Gourmia Air Fryer Review (2023 Guide)

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The taste of deep-fried cooking has a special place in my heart and also in my stomach. I confess that I eat it: but in moderation. 

One thing I’ve always hated about deep frying is how you have to dump a huge amount of oil in a pot. It seems like a waste of oil. And disposing of cooking oil is a real pain.

So, an air fryer that uses very little oil seems right up my alley; the Gourmia 6-quart Digital Air Fryer (5.7-liter) is definitely at a price I’m willing to pay. 

If you’re happy with something basic and affordable then the Gourmia Air Fryer is a great choice. Personally I prefer the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer for its extra features.

Good Basic Air Fryer
Gourmia 6 Qt Air Fryer
Gourmia GAF685 Stainless Steel No Oil Healthy Frying 6 Quart Digital Air Fryer (Certified Refurbished)
Good choice if looking for a basic air fryer.
Good Basic Air Fryer
Gourmia 6 Qt Air Fryer
Gourmia GAF685 Stainless Steel No Oil Healthy Frying 6 Quart Digital Air Fryer (Certified Refurbished)
Good choice if looking for a basic air fryer.

Check out our 6-quart digital Gourmia Air Fryer review and to see why and find out about some alternatives. 

Things To Consider Before Buying a Digital Air Fryer

Besides using a lot less oil, what am I looking for in an air fryer? Here are some important points you should consider when shopping for an air fryer. 

What to look for when buying an air fryer

Delicious Food

The crispiness is the first thing to look at; it’s why we’re here deciding on an air fryer in the first place. I wouldn’t expect the exact same crispiness as deep-frying. But it should come a close second.

It’ll be like low-fat milk. Not quite there, but good enough.

The same, however, isn’t true of other functions, like baking salmon or steaks. You want the air fryer result to be at least as good as foods cooked on your stovetop or oven. You’re not getting the same health benefits as you’d get from avoiding deep-frying so you’d better not lose on taste! 

You should also think about the smell from the machine itself. It’s not uncommon for an air fryer to put out an odor of burnt plastic, initially. And that smell can certainly end up in the taste of your food. Sometimes these odors stop occurring once you’ve used the machine a few times; some customers swear they continue. 

Capacity

If you’re just thinking about making some french fries, you’re good to go with a smaller unit. However, an air fryer should be big enough to do larger meals, even a whole chicken. 

You want to find an air fryer with about a 6-quart (5.7-liter) capacity for a small family. Bigger families should consider a 7-quart (6.6-liter) or larger. 

Serving up a small roast chicken at a table full of food.

Intuitive Controls

What I like in an air fryer is the ability to set it myself or let the air fryer do it for me. Presets are buttons that allow the machine to set the temperature and time for you; they call it one-touch-cooking. The presets will commonly be linked to the type of food you’re cooking. If you’re cooking salmon, you hit a preset for salmon.

There is some variety in the number of presets out there on an air fryer.

Personally I think, the more, the merrier, as this means there’ll likely be one for the food you’re cooking. Look for at least eight presets, or as many as 12 one-touch presets, on an air fryer before purchase. 

Timer

I know this seems a little obvious, but some air fryers have more than just a regular timer; they have timers that talk to you through your smartphone or smart home device. Some timers remind you to give your food a shake partway through the cooking process. 

Easy-To-Clean Basket

This is vital; the basket must be easy to get out of the fryer and completely removable. 

Check for non-stick materials; it’s going to get messy, and you want to be able to wipe it clean with ease. It should also be dishwasher-safe. 

Stainless steel baskets will last longer but aren’t as easy to clean up. If you have concerns with Teflon then you might want to avoid a non-stick basket.

Crisper Tray

These trays are for laying out vegetables or meat separately for frying. Like the basket, you’ll want these trays to be easy to clean and dishwasher-safe as well. 

Other Functions

Your air fryer should do more than just deep fry without oil. 

Think of your air fryer as a mini convection oven. Ensure that the fryer you choose can roast, grill, broil, bake and fry all kinds of meat and vegetables quickly.

