Bella Pro Series – 8-qt. Touchscreen Air Fryer – Stainless Steel

So happy I finally purchased this amazing air fryer! I think I use it every day! I’ve cooked bacon, French fries, salmon, reheated pizza, mozzarella sticks, bagel bites. I try to use it any time I reheat food.

It has been a fun adventure to experiment with this air fryer. One of the best uses has been for roasted brussels sprouts, see photo. Simply chop in half, toss with a little oil, lightly salt, throw in the basket (after using the “P” preheat function), and then touch the “Fish” setting button. Half way through, pull out the basket and ‘scoop’ it in the air to toss around the contents, and return it to the unit to continue cooking. (The fan and timer stop when you pull out the basket to check the food.) When it beeps complete (10 mins, I think), you have deliciously roasted veggies that make any meal fancy. Washing the basket and the rack is easy, nonstick surface works well. I have not gotten the hang of the different preset buttons, so I often just ‘start’ it and then keep checking. Some of the preset settings use a lower temp, which is better for some foods. Only thing that did not work well was cheese-filled breadsticks cooked from frozen. The middle was still cold when the outside was getting too crispy. Foods are tending to work better when thawed at least a little, but frozen fries and smaller items still come out crispy and hot in the middle. We reheated some thin crust (take-out) pizza, and the crust was better reheated than when it was fresh from the box. There are tons of air fryer recipes and tips online, I’d suggest using them. I have not regretted this purchase at all, it’s great for re-crisping and reheating. And I would not want anything less than this 8qt basket size, otherwise it would be way too small. Consider that when choosing a model. 8qt sounds like a lot, but if reheating pizza for example, food sits on the rack in the bottom of the basket and this one can accommodate 2-3 pieces of take out (PapaJohn’s-type) pizza at a time. One 4-minute cycle of the “P” preheat button heats and crisps slices of pizza perfectly. If the pizza is particularly cold, it might take part of a second preheat cycle, but watch it closely to avoid burning the cheese or toppings such as pepperoni. Great to reheat/re-crisp things like biscuits, when microwaving them is a dud. Be aware that it does take a fair amount of counter space, and you need it clear in front of the basket to pull it in and out, but I think it’s worth it. This is a higher priced unit, but it was on a great sale here. My mom had a smaller one (3 qt, perhaps?), and it was so tiny it wasn’t worth the effort to cook such a small amount for 2 adults. She found the Paula Dean air fryer book to be useful.

First time getting an air fryer. Great deal from deal of the day. The down button for the temperature was not responsive. Went to Best Buy for exchange. Easy peasy.
Now, I don’t have to use oil for frying. No more greasy food. Best thing is easy cooking done right.

I’ve bake a banana bread, a cake (which comes out very soft and spongy) I’ve made dinner rolls, and a pizza and bake lemon pepper chicken wings, salute vegetables, roasted chickpeas. I’ve made all these things in the short about of time that i’ve had it and I am still learning and it saves on time and mess. This Bella Pro Series 8-qt is massive, i can cook a chicken in this thing if i wanted to, its awesome.
My only concern it’s the sound, that beeping sound, and when you press the buttons Yikes. I wish there was a way to turn it down! Now if i lived in house i wouldn’t mind it because it appears to be design for a house, so if your in another room, it calls out to you, lol. But in a apartment that sound is super super loud, I wish there was an app that would send me a notification that it’s almost about to be done or when it finish, now that will be idea.
P.S (lol) Banana Bread/Cake bake it at 325 for 40 minutes work wonder for me, i cook it at lower temp because i didn’t want the top to burn and cover it foil if your worried about the top browning too fast.