Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer Review: The Ultimate Oven Replacement?

We’ve all been there. It’s the end of a long day, you’re hungry, and the last thing you want is a complex cooking process. You preheat the conventional oven, a slow 10-15 minute energy drain before you even begin cooking. Then, another 20-30 minutes for your meal, all while the kitchen heats up and your electricity meter spins. We were tired of this routine, tired of soggy microwave meals, and frankly, tired of waiting. The search for a kitchen appliance that could deliver crispy, delicious food with the speed of a microwave and the quality of an oven led us to the burgeoning world of air fryers. We wanted a device that could reclaim our weeknights, save on energy bills, and still produce meals the whole family would love, from a perfectly cooked pizza to golden, crispy chips. The question was, could one machine really do it all?

What to Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer

An air fryer is more than just a trendy gadget; it’s a key solution for anyone looking to cook healthier, faster, and more energy-efficient meals. By circulating superheated air, these appliances achieve a crispy, “fried” texture with a fraction of the oil used in traditional deep frying. This technology dramatically cuts down on cooking times compared to a conventional oven, often eliminating the need for preheating entirely. The main benefits are clear: reduced fat intake, lower energy consumption, and precious time saved in the kitchen. For busy families and health-conscious individuals, it’s a revolutionary approach to daily cooking.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a nightly time crunch, looking to reduce their energy bills, or seeking to make healthier lifestyle choices without sacrificing flavour. It’s perfect for couples, small families, and even individuals living in smaller spaces like flats or studios where a full-sized oven is impractical. However, it might not be suitable for those who regularly cook very large, multi-dish meals for big gatherings, as even XL models have capacity limits. For those who need to roast a 20-pound turkey or bake multiple trays of cookies simultaneously, a traditional convection oven remains the better choice. But for everyday excellence, an air fryer is hard to beat.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Air fryers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all need countertop space. Before you buy, measure your intended spot, paying close attention to height, especially if you have low-hanging cabinets. The Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer has a unique, wide and relatively short profile (40D x 39.2W x 19.8H cm), which might fit better in spaces where taller models can’t.
• Capacity/Performance: Capacity is measured in litres, but the shape of the basket is just as important. A wide, shallow basket, like this Tefal’s “Giant Zone,” promotes better air circulation and more even cooking for foods laid in a single layer, like pizza or fish fillets. A powerful wattage (2200W in this case) ensures it heats up almost instantly, which is key to its speed and performance.
• Materials & Durability: Look for sturdy construction, typically metal or high-grade plastic housing. The interior basket’s coating is crucial for longevity and ease of cleaning. While this model specifies it is not dishwasher safe, a high-quality interior should allow for easy wipe-downs after cooking, preventing food from sticking and burning on.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Digital controls with clear presets can simplify the cooking process immensely, taking the guesswork out of common meals. Features like a viewing window are invaluable, allowing you to monitor food without opening the drawer and losing heat. Consider the cleaning process; if parts aren’t dishwasher safe, ensure the design allows for easy access to all interior surfaces.

Choosing the right air fryer is about matching its features to your lifestyle. By evaluating these factors, you can find a model that will quickly become an indispensable part of your kitchen arsenal.

While the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: A Sleek, Wide-Bodied Powerhouse

Unboxing the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer, the first thing we noticed was its unconventional shape. Unlike the tall, pod-like design of many popular air fryers, this model is wide and stout. With dimensions of 39.2cm wide by 19.8cm high, it feels more like a miniature convection oven, a design choice directly linked to its standout feature: the extra-large cooking surface. The all-black metal housing feels robust and premium, and the digital touch panel is seamlessly integrated into the front, giving it a modern, clean look that would complement most kitchens.

There’s no assembly required; it’s ready to go straight out of the box. The main cooking basket slides out smoothly with a sturdy handle. Inside, the “Giant Zone” is immediately impressive. Measuring 34cm by 23cm, it’s a significant cooking area that promises to handle foods that are awkward for deeper, narrower baskets. The viewing window is large and clear, a feature we always appreciate. At 7.01kg, it has a reassuring heft without being too heavy to move. Our initial impression is of a thoughtfully designed appliance built for a specific purpose: to cook more food, more evenly, and faster than the competition. You can immediately see the full feature set and unique design choices online.