Some air fryers go above and beyond this list. A few are pressure cookers that can also air fry; their list of functions includes air frying, pressure cooking, dehydrating fruit, baking bread, and making yogurt.

Safety

Any appliance, from your microwave to your electric kettle, has the potential for accidents that can result in injury. Your air fryer is no different.

Some safety features to look for include: automatic shut-off, overheat protection, and cool-to-touch handles. 

Little to No Oil

Many people buy air fryers because they use little to no cooking oil with foods.

Yet not all oil is unhealthy. For example I love Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and it has massive health benefits. However, if the air fryer helps you avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils in your foods then that is a good thing.

Gourmia Stainless Steel Digital Air Fryer Review

The Gourmia Digital Air Fryer comes out of a huge range of air fryers and other appliances from Gourmia; this one is around the middle in terms of size and price. 

Gourmia GAF685 Stainless Steel No Oil Healthy Frying 6 Quart Digital Air Fryer (Certified Refurbished)

This air fryer will appeal to families with small children, couples, and singles who want a simple air fryer without too much technology.

Now, let’s look at the Gourmia Stainless Steel Digital Air Fryer and see how it measures up. 

Pros 

  • Touch screen controls
  • Easy-clean basket and crisper tray
  • Dishwasher-safe
  • Includes a rack, four skewers, and a recipe book
  • Good level of crispness
  • Easy to use

Cons 

  • Only eight presets
  • No safety functions
  • LImited timer functions
  • Doesn’t have any extra cooking functions
  • Crisper trays may rust
  • May have a burning plastic smell
  • A little loud when frying

What Am I Getting for My Money?

Now, let’s take a closer look at the features and benefits of the Gourmia Air Fryer. Although, of course, I don’t automatically believe what the manufacturer claims, it is nice to start with a video from Gourmia themselves:

Delicious Food

Most Gourmia Air Fryer users have heaps of praise for the taste of the food. This is the case with everything from tortillas to chicken. 

Some users had trouble getting crispness in certain foods, like sweet potatoes. 

There were reports of a burnt plastic or silicone smell coming out of the machine and filling the kitchen; one user said that the food tasted like plastic. 

Yet this doesn’t happen to most users.

Cooking Capacity

The cooking capacity of the Gourmia Stainless Steel Digital Air Fryer is 6-quarts (5.7-liters.) It’s an ample size for families. You’d be hard-pressed to pull a meal for more than about four people out of this one. 

Gourmia offers other sizes for different models, including:

  • A 5 Quart for couples or small families
  • An 7 Quart for larger families

Intuitive Controls

The Gourmia Air Fryer has eight preset controls. I’ve seen more, and I’ve seen fewer. 

You may catch yourself sliding some food into the air fryer that doesn’t appear on the list of presets. It just means you’ll have to figure out the temperature and time on your own. 

It does have touch screen controls which are better than buttons. I’ve noticed that the buttons on many air fryers break down faster than you’d expect; it could be from the high heat coming out of these little cookers. 

Timer

The Gourmial Air Fryer has a simple timer; its maximum is 60 minutes.

I don’t see any of the other bells and whistles that other air fryers have; there’s no wifi functionality or food-shake reminder. 

Easy-To-Clean Basket and Crisper Trays

The Gourmia Air Fryer basket is an easy-to-clean material; there’s no mention of what kind of non-stick it is. It’s dishwasher-safe. It likely contains PTFE, the active ingredient in Teflon. This non-stick basket should be safe if not overheated (and it is unlikely to overheat as the Gourmia Air Fryer has its own temperature control technology.)

The crisper trays in the air fryer are also non-stick and dishwasher-safe. 

Included in the set is a multi-purpose rack with four skewers; this is something different and a nice inclusion, but they aren’t non-stick. Users reported problems with rust on the rack and skewers. 

Other Functions

This air fryer does everything a convection oven can do, including roasting, grilling, broiling, baking, and frying all kinds of meat and vegetables quickly.

