Proscenic T31 Air Fryer review – masterful for meats, average for everything else

Powered by a 1700W fan and equipped with a 15L capacity, the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer is big and beefy. There's space to roast an entire chicken inside this thing. This massive multicooker would make a competent kitchen companion for busy cooks looking to feed families.

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer comes with all the trimmings, from rotisserie tongs to forks and skewers. When you download the Proscenic app, you get access to an inventory of online air fryer recipes, as well as timely reminders to flip your food. As I scrolled through the app and gnawed on my limp veg, I couldn't help but wonder whether Proscenic had delivered the extras at the expense of the basics.

I'm part of a product testing team here at H&G. Together, we've tested some of the world's best air fryers. I know my multicookers from my French door air fryers, and I know what I'm looking for in a machine: quick, even cooking of meat, carbs, and veg to make food that's crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer performed on protein, but disappointed on carbs and veg.

Proscenic T31 Air Fryer Specifications

Unboxing the Proscenic T31

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer came double-wrapped in cardboard boxes, presumably to protect against knocks and bumps in transit. As I opened the inner box, I found several packets of rotisserie equipment, including tongs, forks, and skewers, as well as several loose screws. Each piece came individually wrapped in plastic, though I still managed to prick my finger on the skewer as I pulled it out. I already knew that I would struggle to store this extra equipment in our crowded kitchen cabinets and the dull panic of trying to locate each piece would get old, fast.

Although it's primarily made of plastic, with a few aluminum accents, I struggled to lift the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer out of its box and onto my kitchen counter. Later, I checked the specifications, and wasn't surprised to learn that this air fryer weighs a whopping 25 pounds. If you struggle with arthritis, Parkinson's, or other mobility issues, I suggest you ask a friend to assist you with the unboxing. 

Beneath the air fryer, I found a Proscenic recipe book, along with an instruction manual. I wouldn't throw these out, especially if you're new to air frying. The recipe guide takes inspiration from global cuisine to teach you how to make more than 100 air-fried meals for your family. If you prefer to learn digitally, you can find a lot of the same information on the Proscenic app. 

Standing just under 17 inches tall, the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer should clear standard kitchen cabinets by mere millimeters. Its height poses less of a problem than its width: this air fryer measures almost 19 inches across. That's a whole lot of space on your kitchen counters. If you're working with a smaller kitchen, I'd suggest you invest in something more compact, such as the somewhat ironically-named Ninja Max XL Air Fryer.

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer features no fewer than 13 pre-set programs, each of which has its own button on the air fryer interface. I much prefer individual buttons to arrows or wheels: instead of cycling through the settings, you can quickly find and select the function you need. 

Proscenic recommends running your T31 Air Fryer for 15 minutes before first use to burn off any unpleasant smells. I noticed a strange scent within the first five minutes. For a while, I couldn't work out where it was coming from, until I pulled apart the air fryer and found a hidden piece of polystyrene that had caught between compartments and melted in the heat. The mess was easy enough to clear up, but it was the last thing I needed on a busy test day. As you're unpacking your Proscenic T31 Air Fryer, I'd urge you to keep opening compartments until you've located and removed every piece of polystyrene.

Test 1: French fries

Whenever I'm testing air fryers, I like to start with a simple dish of nuggets and fries. It's not the most nutritious meal, nor the most ambitious, but it's the best way to gauge how an air fryer handles such diverse foods as carbs and protein. Plus, it might look similar to something you'd whip up for the kids on a busy weeknight.

I took a bag of frozen French fries and shook out a few servings into the air fryer basket. I selected the Proscenic T31 'fries' setting, which set the cook time to 15 minutes and the cook temperature to 355°F. When it comes to air fryer presets, I've been burned before: too often, ingredients are cooked at too high a heat for too many minutes. Still, I decided to trust in the Proscenic process, and only intervene as and when it felt necessary.

I could watch my fries cook and crisp through the air fryer window. I like an air fryer with a glass front far more than a sleek black body: it makes it much easier to monitor internal temperatures. Around the eight-minute mark, I decided to open the air fryer, pull out the tray, and give my fries a good shake: it's the best way to promote quick, even cooking. 

After the full 15 minutes, the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer beeped to let me know my time was up. I had to wear my oven gloves to grab hold of the basket: there isn't a heat-safe handle, only a gentle divot on either side of the tray. I poured the French fries onto a plate and offered them to Alex and Laura, my fellow product testers. 

We'd already consumed a fair few servings of French fries that morning, and these fries from the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer were the best of the bunch, though that wasn't saying much. Each fry was still slightly overcooked, a little dry in the center and beginning to harden round the edges. They tasted best when they were straight out of the oven: none of us felt like coming back for seconds.

Test 2: Quorn nuggets

To complete the meal, I decided to cook the nuggets next. I was keen to see whether the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer was any better with meats than carbs: whether it could crisp the edges of the nugget without obliterating the inside. 

In an ideal world, I'd have cooked the nuggets at the same time as the French fries. Since each ingredient requires a different cook time and temperature, I settled for cooking them back to back. If you'd like to cook a few things simultaneously, you should consider an air fryer with a dual-basket design. My favorite is the Instant Vortex Plus: there's even a sync-finish option to co-ordinate cooking across the two baskets. 

