Chefman Air Fryer – 3.75L Compact Airfryer for Quick, Easy Meals, Features Hi-Fry Technology for Extra Crisp, Easy-View Window, Touch Controls with 4 Presets, Nonstick & Dishwasher Safe Basket - Black

What It Is and Who It's For

The Chefman 3.75L is a compact air fryer aimed squarely at space-conscious households and those seeking an affordable entry point into air frying. At just 3.75 litres, it sits at the smaller end of the market—comfortably smaller than the Tower Vortx (5L) and Cosori (6L), and dramatically smaller than the Ninja models hitting 10.4L. This isn't a limitation so much as a design choice: you're paying £69.99 for a fryer that'll fit comfortably on a shelf without dominating your worktop.

It's genuinely designed for households of one or two, or for anyone who meal preps in small batches. If you're feeding four people every evening or regularly batch-cooking, you'll feel the capacity pinch quickly. But if it's just you and a partner, or you cook fresh and often rather than in bulk, this works.

Design and Build

The Chefman is straightforward, almost deliberately unglamorous. You get a black plastic chassis with a modest footprint—the kind of appliance that disappears into your kitchen rather than demanding attention. The build quality is respectable; nothing feels particularly flimsy, though it's clearly not engineered to the standards of a £200+ Ninja.

The touch controls are a nice touch (pun intended). Four preset buttons are simpler than some competitors offer, but they're genuinely useful: you're looking at preset programs for chips, chicken, fish, and vegetables—basically the four things most people air fry. You get dedicated temperature and time adjustments, so you're not locked into the presets if you want to experiment.

The easy-view window is one of the better features here. Unlike some budget air fryers where you can barely see inside, the Chefman's window is genuinely useful for checking progress without opening the drawer. The non-stick basket is dishwasher-safe, which means cleanup is painless. That basket is also removable in a single motion, which matters more than it sounds when you're cooking for two and want to slide food onto plates straight away.

The 1300W power rating is solid for this size—it's enough to generate the heat you need for proper crisping without running dangerously hot. The BPA-free materials are table stakes now, so whilst it's worth noting the Chefman meets this standard, it's not a differentiator.

Performance

The real question with any £70 air fryer is whether it actually crisps things up. The answer here is yes, it does, thanks largely to the Hi-Fry technology. This is Chefman's name for their rapid air circulation system, and in practice it works. Chips come out properly golden and crispy rather than pale and limp. Chicken cooks through evenly without the usual saga of dry edges and undercooked centres that plague cheaper models.

Temperature consistency is respectable. The fryer reaches target temperature quickly—under two minutes typically—and holds it steady through the cook. You won't get the kind of precision you'd expect from a £200+ model, but for £69.99, this is above average.

The four presets actually work as advertised. They're not perfectly calibrated for every piece of food you throw at them, but they're a sensible starting point. I'd expect most users to stick with them most of the time, which is exactly what preset functions should accomplish.

The 3.75L capacity means you're realistically cooking for one, maximum two. A single portion of chips nearly fills it; trying to cook for four people means three separate batches. This is the fryer's main performance limitation, not because it cooks poorly, but because it forces you to cook repeatedly.

Key Features Worth Noting

The Hi-Fry technology is the headline feature, and it's the reason this compares reasonably to more expensive models. Rapid air circulation at high velocity is the principle that makes air frying work, and Chefman has clearly prioritised this over gimmicky extras.

The easy-view window is genuinely practical. You can check doneness without opening the unit and losing heat, which cuts down on guesswork. Most air fryer users end up opening theirs constantly anyway, so this saves you from the habit.

There's no fancy digital display or app connectivity here—no smartphone notifications telling you your chips are ready, no memory function saving your favourite recipes. Some people will find this a relief; others might miss the convenience. For £69.99, the trade-off is fair.

Value Against Competitors

The competitive landscape matters here. The Tower Vortx at £54.99 is cheaper, but it's rated 4.4★ compared to Chefman's 4.5★. It's also 5L versus 3.75L, so you get more capacity for less money. If storage space isn't a concern, the Tower is tempting.

Move up to £89.99 and the Cosori TurboBlaze offers 6L capacity and a 4.6★ rating. That's a 27 per cent larger basket and marginally better reviews for £20 more. If you can stretch your budget, the Cosori represents notably better value.

The Philips Essential at £109.99 slots into the premium budget category. It's rated 4.5★ (same as Chefman) but offers an XL capacity. You're paying £40 more for a significantly larger fryer, which makes sense if cooking volume is important.

The Ninja models at £199-229 are a different category entirely—premium features, larger capacities, better materials. They're not competitors so much as aspirational upgrades.

The Chefman's position is clear: it's the budget option for people who genuinely want a compact fryer, not people settling for small because they can't afford larger. If you'd prefer a bigger basket, the Tower or Cosori both offer better value. If you specifically want something this compact, the Chefman is a sensible choice.

Verdict

The Chefman 3.75L is an honest appliance at an honest price. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not, and it doesn't disappoint when you use it for what it's designed for: quick meals for one or two people in a space-conscious kitchen.

Performance is solid. The Hi-Fry technology delivers properly crisped results, temperature control is reliable, and the build quality is adequate for regular use. The easy-view window and dishwasher-safe basket are thoughtful features that suggest someone actually considered how people actually use air fryers.

The limitations are real but not hidden. The 3.75L capacity is genuinely small. The four presets are basic. There's no digital display or smart features. But none of these things are flaws—they're the reality of a £70 air fryer.

If you live alone, cook for two, or want a second fryer for your kitchen without breaking the budget, the Chefman works. It's not the cheapest option available, and it's not the most spacious. It's simply the right choice if you're optimising for both performance and compact size at this price point.