Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry Review: Our In-Depth Test and Verdict

Let’s be honest. The daily dinner dilemma is a real struggle. We all want food that’s delicious, satisfyingly crispy, and ideally, not swimming in oil. For years, the choice felt binary: either spend an age preheating a massive conventional oven for a small batch of chips, resulting in a hot kitchen and a hefty energy bill, or surrender to the guilt and mess of a deep-fat fryer. I remember the constant battle—the soggy oven chips, the lingering smell of old oil, and the laborious cleanup. It often felt easier to just order a takeaway, sacrificing both health and budget. This is the precise kitchen predicament that has catapulted the air fryer from a niche gadget to an essential appliance, promising the holy grail of cooking: deep-fried texture with a fraction of the fat, time, and effort. The Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry enters this competitive arena with a bold promise of not just air frying, but achieving an extra level of crispiness through its unique technology.

What to Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer

An air fryer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for transforming your daily cooking habits. At its core, it’s a compact, high-powered convection oven that circulates superheated air to cook food rapidly, creating a crisp, golden-brown exterior that mimics deep frying, but with up to 90% less oil. The main benefits are profound: faster cooking times compared to a conventional oven, significant energy savings, healthier meals, and remarkably easy cleanup. It’s about reclaiming weeknight dinners, making impromptu snacks a breeze, and experimenting with recipes without turning your kitchen into a greasy warzone.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a time crunch but unwilling to compromise on food quality. This includes busy parents, couples, students, or anyone looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle without learning complex cooking techniques. It’s perfect for those with limited kitchen space who can’t accommodate a full-size oven or simply don’t want to heat one up for smaller portions. Conversely, it might not be suitable for those who regularly cook for very large crowds (more than 5-6 people), as even a large single-basket model has its limits. If your primary goal is the authentic, oil-submerged flavour of traditional deep frying for items like battered fish, a dedicated deep fat fryer might still be your preference.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Measure your countertop! While the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry is praised for its compact, narrow design, you must ensure you have adequate space for the unit itself, plus clearance for heat ventilation at the back and top. Consider its height clearance under your kitchen cabinets.
• Capacity/Performance: Capacity is key. A 5.7-litre basket, like the one found on the Chefman model we tested, is generally considered ideal for 3-5 people. Performance is dictated by wattage (1700W is robust) and temperature range. A higher maximum temperature, like Chefman’s 235°C boost, can deliver superior browning and crisping.
• Materials & Durability: The main body is typically plastic and metal, but the basket is what matters most. Look for a PFOA-free nonstick coating for food safety and easy cleaning. However, as some user feedback suggests, the durability of this coating can be a point of failure, so careful handling without metal utensils is paramount.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A clear digital display with intuitive touch controls is far easier to operate than analog dials. Features like presets, shake reminders, and an internal light significantly improve the user experience. For long-term care, a dishwasher-safe basket and crisper plate are non-negotiable for hassle-free cleanup.

Ultimately, choosing the right air fryer is about matching its capabilities to your household’s needs and cooking style.

While the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry 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: Sleek, Smart, and Ready to Cook

Unboxing the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry, the first thing we noticed was its surprisingly sleek and slender profile. For a machine boasting a generous 5.7-litre capacity, it has a remarkably small countertop footprint. Its vertical design, finished in a glossy black, looks modern and unintrusive, easily blending into our kitchen decor. It feels solid and well-constructed for its price point, avoiding the flimsy plastic feel that plagues some budget appliances.

There is virtually no assembly required; after a quick wash of the basket and crisper plate, it was ready to go. Plugging it in brings the top-mounted digital touch panel to life with a clear, bright display. The controls are immediately intuitive, with four distinct presets for fries, chicken, fish, and meat, alongside manual adjustments for time and temperature. It’s a clean, button-free interface that’s easy to wipe down. Pulling the basket out for the first time, we noted it was a bit snug, a sentiment echoed by a few users, but this also lends a feeling of a secure, well-sealed cooking chamber. The inclusion of an internal light, a feature often reserved for more premium models, was a very welcome surprise. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to appreciate how these details elevate the user experience.

A Deep Dive into the Chefman Hi-Fry’s Performance

An air fryer lives or dies by its cooking performance. A sleek design and fancy features mean nothing if the food comes out unevenly cooked or disappointingly soft. We put the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry through a series of demanding culinary tests, from everyday staples to a full family meal, to see if its performance lives up to its promises.

