The Hamilton Beach Air Fryer is a great choice for quick, easy meals requiring little effort. It’s easy to use and has preset buttons for most foods you cook in an air fryer. The digital control panel is convenient to use and has large icons that are easily read. The temperature and cooking time can be adjusted to find the perfect combination for the desired meal.
Here's my only concern: If the air fryer is empty when I open the door, sometimes, the whole appliance tilts slightly forward! Fortunately, it doesn’t do this when the appliance is full, but that is something to consider.
Otherwise, the air fryer was a joy to use. Keep reading to see how the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer compares to our list of the best air fryers.
Terri is a freelance writer living in Birmingham, AL. She has tested hundreds of products, including kitchen appliances, vacuums, bedding, furniture, luggage, and tech gear. Terri has bylines at Architectural Digest, Forbes, Popular Science, CNN Underscored, NBC News, The Daily Beast, USA Today, US News & World Report, Tech Radar, Homes & Gardens, and Tom's Guide. Follow her adventures @Territoryone. Terri tested the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer on and off for several months, evaluating design, user-friendliness, performance, consistency, and ease of cleaning. She was allowed to keep it for ongoing use.
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: key specs
| Model no: | 35073 |
| Wattage | 1700W |
| Capacity | 11.6 quarts |
| Noise | 54.4dB |
| Dimensions | 15.4 x 12.74 x 13.53in (h x w x d) |
| Weight | 16.42 pounds |
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: Price & Availability
The Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer is available on Amazon for $117.27. On the Hamilton Beach website, it retails for $119.99. Considering the build, many features, and ease of use, it's a good price.
Note: Hamilton Beach also made a digital air fryer with a rotating basket with otherwise the same spec. However, that model was discontinued, so it’s no longer available on the company’s website. You may still be able to find one on Amazon but keep in mind that since it’s discontinued, you may not be able to get support for the appliance.
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: Setup
I’ve had the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer for several months. I no longer have the brown shipping box that it arrived in. However, I did snap a photo of the Hamilton Beach box before tossing it. The air fryer was packed securely to protect it during the shipping process.
After taking everything out of the box, I was impressed with the various parts and features. The air fryer has 3 removable mesh trays, a drip/baking pan, a rotisserie lift and hooks, and rotisserie forks with skewers. There’s also an instruction manual. I was disappointed that there was no recipe book; however, on the Hamilton Beach website, there are recipes from the Hamilton Beach test kitchen.
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: Design
The Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer has a sleek, modern design that matches the rest of my appliances. It measures 15.4 x 12.74 x 13.53in (h x w x d) and fits on my countertop without taking up too much space. The air vents are on the back of the appliance.
The control panel on top is slightly tilted, which is definitely a user-friendly feature that makes it easier to view and operate. The control panel consists primarily of icons and also up and down arrows. The arrows on the left side are for the temperature, and the arrows on the right are for the time. The icons are for the light, menu, on/off, and rotisserie on.
The preset menu icons include French fries, meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, rotisserie, and dehydrating. When a preset icon is chosen, the control panel alternates between the default temperature and cook time, and I can adjust as desired.
The bottom of the air fryer has a drip/baking pan that catches spills. The three removable mesh trays can be placed in various positions (top, medium, bottom) to achieve the desired level of doneness. They also allow different types of meals to be cooked at the same time.
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: Performance
During the several weeks that I tested the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer, I cooked several types of foods that I eat regularly.
During one test, I made chicken wings. (Note: I used Weber’s seasoning and some Worcestershire sauce as a light marinade for all the test items.) I chose the chicken preset and didn’t adjust the time or temperature. However, I stayed close to ensure the wings did not burn. The photo above shows that the fatty liquids from the chicken dripped down to the drip tray. The advantage of the wire baskets is that meats don’t sit in and absorb these fatty oils. And this makes the meat healthier.
