The Chefman TurboFry: The Air Fryer That’s Almost a Toaster Oven
If you’re looking at this Chefman TurboFry, you’re likely trying to solve a specific kitchen problem: you want the speed and crisp of an air fryer, but you’re wary of the single-basket appliances that feel like another unitasker. This model sits in a curious middle ground. It’s not a basket-style air fryer, and it’s not a full-sized toaster oven with an air fry setting. It’s a compact, horizontal drawer-style cooker. The person who buys this isn’t a hardcore meal-prepper for a family of four; they’re someone cooking for one or two, living in an apartment or a home with limited counter space, who wants to roast vegetables, reheat pizza, and make a decent batch of fries without firing up the big oven.
The biggest misconception about this type of “air fryer oven” is that it’s just a smaller version of a basket fryer. It’s not. The cooking dynamic is fundamentally different. In a basket fryer, hot air is forced downward in a tight column directly onto food, which you shake. Here, the heating element and fan are at the top, blowing air down over a wider, shallower space. This makes it behave more like a tiny convection oven—which is excellent for some things, and less ideal for others.
What it does unusually well is even browning on flat, sheet-pan style foods. A single layer of broccoli florets, chicken wings, or frozen potato puffs comes out with a beautifully consistent, all-over crisp because the air flows across them, not just down onto them. Reheating is where it quietly shines; it revives leftover fries and pizza better than any microwave and more evenly than many toaster ovens. The non-stick drawer pulls out smoothly and feels solid—it’s the core piece of the build that doesn’t feel cheap.
Where it stumbles is with the classic “air fryer” test: a full basket of hand-cut french fries. If you pile them in, you’ll get the frustrating mix of some perfectly crispy bits and others that are merely steamed. You must cook in a single layer, which drastically reduces capacity compared to a taller basket model. This isn’t a high-volume machine. The other quirk is the control panel. It’s a simple dial for temperature and time, which is refreshingly straightforward, but the time dial only goes up to 30 minutes. For a long, slow roast of a small chicken breast or vegetables, you’ll have to remember to come back and turn it on again. It’s a reminder this is built for fast, sub-30-minute jobs.
What you’d regret not knowing is about the cleanup promise. The drawer is dishwasher safe, which is a major plus, but the interior ceiling of the unit where the heating element lives is not. Grease from cooking wings or sausages can splatter up there, and you’ll need to wipe it down manually. It’s not difficult, but it’s a step you don’t have with a fully submersible basket. Also, the exterior gets quite hot on the top and sides during operation—more so than some models. You need real clearance on all sides, not just for ventilation but to avoid burning a curious hand or a nearby paper towel roll.
It’s a specific tool for a specific need. If your air frying dreams are mostly about roasting vegetables, reheating takeout, and making small batches of crispy snacks without waiting for a big oven to preheat, this Chefman’s form factor makes a lot of sense. But if you primarily want to dump a full bag of frozen fries into a basket and shake it, you’ll feel constrained by its wide, shallow geometry. Its virtue is in being a compact, efficient little oven that happens to have a very good fan, not in being a dedicated deep-fry replicator.