In the absence of a specific setting for nuggets, I set the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer to cook at 375°F for 15 minutes. Following the disappointment of the French fries, I was ready to intervene, and ended up removing the nuggets a minute or two ahead of schedule. 

From the first bite, I could tell that the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer was better suited to proteins than carbohydrates. The outside of the nugget was nice and crisp, and it was still pretty juicy on the inside. I shared a few bites with Alex and Laura, who agreed that the nuggets were perfectly palatable, though far from the best they'd had from an air fryer.

Test 3: Mediterranean vegetables

Following the success of the Quorn nuggets, I was feeling more optimistic about the Mediterranean vegetables. I wanted to see how the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer handled frozen produce and whether it could tackle tougher textures and firmer skins. 

I took a bag of frozen vegetables and poured chunks of eggplant, zucchini, and peppers into the air fryer basket. I'd already slotted a roasting tray beneath the basket to catch crumbs and globs of grease that might drip through. This air fryer features a specific setting for vegetables: Proscenic recommends cooking low and slow, at 300°F for 15 minutes. 

I had thought we were on an upward streak with the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer, which might be why I was so disappointed with these vegetables. I'd done everything right, and I was left with limp veg: warm, but not crispy, yet also, somehow, dry. If I were at home, I'd have used these vegetables to make compost rather than suffering through each bite. 

Test 4: Bacon

I wasn't expecting big things from the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer on our fourth and final test. Even as I laid strips of bacon across the baking tray, I wondered whether the success of the nuggets had been something of a fluke. I wanted to see how well the air fryer rendered fat, and whether it could strike the right balance between crispy fat and tender meat. 

I set the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer to cook at 395°F for eight minutes. I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. My bacon wasn't burnt to a crisp: it was crispy, rather than crunchy, or, worse, crumbly, with just the right amount of bite to the meat. As the only meat-eater in the test kitchen that day, I ate an awful lot of bacon, and the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer made the best, by far. In fact, it was so good that I ate both rashers before I thought to take a photo, so you'll have to take my word for it. 

Cleaning the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer

While the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer attachments are technically dishwasher-safe, I prefer to wash each part by hand in warm, soapy water. I find it far easier to clean the nooks and crannies of the rotisserie basket and release any grease from the drip tray. As for the body of the machine, all it should need is a quick wipe with a damp cloth after use to keep in good condition. The touch-screen interface is likely to pick up finger smudges, but a quick buff with a microfiber cloth should sort that right out.

How does the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer rate online?

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer boasts several hundred four- and five-star ratings on Amazon, with customers praising its energy efficiency and versatility. Many of the most positive reviews are written by cooks in the first flush of purchase: the reviews grow more mixed as consumers spend more time with the product. A few customers complain about the uneven cooking: food on the top tray is burnt to a crisp, while ingredients on the lower levels are scarcely warmed through.

How does the Proscenic T31 compare to other air fryers?

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer would make a great addition to a meat eater's master kitchen. If you're looking for more of a multicooker, and you're working with a smaller space, I'd suggest shopping elsewhere. 

Not everyone wants (or needs) a capacious air fryer. If you're catering for a smaller household, or you're mostly interested in making single servings, you might appreciate something more compact, such as the Paris Rhône 5.3-Qt. Air Fryer. Just nine inches wide, this air fryer could slot beneath standard cabinets and fit into narrow nooks. The Paris Rhône 5.3-Qt. Air Fryer is deceptively capacious, with enough space to roast a (small) chicken.

You might not only be looking for an air fryer, but a steamer and slow cooker, too. For multifunctionality, I recommend the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid. It features no fewer than 13 cooking functions, so that you can can broil meat, bake cakes, prove dough, and even make beef jerky, all in one pot. 

There's nothing like a dual-basket air fryer for versatility. My favorite is the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 XL. Like the Proscenic T31, this air fryer is deep and wide. It will take up a fair amount of space on your kitchen counter, but it's even more capacious. Inside the machine, you'll find a 10-qt. cavity, split between two 5-qt. baskets. There's a Smart Finish option to sync cook times, as well as a Match Cook function to duplicate settings from one basket to the next. 

Should I buy the Proscenic T31 Air Fryer?

The Proscenic T31 Air Fryer retails for around $250 on the Proscenic site, and around $150 when you shop on Amazon. That's about as much as I'd pay for this air fryer, and that's mostly because I eat meat. If you're a vegan or a vegetarian, or you're just keen to experiment with fresher, firmer produce, I'd encourage you to consider one of the best air fryers, instead, to get your money's worth.  

How we test

We put a lot of thought into how we test air fryers. We don't just stand around all day munching fries. 

We put air fryers through their paces in our standardized test kitchen. For the sake of a fair fight, we tend to make the same meals in each test: French fries, Quorn or chicken nuggets, Mediterranean vegetables, and rashers of bacon. We want to see how the air fryer handles soft versus firm produce, as well as fresh versus frozen food. We like to experiment with an air fryer's presets to assess the accuracy of their cook times and temperatures: it's the quickest way to tell whether an air fryer undercooks, overcooks, or gets it just right.

Where relevant, we test an air fryer's special features, which could mean anything from a sync finish function to a rotisserie chicken setting. We also document the unboxing and cleaning processes to give you the fullest possible picture of what it might be like to use this product.