If you're thinking of investing in an air fryer and have a large family to feed, then the Tower T17072 7L Digital Vortx Vizion Air Fryer might be the one for you.
Air fryers are certainly having a moment, thanks to their energy efficiency, quick cooking times, and ease of use. But with so many options out there, it's hard to know which model will suit you and your family best. Fortunately, the Tower T17072 7L Digital Vortx Vizion Air Fryer ticks a number of boxes when it comes to the perfect air fryer, and is a great option for those who have several people to cook for.
With a seven liter capacity, it's one of the largest air fryers out there, meaning this Tower air fryer can cook for 5-6 people at once. But despite its size, the RRP for this model comes in at under £100 - considerably cheaper than some higher-end models with smaller capacity - making it a cheaper option too.
When it comes to what you can cook in an air fryer, this model has seven pre-set cooking functions to choose from; french fries, chicken drumsticks, prawns, cakes, steak, fish, and ribs, so you can cook a number of staple dishes easily without faffing with any setup - including these delicious air fryer prawn skewers or this air fryer salmon pesto recipe.
In addition, Tower enjoys a reputation for being a classic British brand with over 100 years of experience manufacturing and supplying kitchen essentials. They describe themselves as offering "innovation, style, quality, and outstanding value for money," so with that in mind, we put the Tower T17072 7L Digital Vortx Vizion Air Fryer to the test...
Design
Capacity: 7L | Dimensions: 36cm x 38cm x 32cm | Wattage: 1800W | Colour: Black
The first thing to say about this air fryer is that it's huge, so you'll need either cupboard space to spare or a large kitchen counter to store it. But despite its size, it's surprisingly light, making it easy to maneuver around the kitchen.
It's sleek and minimal looking - meaning it won't be an eyesore if you are leaving it out on the counter - and easy to wipe clean too, which is a bonus because the shiny exterior isn't very forgiving on sticky fingerprints.
Goodto.com Features Writer, Ellie Hutchings, says: "My favorite thing about this air fryer is the viewing window. It's really handy to be able to see inside and check on how your food is cooking, so you know whether to add a few minutes on or stop the timer if it's looking a bit too brown. Being able to gauge this from the outside, instead of having to open up the air fryer draw and disrupt the cycle was a big selling point for me."
She adds: "The digital display looks very modern and stylish, which I like, but I didn't find it very intuitive. The buttons for the seven cooking functions are all symbols, and personally, I think using the words - such as 'bake' or 'roast' - would make the air fryer easier to use. That being said, the instruction booklet was very clear, and after checking back a couple of times I got the hang of which symbols corresponded to the different cooking settings pretty quickly."
Comfort and features
One of the primary selling points of the Tower Digital Vortx Vizion Air Fryer is its size because the seven-liter basket makes cooking for several people easy. In addition, the seven cooking functions make using this air fryer fuss-free, as you don't need to play around too much with the temperature and timer when cooking.
However, despite its size, there are no divided sections, so you can only cook food in one setting at a time, and it's not clear whether the removal parts are dishwasher safe, so it's best to clean the air fryer by hand.
"Maybe it's partly down to being able to see through the viewing window, but I found that food cooked really well in this air fryer. I started off simple with frozen fries, which came out lovely and crisp without being burnt - a balance I always struggle to get when using the oven.
"I even tried the TikTok air fryer bagels hack in this air fryer and they turned out so well. It would never usually occur to me to bake something in an air fryer, but now I'm converted. The bagels came out a lovely golden brown color with a nice crust, yet still fluffy in the middle, and they were delicious both fresh out of the air fryer and when left to cool."
Value for money
At the time of writing, the Tower T17072 7L Digital Vortx Vizion Air Fryer is priced at £99.99 on towerhousewares.co.uk - though if you shop around you may well find a better deal, as it's currently priced at £93 on Argos. This makes it one of the more affordable models on the market, and given its large capacity it's definitely a cost-effective option.
In addition, the cost of running an air fryer is a selling point in itself, because they both use less energy and take less time to cook food than an oven, meaning investing in one of these sought-after kitchen appliances could save on your energy bills.
Ellie says, "This air fryer is best suited to those who have a family to cook for or love hosting people for dinner. The seven-liter capacity means it's a really cost-effective way of cooking a lot of food - and cooking it quickly too - but if there's only two or even three of you to cook for, a smaller air fryer might be a better option, as it'll likely mean you'll be using less energy too."
Overall, this air fryer would make a great addition to a busy family household. It's fuss-free and easy to operate and requires little to no attention while cooking, so you can feel confident to leave the appliance to do its thing while you get on with something else.
Plus, the Tower Vortx Vizion 7L Air Fryer comes with a three-year guarantee, so you can invest with peace of mind.
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