Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer review

Dimensions: 14.65 x 10.59 x 15.67 inches
Capacity: 6 quarts/5.7 liter
Temperature range: 100-450F (40-230C)
Water tank capacity: 6.7oz/200ml
Cook modes: Chef Mode, classic cook, probe cook
Accessories: grilling rack, cooking tray, cook probe
Output: 1,800 watts

A quick browse of the Dreo website will tell you this brand is best known for making fans, air conditioners and humidifiers. So the Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer is a bit of a side step into kitchen appliances. The question is, can a new brand create one of the best air fryers straight off the bat?

The Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer is way more than a simple air fryer, it’s a totally new take on a classic air fryer. Its Chef Mode utilizes a cooking probe as well as steam and dry heat in combination with a smart algorithm. It’s said to replicate the techniques of a chef, so I couldn’t wait to give it a go and see if it really works.

Having reviewed countless air fryers in my career, it can take a lot to impress me. And when I set the Dreo up in my kitchen at home and started using it for my regular meals, I didn’t expect to be wowed. But the chef mode programs really do work, which is great news if you’re not confident in the kitchen.

Price and availability

The Dreo Chefmaker Combi Fryer sits at the premium end of the market. It’ll set you back $359/ £299.99 which is significantly more than a lot of similar sized air fryers. However the price is justified by the chef mode automatic cooking programs, an upgraded feature that sets the Dreo apart from its competitors.

It’s available in the US, Canada, and the UK either directly via the Dreo website or through resellers such as Amazon.

Design

The Dreo Chefmaker Combi Fryer arrived encased in two huge chunks of styrofoam, which is my most hated form of packaging since it’s so hard to recycle. Nevertheless, once I’d got over this, I was somewhat surprised that given what it claims to be capable of, its size is no bigger than a lot of other similar capacity air fryers.

There are a few accessories in the box that immediately set it apart from its competitors. Firstly the cooking probe; this attaches to the inside of the cooking basket, when required. There’s also a grilling rack, and on the top of the main air fryer body, there’s a small square water container.

It comes with the standard pull out basket and removable cooking tray. The basket features a large window, coupled with a bright interior light that makes it easy to keep an eye on your food without opening it too frequently.

The large touchscreen is very easy to navigate. The first mode displayed when you switch it on is chef mode. Within this mode there’s a menu of food types; beef, pork, lamb, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Then within each of these categories are multiple individual food options to choose from.

Or you can choose classic cook mode. And in this mode you can choose between, air fry, defrost, reheat, broil, roast, toast, bake, and dehydrate. Each of these cooking modes offers adjustable time and temperature settings.

Alternatively you can choose probe cook mode, which cooks by you selecting the target temperature for the probe to reach. This mode is probably best suited to the more experienced cook.

There’s also a Dreo app which I’d recommend connecting to. It includes some recipes for inspiration, as well as offering all the same controls as the control panel, but on your phone. It even sends you a notification when your food is cooked.

What I love about the design is that despite offering an unrivaled level of functionality, the control panel remains effortlessly simple to use. And in chef mode it walks you through the steps, such as making sure you’ve added water to the water tank, or inserted the probe. So you really can’t go wrong.

I noticed quite quickly that there’s no preheat stage for any of the cooking modes. And being able to start cooking immediately is certainly a time saver.

Chef Mode

To cook four chicken thighs using the Chef Mode, the screen prompted me to both fill the water tank, and insert the probe into the thickest part of one of the thighs. After I pressed start it spent four minutes calculating the cook time. Then the timer came on and displayed 31 minutes, which I must admit, was longer than I expected.

I left it alone and at the end of cooking the thighs were thoroughly cooked through. The meat had a succulent texture and the skin was golden and well crisped. Considering all I did was put them in and press start, it’s pretty impressive. And for novice cooks, potentially a game changer.

Next time I used the Chef Mode it was to cook two ribeye steaks. After I selected medium rare from the options, it prompted me to cook them in the grilling rack, and to add water to the water container. Then I switched it on, and after four minutes calculating, the timer came on, displaying 16 minutes.

However, the time must have changed during cooking, because they were ready in 15 minutes (including the 4 minute calculating stage). One steak was slightly thicker than the other, which did mean that the thicker one containing the probe was perfectly medium rare, while the slightly thinner one was cooked a little more. But to be honest, that’s what I expected to happen.

They were both nicely cooked, though I noticed the browning was better on the top than the bottom of the steaks, not that this affected the flavor. My only real grumble is that with the cook time being a bit uncertain, it can be tricky to get your side dishes cooked at the right time to plate up the entire meal. Though I’m sure this becomes easier the more you use it as you get to know the rough timings for your favorite foods.

Within the Chef Mode vegetables section, there are several types of vegetable to choose from. I selected broccoli and cut up a whole head of broccoli into large florets that I lightly coated in oil.

