Drew & Cole Microwave Air Fryer Oven Review: A Multifunctional Micro

Price upon review

Not available in the US

Unless you’ve lived in a closet, you know that air frying is the cooking feature du jour. It’s no surprise that it’s appearing as an extra feature on ovens and combination microwaves, helping you save valuable worktop space.

That’s certainly the goal of Drew & Cole’s Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo, because not only can it fry in the oven, grill, microwave, and air fry, its convenient presets can combine some of these methods for faster, crispier results. Plus, there are plenty of presets, such as defrost and reheat, that are ideal for busy lifestyles.

Design and construction

• Knob and rotary control
• Large size: 28 x 49 x 38 cm
• Comes with cooking accessories

Although it can have multiple functions, the Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo looks like any other microwave from the outside. Finished in gloss black, it is quite large (H28 x W49 x D38cm) and takes up so much of an average worktop that there isn’t much room at the front to put crockery. And although it can be placed against a wall at the back, you need to allow for 20 cm on either side and 30 cm above it. Once installed, it is best to leave it there, as it is also heavy at 16.1 kg.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Inside is a glass turntable, which is dishwasher safe. It comes with three accessories, although it’s not clear whether these are dishwasher safe: a perforated aluminum oven tray with non-stick coating, plus a short and a tall rack for lifting food to the grill element on the roof of the 25-litre oven cavity.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

There is a second element for convection cooking at the back and the microwave part on the right. Operation is quite simple considering the number of presets available: seven named buttons combined with a dial that can be used to select both food weight and modes.

Performance and features

• The low power of the air fryer (1000 W) means slow cooking
• 25L capacity
• Range of presets

Air frying may be the most notable feature of this Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo, but that’s not where it excels. The reason for this, as became clear during testing, is that the air frying power is lower than with standalone air fryers, namely only 1000W.

Compared to the potential energy consumption of a medium 5-6 liter air fryer, which is typically at least 1500-1700 W, and the 1000 W equivalent of a compact (about 2-3 liter) air fryer, heating an oven cavity of 25 liter to slow down the process. process down.

We tested it with raw potato chips, washed and dried, then tossed in a small amount of oil, using the accompanying chip/wedge air fryer program. The perforated baking dish was suitable for this function, although the instructions did not suggest using it for this purpose.

It was not clear whether this program was for pre-cooked chips, and there was no guide to the temperature at which the food was cooked or what an appropriate amount might be, although there was a preset time of 22 minutes. There was no option to add extra minutes while cooking.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

After the time had passed, the potato was soft and pale, so we ran the program again after turning the pieces. This produced better results: crispier pieces around the edge of the stack and browner pieces in the center. However, a total running time of 44 minutes for one batch is much longer than a standalone air fryer (20-30 minutes). If you cook a lot in the Airfryer, this device will cost you time.

However, there is a wide range of nine air fry presets, including steak, burgers, vegetables and fish/shrimp. However, unlike standalone air fryers, there is no recommended air frying temperature for each appliance (or in manual air fry mode (adjustable in 5 minute increments)). This means it’s harder to convert your favorite oven recipes, and there’s more test-and-adjust cooking.

Its other features pack more punch: It has a 900W microwave and a 2100W convection oven and grill. We tested the grill by cooking frozen hash browns on the high rack. There was no choice between high or low grill, and cooking took longer than expected, 35 minutes on the combi setting without a microwave.

This was more time than it normally takes under our usual grill, and the hash browns had no crispiness. However, the grill did a better job with broiled items, and we liked that minutes could be added while grilling.

We had the most success cooking chicken with an automatic preset, of which there are 10, including reheat, potato, cake, soup and pizza. These can vary in weight, but they are quite tightly defined: chicken offers four weights of 500g, 750g, 1kg and 1.2kg, with little information in the instructions about how long each program takes or what type of cooking it requires. entails.

For example, the chicken program used microwave and convection heat, while reheating consisted solely of the microwave. Since metal accessories can only be used with programs that are not suitable for microwave use, this type of information is striking. The chicken legs emerged with golden and bubbled skin, and the meat cooked to the joint.

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Rachel Ogden / Foundry

Price and availability

This combination microwave air fryer is available in the UK from Amazon, where it currently costs £179.99 – £20 lower than the recommended retail price. Still, this amounts to about the same price as many Ninja air fryers, which are widely considered among the best available. For our top picks from this brand, check out our roundup of the best Ninja air fryers and cookers.

But if counter space is at a premium and you want a combination air fryer and microwave, this Drew & Cole appliance may be worth it – it’s not too expensive for its excellent features. If you think an air fryer oven combo would serve you better, check out our top air fryer oven recommendations.

Should You Buy Drew & Cole’s Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo?

If air frying is what you’re primarily looking for, Drew & Cole’s Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo probably isn’t the right choice: It costs more than mid-size, standalone air fryers and takes longer to get the job done.

It works better as a combination microwave, where the microwave reduces the cooking time while the fanned hot air makes the food crispy. You may encounter a few disappointing results until you become familiar with the processes, but if you’re willing to stick with it, this 3-in-1 can be a handy dinner helper.

Not the right air fryer for you? Check out our top picks of the best air fryers we tested.