Deep Dive: Putting the Tefal Easy Fry XL’s Performance to the Test

An appliance can look good on the countertop, but its true value is revealed in the kitchen. We put the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer through a series of real-world cooking challenges, from its signature pizza function to a full family meal, to see if its performance lived up to its promising specifications. We focused on its speed, the quality of the cooked food, and the overall user experience.

The Pizza Test: Is a 6-Minute Pizza Really Possible?

Tefal makes a bold claim: a fresh pizza cooked in 6 minutes and a frozen one in 8. We were deeply skeptical. This is faster than most ovens can even preheat. We started with a standard-sized frozen pizza. We placed it directly into the basket, set the timer for 8 minutes, and pressed start. The machine roared to life—a powerful but not overly intrusive hum—and the dual heating elements, a key part of its “Extra-Crisp Technology,” got to work immediately. Through the viewing window, we could see the cheese melting and bubbling within the first three minutes. The crust began to brown beautifully around the five-minute mark. When the timer beeped at exactly eight minutes, we were met with a perfectly cooked pizza. The base was firm and crispy, the cheese was evenly melted with those desirable browned spots, and the toppings were cooked through. There were no soggy centres or burnt edges.

Next, we tried a fresh, thin-crust pizza. Setting the timer to 6 minutes felt ambitious, but we followed the instructions. The result was, if anything, even more impressive. The rapid, intense heat crisped the dough to perfection, mimicking the effect of a proper pizza oven far better than a conventional oven ever could. This speed is a genuine game-changer. As one user aptly put it, “Pizza in 6 minutes unbelievable! But it does so much more.” We wholeheartedly agree. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick; the combination of the 2200W power, dual heaters, and wide cooking area delivers on its promise, making this the fastest and most effective appliance for cooking pizza we have ever tested. For anyone who loves pizza, this single feature could justify the purchase.

Beyond Pizza: The “Giant Zone” and Everyday Cooking Versatility

While the pizza performance is the headline act, an air fryer needs to be a versatile workhorse for daily meals. This is where the “Giant Zone” truly shines. The XL surface area (34cm x 23cm) is a radical departure from the deep, bucket-style baskets of many air fryers. This design is superior for anything you want to cook in a single, even layer. We tested it with a full kilogram of frozen fries, spreading them out across the basket. The result was exceptionally crispy fries that required minimal shaking, thanks to the hot air being able to circulate around each chip effectively.

This wide-format basket unlocks possibilities that are frustrating in smaller models. We could lay out four large chicken breasts side-by-side without them touching, ensuring each one cooked evenly with a crispy skin. We baked sausage rolls, and as one user confirmed from their own experience, they cooked perfectly in 12 minutes from frozen—no preheating required. This user noted their big oven needed 10 minutes to preheat and another 15-20 minutes to cook, making the Tefal nearly three times faster from a cold start. This efficiency is why we, along with many users, found ourselves abandoning the main oven. One person stated, “Haven’t used my oven since I moved into my new house because I bought one of these.” It’s powerful enough to handle family-sized portions of staples like chicken nuggets, fish fillets, and roasted vegetables, making it a viable replacement for a conventional oven for a huge range of daily cooking tasks. The ability to cook full meals so quickly and efficiently is its greatest strength.

User Experience: Smart, Simple, and a Joy to Use

Tefal nailed the user experience with this model. The digital touch control panel is bright, responsive, and intuitive. There are presets for common foods like fries, pizza, and chicken, but adjusting the time and temperature manually is effortless with simple up/down buttons. The machine remembers your last settings, which is a small but thoughtful touch for routine cooks. Throughout our testing, we found the viewing window to be an indispensable feature. It completely removes the need to pull out the drawer to check on progress, which means the cooking cycle is never interrupted and heat is never lost. This leads to faster, more consistent results.

On the practical side, cleaning was straightforward. While the product info states it’s not dishwasher safe, the interior surface proved easy to wipe clean with a soapy sponge, even after cooking greasy foods. The basket lifts out completely, so you can take it to the sink without issue. In terms of noise, we found it to be quieter than many high-powered air fryers. As one reviewer mentioned, “When I’m in the living room you can barely hear it… Even while in the room with it it’s not too noisy to speak over it.” The only notable design flaw we confirmed from user feedback is the short power cable. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does limit placement options and might require an extension cord depending on your kitchen layout. Despite this minor annoyance, the overall experience is one of speed, convenience, and superior cooking results.

