Dash Deluxe Electric Review
Pros: Inexpensive, simple interface, removable basket, cooks a nice crispy donut
Cons: Dial system is sticky, inaccurate temperature, uneven temperature intervals, maximum cook time of 30 minutes
Manufacturer: Dash
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Dash Deluxe Electric | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | ||
| Price | $100 List $99.99 at Amazon | $120 List $94.95 at Amazon | $90 List | $120 List $99.95 at Amazon | $82 List $81.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive, simple interface, removable basket, cooks a nice crispy donut | Fantastic cooking performance, easy to clean, easy to use, great temperature accuracy, multiple cooking functions | Even cooking, accurate temperature, good crunch, non-stick, sleek, controls are straightforward | Great cooking performance, user friendly, excellent temperature accuracy | Simple design, great price, always-on mode for longer cooking, easy to clean, non-stick, cooks juicy chicken, solid temperature accuracy |
| Cons | Dial system is sticky, inaccurate temperature, uneven temperature intervals, maximum cook time of 30 minutes | Cost | Touchscreen occasionally doesn't register touch, one level in basket, limited one-hour timer | Not the easiest to clean, cost | Small basket, large footprint for such a small basket, lacks functions |
| Bottom Line | This simple, budget friendly model offers limited functions alongside a subpar performance | Exceptional frying performance and an easy to clean design makes this one of the best options on the market | Evenly cooks food, offers straightforward controls, and provides easy cleaning - all at a great price | This high performing, four quart model offers some of the most consistent quality | This simplistic model is easy to clean, but it trades price for performance, as it is not very intuitive and the small basket is limiting |
| Rating Categories | Dash Deluxe Electric | Instant Vortex Plus | Beautiful by Drew B... | Ninja Air Fryer | Amazon Basics Compact |
| Cooking Performance (35%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Cleaning (20%) | |||||
| Temperature Accuracy (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Dash Deluxe Electric | Instant Vortex Plus | Beautiful by Drew B... | Ninja Air Fryer | Amazon Basics Compact |
| Outside Dimensions | 12.5" x 14.8" x 14.9" | 11.5" x 13.3" x 12.8" | 6.1" x 10.4" x 7.4" | 13.6" x 11" x 13.3" | 15.5" x 11" x 12.5" |
| Capacity | 6 qt | 6 qt | 6 qt | 4 qt | 3.2 qt |
| Accessories | Removable basket instead of tray | None | None | Multi-layer rack for dehydrating | Cooking tray |
| Power Consumption | 1700 watt | 1700 watt | 1700 watt | 1550 watt | 1400 watt |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Dash Deluxe Electric has a relatively small footprint for how large the basket is. This 12.5" by 14.8" by 14.9" air fryer has a six-quart basket. It is on the less expensive side of the spectrum but comes up short where it counts.
Performance Comparison
Cooking Performance
The cooking performance of the Deluxe Electric is all over the place, but performed best in our donut test. The texture, evenness, and suggested cook time are all on point. The inside is soft but cooked to completion, and the outer layer is just crispy enough. We fried the donut for one extra minute to ensure a thorough job and were very pleased with the results.
The Deluxe Electric produces a nice tot texture, but chicken is rendered a little chewy, onion rings need more crisp, and sweet potato fries fall behind the rest. Other than the donuts, none of our test foods seems to be cooked through evenly. The sweet potato fries and onion rings are undercooked in the middle, and the chicken breast is tough. As for recommended cook time, the onion rings, chicken breasts, and donuts seem to be within range, but the tots and sweet potato fries require more time than suggested.
Ease of Use
Air fryers are supposed to simplify your cooking experience, so fiddling with a difficult-to-read interface or a sticky basket can be irritating. The Deluxe Electric has two knobs, one designated for temperature and the other for time. This is straightforward, however, the knobs are difficult to grasp, especially with greasy hands. The lower you turn the temperature, the tighter the knob gets.
The knob has four different temperatures marked: 175°F, 250°F, 320°F, 400°F. Many recipes call for 350°F or 375°F temps, and guestimating could negatively affect the outcome of your dish. The time dial only goes up to 30 minutes, and the basket is difficult to remove with one hand, which both put a damper on user-friendliness.
Ease of Cleaning
Grease is difficult enough to clean, so an easy to wipe down basket goes a long way. The Dash Deluxe basket has large holes which allow food bits to drop down to the bottom. There are also gill-like slots on the walls that are difficult to clean with a sponge. Also, the rim around the entire basket seems to hold onto oil stubbornly, so scrubbing and soaking are necessary to rid your air fryer of unwanted grease completely.
Temperature Accuracy
The Deluxe Electric has a dial system with an interesting set of temperature presets. The dial reads 175°F, 250°F, 320°F, and 400°F. They don't increase in even increments, making it very difficult to set this air fryer at any temperature in between the noted temps.
Value
The Deluxe Electric is a budget-friendly device. However, its performance is simply not good. It is not very intuitive, fails to produce evenly cooked foods, and there are other higher-performing options in our test suite for less money.
Conclusion
The red color and large knobs are a fun look, but the Deluxe Electric falls quickly to the back of the pack. If you are looking for a budget air fryer, there are better options in this price range.
— Hayley Thomas
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