The Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer has all the best features users love about air fryers — it's versatile and lightens calories. While many air fryers are cumbersome and have too many confusing settings, this model from Cuisinart seeks to strike a balance.
The machine has a more compact design, but it’s still capable of air frying up to two pounds of French fries at a time. Its control panel features five cooking functions and five presets, as well as features like a toss notification and timer, so while it’s still plenty versatile, it isn’t overwhelming.
The air fryer is very quiet while operating, resembling a small fan that’s running in the background. I found that I was able to hear the timer and notifications well from the living room adjoining the kitchen, but the sounds might be a little quiet to hear if you have a louder home environment.
Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer review
Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer specifications
What I thought of the Cuisinart Basket air fryer
The Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer is a user-friendly, air fryer without tons of bells and whistles. With five cooking functions and five presets, it gives you plenty of options without being overwhelming. Features like the automatic keep-warm function and toss notification contribute to its overall ease of use, and the machine performed very well during all of our tests. It can't fry a chicken over four pounds, but its design makes it practical for anyone with limited kitchen space. The main issues I encountered centered around determining the right cooking time for the foods I was preparing. That issue was pretty easy to fix as I became more familiar with this small kitchen appliance.
Setting up the Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer
The setup was very easy. The crisper plate securely fits into the base of the crisper basket, thanks to four rubber feet. I had to remove two pieces of tape securing the crisper basket in place and also remove the label from the front of the crisper basket.
Using the Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer
The air fryer comes with a booklet containing 21 air fryer recipes. These included cinnamon rolls, nachos, chicken Caesar salad, and beef sliders (just in case you wondered about what you could cook in an air fryer). I made the donut bites, following the guidelines.
Test 1: Donut bites
When cooking the donut bites, I was pleased to see that it was easy to adjust the temperature setting and timer. The digital display is clear and easy to read, and though I wish the buttons were slightly more sensitive, holding down the buttons lets you scroll through temperatures or time settings, ideal for making large adjustments. At the end of a cooking cycle, the air fryer automatically shuts the cooking function off and turns on the “keep warm” function.
The donut bites turned out very well and cooked for eight minutes. I used the settings specified in the recipe and they were evenly cooked without being overcooked. It’s a recipe that I would make again, and I was surprised to discover how good they tasted.
Test 2: Cooking vegetables
Finding the right cooking time for other items proved a bit more challenging. I used the vegetable setting to cook Brussels sprouts that I had sliced and marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette. I let the setting run for one of its automated cook cycles but found that I needed to run it for a second cycle before they were thoroughly cooked.
Test three: Cooking French fries
The air fryer is capable of frying up to two pounds of French fries at a time. I used it to air-fry individual servings on three occasions. On my first attempt, I overestimated the time and some of the fries were burnt. I adjusted the time on the subsequent attempts and was rewarded with fries that were evenly cooked and crispy.
It is equipped with a toss notification, which you can turn on and off with the push of a button. I found this notification very helpful when cooking the Brussels sprouts, bacon, and fries. It seems to go off about two-thirds of the way through a cook cycle, and the machine automatically shuts off when you pull out the drawer to toss or turn the food. It starts right up again when the drawer is reinserted, and I think that feature is part of what contributes to such an even, thorough cook.
Other tests
I used the machine to air-fry bacon. On my first attempt, I overestimated the cooking time needed and ended up with overcooked and very crisp bacon. I reduced the cooking time for my second attempt and found the bacon perfectly cooked. Using the crisper plate keeps the bacon out of the grease, and it ends up crispier than when cooked in your best non-stick fry pan.
Cleaning the Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer
The air fryer features a stainless steel finish that easily wipes clean with a damp microfiber cloth (you can pick these up from Amazon). The interior walls can be cleaned with that same damp cloth and mild liquid detergent. I found that the interior started to form residue quickly and that I needed to clean the air fryer after every use.
The basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe. I wiped them with Bounty essentials paper towel (available from Amazon) after cooking anything greasy. I also hand-washed them and found that thanks to their nonstick surfaces, they cleaned up well, even after cooking greasy foods like bacon.
Should you buy the Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer
All in all, the Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer is easy to use, and it’s hard to find fault with it. The drawer’s handle is generously sized and offers a secure feel. I didn’t encounter any issues with the machine’s operation, and while it features five cook modes and plenty of options, it isn’t so full of features and options that it’s overwhelming.
Comparisons
If you're looking for a similar-looking air fryer with a clear viewing window, do read our Paris Rhone air fryer review (slightly smaller, but cheaper at 5.3 quarts), or the Gourmia Fry 'n fold air fryer review (rated 4 out of 5 stars, but larger).
Last time we checked, the Paris Rhone air fryer was on sale on the brand's site, and the Gourmia Fry 'n fold air fryer could be snapped up for under $80 at Target.
How we test air fryers
Cuisinart sent me the product, and I tested it for several weeks in my home. Here are some of the things I look out for when testing air fryers:
Packaging: The Cuisinart Basket air fryer arrived double-boxed and in excellent condition. The packaging used no Styrofoam, instead relying on cardboard inserts to hold the components secure. Each piece was also wrapped in a protective plastic layer. Included, was also a two-page guide with lots of helpful information on operation, troubleshooting, and preset/function recommendations.
Operation: I considered the overall experience of operating the air fryer, including how clear the instructions were, how easily I was able to learn the settings, and how well the machine performed in each of my tests. I used several types of foods and cooking modes, and looked for consistency and overall quality, even cooking.
Ease of use: In determining the machine’s ease of use, I looked at factors including instructions, time-saving features, and how simple the overall operation is. I also considered how smoothly I was able to remove and insert the drawer and fryer plate, and how easily I could insert and remove food.
Ease of cleaning: I also considered how easy the machine is to clean. I gave bonus points for the ability to clean components in the dishwasher and tested to see if I could easily wipe the machine’s exterior and interior clean.
