of air fryers, but Kmart’s model does have its merits. Here’s what I found.
Avoiding plastics
If you’re one of the growing number of people concerned about microplastics or non-stick materials ending up in your food, the relatively new trend of glass air fryers might be for you.
But if you’re thinking this Kmart glass air fryer might be a cheap way to phase out non-stick materials from your kitchen, you’ll be disappointed to discover that it has a non-stick crisping tray (I certainly was).
When testing this model, I was torn between wanting the best results (which you can only achieve with the crisping tray) and wanting to avoid the non-stick surface of the tray touching my food. I decided to experiment with taking the tray out for some foods, to see if I could get away with an all-glass cooking experience here and there.
This “portable” glass model style of air fryer, with a heating element sitting on top of a glass tray, was first released by other brands like Ninja and Dreame, both of which offer fryers at around $300. Kmart’s $99 copycat version gives cheapskates like myself an affordable alternative. This Anko-branded device is also available from Target.
These products are branded as portable as they are less bulky than your average air fryer and the element packs down, though the Anko fryer still takes up a fair bit of my cupboard space. Healthy Choice also sells a more cumbersome glass model in the classic drawer style you may be more familiar with (which you can find for under $120 on online marketplaces like Amazon or Big W right now).
Both the Healthy Choice and the Dreame models use a stainless steel inner tray. If you want to avoid non-stick components completely, you may want to look at these models instead.
Included in the box are two glass containers (the large one is 4.5L and the smaller one is 2.5L), the heating element, a non-stick crisping tray, a silicon heat mat and a plastic lid which fits on both glass baskets, to be used for food storage.
Along with the main cooking unit, the Kmart glass air fryer comes with two differently-sized glass containers, a non-stick crisping tray, lid and heat mat.
Cooking performance
Our sharehouse’s ageing gas oven leaves much to be desired in terms of cooking performance. Long pre-heat times, slow and uneven cooking and a big energy bill makes me think twice about roasting, especially when trying to cook a small amount of food.
When it comes to roasting in Kmart’s air fryer, I had mixed results. The veggies I cooked – including brussel sprouts, onion and corn – were charred in some places, but undercooked in others, even after shaking the container throughout cooking (though if I used the crisping tray, they may have been more evenly cooked).
My roast chicken breast, however, was cooked to perfection
I would note, however, that my lackluster oven would have performed similarly and taken longer to heat up.
My roast chicken breast, however, was cooked to perfection, though only after reluctantly inserting the crisping tray, compromising on my aversion to non-stick materials.
I was also impressed with the roast potatoes I made, which turned out nice and crispy after 30 minutes on the “air fry” function (even without the non-stick tray).
Without the non-stick crisping tray, my brussels sprouts were inconsistently cooked.
As a first-time air fryer user, making dinner took a bit of trial and error.
Each preset function such as “air fry”, “roast” and “crisp” has its own pre-programmed time and temperature. On the light-up display, you can change the cooking time (up to 60 minutes), but not the temperature. And what’s more, the actual temperatures are not displayed or mentioned anywhere, so you really need to guess which function will work best, without knowing what temperature it is cooking at.
The included manual has suggested cook times and functions for different ingredients, but it is far from comprehensive and assumes the only veggies you will ever cook are broccoli, capsicum and mushroom. While the guide includes instructions for frozen chips, it does not mention roast potatoes, which I would have thought would be a staple in a device known for its crispy food.
The actual temperatures are not displayed anywhere, so you really need to guess which function will work best
Despite the somewhat misleading images of mixed veggies and chicken on the box, the manual emphatically tells you to “cook ONLY one type of food at a time”. If you’re wanting to prepare several dishes, your standard oven might be a better choice here, or you may have to serve up food course-by-course. That said, when I broke this cardinal rule and cooked different vegetables together, they seemed to cook at the same rate, and the sky didn’t fall in.
One of the key advantages with the glass cooking container is that you can keep an eye on the food as it cooks, though you generally need to take the main heating unit off anyway during use to give the container a shake.
One of the key advantages with the glass cooking container is that you can keep an eye on the food as it cooks
If you take it off without pressing stop, it automatically switches off so you don’t torch yourself, and a heat mat is included to prevent burning your benchtop.
The flaw in this function is that when you then replace it, it switches on again, only to turn off after five seconds or so. I discovered this after leaving the kitchen only to come back 15 minutes later to a half-cooked chicken sitting dormant on the counter.
This manual says cooking should automatically resume when the cooking container is replaced after shaking (unless the unit has been off for more than 5 minutes), so this is apparently a malfunction and a major issue I encountered several times when using the appliance.
These containers can get hot, with CHOICE testing measuring glass air fryer baskets at over 100°C. While Kmart’s model has plastic handles on the side of the containers for safe handling, they are small and you may want to still wear oven mitts to prevent accidental burns.
Taking the heating element off the container to access your food is also difficult. There is a small rubber tab at the top and two handholds on the side (or should I say fingerholds) making this appliance better suited to a professional basketballer or rock climber with the grip strength to safely handle the hot element.
Warranty
The Kmart air fryer comes with a 12-month warranty for defects in the materials or workmanship (the same as Healthy Choice, but less than the two years of the Dreame and Ninja glass models). Australian Consumer Law also applies, giving you the right to a refund or a replacement if a product is faulty and does not last for a reasonable period, even if the warranty has expired.
What a reasonable period is will depend on the product, and given this is a budget air fryer, you might expect it to last a few years, but not as long as a higher-end model.
Video: Are glass air fryers worth it?
Verdict
If you want to compensate for a dodgy oven, Kmart’s cheap glass air fryer may be for you. While cooking with it came with a steep learning curve and mixed results, you get what you pay for and this may be an asset to households on a budget.
The air fryer performs fine without the crisping tray, however, including it in your cooking will give you better results. If you are firm on avoiding non-stick cookware and want to get the most out of your appliance, you might be better off spending a little more on the bulkier Healthy Choice model.
If you are firm on avoiding non-stick cookware and want to get the most out of your appliance, you might be better off spending a little more
Alternatively, you can find stainless steel air fryer trays online from around $10–$30 if you are keen on the portable model but don’t want to spend $300 on the Dreame for a tray without a non-stick coating.
This product is also not very accessible for people with limited dexterity, with small holds for picking up the element. If you are concerned about handling hot and heavy items, Kmart’s glass air fryer probably isn’t for you.
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James is a journalist with CHOICE's editorial and investigations team, decoding complicated consumer issues and reporting on how corporations and businesses affect the lives of Australians.
He has previously created podcast series for We Are Explorers and Protect Our Winters Australia, and has published in Cosmos and The Citizen. James has a particular interest reporting on science, environmental and social issues, and was a recipient of a JEERA Ossie Award for his journalism.
James has a Master of Journalism and Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of Melbourne. LinkedIn
James is a journalist with CHOICE's editorial and investigations team, decoding complicated consumer issues and reporting on how corporations and businesses affect the lives of Australians.
He has previously created podcast series for We Are Explorers and Protect Our Winters Australia, and has published in Cosmos and The Citizen. James has a particular interest reporting on science, environmental and social issues, and was a recipient of a JEERA Ossie Award for his journalism.
James has a Master of Journalism and Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of Melbourne. LinkedIn
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