The Dash Compact Air Fryer is great for those short on space, but its performance will leave most users unimpressed. We purchased the Dash Compact Air Fryer so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. … They’re versatile, quick, and easier to cook with than traditional deep fryers.
Air fryers have quickly become go-to kitchen gadgets. They’re versatile, quick, and easier to cook with than traditional deep fryers. With so many options out there, though, it can be difficult to find the best one for you.
The Dash Compact Air Fryer lives up to its name by coming in at about half the size and weight of a standard air fryer; it measures 10.2 x 8.1 x 11.4 inches and weighs just 5.7 pounds. The appliance has a 1.6-quart fry basket which is quite tiny compared to the 3.5-quart baskets you’d find in typical air fryers. The miniature appliance best feeds one or two people as it can only hold about half a bag of frozen french fries or six chicken wings.
The Dash Compact has a sleek, oblong design that gives off a retro 80s feel—especially if you go for the aqua option, which is one of five available colors including black, white, red, and gray. We opted to go for gray as it’s a nice neutral tone that fits in with most kitchen designs.
The Dash Compact Air Fryer claims to be the ideal appliance for “picky eaters, large families, or those who have busy schedules,” so we put it to the test to see if it really could please everyone. Keep reading for details on the fryer’s design, performance, features, competition, and more.
Small families don’t have to buy a huge appliance to get crispy foods. Not only is the Dash Compact Air Fryer smaller than most, it’s also very reasonably priced. With two dials for control, it couldn’t be easier to use and the basket can be cleaned in the dishwasher where it won’t monopolize too much shelf space. It comes in a range of colors as well so you can fit it in with your kitchen theme.
Be mindful that its compact size means it can’t fit a whole chicken though. As you will see in our Dash Compact Air Fryer review, it’s one of the best you can buy if you prefer to air fry smaller portions.
Dash Compact Air Fryer review: Design
With its cylindrical shape and glossy finish, the Dash Compact Air Fryer has quite a sweet appearance.
Like all air fryers, the basket handle protrudes from its front. Its control panel consists of two dials, one on top to set the temperature and another on the front to set the timer. On your countertop, it will take up about the same amount of space as a coffee maker, measuring just 8.1 x 9.5 x 12.5 inches.
Dash Compact Air Fryer review: Cooking performance
On our tests, the Dash Compact Air Fryer scored full marks for chicken wings, which is where it excelled. It also scored adequately for Brussels sprouts, frozen French fries and breaded chicken, although results were not as crispy as some larger models.
It fell down on cooking scratch French fries though, which were not as crisp or moist as others we’d seen.
Dash suggests preheating for three minutes before air frying. There’s no preheat setting; you simply set your desired temperature and then the timer to heat the oven before you add your food. Once you add your food to the basket, you simply reset the timer.
Like other manufacturers, Dash says that the air fryer’s capacity is the amount the basket can hold, which in this case is 2 quarts. However, one pound is the maximum we’d recommend cooking at once if you want even results.
The diameter of the basket is just 6.25 inches, which definitely doesn’t give you enough room to make fried chicken for more than 2 people at a time, especially as you get better crisping if you leave some room between the pieces for air to circulate.
In the Dash, food needed more time to cook than it did in other models considering its size, and for the most part, it didn’t brown and crisp evenly. This meant that we had to stop and shake more than once during cooking to get good results. Brussels sprouts, frozen fries, and breaded chicken came out moist and tender, but not quite as crispy as from bigger models.
The Dash really excelled at cooking chicken wings though, which came out browned and crispy as well as moist and juicy in 25 minutes. In spite of an extended cooking time of 24 minutes, homemade French fries never came close to the taste and texture of the deep-fried kind. This is where the compact air fryer lost most of its marks.
A whole chicken would not fit in this oven and no mention is made of cooking one in the manual. Only one hamburger fit in the bottom of the Dash. It came out browned and juicy, but took 23 minutes to cook, whereas most air fryers needed 10 to 13 minutes.
