Hamilton Beach 35051 vs Instant Pot 140-4002-01

This machine is very attractive in a shiny grey, doesn't show finger prints at all. [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]

luving it UPDATE: not happy with the bottom "drip pan" losing its non stick coating after only a half dozen or so uses/washings only using liquid dish soap, water and soft sponge!

I would like to thank Hamilton Beach Ambassador program for the opportunity to review the digital air fryer that we received. We were very excited to try it out to see how it could cut calories and use less oil with fried food preparation for meals and snack time. We have never tried an air fryer before but have seen a lots of TV advertisement for different products and were happy to test this product for the Hamilton Beach Ambassador program.

We eat more chicken and fish without the fat and get them as crispy as we want. I have lost more than fifty pounds, my husband has lost forty, and this machine was a huge help. For us it was worth the investment for our health and convenience and for the energy it saves. Remember this machine cooks approximately 25% faster than your oven

I got this about a week ago, because of my schedule I didn't have a chance to use it for a few days and honestly I wasn't sure how so I got a recipe from the website {Rib-Eye Steak with Gorgonzola cheese , the thing is the recipe says to turn the steaks half way through the cooking but when I turned them I couldn't get the cooking to resume until the fryer cooled somewhat then I could get it to finish, the steaks were good but I should have been able to resume cooking right away instead of waiting to continue / I am sure there is a way but couldn't find any thin in the instructions and customer service was closed when this happened and at this point with my schedule I haven't had a chance to call during their hours , I am sure it is a simple solution and will continue to work with it other than that I really like it my only problem for now is I will try not to cook anything I have to turn over till I figure it out [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]

Third, the manual doesn't really seem to have correct cooking times. To be fair, my George Foreman Grill isn't perfect on that score either. I used it once, so Im not returning it right away, and will write more, if, as and when my thoughts change, including if I decide to return it.

In addition, it can be rather hard to place the fry basket back into the unit. It seems to need to be in just the perfect position to snap into place. It is rather annoying for me but I can manage. I can see where it would be even harder for someone with shakey hands or mobility issues to put the basket back into place

The basket design is awesome because it lets the air circulate and gets everything really crispy without having to shake it all the time. It is also easier to clean. I made some chicken wings (the ultimate test) and they came out so crispy and delicious without having to shake them at all. Things that are awesome about this machine: I can see in with the light and window The basket lets me spread out the food for better browning It cooks really fast If I had any cons it would be that the machine is large

Nice addition to my kitchen. A new appliance always gives me the incentive to get back in the kitchen and "rattle those pots and pans" heh. Oh and, btw, it's pretty big. Didn't expect it to be that big but, the main thing is the size of the basket

-The inside tracks where you remote the tray scratch really easily and within 2 weeks looked not so great. It's aesthetic so it's not a big deal but still kind of annoying. -It's a BIG countertop appliance- make sure you really think about the measurements and how you need some space around the back/sides/tops for venting. I only have so much counter space and this definitely earns its keep, but you gotta be ready to commit to something this large