Are air fryer microwaves worth it? We tested two to find out.

Designed to combine an air fryer's crispy results and a microwave's convenience and speed, air fryer microwaves could just be the "next big thing" in kitchen appliances. It doesn't hurt that two-in-one appliances save precious counter space, too.

But after testing the Breville and GE air fryer microwaves for several weeks, I've concluded that the current technology is a little unrefined. While I'm hopeful for the future of air fryer microwaves, for now, I think you're better off investing in one of the best microwaves or air fryers separately.

If you want to try out an air fryer microwave for yourself, I recommend the GE 4-in-1 Air Fryer Microwave Oven. It's a fantastic microwave with handy air fryer features that performed much better than the pricey Breville Combi-Wave, I'd go with the GE. Read on to learn how these appliances compare when cooking everything from a whole chicken to frozen mac and cheese.

My thoughts on the GE 4-in-1 Microwave Oven

Getting started

Setting up the GE air fryer microwave was a breeze. All you do is remove the packaging and plug it in: I had it up and running in a minute or two and didn't need the instructions to get started.

Yet, when I tried to remove my cooked food the first time, I couldn't get the door to open. That's because the unit comes with the child lock activated. Fortunately, the user manual has simple directions for turning the child lock off.

To air-fry, you need to use the included rack and crispy pan. After selecting air-fry, you choose the temperature you want, punch in the time, and press start. Alternatively, you can choose from nine presets, including chicken tenders, chicken wings, onion rings, and more.

Microwave performance

Frozen mac and cheese

I cooked frozen mac and cheese in the GE air fryer microwave and compared the results to those in my standard Whirlpool microwave. The pasta and cheese sauce appeared to be perfectly even. There were no burned or undercooked spots. It was virtually indistinguishable from the stand-alone microwave.

Marshmallow test

Next, I lined the GE air fryer microwave's glass turntable with parchment paper and arranged mini marshmallows across the surface. This made it easy to see the hot spots (where the marshmallows were more puffed up) and the cold zones (where they remained uncooked).

Typically, we run the units on high for two minutes when performing this test. However, after a minute, all the marshmallows in the GE microwave had expanded and were starting to make a mess. The marshmallows were all cooked evenly, with no uncooked ones. Overall, the GE's performance as a microwave was outstanding.

Air fryer performance

After cooking with over 60 units, we've refined our air fryer testing. You can dive into the details in our article on how we test air fryers.

Frozen fries

To test air fryers, I put a pound of frozen fries in the air fryer basket and cook it for eight minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking the basket halfway through. If the fries aren't golden brown after eight minutes, I add more time.

The GE air fryer microwave didn't do well. After 24 minutes, about half the fries were crispy, and the other half were either burned or soggy and undercooked. I retested using the preset for french fries. The directions recommended putting in half as many fries as my standard test, and it cooked them for 15 minutes. The fries came out better this time but were still unevenly cooked.

Frozen pizza

Since the GE microwave air fryer resembles an air fryer toaster oven more than the classic basket air fryer, I decided to put it through a couple of tests we use for the best air fryer toaster ovens.

One such test is cooking frozen pizza in the crisping pan. I air-fried the pizza at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. After the cooking time, the toppings were a little overdone and the crust wasn't as crispy as I would have liked, but overall, the pizza was evenly cooked and tasted great.

Roasted whole chicken

In this test, I air-fry a whole chicken at 350 degrees until my probe thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

I immediately ran into difficulties. The air fryer microwave's instructions say to use a tall rack when air-frying items. Yet, the chicken would not fit if I used the rack, so I skipped it and just cooked the chicken in the crisping pan.

I used a wireless probe thermometer to monitor the chicken's progress. I stopped the test after 90 minutes with the internal temperature only at 100. Most air fryer toaster ovens finish cooking after 75 minutes. Also concerning was the thermometer's ambient temperature reading: only 225 degrees, much lower than the 350 degrees I set the air fryer to.

