CHOICE verdict
We tested Westinghouse's WFEP9757DD freestanding oven with induction cooktop and its heavily-marketed 'AirFry mode' to see how it performed against standalone air fryers. While the oven was rated 'very good' overall, the AirFry mode produced some very good results and some poor results, depending on the food type. It also proved very difficult to clean. Our kitchen expert recommends buying a better, separate air fryer to complement an oven instead.
Price: $5499
Contact: westinghouse.com.au
Air fryers are the hottest benchtop appliance on the market right now, and owners are raving about their ability to cook everything from pizza to popcorn to pies.
So it's little wonder that oven manufacturers are looking to cash in on the craze. Westinghouse was the first in the Australian market to release a range of ovens featuring an in-built 'AirFry' mode. We've since seen Miele, Neff, Electrolux, Haier, Samsung, Smeg and Omega release ovens with air fryer functionality too. But how exactly does the air fryer mode work and does it perform well enough to justify the extra cost?
Our kitchen expert Fiona Mair has reviewed countless ovens and air fryers over the years and knows them inside out. She reviewed the Westinghouse WFEP9757DD freestanding oven and put its AirFry mode to the test.
Fiona in the CHOICE kitchen labs.
How does the Westinghouse AirFry mode work?
At a glance, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a regular oven and one with an air fry mode but the addition of a mesh air frying tray sets them apart.
As high-tech as it sounds, an air fry mode is just an oven setting which uses the top heating element in combination with the fan forced mode in order to circulate hot dry air. This mode is a fairly new and unique feature among ovens, but Fiona says "you could get similar results by using the fan-grill setting on a normal oven".
The Westinghouse WFEP9757DD freestanding oven comes with two mesh AirFry trays that sit inside a shelf support, but you'll need another tray to place underneath to catch any drips or crumbs. Westinghouse claims this mesh basket design removes the need to turn food throughout the cooking process, but Fiona found this isn't actually the case.
"Although the mesh tray allows for air circulation, the heat from the top element is stronger than the heat circulating underneath the food, so you do need to turn the food with tongs to ensure even cooking."
The WFEP9757DD freestanding oven.
How does it compare to a benchtop airfryer?
Capacity
While you might assume an air-frying oven would have a large capacity, this is dependent on the size of the oven. We've previously tested the 60cm Westinghouse WVEP617DSC and found it had a similar capacity to some of the larger airfryer models we've tested.
However, the freestanding Westinghouse WFEP9757DD is a large 90cm oven, allowing a larger capacity for air frying. Keep in mind, you need to spread the food out evenly to allow it to crisp properly.
Cooking time
The Westinghouse had similar cook times to an average air fryer for most foods, although it was significantly slower for roasting pork. And while air fryers typically require no preheating, Fiona recommends preheating AirFry mode for 5 minutes for the best air frying performance.
Temperature range
AirFry mode can get a little hotter than most benchtop air fryers. The WFEP9757DD reaches a maximum temperature of 230C.
Running costs
In terms of electricity consumption, we found AirFry mode comparable to an average benchtop air fryer.
How does AirFry mode perform?
Fiona put the Westinghouse through its paces using our air fryer test method in our kitchen labs. AirFry mode received an overall performance score of 64%, which is only OK in our books and significantly lower than many benchtop air fryers we've tested.
It scored well for cooking chicken wings and roast pork, but was let down by unevenly cooking frozen chips and crumbed chicken.
The air fryer basket comes in three parts – two inner mesh baskets in a supporting shelf frame. You'll need to be careful when taking full trays in and out of the oven to prevent the baskets from being pushed up and out of the frame and spilling food.
It's worth noting though that, AirFry mode aside, this Westinghouse freestanding oven did score well overall as an oven. Take a look at our freestanding oven reviews to see how it compares against other models we've tested.
How easy is it to clean?
Air frying can get messy, which is why most benchtop units have non-stick baskets or trays. Fiona says using the Westinghouse AirFry mode and accessories creates even more cleaning.
The mesh baskets can be difficult to clean and you'll need to place another tray (covered with foil) on the bottom shelf position to catch any fat, oil or crumbs that drip through.
"The tray is awkward to fit into the sink, stains easily and it isn't non-stick, so food is baked on. Even after soaking and scrubbing the tray, I still couldn't get it completely clean."
The tray is awkward to fit into the sink, stains easily and it isn't non-stick
And the tray isn't the only issue – the fan circulates fat all around the oven so the entire cavity ends up coated in grease and grime. This also means that a lot of smoke builds up in the oven during cooking and is released when the oven door is opened, potentially hitting you in the face or setting off the smoke alarm.
"It's a good thing this model comes with a pyrolytic cleaning function because if you're using AirFry mode, you're definitely going to need it," says Fiona.
Is AirFry mode worth the money?
Fiona isn't convinced that you need to rush out to buy an oven with a dedicated air fryer function. "You can achieve similar results with a regular oven and you can even purchase reasonably cheap air frying oven trays from places like Kmart and Amazon," she says.
You can spend a couple hundred dollars more for AirFry mode, but you'll also be paying for it in mess and clean up time.
Based on our testing, if you're a fan of air frying, you'd be better off buying a cheaper oven that performs better overall and then buying a high performing benchtop airfryer. Two of the air fryers our experts recommend cost less than $200.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
