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BLACK+DECKER Purifry Review

An incredibly capable cooker that offers up commendable performance and an excellent price tag
BLACK+DECKER Purifry
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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Price:   $150 List | $65.56 at Amazon
Pros:  Good cooking performance, easy to clean
Cons:  No digital readout, lower temperature setting somewhat inaccurate
Manufacturer:   Black+Decker
By Max Mutter and Michelle Powell  ⋅  Jul 16, 2019
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78
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#4 of 14
  • Cooking Performance - 35% 8
  • User Friendliness - 25% 7
  • Ease of Cleaning - 20% 9
  • Temperature Accuracy - 20% 7

Our Verdict

The BLACK+DECKER Purifry is one of the best air fryers we tested, offering field-leading cooking performance, hassle-free cleaning, and good temperature accuracy. The biggest knock against this device is that the Ninja Air Fryer, which offers equal cooking performance and a slightly more streamlined user experience, retails for less money. The Ninja also has a four-quart cooking capacity, which is nearly double that of the Purifry. While the Purifry is a great product, you'll likely be better off spending your money on the Ninja.

Compare to Similar Products

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BLACK+DECKER Purifry
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BLACK+DECKER Purifry
Awards  Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award Best Buy Award Top Pick Award 
Price $150 List
$65.56 at Amazon		$120 List
$119.95 at Amazon		$120 List
$99.99 at Amazon		$149 List
$64.06 at Amazon		$250 List
$199.99 at Amazon
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Pros Good cooking performance, easy to cleanFantastic cooking performance, easy to clean, easy to use, great temperature accuracy, multiple cooking functionsGreat cooking performance, user friendly, excellent temperature accuracyGreat cooking performance, relatively easy to clean, inexpensiveGood air frying performance, clear interface, can also pressure cook
Cons No digital readout, lower temperature setting somewhat inaccurateOn the expensive sideNot the easiest to cleanMediocre temperature accuracyExpensive, crisping lid can be hard to clean
Bottom Line An incredibly capable cooker that offers up commendable performance and an excellent price tagExceptional frying performance and an easy to clean design make this one of the best options on the marketThis high-performing model offers the most consistent quality of the bunchThis model offers good performance at a relatively low priceA convenient machine that combines pressure cooking and air frying capabilities
Rating Categories BLACK+DECKER Purifry Instant Vortex Plus Ninja 1550 Watt 3.7 Quart... Ninja Foodi Deluxe...
Cooking Performance (35%)
8
9
8
8
8
User Friendliness (25%)
7
9
9
8
8
Ease Of Cleaning (20%)
9
9
7
9
5
Temperature Accuracy (20%)
7
10
10
6
9
Specs BLACK+DECKER Purifry Instant Vortex Plus Ninja 1550 Watt 3.7 Quart... Ninja Foodi Deluxe...
Outside Dimensions 11.1" x 9.8" x 11.5" 11.5" x 13.25" x 12.75" 13.6" x 11" x 13.3" 12" x 8" x 8" 16.1" x 14.57" x 14.29"
Capacity 2.1 qt 6 qt 4 qt 3.7 qt 5 qt
Accessories basket divider none multi-layer rack for dehydrating none pressure cooking pot and crisping basket
Manufacturer Warranty 2 Year Limited 1 Year Limited 1 Year Limited 1 Year Limited 1 Year Limited
Power Consumption 1200W 1700W 1550W 1400W 1760W

Our Analysis and Test Results

The BLACK+DECKER Purifry is a high-performing air fryer that is just slightly bested by some of its main competitors.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison


This product did well in nearly all of our tests but fell just short of reaching the top of our scoreboard.

Cooking Performance


The Purifry produced the best results for some foods in our testing but had some drawbacks with others. This combination of performance allowed it to share the top score in this metric with a few other models.


It earned superlatives in our cooking tests for onion rings, tater tots, and chicken breasts. Its onion rings were perfectly golden and crispy, yet nice and tender inside. It repeated that feat with tater tots that provided a nice crunch, quickly giving way to a delightful fluffiness. Its chicken breast came out tasting like store-bought roasted chicken.

The Purifry's air basket fits snugly enough that you generally need...
The Purifry's air basket fits snugly enough that you generally need to use two hands to slide it in and out.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

It had some weak points when it came to doughnuts and (like all the air fryers we've tested) sweet potato fries. Doughnuts came out with a nice crust, but the insides were a bit overcooked and tasted a bit more chewy than fluffy. Sweet potato fries came out browned but not crispy. However, the only model we've found that could produce even a slightly better texture than that is the GoWISE, and even that model fell short of the crunchy decadence one would hope for.

User Friendliness


We generally like the Purifry's user interface and experience. However, it missed out on a top score, as it was lacking a digital readout.


The Purifry has two knobs — one for selecting cooking time and one for temperature, and some indicator lights to let you know when preheating is done. This interface is simple and easy enough, but we prefer a digital readout that shows the exact temperature and time, versus knobs that aren't always precise. The numbers on these dials are also small and relatively hard to read, so it's fairly easy to set the wrong temp or time by mistake.

We found the Purifry's lack of any sort of digital readout slightly...
We found the Purifry's lack of any sort of digital readout slightly disappointing.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Another minor complaint we have with the Purifry is the fact that its frying basket fits very tightly. That makes it a bit difficult to remove it with one hand, as you generally need to stabilize the unit with a second hand as you pull out your food.

Ease of Cleaning


We had almost no issues in cleaning the Purifry. The fry basket tends not to hang onto grease, and there aren't any nooks or crannies where food scraps can hide.


Our only complaint is that the texture of the fry basket is a little rough, so it might tear tiny bits off of your sponge.

The Purifry's basket design makes for easy scrubbing.
The Purifry's basket design makes for easy scrubbing.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Temperature Accuracy


At higher temperatures, we found the Purifry's temperature accuracy to be spot on. At the lowest temperatures you'd use for air frying (300˚), it tended to run a bit hot.


Value


The Purifry retails for a fairly reasonable price, especially considering its outstanding performance. While it isn't a bad value, other models in our review score higher and cost less.

Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


The BLACK+DECKER Purifry offers good all-around performance, but isn't the best model in its price range.

— Max Mutter and Michelle Powell