Care and maintenance

Cleaning the GE air fryer microwave was easy. Even when marshmallows oozed all over the interior, the sticky mess cleaned up quickly with a hot, damp cloth. Plus, I liked that the turntable is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. GE doesn't say if the other removable components are dishwasher safe, so I recommend washing by hand. Be gentle with the crisper tray, which may lose its nonstick surface faster in a dishwasher or with a heavy-duty scrubber.

After each use, you should wipe down the interior to prevent odors and food buildup. I don't have time for that, though, so I did it when there was visible debris inside. When cleaning my kitchen counters, I'd also wipe down the unit's exterior with a damp cloth and mild detergent.

Cons to consider

Overall, the GE air fryer microwave's air-frying performance was subpar. All the air fryers you'll find in our guides do a better job of cooking quickly and evenly. Specifically, the GE seemed to struggle with thicker foods, like chicken or a layered pile of fries. When it comes to a thin layer of food, like pizza, I had more success. It did a great job air-frying leftover restaurant pizza.

Using the tall rack to air fry was a pain. Removing the crisping tray was difficult, as the rack's legs made the structure fairly unstable. When I grabbed the pan, the rack fell over a few times, and I had to resist the urge to catch the hot metal. Unfortunately, the food must be directly underneath the heating element to cook, so a tall rack is necessary.

When air frying, the GE unit beeps at you about two-thirds through the cook to get you to turn the food. By turn, I think it meant I should flip it. With classic basket air fryers, you can just shake the basket to mix up the food and cook it evenly. It was harder with the GE crisping pan, and I ended up just using a spatula to push the food around. I'm unsure how necessary this step is since the food rotates on the turntable.

Breville Combi-Wave vs. GE Air Fryer Microwave

The other air fryer microwave I tested was the Breville Combi-Wave, which costs $500 and doesn't perform nearly as well as the $190 GE Microwave Oven. The one test that the Combi-Wave won was cooking chicken. The lowest air fry temperature is 400 degrees, so I cooked a chicken at 350 on Oven mode. The Combi-Wave did better than the GE unit, finishing the chicken in 68 minutes and cooking it evenly.

One annoying quirk of the Combi-Wave is that it microwaves to preheat the air fryer: you can't have metal objects in it while microwaving, so you can't start cooking until the unit preheats.

The Combi-Wave's air frying and microwave performance were subpar, worse than those of the GE air fryer microwave. Fries took 30 minutes to air fry in the Combi-Wave, compared to eight minutes in our top air fryer. The Breville Combi-Wave microwaves slowly. I used it daily as needed and found it took much longer than my kitchen's Whirlpool microwave. Overall, I'm not sold on the Breville Combi-Wave.

What are your alternatives?

If you have the space, I suggest buying an air fryer and microwave separately. I just don't think the combination technology is there yet.

The best air fryer in our guide is the Instant Vortex Plus. It cooks quickly and evenly. The drawer features a little window to monitor the progress of your food, and it's easy to use. Read our full review to learn more.

For a microwave with extra features, I recommend the Panasonic Smart Inverter Microwave. At 1,200, watts it's more powerful than most microwaves, translating to faster and more even cooking. Check out our best microwave guide for more recommendations.

Lastly, consider one of the best air fryer toaster ovens. They're pricier, but they can do everything a convection oven can without using as much power or space. The Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Fry Oven did the best in our tests and is aesthetically pleasing. Read our full Ninja air fryer toaster oven review.

The bottom line

If I didn't have a microwave or an air fryer, I'd consider buying the GE air fryer microwave. As it is, I have both, and the GE hasn't replaced either. The microwave abilities are excellent, but the air frying is subpar. I have hope for future air fryer microwaves to become the next must-have combination appliance, but the technology just isn't there yet.

The post Are air fryer microwaves worth it? We tested two to find out. appeared first on Business Insider