Although air fryers are fairly recent, they’ve gained wide popularity in record time. People have been choosing them mainly to get rid of oil and its harmful effects. Luckily, brands started competing in this field from day one. Now, we have a huge selection of products to choose from. Today, I’m presenting the best Kaloric air fryers. We’ll take a look at 4 of their best-selling air fryers to see how they compare to other brands.
First Things First, How Will This Article Go?
Reviewing all the products released by a brand can be quite hard. The more information, the more chaotic this article might get. That’s why I preferred to start by telling how this would go.
The products will be numbered according to their capacity. This way, you can easily get back to any one of them without having to read the whole article all over again.
In each review, I’ll start by giving a quick glance at the most important features like temperature, capacity, and design. Then, I’ll talk about the pros and cons based on my experience as well as the online customers’.
In a hurry? No worries. You don’t have to read all of these details. Just skip to the “takeaway” section where I’ll summarize what every product has to offer.
A Quick Brief About Kalorik
Kalorik has been in the market for small electric appliances since 1930. Although they’re based in Belgium, their reputation spread worldwide in a few years.
According to their website, they were among the first producers of electric toasters in Europe. That should tell you how fast they catch up on new trends.
1. Kalorik FT 43875 BK 1.75 Quart Personal Air Fryer
As the name implies, Kalorik made this air fryer for light personal use. If you’re living alone, you don’t need to use a convection oven every time you want a snack. With FT 43875, you can enjoy delicious servings in a short time with relative ease.
Design: Sleek and Compact
The FT 43875 comes as a stunning 10-inch cylinder with sleek curves. When placed upright, its height measures around 14 inches. This way, it can fit the most restricted kitchen setup.
Back when this air fryer was released, it had an alternative version colored in white. But after receiving a bunch of negative reviews regarding cleaning, it was discontinued. Right now, the black version is the only one available.
The fryer’s 1.75-quart basket can be easily pulled out by the attached handle. You can put the food directly inside the basket or place the supplied grill rack underneath. Going for the latter option should fry the feed better thanks to the enhanced air circulation.
After you install the grill rack, you should notice that it’s slightly raised above the basket’s bottom. Don’t worry, you don’t have a faulty product. It’s designed this way to let the extra oil drip away as the food fries. This way, you can enjoy extra-healthy meals with literally 0% oil.
Temperature & Timer
Over the top, the FT 43875 is equipped with a heat dial that controls the temperature between 175 and 400°F. Right beneath this dial, there are 2 LED indicators for power and preheating.
On the front, there’s a 30-minute timer with a gigantic dial that’s absolutely convenient to hold.
The Top Surface Is Sloped
The top part of the FT 43875 is designed in a 30-degree inclined plane. As a result, you can adjust the temperature and see the LEDs while you’re standing comfortably.
This might appear like an obvious perk that every fryer already has. And yes, most of them do. But others surprisingly miss it.
The Dash DFAF455GBAQ01, for example, has a flat top. It complicates the process even more by printing the temperatures behind the dial. This means that you’ll have to bend your back forward and maybe stand on your tiptoes to be able to adjust the temperature.
It’s Surprisingly Powerful
The first issue I was worried about with this fryer is the performance. Marketing it as a “personal” fryer suggests a weak power with a limited temperature range. Luckily, this isn’t the case.
As stated earlier, this fryer is capable of reaching the same whopping 400°F seen on bigger models. A lot of customers praised its performance and, particularly, speed.
The Temperature Dial Is Weirdly Designed
First things first, the temperature dial is absolutely annoying. I don’t know why, but Kalorik hid its half under another plastic part, the one that has the logo. As a result, you have to turn the dial using only your thumb rather than all your fingers.
I don’t know about you, but this is the most inconvenient design I’ve ever seen. You’ll probably end up moving the dial back and forth until you can finally hit the right spot.