From Frozen Fries to a Flawless Roast Chicken

Our first test, the benchmark for any air fryer, was a batch of frozen French fries. Using the dedicated ‘Fries’ preset (205°C for 18 minutes), we filled the basket about halfway. The ‘Shake’ reminder beeped dutifully at the midpoint, a crucial step for ensuring even cooking. The result? Perfectly golden, incredibly crispy fries with fluffy interiors. They were indistinguishable from their deep-fried counterparts, a fantastic outcome with just a light spray of oil.

Next, we moved on to fresh chicken wings. After seasoning, we cooked them at 200°C for 25 minutes, shaking twice during the cycle. The skin rendered beautifully, becoming shatteringly crisp while the meat remained succulent and juicy. This is where the 1700W power really shines, providing enough heat to cook quickly and prevent the meat from drying out. Inspired by one user who reported cooking a whole chicken, we decided to try it ourselves. A 1.4kg chicken fit comfortably in the 5.7L basket. We cooked it at 180°C for 50 minutes, flipping it halfway. The result was astonishing: perfectly roasted chicken with crispy skin all over and incredibly tender, moist meat inside. It was faster, used less energy, and produced less ambient heat than our main oven. This test confirmed that the machine’s capacity isn’t just a number; it’s genuinely functional for small family meals.

The Hi-Fry Advantage: A Game-Changer for Crispiness?

The headline feature of this appliance is its proprietary “Hi-Fry Technology.” This function automatically kicks in during the final two minutes of any cooking cycle, ramping the temperature up to a blistering 235°C. Initially, we were skeptical—could two minutes at a slightly higher temperature really make a difference? The answer is an emphatic yes. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s a tangible performance enhancer. We tested this by cooking two identical batches of homemade potato wedges. For the first batch, we stopped the cooking cycle with two minutes remaining. They were good—cooked through and nicely browned. For the second batch, we let the Hi-Fry cycle complete.

The difference was night and day. That final blast of intense heat acted like a finishing broiler, creating a distinctly crispier, more satisfying crust on the wedges without overcooking the inside. It’s this feature that truly elevates the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry, giving foods like roasted vegetables, chicken skin, and potatoes an extra textural dimension that many standard air fryers struggle to achieve. It’s a feature that really sets it apart in a crowded market, turning good results into great ones and validating Chefman’s focus on that all-important crunch.

Intuitive Design and User-Friendly Features

Beyond raw cooking power, the day-to-day usability of an appliance is what determines whether it becomes a kitchen staple or gathers dust in a cupboard. Chefman has clearly put thought into the user experience. The digital touch panel is brilliantly simple. Even as first-time users, we found it required no instruction manual to operate. Tapping the preset icons for chicken or fish is straightforward, and manually adjusting the time and temperature with the plus/minus buttons is equally effortless. Many users, particularly those who were initially intimidated by new technology, have praised this simplicity.

The small details make a big impact. The internal light, activated by a dedicated button, is incredibly useful. Paired with the translucent quality of the basket when lit, it allows you to check on your food’s progress without opening the drawer and letting heat escape—a flaw in many competing models. The audible ‘Shake’ reminder is another fantastic feature for beginners, training them in the good habits needed for perfectly even results. While some have noted the basket can be tight to pull out, we found this eased with use and preferred it to a loose, wobbly drawer. The overall design feels cohesive and focused on making air frying accessible and foolproof for everyone. We found the combination of simple controls and smart aids makes it a joy to use on a daily basis, something you can explore further by checking its product page.

Cleanup and Long-Term Durability Concerns

Easy cleanup is one of the primary promises of any air fryer, and the Chefman delivers here, for the most part. The basket and the removable crisper tray both feature a nonstick coating and are advertised as dishwasher safe. In our tests, we found a simple hand wash with a soft sponge and soapy water was usually sufficient. Even after cooking sticky marinated chicken wings, the residue slid off with minimal effort. Popping it in the top rack of the dishwasher also worked perfectly, making post-dinner cleanup a non-event.

