CHOICE verdict
We tested two Westinghouse ovens with 'AirFry mode' to see how they perform against standalone air fryers. While the ovens were rated 'very good' overall, the AirFry mode provided varying results and both ovens proved very difficult to clean. Our kitchen expert recommends buying a better, separate air fryer to complement an oven instead.
Price: $1599–5499
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. But how exactly does the air fryer mode work and does it perform well enough to justify the extra cost?
CHOICE 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 as well as the Westinghouse WVEP6716DD single oven and put their AirFry modes 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".
Westinghouse claims their 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."
How does it compare to a benchtop air fryer?
Capacity
While you might assume an air-frying oven would have a large capacity, this is dependent on the size of the oven. The 60cm Westinghouse WVEP6716DD has a similar capacity to some of the larger air fryer 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
These Westinghouse ovens had similar cook times to an average air fryer for most foods, although they were 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 230°C while the WVEP6716DD reaches a maximum of 220°C.
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 these Westinghouse ovens through their paces using our air fryer test method in our kitchen labs.
The WFEP9757DD freestanding oven.
Westinghouse WFEP9757DD
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 81%
- Air fryer score: 64%
- Price: $5499
The air fryer basket comes in three parts – two inner mesh AirFry baskets that sit inside a supporting shelf frame. You'll need another tray to place underneath to catch any drips or crumbs.
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.
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 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.
Read the full Westinghouse WFEP9757DD freestanding oven review.
The Westinghouse WVEP6716DD wall oven.
Westinghouse WVEP6716DD
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 83%
- Air fryer score: 85%
- Price: $1599
This model comes with a mesh AirFry tray that sits inside a shelf support. You'll also need another tray to place underneath to catch any drips or crumbs. This oven is 60cm wide, so the trays may be less awkward to lift and fit in a sink for cleaning.
AirFry mode received an overall performance score of 85%, which we consider to be very good. Its results are on par with some of the top scoring benchtop air fryers we've tested – scoring well for cooking frozen chips and very well for roast pork. It produced excellent results for cooking chicken wings and crumbed chicken.
During testing we noticed the controls can get hot when using the AirFry model which is something to be cautious of.
It's not just the AirFry mode that's impressive. This Westinghouse oven performs very well overall. Take a look at our oven reviews to see how it compares against other models we've tested.
Read the full Westinghouse WVEP6716DD review.
How easy are these ovens 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.
"Depending on the size of your oven, the tray can be awkward to fit into the sink. It also stains easily and food can bake on. Even after soaking and scrubbing the trays, I still couldn't get them completely clean."
The tray can be awkward to fit into the sink, stains easily and it isn't non-stick
And the trays aren'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 when cooking high fat foods like roasts. When the oven door is opened, that build-up of steam can potentially hit you in the face or set off the smoke alarm.
"It's a good thing these models come 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 of 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 air fryer. Two of the air fryers our experts recommend cost less than $200.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