This design isn’t featured in any of the other Kalorik products. I guess they were stunned by an incredible backlash that made them change their minds!
The Temperature Levels Are Insufficient
As I said before, the FT 43875 is capable of producing the same high temperatures typically found in more expensive models. I only wish they had paid more attention to the available increments.
Right now, the printed temperatures are 170, 250, 320, and 400°F. The succeeding Kalorik models feature more elaborate steps with increments as low as 10°F.
Then again, since this model is intended for personal use, you probably won’t need to fine-tune the temperature that much.
Pros
- Small capacity for personal use
- Sleek, attractive design
- Compact and lightweight
- Affordable
- Powerful performance
Cons
- The temperature dial is hidden under the top cover
- You can’t fine-tune the temperature
The Takeaway
All in all, the Kalorik FT 43875 BK 1.75 Quart Personal Air Fryer would be excellent for serving one person. The high temperature it offers guarantees the fastest frying possible. And the sleek design makes it incredibly convenient to use.
The problems I noticed weren’t that essential. You’ll have a hard time adjusting the temperature, but you should get the hang of it pretty soon.
2. Kalorik Eat-Smart FT 43140 BK Air Fryer
If you think the FT 43875 is too small, you can opt for the slightly bigger FT 43140. With a capacity of 2.6 quarts, it should serve up to 2 individuals at a time.
Design: Attractive Plump Cylinder
The Eat-Smart fryer is designed in a way somewhat similar to the FT 43875. The main 12-inches-wide body is shaped like a cylinder with plump sides near the bottom. In terms of height, it measures 12 inches, falling a little shorter than its predecessor.
But when you start diving deeper into the features, the real differences between the two models will start to unfold.
Perhaps the most important difference lies in the basket. Eat-Smart has a detachable pot that locks to the basket during use. On the other hand, FT 43875 has a solid basket with a removable grill rack.
Temperature & Timer
The Eat-Smart can support temperatures between 180 and 400°F, just like the FT 43875. However, its timer can extend for a whopping 60 minutes, exceeding its competitor by 30 minutes.
Over the fryer’s top, there are 2 LEDs that indicate power and temperature. The color of the temperature indicator goes from red into green when the fryer reaches the chosen temperature.
Expectedly, the Eat-Smart performs better than its predecessor. The following are the things that were praised the most by online customers.
The Cleaning Is Easier
This is by far the thing I like the most about this fryer. When the basket is installed inside the pot, you’ll notice that it’s a bit higher than the pot’s bottom. This way, excess oil can drip through the basket holes into the pot.
As you might imagine, this design makes cleaning less of a hassle. You’ll simply wipe the minimal spots on the basket and toss the pot into the dishwasher.
You can’t do the same with the FT 43875 because the basket handle might get permanently damaged.
It Has 6 Meal Presets
Ditch the cooking manual because the Eat-Smart already has all the instructions you need. Over the top, Kalorik placed 6 illustrations for different meals alongside the required time and temperature.
This perk looks simple, yet it’s absolutely beneficial for rookie cooks. No more guesswork, and no more burnt food!
Better Temperature Control
The temperature dial on the Eat-Smart offers a wide range of freedom. The printed values are 180, 230, 320, 360, and 400°F. Between each level, there are 4 dots. This way, you can increase the temperature with increments of 10°F!
Naturally, this allows for more accurately cooked meals. You can fine-tune french fries, for instance, to produce the perfect crispy texture that you crave.
The Basket Assembly Is Poorly-Designed
According to Kalorik’s instructions, you should remove the basket in the middle of the cooking cycle to give it a quick shake. This allows the hot air to properly reach every nook and cranny of your food. Furthermore, it removes any lurking oil to make your dish healthier.
So far so good, right? Well, not exactly. More times than not, the pot will automatically detach as you’re shaking the basket. The sudden loss of weight might fling some hot food everywhere. In unlucky situations, this might cause some serious burns in different parts of the body.