However, this leads us to the most significant concern we have with this appliance, a point raised in some of the more critical user reviews. Several users have reported that the nonstick coating began to flake or peel after a few months of use. One user noted, “large flakes of the coating started breaking off… Not once did any metal utensils go in here so the coating is clearly very fragile.” Another mentioned wiping the grill with a paper towel and noticing it was stripping, leading to rust. While we did not experience this in our short-term testing, this is a serious potential issue. To preserve the lifespan of the basket, we strongly recommend exclusively using silicone or wooden utensils, avoiding abrasive scrubbers, and primarily hand-washing despite the dishwasher-safe claim. While the cooking performance is excellent, this potential durability issue with the coating is a critical factor to consider for long-term ownership.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings align closely with the broader sentiment from the user community. The vast majority of owners are thrilled with their purchase, frequently highlighting its value for money, ease of use, and excellent cooking results. One new user perfectly captured this, stating, “I did a whole chicken in mine it was crispy skin and the meat was very tender. It’s used a fair bit now, Value for money looks great too.” Many, like us, are impressed by the compact design relative to its large capacity, with one owner noting it was “big enough for my family when they visit but also one that would accommodate my single meal needs and one that wasn’t going to take up too much space.”

However, the feedback isn’t universally perfect, and the criticisms are consistent. The primary complaint, as we detailed above, revolves around the longevity of the nonstick coating. This appears to be the machine’s main vulnerability. A secondary, less critical point mentioned by a few is the lack of a comprehensive user manual with recipes or cooking guides, which can leave true beginners guessing on times and temperatures for non-preset foods. A user noted, “It was just a pity the User Manual wasn’t a bit more encouraging by providing cooking advice and recipes.” This feedback provides a balanced picture: a brilliant performer with a potential Achilles’ heel in its basket coating.

How Does the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry Compare?

The Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry excels in healthy, fast cooking, but it’s important to understand the alternatives. The market includes traditional deep fryers for those who prioritize authentic oil-fried taste above all, and other high-performing air fryers with different feature sets.

1. Aigostar 3 Litre Deep Fryer Easy Clean

The Aigostar is a classic deep fat fryer. It represents a completely different cooking philosophy. If your goal is to make traditional, pub-style battered fish and chips or doughnuts submerged in hot oil, this is the tool for the job. It offers that unmistakable flavour and texture that air frying can only mimic, not replicate. However, this comes at the cost of using a large amount of oil, a more involved cleaning process, and producing less healthy food. The Aigostar is for the traditionalist who is willing to trade health and convenience for authenticity on specific dishes, whereas the Chefman is the versatile, healthier daily driver.

2. COSORI 5.5L Air Fryer 1700W

The COSORI 5.5L is perhaps the Chefman’s most direct competitor. It’s a hugely popular air fryer with a similar capacity and power rating. The key difference lies in the controls and features. The COSORI boasts 11 presets compared to Chefman’s four, offering more one-touch cooking options for things like vegetables, bacon, and bread. It also comes with a comprehensive recipe book, addressing a key weakness of the Chefman. The choice between them comes down to priorities: the Chefman offers the unique Hi-Fry technology for superior crisping, while the COSORI provides a more guided, preset-rich experience for users who value variety and don’t want to experiment with manual settings.

3. Tefal Compact Oleo Clean Deep Fryer 1500W

The Tefal Oleo Clean is another high-quality deep fat fryer, but with a unique twist: an automatic oil filtration system. After cooking, it drains, cleans, and stores the oil for future use, solving one of the biggest pain points of deep frying. This makes it a more convenient and economical choice for those who deep fry frequently. However, its 2L capacity is smaller, and at 1500W, it’s slightly less powerful than the Aigostar. It’s an excellent choice for dedicated deep-frying enthusiasts who prioritize clean oil and easy storage, but it still can’t compete with the Chefman’s speed, health benefits, and cooking versatility for everyday meals.

Our Final Verdict on the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry

After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the Chefman 5.7L Air Fryer Hi-Fry is a formidable contender in the mid-range air fryer market. Its greatest strength is its ability to deliver on the fundamental promise of air frying: creating beautifully crisp, delicious food with minimal oil and effort. The Hi-Fry technology is a genuine innovation that provides a noticeable textural advantage, taking food from simply “cooked” to “perfectly crisped.” This, combined with its generous capacity, compact design, and incredibly simple user interface, makes it an outstanding choice for small families, couples, and air fryer beginners.

While its performance is exceptional, the valid concerns regarding the long-term durability of the nonstick coating must be considered. Gentle care is essential to maximize its lifespan. Despite this caveat, the value proposition is undeniable. It offers premium features like an internal light and a shake reminder at a price that challenges many basic models. If you’re seeking an air fryer that excels at creating an extra-crispy finish and is a joy to use for daily meals, the Chefman is a fantastic investment. To discover if its unique crisping power is the right fit for your kitchen, we highly recommend you check the latest price and availability today.

Last update on 2025-10-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API