Expert rating
Benefits
- Large capacity cavity
- Several accessories
- Affordable
- Six heating elements
Disadvantages
- Large work surface space
- Cleaning is hard work
- Not intuitive to program
Our Verdict
If you have the space, the VonHaus VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven offers a lot for the price. In addition to air frying, you'll find everything from fermenting and dehydrating options to grilling, defrosting, reheating, and baking pizza. There is even a rotisserie. However, its cleanliness has been neglected: none of its accessories are dishwasher safe, the interior requires scrubbing after each use and we noticed that cooking juices can drip onto the work surface.
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Whether you're an air fryer looking for more space and features, or want to reduce your energy bills, the VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven from VonHaus could be a great addition to your home. your kitchen. It combines the capacity of a small countertop oven with multiple programs and accessories, meaning you can cook a wide range of dishes, much more quickly, without turning on your main oven. This makes it ideal for quick midweek meals, such as pizza, rotisserie-cooked meat and poultry, and home fries.
But it's not just for quick cooking: its fermenting, dehydrating, and cooking functions let you make everything from homemade yogurt and jerky to dried fruit, meringue, and bread. Additionally, if you don't have enough space for that, there is also an 18L version.
To compare the VonShef to other recommended models, check out our roundup of the best air fryer ovens we've tested.
You can also check out our roundup of the best air fryers we've tested overall. If you already know you'd like a Ninja device, take a look at our dedicated Ninja roundup. We also have specific recommendations for two-drawer air fryers.
Design and build
- Complete set of accessories
- The open door will overlook a standard kitchen counter
- Not the most intuitive control panel
In order to offer 28 liters of capacity, the VonShef 28L air fryer oven is necessarily large enough. It measures 45.2 x 42.9 x 38.7 cm absorbent surface, weighs 11 kg and looks a lot like a compact conventional oven with a drop-down glass door.
Fortunately, its accessories – a rotisserie, two handles, a crumb tray, a rack, a tray (which doubles as a drip tray) and an air fry basket – can be stored inside when not are not in use, so you will not need to find space for them. However, when used on a medium sized countertop with the door down it will protrude slightly.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Two dials for time and temperature flank a control panel that's full of icons and text, making it less than intuitive to adjust. There are 14 presets: some are icons selected by the menu button, while others are labeled with a word. Two – air fry and defrost – are controlled by their own button, while the buttons to turn on the internal light and the rotisserie add to the confusion.
In short, you'll need the instructions handy for a while. Which isn't to say there aren't some smart features here. Inside, you'll find six heating elements (four above, two below) combined with a diamond-patterned panel on the back. This has been designed to help distribute heat evenly for faster, more consistent results.
Performance and Features
- Holds a 12-inch pizza and up to 1 kg of chips
- Many options for cooking settings
- Temperature range from 40 to 230°C
The VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven's busy control panel isn't helped much by its instructions. During testing, we found errors and omissions that made it more difficult to use. For example, default times and temperatures are listed for each function, but some of them are not accurate, such as the default air fry time listed as 20 minutes, when it is actually 30, and the default setting for chips switched with it. for grilling.
There is no guidance as to how much the defaults are based on, and there is a lack of clarity regarding food types. This means you will need some experience or make sure you are present to check the progress of the food to avoid over or undercooking.
What we liked was how easily the settings could be changed accordingly. The fan can be turned off, for example, which is good if it's not necessary or you're cooking food that might blow, and the timer doesn't start counting down until preheating is complete, so you know how long something lasts. cooked to the correct temperature.
The time and temperature can be changed once the oven is started, and the range is useful: most presets will extend up to an hour, while dehydration will run for 24 hours and the temperature ranges from 40 to 230° c. The capacity is also impressive, holding a 12-inch pizza and up to 1kg of chips.
Since there is an air fry function as well as a preset for chips, we decided to test the former with frozen hash browns. There aren't many tips for cooking food in the freezer, so we opted for 20 minutes at 180°C, the default temperature, using the air fry basket. After the time was up, we found that the hash browns were crispy, but more on the top than the bottom, which was noticeably softer.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Next, we used the basket to make fresh chips from soaked, washed and dried potato pieces mixed in a small amount of oil. The default temperature for this preset was 160°C – much lower than usual when air frying – and 18 minutes – much shorter than most as well. We figured this setting would be more suited to frozen chips than fresh or skinny chips, so we increased the time to 25 minutes and 180°C.
Although it wasn't suggested to flip the fries, we did so halfway through cooking. Unfortunately, this still wasn't enough to get a consistent batch. The chips appeared mostly pale and many needed more cooking time to become properly crispy.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
We also cooked a chicken using the corresponding preset (35 minutes at 230°C) and the rotisserie fork. The fork is designed to hold a whole chicken weighing up to 2.5kg, however, we suggest that such a heavy bird requires some skill. Once a tray was in place to catch the fat as advised, we had difficulty keeping a 1.5kg bird balanced on the fork without it dragging.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
While cooking, the oven emitted a fair amount of steam and some smoke as the grease and juices hit the elements at the top of the oven, causing our range hood to remain on for the duration of the cooking process. Additionally, the juices were overflowing the tray and entering the door seal, leaving puddles on the countertop. Despite these issues, the chicken was cooked well, with golden brown skin, not too crispy, and succulent flesh.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
The subsequent cleaning was the biggest challenge: all the accessories had to be washed by hand as they are not dishwasher safe. Despite lots of scrubbing, we couldn't get the burnt grease out of the tray and crumb tray, and think non-stick coated accessories would be better. The cavity also needs to be cleaned after each use once cooled: more effort than most air fryers, where the drawers can be easily cleaned by hand or put in the dishwasher.
Pricing and availability
The VonShef Air Fryer Oven has an RRP of £149.99, which is very good value, especially for a device of this capacity. You can buy it from VonHaus for this price, but it's available from Amazon and B&Q for just £129.99. You can buy the 18L model from Amazon for £89.99.
You can compare it with its competitors in our best air fryer ovens roundup.
Should you buy the VonHaus VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven?
As an appliance, the VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven could use some adjustment. Some of its presets aren't quite right and you might find yourself adjusting times and temperatures after cooking with it a few times. Plus, cleaning it and its kit is a real chore.
But if you can overlook the oven's quirks, for the price it offers a lot: plenty of space inside, energy-efficient cooking, and a price that makes it relatively affordable for most. For those who want to save on oven use, artists, or large families who need extra capacity, this versatile countertop appliance may be a wise purchase.
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