I Tried the Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer – It's Straightforward and Reliable for Everyday Meals

At my house, there's always a queue for the air fryer – not of people, but of food waiting to be cooked. It can make getting dinner on the table tricky, especially when you're trying to keep everything hot while the last item finishes. That's where a dual-basket model comes in: You can cook two foods at once, using different temperatures and timings.

The Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer is a good option for households that regularly cook multiple dishes but don't need the capacity of a larger family-sized model. It also has PFAS-free construction, making it worth considering if you're looking to reduce contact with certain non-stick chemicals in your kitchen.

Here's what to expect from this non-toxic air fryer.

Product Specifications: Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer

Design and First Impressions

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Unboxing the air fryer was straightforward, and although it seemed well protected, I noticed a scratch on the top as soon as I opened the box. It's lighter than some dual-basket models, which makes it easier to handle. The baskets were packaged separately, but one of the small corner nubs designed to keep them in place fell off during assembly. It was easy to fix, but these early issues didn't inspire much confidence in the build quality. Thankfully, the problems stopped there.

On the countertop, the air fryer is relatively compact and unobtrusive, with a design that should fit comfortably into most kitchens and beneath many cabinets. It's still heavy enough that I wouldn't want to move it in and out of storage regularly.

One useful feature is that the baskets can be partially pulled out and held in place without sliding all the way free, making it easy to check on food while cooking. Less helpful are the removable information stickers, which include cooking temperatures and timings for different foods. I'd prefer to see this guidance printed directly onto the appliance.

The box also includes a small instruction booklet and a QR code linking to recipes. Before your first use, Chefman recommends washing the baskets in warm, soapy water. After that, you're ready to cook.

Cooking Performance

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We test a range of standard foods across our air fryers over a few weeks (up to one month) to judge performance and make comparisons between appliances. Here is how I got on:

• French Fries and chicken tenders: I made sweet potato fries and chicken tenders in the dual baskets, starting them at the same time at the same temperatures, and utilizing the function that allows them to finish at the same time. This helps ensure both parts of the meal are finished cooking at once so the other food isn’t sitting and getting cold. This test went very well, though I had to add time multiple times. I was a little disappointed in the crunchiness of the fries (they were a little limp), but the chicken cooked well. However, I noticed a bit of moisture on the underside of the chicken breading in spite of me shaking up the tender mid-cycle to ensure even cooking.
• Potatoes and sausage: I gave the air fryer a challenge in cooking pre-cubed potatoes for hash browns on one side, and there was an extra-large clump of them that was frozen together. I was curious to see how the machine would handle that, and it passed the test. Within just a few minutes, the clump came apart easily, and the potatoes cooked evenly despite that. Meanwhile, turkey sausage patties cooked on the other side. Within five minutes, they were already getting pleasantly browned on the outside, yet remained soft inside. This test showed how the dual fryer can make a multi-step frying pan recipe a bit quicker with side-by-side air fryer baskets.
• Meatballs and broccoli: I warmed up meatballs that had become soggy as leftovers and cooked broccoli in the air fryer. The meatballs crisped up nicely and were “like new” again, which shows that the air fryer is an essential tool for reviving leftovers. Meanwhile, the broccoli cooked quickly in under ten minutes with just a bit of spray on them (don’t spray the air fryer directly; the directions say!). Together, they paired nicely with spaghetti, which I did not attempt to cook in an air fryer.
• Special Features: My favorite button is the “add two minutes” feature, which is excellent to have on hand when you know the food just isn’t quite finished. I’m perplexed by the light that cycles on and off throughout, but it’s nice when it’s on to see how the food is coming along.

The Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer is refreshingly simple to use, with straightforward time and temperature controls. Having tested some more complicated models, I appreciated this no-fuss approach. I’d much rather have clear, adjustable settings than a long list of presets that don’t always deliver the results you want.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the air fryer is straightforward. I let the baskets cool before soaking them in warm, soapy water, which helps loosen crumbs and food residue from both the trays and baskets.

Avoid abrasive sponges, as these can damage the non-stick coating. The perforated trays can also catch and tear softer sponges, so I found a well-used washcloth that I did not care too much about worked best after soaking.

Both the baskets and trays are dishwasher-safe, although the main unit is not. I'd recommend removing the small rubber corner nubs before washing, as they're easy to lose. Crumbs can also collect inside the appliance behind the baskets, so I occasionally wipe this area with a damp cloth.

Overall, cleaning is simple, and the smaller baskets are easier to handle and wash than those of some larger air fryers.

What Shoppers Say

On Amazon, more than 2,700 reviewers give the Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Many praise its ease of use, dual cooking function, and straightforward cleaning, although opinions are more mixed on its size, reliability, and value. Durability also appears as a concern in some negative reviews.

I share some reservations about long-term durability. The scratch on arrival and the loose rubber nub I noticed during assembly were minor issues, but they did raise questions about the overall build quality. Longer-term testing would help establish whether these early signs point to a wider problem.

Should You Buy The Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket Air Fryer?

Overall, the Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket is a high-quality, easy-to-use air fryer with a few minor build-quality concerns.

As a product journalist who has tested dozens of air fryers, I found the Chefman TurboFry Dual Basket refreshingly simple to use. The baskets slide out easily, food cooks well, and the dual-basket design lets you coordinate different dishes to finish at the same time. As a mom of five, though, I'd mainly use it for side dishes or smaller meals. The baskets rarely hold enough food for my whole family, although you can use both sides for the same dish when cooking larger batches. That flexibility makes it a useful option for smaller households, too.

This air fryer would suit people who frequently use an air fryer for more than one part of their meal, such as for both meat and vegetables. It would also suit smaller families that don’t need the capacity of larger air fryers. It would suit those cooking for one as well.

How We Test Air Fryers

When looking at air fryers, we consider several things. Firstly, we look at the materials, looking for potentially toxic coatings, and prioritizing non-toxic products for peace of mind. Then, we focus on exceptional cooking performance. As a team of trained cooks, product testers, and appliance experts, we rigorously test each model by air-frying frozen fries, chicken wings, and roasted vegetables. During our taste tests, we seek food that’s perfectly crispy on the outside and tender within. Having tested the market leaders, we’re familiar with the industry benchmarks.

Ease of use is key, so our tests evaluate the intuitiveness of controls, basket design, and the accuracy of recipe presets. We also explore special features, like grilling and dehydrating, to assess versatility. While cooking, we make notes on capacity – essential for those looking for family-sized air fryers.

Since cleaning can be a hassle, we check if the removable parts are easy to wash, whether by hand or in the dishwasher. We also examine materials' durability, as this is a key criterion for long-lasting, non-toxic items. After testing, we scour the web for the best and worst customer reviews to assess the air fryer's reliability and overall customer satisfaction.

You can go behind the scenes and read more details on our how we test air fryers page.

What Else to Shop

I've rounded up a selection of alternative air fryers and air fryer accessories to make healthier, more convenient cooking easier every day.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Remember, you might be making some common air fryer mistakes that can prevent you from having the best meal possible from your appliance. Luckily, we have made them all so you can learn from our mishaps.

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