Furthermore, the repeated falling of the pot would get it broken before it should. Once this happens, you might have to ditch the entire fryer because you probably won’t find a replacement.
Timer Is Usually Inaccurate
The Eat-Smart features a 60-minute timer that’s quite rare to see with other brands. But it loses a bit of its hype with the inaccuracy.
Some users reported that the fryer shuts off 2 or 3 minutes before the actual time ends. This would waste a lot of time since you’ll have to lay your eyes over it the entire time.
Pros
- It can be easily cleaned
- Equipped with 6 meal presets
- You can fine-tune the temperature
- Powerful performance
Cons
- The timer might become inaccurate
- The basket assembly is unreliable
The Takeaway
The Kalorik Eat-Smart FT 43140 is an acceptable upgrade to the FT 43875. Its larger capacity and the bigger timer should make it suitable for serving 2 individuals pretty well.
However, it’s not that great in terms of design. The faulty basket assembly and the inaccurate timer can easily ruin the cooking experience.
3. Kalorik Smart FT 42139 Air Fryer
With 3.2 quarts, the FT 42139 fryer is a bit bigger than the previous models. Although Kalorik calls it “smart”, its technology is pretty similar to what we’ve seen so far. Nonetheless, I’ll refer to it as the “Smart fryer” to keep things simple.
Design: Cylindrical with Sharp Corners
To accommodate for the larger capacity, Kalorik used the same cylindrical design, but with sharper borders.
If you don’t prefer black appliances, this fryer should be your best bet. Unlike the other models, it features a stunningly-beautiful white version.
Moving down, you’ll see the same basket assembly seen on the Eat-Smart. The basket attaches to a large pot with a switch located on the handle.
Temperature & Timer
The temperature dial located on the top of this fryer is capable of increasing the temperature up to 400°F.
Although the Smart fryer is supposed to be an upgrade to the Eat-Smart, it features a smaller timer. This model can run for 30 minutes only, falling shorter than its predecessor by 30 minutes.
It Comes with an Additional Grill Rack
Since this model is bigger, it’s the only one that can accept a grill rack to be installed inside the basket. When placed in position, it leaves a quite large space underneath. Therefore, you can use it to cook two layers of food simultaneously.
Furthermore, this rack will give a nice grill texture to the food placed above it. It’s certainly valuable for an appliance to fry and grill at the same time.
The Basket Assembly Is Sturdy Enough
The biggest problem with the Eat-Smart fryer was in the basket assembly. Its button was too weak to withstand the shaking force done to properly aerate the food. As a result, it often detaches suddenly, which might cause unfortunate accidents.
Lucky for us, this isn’t the case in this fryer. Kalorik learned from their mistakes and used a sturdier assembly.
6 Meal Presets
The Smart fryer features the same 6 meal presets seen on the Eat-Smart. However, they’re placed over the front face, which is far more convenient. They’re also printed slightly larger than before, making them easier to read.
Poor Non-Stick Coat
Kalorik covered the insides of the pot and the basket with a black, non-stick coat. This allows you to cook whatever you like without having to scrape the sticky leftovers off the fryer.
On the downside, this coat isn’t durable enough. Some users were incredibly disappointed when it started to peel off in large spots. Worst of all, this usually happens in less than a year of occasional use.
Short Temperature Dial
Remember the awful design of the dial in the FT 43875? Well, Kalorik unreasonably built something similar.
This absurd dial is too short for anyone to comfortably rotate. To make matters worse, it’s located a bit lower than the fryer’s surface.
As a result, you’ll have to depend on the friction of your fingers to adjust the temperature. This is such an inconvenient approach to design what is supposed to be a “smart” fryer.
Insufficient Temperature Levels
Again, Kalorik downgraded an incredibly useful perk featured on the previous model. Rather than the elaborate temperature dial of the Eat-Smart, this fryer has only 4 levels: 170, 250, 320, and 400°F.
