I ditched my oven for this celebrity-brand air fryer and I've never looked back

When my six-month old Viking oven randomly called it quits on me one evening (leaving me with a sheet pan of uncooked salmon filets and a panic of rethinking dinner), I knew an air fryer was the next best thing. I usually don't have high expectations of celebrity-owned brands, but the Beautiful 9-quart TriZone air fryer by Drew Barrymore rose to the occasion when I needed it most. Not only did it help me survive an oven-less kitchen until the new part for my Viking oven arrived, but it ultimately helped me get more creative with my recipes.

The air fryer did the job of everything I would normally have my oven do, including warming up my bread (because, gasp, I don't own a toaster), roast vegetables, and reheat frozen items. It also inspired me to try new dishes like the viral air fryer fried eggs (more on that later) and managed to look good while doing its job even though it's large and in charge. If you ever find yourself with a broken oven like me, or you're simply in the market for a new air fryer, the Beautiful 9-quart TriZone air fryer is certainly worthy of countertop space.

Using the air fryer

This air fryer features a touchscreen display, cooking temperatures from 90 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees, and six various cooking functions (air fry, broil, roast, reheat, bake, and dehydrate). What sets this air fryer apart from others that I've personally tried is the fact that it has dual baskets separated by a center divider, meaning you can whip up two separate dishes using two different cooking methods, at the same time. You also have the option of using the entire basket for one dish if that's preferred — just remove the center divider.

The dual cooking feature makes this particular air fryer great for cooking full meals (use one side for your proteins and the other for vegetables) as well as dishes that have different cooking times (for instance, cauliflower in one basket, potatoes in the other). Each basket has a 4.5-quart capacity (enough for a family of two to four) when used in dual zones, or a nine-quart capacity when using the entire basket during single-zone use.

The air fryer whipped up my Mediterranean fried egg dish beautifully — I cracked a few eggs directly into the parchment-lined basket, threw in olives and tomatoes, and sprinkled in some cheese. I let the air fryer run for about 13 minutes and the eggs were perfectly runny and the cheese was lightly crisped.

Credit: Michelle Rostamian / Mashable

Credit: Michelle Rostamian / Mashable

Thought-out details

No detail went unnoticed with this air fryer. For one, it has a nifty "reminder" button that you can turn on before pre-selecting your function — this feature causes the air fryer to beep when the food is two-thirds of the way cooked to remind you to shake the basket (FYI: this works on all modes except broil, reheat, and dehydrate). I found this extremely useful, especially when hosting and having several other dishes to worry about.

The sync feature means your fries and chicken will be done cooking at the same time. Credit: Michelle Rostamian / Mashable

The air fryer also has a "sync" function for times you're making use of the dual zone feature. With "sync," you're able to sync up two different cooking times so that all foods are ready at the same time. I used this function when cooking chicken cutlets and French fries as the potatoes needed a head start, and everything was nice and ready at the same time.

Is the Drew Barrymore air fryer worth it?

Aside from its useful details, this appliance is downright gorgeous. The lack of knobs and buttons gives it a sleeker look — a plus considering its already-substantial size. It also has clean lines and comes in five different colors, including a muted blue and sage green. One thing that would be nice is if the handle hardware were available in stainless steel — right now, it's only available in a golden-brassy finish, which won't match kitchens that don't have this shade in their design. I also like that the touchscreen light only illuminates when it needs to communicate something to you (like that your food is ready). 

While the touch-activated screen is easy to use and get the hang of, sometimes it gets finicky and requires pushing the same button a few times for it to compute. Still, the air fryer is well-made, especially when it comes to the basket, which locks securely into place and flawlessly opens and closes (unlike other air fryers I've tried that require me to finagle the basket with two hands while maneuvering). 

The brand claims that the air fryer can feed up to nine people, but I personally don't see how that's possible since I was only able to fit two chicken cutlets and a handful of potatoes in the dual baskets. Instead, I'd recommend this for small- to medium-sized families