What Other Users Are Saying

The feedback for the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer is overwhelmingly positive, confirming our own fantastic experience. A recurring theme is how it effectively replaces the main kitchen oven for daily use, a point we strongly agree with. One user stated, “My oven has broken and so I bought this air fryer instead of buying another oven… I was amazed how quickly it can cook without preheating.” This sentiment is echoed by another who said, “Since I got it, I almost don’t use my oven anymore.”

The speed, particularly for pizza, is a highlight for many. The “Pizza in 6 minutes unbelievable!” comment captures the general astonishment at its performance. The practical design elements also receive high praise. The viewing window is frequently mentioned as a “nice touch” and a “game changer” that saves time and guesswork. The ease of cleaning is another common point of satisfaction, with users noting that the drawer simply “lifts out and you can wipe it clean.” The main piece of constructive criticism we found, which matched our own findings, was about the power cord. One user who otherwise loved the device called it the “only negative,” describing the cable as “ridiculously short.” This seems to be a consistent, though minor, issue for an otherwise brilliantly designed machine. You can read through hundreds of similar user experiences to get a full picture.

How the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer Compares to the Competition

The Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer occupies a unique space in the market with its wide-format basket and pizza-focused design. To understand its value, it’s helpful to compare it against other popular types of cookers.

1. Schallen 17L 2-in-1 Air Fryer

The Schallen is a completely different beast. It’s a halogen oven-style air fryer with a massive 17-litre glass bowl. Its key advantage is its sheer capacity and visibility; you can see the food from all angles. It’s better suited for cooking larger items like a whole chicken or for those who want to cook multi-level meals using racks. However, it’s much bulkier than the Tefal, and halogen technology can sometimes cook less evenly than the focused, high-speed fan system of a dedicated air fryer like the Tefal. If your priority is maximum capacity and roasting large items, the Schallen is a strong contender. If you prioritize speed, a crispy finish, and a more compact design for everyday meals, the Tefal is the superior choice.

2. Quest 35239 2.5L Deep Fryer

The Quest model is a traditional deep-fat fryer, not an air fryer. It works by submerging food in hot oil. While it will produce the most authentic, classic deep-fried texture for things like chips and doughnuts, it comes with significant downsides: it’s far less healthy due to the amount of oil absorbed, it can be messy, and dealing with used oil is a hassle. The Tefal uses “Extra-Crisp Technology” to mimic that fried texture with little to no oil. The Quest is for the purist who wants true deep frying. The Tefal is for the modern, health-conscious cook who wants a similar crispy result without the oil, mess, and unhealthy fats.

3. HYSapientia 24L Air Fryer Oven Rotisserie 1800W

The HYSapientia is an air fryer oven, a hybrid that bridges the gap between a countertop air fryer and a small oven. With a 24L capacity and 10-in-1 functionality, including a rotisserie, its versatility is its main selling point. It’s excellent for multi-level cooking with trays and for specific tasks like rotisserie chicken. However, its larger chamber means it can be slower to heat up than the Tefal, and the air circulation may not be as intense and focused, potentially leading to less crispy results on single-layer items. The HYSapientia is for someone who wants an all-in-one mini-oven replacement. The Tefal, with its powerful dual heaters and optimized “Giant Zone,” is specialized for achieving the crispiest possible results in the shortest amount of time.

Our Final Verdict: Is the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer Right for You?

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Tefal Easy Fry XL Air Fryer is a phenomenal piece of kitchen technology. Its performance is defined by one word: speed. It cooks faster than almost any competitor, and its claim of a 6-minute fresh pizza is not an exaggeration. The wide, XL cooking surface is a brilliant design choice, promoting incredibly even cooking and delivering exceptionally crispy results on everything from fries to chicken. This is the appliance that will finally allow you to sideline your slow, energy-hungry conventional oven for good.

It’s the perfect choice for busy individuals, couples, and small families who value time, energy efficiency, and delicious, healthy food. While the short power cable is a minor annoyance and the lack of dishwasher-safe parts requires manual cleaning, these are small trade-offs for the sheer performance and convenience it offers. If you want to reclaim your weeknights and enjoy perfect pizza, crispy fries, and quick, healthy meals without the wait, this is the air fryer we wholeheartedly recommend. It’s a top-tier performer that truly delivers on its promises. Ready to revolutionize your kitchen? We highly recommend you check the latest price and order yours today.

Last update on 2025-10-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API