As I said earlier, this limits the potential of this fryer. Professional cooks won’t be able to perfectly adjust their meals as they normally would.
Pros
- There’s an extra grill rack
- Reliable and well-designed basket assembly
- It has 6 meal presets
- It comes in a white version
- Compact size
Cons
- The non-stick coat might peel off
- You can’t fine-tune the temperature with the limited dial
- The temperature dial might be hard to grasp
- The timer doesn’t offer more than 30 minutes
The Takeaway
In my opinion, the Kalorik Smart FT 42139 is better than its equally-sized predecessor. The issues it has can be ignored since the basket assembly is sturdy enough.
4. Kalorik Digital 5.3 Quart XL FT 44844 SS Air Fryer Pro
This fryer marks the true beginning of the smart technology in Kalorik’s products. Its large 5-quart basket can easily fit a family of 3 to 4 people.
Design: The First Smart Fryer
I’ll be honest, I hate using dials. They just don’t fit 2020 with the incredible technology we have today. That’s why I love this fryer.
Right in the font, you’ll find a sleek touchscreen with which you can adjust the temperature and the timer. As you’re cooking, this screen will show the temperature and the remaining time.
By zooming out a little, we can see that Kalorik fully ditched the cylindrical design. This fryer assumes a cuboid shape with a width of 17 inches and a height of 15 inches.
Temperature & Timer
The smart digital fryer is able to cook food with a maximum of 400°F. Thanks to its digital technology, it can be set with a 60-minute timer.
8 Meal Presets
Cooking isn’t your thing? No worries! This fryer has 8 built-in presets for the usual plates that most of us cook on a daily basis.
Best of all, you don’t have to enter the temperature and time yourself. You simply select the mode and press start!
It Has a Smaller Version
Almost all the users were satisfied by the 5-quart capacity of this fryer. However, if you’re living alone, you can opt for a slightly smaller size to be easier to clean.
Lucky for you, Kalorik offers a smaller 3.5-quart fryer featuring the same exact perks.
It Operates Quietly
Air fryers have to vent some of their hot air as they’re cooking your food. Otherwise, the pressure will build up inside and tear the fryer from within.
Typically, the exhaust is noisy. In fact, that was among the reasons that deterred me away from air fryers for a long time. Convection ovens were always a better, quieter option.
It wasn’t until the Digital fryer came that I reconsidered my opinion. Its vent is designed in a way that produces lower noise while providing the same sufficient aeration.
Anti-Smudge Housing
The Digital fryer has a stunning shiny silver front and matt black sides. Such a design looks incredibly premium alongside the black and blue touchscreen.
To be fair, the market is full of other designs that might be even more beautiful. But what makes this fryer stand out is the smudge-proof finish. The housing won’t get stained easily by fingerprints and whatnot. And even if it did, it’ll restore its luster by a quick wipe.
Pros
- Equipped with 8 meal presets
- There’s a smaller version for smaller families
- Noise-less operation while maintaining high efficiency
- The housing maintains its luster with the anti-smudge coat
- Equipped with a touchscreen
Cons
- A bit expensive
The Takeaway
Without a doubt, Kalorik Digital XL FT 44844 is among the best air fryers produced by Kalorik. The touchscreen is far more convenient than dials. And the large capacity is helpful for busy days.
The Final Word
As you saw, Kalorik has a pretty large arsenal of air fryers. I like how they varied the specs to match the needs of more audiences.
If you’re living alone, the Kalorik FT 43875 Personal Air Fryer should be the obvious choice. Its small capacity will cut down on the cleaning chores.
For a family of 3 to 4, the Kalorik Digital FT 44844 SS Air Fryer Pro is probably the best you can get. Its touchscreen will save you the burden of missing with dials.
All in all, reviews came out positive about Kalorik’s customer support. If your fryer broke down during the warranty, call them to arrange a refund or a replacement.
See you soon with another company review!