However, the downside to using a wire basket is figuring out what to do with the basket. I didn’t want to ruin my countertops and didn’t want to dirty up a large pan I would have to wash. So, I decided to use silicone-tipped tongs to remove the items from the air fryer and left the basket in the oven to cool down until I was ready to wash dishes. The chicken was tender, juicy, and tasted much better since it wasn’t soaking in grease. (Note: when I talk about fatty oils, I’m referring to what the meat naturally produces since I don’t add any oil when cooking.)
During another test, I made some corn on the cob. It was frozen, not fresh, so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. I chose the vegetable setting and didn’t change the default time or temperature. However, again, I kept an eye on the corn, and when I noticed some browning, I took it out. The corn on the cob was juicy and sweet.
On another day, I tried pork chops. There’s a preset for pork, so I selected it and increased the time by 20 minutes—but I ended up taking the food out before the alert sounded. The pork chops were juicy and flavorful.
My final test was cooking sirloin steak. I selected the meat preset and made no adjustments. The steak came out perfectly. It was well done, easy to cut, and flavorful.
One thing I noticed with all the tested items is that I never ended up with food that was overcooked or tough.
I didn’t make rotisserie chicken because I don’t tackle that level of food. I cook, but I don’t cook like that. The idea of trussing a chicken, using cotton strings, inserting skewers and rotisserie forks, using lifts, and then trying to take it out of that small oven was not something that I desired to do, especially since I don’t particularly like rotisserie chicken.
The air fryer's noise level registered at 54.4 dB. It’s loud enough to notice that an appliance is operating, which is a good thing, but not loud enough to disturb the peace.
The drip tray makes cleaning easy since it catches everything. I washed the drip tray and baskets in the sink in soapy water (although they’re also dishwasher safe), then unplugged the appliance and washed the interior and exterior with a damp, soapy cloth.
Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer: user reviews
On the Hamilton Beach website, the air fryer only has three reviews and a 5/5 rating. Consumers say it is easy to use and emits less heat than conventional ovens. Amazon has several more reviews, and the air fryer has a 4.6/5 rating. Buyers considered it a value for the price, giving it high marks on performance and taste while also liking the three shelves.
The few negative reviews centered on ease of use and ease of cleaning. Some reviewers said the air fryer burns some foods, and one noted that it was easy to get burned while trying to take the basket out.
Should you buy the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer?
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | suitable for small to medium-sized meals; larger families may find it somewhat limited | 7/10 |
| Wattage and Cooking Performance | good cooking speed and efficiency | 8/10 |
| Versatility and Cooking Functions | multiple cooking functions such as air frying, toasting, roasting, and dehydrating; preset cooking options for different types of food | 9/10 |
| Ease of Cleaning | drip tray that catches spills; removable mesh trays are also dishwasher safe | 8/10 |
| Build Quality and Safety Features | stylish design that fits well in modern kitchens; door can be tricky to operate | 7/10 |
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer compare?
The Brava Glass Oven is one of the best air fryer toaster ovens. It can air fry, roast, bake, sear, toast, reheat, make rice, dehydrate, slow cook, and keep food warm. It has numerous accessories, ranging from metal trays to a glass tray, square pans, muffin tin, loaf pans, and egg trays. The Brava Glass Oven has three cooking zones with different temperatures, a thermostat, and an internal camera that lets you see food inside. But it’s not budget-friendly. Expect to pay $1,995 for it.
If you’d prefer something smaller, the Cosori TurboBlaze 6-quart air fryer can air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, proof, reheat, keep warm, and cook frozen food. At 6 quarts, it’s smaller than the Hamilton Beach. Its design allows you to pick up the entire basket and place it on a heat-resistant mat or trivet without worrying about messy drips. The $119.99 price is competitive.
How I tested the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer
I tested the Hamilton Beach Digital Air Fryer for several months, off and on. I evaluated build quality, performance, taste, ease of use, and cleaning when testing.
Read more about how we test.
- First reviewed: May 2024