Dash Compact Air Fryer review: Ease of use and cleaning
It couldn’t be simpler or more obvious to set the two dials for time and temperature. However, because they’re not digital, they are hard to set precisely. There is a 400°F setting, but the other temperature settings are 320°F, 250°F, and 170°F which are not commonly called-for temps and there’s no 350°F which is the other temp you’re most likely to use. It’s easy to pull the basket out of the unit and replace it; a small removable rack on which food is placed sits in the basket.
As it cooks, the bottom of the Dash gets quite hot to the touch, with the lower front-side reaching a temperature of over 143°F. Even though the handle and the dials remain at room temperature, you do have to be careful when working with the Dash because of this.
The air fryer has a sound rating of 60.6 dBA, which we were surprised by considering its size. This is louder than the average reading we got for full-size air fryers. It’s roughly the same volume as the level of conversation in the kitchen.
The basket and its rack have a nonstick coating and are safe for dishwasher cleaning.
The manual is easy to read and understand. It contains a short cooking chart and a small selection of enticing recipes.
Dash Compact Air Fryer review: Verdict
Small families will be happy with the space-saving Dash Compact Air Fryer. It doesn’t brown and crisp as well or as quickly as larger models, but with some trial and error, it gives good results. It’s one to buy if you love chicken wings though — we can’t deny its performance there.
You can’t find an easier to use or less complicated model on the marketplace. Plus, not only is the Dash compact, it’s lightweight at 5.6 pounds, so it’s easy to store if you don’t use it all the time. But for those short on counter space, this is the model to get.
Are dash air fryers any good?
Yes, we think the Dash Compact air fryer is a good model to buy if you don’t have much room for an air fryer. It’s compact, easy to use and doesn’t take up too much space.
But it can’t make French fries or cook a whole chicken so check out our top 10 best Air Fryer reviews before making your choice!
Here’s a list of some of the top rated dash air fryers:
We hope you found this article helpful and that it helped you choose the right air fryer for your kitchen requirements.
For top air fryer models and more air fryer reviews, visit our air fryer section.
What is the most reliable air fryer?
Below are some of the most reliable air fryers for sale on Amazon.
Removable Temperature Control – The Dash Compact Air Fryer has a heat resistance of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows you to set the temperature and choose from a range of temperatures from 300 to 410 degrees Fahrenheit with the 3 preset buttons, which will help you achieve your preferred temperature within minutes.
Pure Oven Technology – The Dash has no moving parts that can break or wear out, this enhances its durability and makes it able to use for longer periods of time before you need replacement, as well as help you achieve excellent results every time! It’s also easy to clean after use too.
Adjustable Cooking Settings – You can cook food in less than 15 minutes, with excellent results and without ever using oil! The Dash Air Fryer comes pre-assembled, so you can simply plug it in, turn it on and begin using it in no time at all.
Multiple Use – With this air fryer you can also use it as a dehydrator to remove moisture from foods before cooking or freezing to preserve their freshness.
Is Dash Air Fryer safe?
The Dash air fryer has been certified with UL and ETL safety certifications. It makes use of a non-toxic ceramic infrared heating technology that doesn’t require oil and therefore does not emit fumes or produce odors. This makes it safe to use.
Is Dash a good brand?
While the Dash Compact Air Fryer is one of the most affordable models on Amazon, it is also widely regarded as one of the best and most reliable air fryers available. The Dash Compact Air Fryer has over 20,000 positive reviews and a rating of 4.6 stars.
You can filter by price, speed, or number of reviews to find the best air fryers according to your needs.
Do dash air fryers stay hot after use?
Yes, the Dash stays very warm for about two or three hours after using with its infrared heating system. This allows you to put your food into it and set the temperature at a time that will make sure that it is always heated to the right temperature so as to have optimal results.
The Dash Compact Air Fryer is a space saving model that allows you to cook healthy food without using oil. It’s simple to use, easy to clean and has a reasonable price for its size.
The Dash air fryer is one of the best selling air fryers on Amazon despite being very affordable. The Dash air fryer has been certified as ETL, CUL Listed and FCC Approved making it safe to use in your kitchen.
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