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Looking to buy an air fryer, or upgrade your existing one? Not sure which one will fit you and your lifestyle the best? In this Tower AirWave Pro air fryer microwave review, I’ll take you through the pros, the cons and my personal experiences. So you can decide if it’s right for you. Keep reading to learn more…
Tower AirWave Pro Air Fryer Microwave Review
Now THIS machine, I was very excited about. Before testing it, I’d never used an air fryer microwave, and I’d heard very little about them either. My intrigue was most definitely piqued!
It’s worth noting straight away, that this does come at a pretty hefty price tag. (Especially as tower air fryers are usually very good value for money.) At the time of publishing this article, its full price was £249.99. Even with the regular discounts Tower tend to offer, that’s still quite steep. I was expecting big things for this kind of money.
So will the promise of that larger price tag deliver? Keep reading to find out more!
Please note that all prices and information were correct at the time of publishing. And I received the Tower AirWave Pro Air Fryer Microwave in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own – honest and unbiased.
Unboxing a Tower AirWave Pro air fryer microwave
First thing to know, this is a HUGE box, and it weighs a ton!! Unless you are very strong, or there are two of you, you may struggle to pick up the box, let alone get the machine out of it.
That being said, let’s remember that this is 2 large kitchen appliances in 1. So I think the weight and size are understandable.
Just take care unboxing, especially if you are on your own.
Overall build quality
The air fryer microwave does feel very weighty and sturdy. I’d be disappointed if it didn’t at this price point to be honest!
When you open and close the door it feels very secure and satisfying. The supplied glass microwave plate, and air fryer tray/mesh tray, all seem to be made of high quality materials. Nothing feels flimsy at all.
The air fryer microwave design
Overall, the design is nice. It looks just like a regular microwave… only a lot bigger!
Let’s put it’s large size into perspective. It has a HUGE 26 litre capacity, which allows ample space for lots of different cooking techniques, portion sizes and ingredients. The compromise for this is the extra large outer measurements. It’s full dimensions are H32cm x W52.3cm x D44.90cm.
So if you don’t have a pretty big kitchen, or a dedicated space for it – I’d maybe look at getting something smaller.
But if you DO have a dedicated space for it, and love the idea of merging 2 appliances into 1 (which, in itself, can be space saving), then this might very well be the air fryer microwave for you!
The specs…
The microwave is really quite powerful, coming in at 900W. In my testing I found I didn’t need to microwave for as long as standard microwaves for this very reason.
The air fryer comes in at 1500W. Although in my testing, it didn’t feel quite as powerful as the microwave side of things. And the circulation wasn’t quite as good as other regular air fryers I’ve used.
It has 10 presets for various food items, or you can set everything manually using the buttons and dials instead. Which is what I tend to do.
Testing an air fryer microwave…
The cons
The first time I used the air fryer microwave, I wanted to air fry a pre-made garlic bread and then microwave a packet of rice.
As garlic bread has garlic butter in the gaps, it’s not something you want to turn over throughout cooking. I tried to air fry it without turning anyway but, as a result, the top was extra crisp and the underneath was pale and soft. A slightly disappointing start.
I then tried to place the packet of microwavable rice in, but quickly realised that the machine isn’t tall enough to accommodate it. Especially as the heating elements within are set quite low. And, as I had just used the air fryer setting to cook the garlic bread, the elements would have been too hot and melted the top of the packet.
There are potential workarounds for this though. You can always get the flat trays of microwavable rice. Or you can lay the packets on their side, and cut 2 or 3 air holes into the side of the packet.
However, I didn’t want to be defeated! So continued with more testing…
The pros
Where the air fryer microwave DID excel, was when I made jacket potatoes. You know when you’re in a hurry, and you microwave them for a bit first? (You see where I’m going with this right..?) This machine worked wonders!
I microwaved a 220g baking potato for about 8 minutes, then added in the trays and crisped it up using the air fryer setting for about 15 minutes. Rotating once half way. It came out PERFECT!
Super crisp on the outside – you know when you scrape a knife along it and it makes that really crispy noise? Yeah… THAT happened! Then you were greeted by soft fluffy middles to boot.
There’s definitely potential here. I think you just need to play around, and see what works and what doesn’t.
The buttons, dials and settings
The setting dial and buttons are reasonably intuitive to navigate. And you can choose between 4 modes – microwave, air fry, combi convection and air fry presets.
Side note… the combi convection setting allows for the use of microwave cooking and air frying simultaneously. But DO NOT place metal in the machine when you use this setting!!
Like most microwaves, it also has a defrost setting. And like most air fryers, it has a keep warm setting too.
Worth a mention
While some things may seem obvious about this air fryer microwave, there were a few things I noticed that you might like to know before you consider buying…
- You absolutely CAN NOT use metal when using the microwave or combi setting. It’s exactly the same as any other microwave.
- The turntable seems quite fast compared to my regular microwave.
- If you can turn the food over, or mix/shake it, the air fryer setting works great. If you can’t (i.e. garlic bread etc), it doesn’t seem to cook very evenly.
- The air fryer heating elements are set quite low within the ‘roof’ of the cooking chamber. So you will need to take care, or you could easily burn yourself.
- When air frying things that need regularly shaking, I found it to be a little cumbersome to do in the metal tray provided. Although this could just be because I’m so used to using a traditional drawer air fryer.
The Tower AirWave Pro Air Fryer Microwave… is it worth it?
For me personally? No. I don’t think it’s worth it. But I already have Ninja dual drawer AND Tower T17067 air fryers. Plus a very good microwave. All three of these do a great job, and work well for what I want to cook.
I think it’s all about finding what air fryer suits you and your lifestyle best. And knowing what you will use it for. The answer to that will be different for everyone.
However, it is good for saving energy and time, if you can get the hang of using it. But straight out of the box, it doesn’t seem as straightforward to use as other air fryers I have tried.
Again, this could just be a case of what I’m used to, vs learning how to use something new.
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Interested in buying an air fryer microwave?
If you want to learn more about the air fryer microwave, or are interested in buying one, simply head to this page on the Tower Housewares website.
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Have your say!
Did you find this Tower GoodFood duo air fryer review useful? Thought of something I may have missed? Let me know! Get in touch via social media – on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com. I’d love your feedback!
About Emma Mason
Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about making your life easier, one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!