Once started, the program counted down from 10 minutes, but it doesn’t display the cooking temperature. The finished broccoli was nicely roasted, though I’d prefer the stalks a little less firm, so I’d probably just cut it into smaller pieces next time.

Air fry

For my first try on the Air Fry setting I cooked up homemade thick cut fries that I spritzed with oil. I put them in at 400F/200C and set the timer for 20 minutes. With a couple of good shakes during cooking, the fries cooked brilliantly. They were golden and crisp, and the flavor and texture was as good as some of the best air fried fries I’ve made, which is quite an accolade.

On a separate occasion I air fried some frozen breadcrumbed fish fillets. I set it to air fry at 375F/190C for 15 minutes and the result was perfect. The crumb was crisp and crunchy, while the fish inside was tender and succulent.

Reheat

The reheat mode worked well when I wanted to warm and refresh a take-out Indian naan bread that had been sitting around for a couple of days. I sprinkled the bread with water and then put it into the drawer at 250F/120C.

I set the timer for 6 minutes and after 4 minutes opened it up and brushed the top of the bread with butter. At the end of the cook time, the bread was perfectly soft and fluffy, with some lightly crisped patches.

Roast

With so many other options for cooking meat using the temperature probe and chef mode, I decided instead to roast some baby tomatoes and onions. I removed all accessories and lined the base of the drawer with baking paper.

Once I’d squeezed in as many cut baby tomatoes as possible alongside chunks of red onion, I set the temperature to 375F/190C.  I set the timer to 15 minutes which turned out to be the perfect amount of time for the tomatoes and onions to roast and develop a light charring on the edges. Perfect for me to whizz up into a pizza sauce.

Toast

The default settings are  350F/ 175C for 5 minutes. I popped in two slices of frozen sourdough bread, fully aware that the five minute timer may need increasing thanks to the bread coming straight from the freezer.

The viewing window came in handy, allowing me to keep an eye on the color of the toast. When there was 30 seconds left on the timer, I turned the bread over and added another 3 minutes. The finished toast was good, if a little harder and dryer than I’d like.

I think next time it would benefit from an increased temperature so that it toasts faster without drying out. The temperature on toast mode can be adjusted up as high as 400F/205C.

Bake

The app offers several recipes for inspiration, so I thought I'd try out the banana bread. Once I’d mixed up the cake batter, I found a cake tin that would fit in the Dreo. Then I made use of a feature in the app that’ll send the correct cooking time and temperature directly to the air fryer, so you don’t have to set it.

The cake cooked on the bake mode at 350F/175C for 45 minutes. But with around 15 minutes still left on the timer, I could see through the window that the top of the cake was looking quite dark, so I decided to open it up and have a look. Good thing I did because the cake was cooked and the top had started to go a bit hard, so I stopped it there.

Once it had cooled, the cake was nicely cooked and tasty, though if I made it again, I’d probably reduce the cooking time as well as the temperature slightly to stop it overcooking on top.

I also used the bake mode to bake up a batch of my homemade granola. For this I removed the cooking tray and placed it directly into the bottom of the basket. I baked it at 330F/165C and gave it a couple of stirs during the bake. After just 15 minutes it was cooked and crisped.

Cleaning

All of the removable parts, with the exception of the cook probe can be cleaned in the dishwasher. But the non-stick coatings are very effective, so often, a quick rinse with hot water and dish soap is all that’s needed.

The shiny touch control panel shows greasy fingerprints, so I found I needed to wipe this regularly to keep it look clean.

Comparison

If you’re a pro in the kitchen then the Chef Mode could be a redundant feature. In that case the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer might be the one for you. It’s spacious enough to cook for a family, and the central divider can be removed, giving you the choice to cook in two smaller zones or one bigger one. Plus, you still get six cooking modes to choose from in an easy-to-use format.

Alternatively the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer offers both app connectivity and preset cooking programs. So while it doesn’t give you the chef mode automatic cooking, it still offers a bit of a helping hand and more connectivity than most air fryers. Moreover, it’s a top performing air fryer loved by Tom's Guide.

Verdict

All in all, from what I’ve experienced, the chef mode really does allow you to prepare lots of common foods without necessarily having the knowledge or skills to understand how they’re best cooked. That said, I’d argue it’s aimed at meat lovers. The bulk of the chef mode programs are for meat and fish, so if you’re a vegetarian, a lot of the food options aren’t relevant to you.

All of the classic cook modes that I tried, worked exceptionally well. Sometimes cooking was fiercer than I expected, but you quickly get used to it and learn to turn down the temperature when needed.

Yes it is expensive, but if you want a premium appliance that’s capable of taking the thinking, and to a certain degree, some of the skill, out of preparing delicious meals, then it’s an investment that’ll be worth making.