If you dream of being able to make fantastic fried food without the worries of added fats or over expensive appliances, then the Dash Compact Air Fryer could be the machine that you’ve been looking for. With only half the weight of a standard air fryer without lacking any of the versatility that usually comes with a larger sized air fryer, the Dash Compact’s modest price tag looks like a complete bargain thanks to its accomplished performance and compact design. Utilising Dash’s AirCrisp technology to fry foods in an easy and convenient manner, the Dash Compact Air Fryer could be the perfect option for somebody that wants the benefits of an air fryer without having to pay top dollar for one of the more expensive models.

The Dash Compact Air Fryer is designed in a way that manages to set it apart from the majority of air fryers on the market. Weighing a mere 5.7 pounds, the Dash Compact is more than half the weight of most standard air fryers. This shows that not every air fryer has to be a heavy-duty, cumbersome appliance that is difficult to move around your kitchen. With dimensions of 10.2 x 8.1 x 11.4 inches, the Dash Compact Air Fryer is also a compact unit with a cylindrical design that effectively reduces the amount of space taken up on your kitchen counter. Unlike many air fryers, the Dash Compact comes in 5 different colors options: black, white, grey, red and aqua so you'll certainly find one to blend into your kitchen interior.

With the attractive design and color choice that Dash have already managed to come up with, the ability to choose the colour of your air fryer means that there should always be a way for you to fit the Dash Compact Air Fryer into your kitchen environment. Compared to other air fryers, the Dash Compact is not considered to be too loud when in use, meaning that you should be able to perform other roles in your kitchen without being too distracted by your air fryer's noise levels. Even though the Dash Compact Air Fryer is not known for being an appliance that will have basic design faults, there is a 1 year warranty placed on the product that can cover you in the possibility that there is a fault with your model.

Given its impressively compact design, its no real surprise that the Dash Compact Air Fryer is more focused on convenience than anything else. There are two manual analogue dials on the Dash Compact. One for time, which goes up to 30 minutes in length; and one for temperature, which can be adjusted up to 400°F. While many may prefer a more modern interface that allows for faster, easier management, the dial controls are simple to operate and should cause no problems for anyone. What should also cause no problems is cleaning the Dash Compact Air Fryer. The Dash Compact’s air frying basket is dishwasher safe and only requires a short cool off period after use before it can be safely placed in the dishwasher for cleaning. The basket is also made of non-stick Teflon material to prevent any food from becoming stuck to the surface and not getting cooked properly.

In terms of performance, the Dash Compact Air Fryer lives up to expectations by producing great cooking results for a variety of different foods. Tasty and crispy fries can be achieved with the Dash Compact without having to use more than a tiny amount of oil, severely reducing the amount of added fat that you eat compared to a standard deep fryer. This is thanks to Dash’s AirCrisp technology that manages to ensure that cooking results stay consistently even. Other foods that can be cooked effectively with the Dash Compact include nuggets, onion rings, chicken wings and fish sticks. One advantage of using an appliance like the Dash Compact compared to traditional cooking methods, is that air fryers tend to cook food quicker and more efficiently than ovens, and the Dash Compact Air Fryer is no different. As long as you set the correct temperature for your food, you should find that your food takes less time to cook in the Dash Compact than it does in a normal oven! However, one drawback for the Dash Compact Air Fryer’s slightly small design is that it cannot fit as much food inside compared to many other air fryers on the market, due to the 1.2qt size. While this should cause no problem for single person use, you may find that the Dash Compact Air Fryer is not the most suitable appliance for large families.

Being such an affordable and lightweight air fryer, it’s no shock that the Dash Compact Air Fryer is not absolutely packed with stunning, ground-breaking features unlike anything you’ve ever seen from an air fryer. Despite only being powered by 1000W, the Dash Compact can become extremely hot to touch while being used. Thankfully, there is an auto-shut off feature that prevents the unit from becoming dangerously hot; a convenient and useful feature that removes any sense of danger from the Dash Compact Air Fryer. Another helpful characteristic is the Dash Compact’s non-skid pads that prevent the bottom of the air fryer from moving while the fryer is in use. These pads are especially useful when you’re pushing or pulling the cooking pan in or out, as they manage to ensure that the air fryer stays still while you’re moving its parts all around.

One feature that you may not have expected from the Dash Compact Air Fryer is the wide-ranging adjustable temperature settings which, up to a temperature of 400°F, give the user a level of freedom that is usually only seen in the more expensive air fryers. However, the Dash Compact Air Fryer manages to subvert all expectations of an affordable air fryer and provide features that you simply wouldn’t expect.

All in all, the Dash Compact Air Fryer is a magnificent air frying appliance given its modest price tag. While its not set up with the most innovative features you’ve ever seen from an air fryer, the Dash Compact performs excellently on a consistent basis; constantly managing to provide a wide variety of evenly cooked, crispy food. Of course, its lack of size makes it much harder to cook for large numbers of people. However, the Dash Compact makes up for this by being a convenient, well performing and surprisingly versatile appliance that is just a fraction of the price of many other top air fryers.