What I don’t see here are extras; this device isn’t a pressure cooker, bread baker, fruit dehydrator, or yogurt maker. If you want these functions, look elsewhere. Just know: you won’t get these extra features at this price. 

Safety

If there are safety features, Gourmia isn’t advertising them or mentioning them at all. 

There are tons of precautions in the manual, but I don’t see things like overheat protection or automatic shut-off. 

Maybe that’s why some users complain of burning smells?

Is Gourmia a Good Brand?

Gourmia is a Brooklyn, New York-based company that provides domestic kitchen equipment focusing on healthy cooking practices and ease of use. Its head office is in the USA, and the products are mostly made in China. 

Gourmia makes many products for the kitchen; Oprah has endorsed one of Gourmia’s products: the frozen dessert maker. She put it on her favorite things list. 

There are mixed reviews regarding Gourmia’s customer service. 

 A white plate with fried fish, fresh herbs, and a lemon wedge.

What Are Some Alternatives To the Gourmia Air Fryer?

Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer 

This Cosori is a comparable model to the Gourmia Air Fryer.

Both focus on frying food and have no extra features like baking bread. They are very close to the same size, so they’re suitable for small families. 

When it comes to settings for cooking, the Cosori has 11 presets compared to Gourmia’s eight. If you use the app that connects to the Cosori, you get over 100 presets. 

The Cosori has a lot more options for communicating with your air fryer. It uses smart technology, and you can even speak to it through smart devices.

Safety features, like overheat protection and automatic shut-off, are found in the Cosori but not in the Gourmia Air Fryer. 

You get a recipe book that contains 100 recipes with the Cosori. 

The Gourmia Air Fryer is significantly more affordable than the Cosori. If you’re just looking for a simple way to air fry food, I think it’s still a viable option because of the low price.

Check out the Cosori and see if hi-tech features appeal to you. 

Gourmia vs Cosori, comparison in a nutshell: 

  • Almost the same size
  • Cosori has eleven presets, and Goumia has eight
  • Cosori has 100 presets on its app
  • Both have non-stick baskets that are dishwasher-safe
  • Cosori has more safety features than Gourmia
  • Neither fryer has extra features
  • Gourmia is more affordable

Chefman 6.3-Quart Digital Air Fryer+ 

This Chefman air fryer is much more expensive than the Gourmia Air Fryer. But let’s look at what you get for the extra money.

The Chefman is a 6.3 quart digital air fryer that goes beyond frying. In addition to the usual air frying functions, it can bake, reheat, dehydrate, and there’s even a rotisserie function. 

Both the Gourmia Air Fryer and Chefman have eight presets for easy one-touch cooking. 

Chefman 6.3-Qt 4-In-1 Digital Air Fryer+, Rotisserie, Dehydrator, Convection Oven, XL Family Size, 8 Touch Screen Presets, BPA-Free, Auto Shutoff, Accessories Included, Black

The Chefman Air Fryer has a window and interior light so you can easily see what’s happening in the heating chamber. There are safety features in the Chefman that aren’t in the Gourmia.

Take a look at the Chefman and see if this deluxe fryer is for you. 

Gourmia Air Fryer Comparison in a nutshell:

  • The Chefman has a slightly larger capacity
  • Both have eight presets
  • Both are easy to use
  • Chefman has a lot more cooking options
  • Chefman has a viewing window and interior light
  • Chefman has safety features
  • The Gourmia Air Fryer is much more affordable
Skewered meat, french fries and a dab of mayo on a black plate.

The Final Verdict

While I think the Gourmia Stainless Steel 6-Quart Digital Air Fryer (5.7-liter) is a great basic air fryer, for my money, I’d go with the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer

You may not use all the high-tech capabilities of the Cosori, but you might use some of them, so it’s good to have them there. Those who want to keep it simple will be happier with the more basic Gourmia Air Fryer.

I also think about safety, and Cosori seems to have that area covered, and then some. 

The Chefman 6.3-Quart Digital Air Fryer+ (6-liter) is a little over-the-top with all the extra features for my liking, and the price is high as well. For me, the Cosori is the perfect compromise.