I stumbled upon the Big Boss Oil-Less Fryer when I was searching for a heart-healthy alternative to the deep fryer that I love so much. One of my absolute favorite meal is southern-fried chicken, but between the calories and the grease, it was one of my body’s least favorite meals. The price tag was reasonable, making it one of the cheapest air fryer options; with the most to offer and promised to deliver an oil-free alternative to all my favorite fried foods and more. This Big Boss oil-less fryer reviews the air fryer and how it fares to actual deep frying, as well as the pros and cons of having and using one.
Energy Efficient
The Big Boss air fryer uses less power than a full-sized oven, but that’s pretty obvious considering it’s smaller than a full-sized oven. It has two trays so that you can cook multiple foods at once and there is no waiting for frozen food to thaw out. It can cook from frozen. I think it’s really cool that you can watch your food cook since it cooks in a glass bowl with a halogen light. This combination helps keep the temperature even throughout.
No Oil Hassle and Easy Clean up
Since there is virtually no oil or grease, there are none of the burns or mess. When you do use oil, you only need a little spritz. In this case, less is more. I like that the whole thing cleans up completely too, unlike say, the toaster oven. With a toaster oven it’s like you never can completely get every last crumb out of it no matter how hard you try. Since the Big Boss Oil-Less Fryer cooks in the glass bowl, you can easily wipe out every last crumb relatively easily.
You can’t soak the lid in water though. The lid is where the halogen bulb, and all the electrical components are, so you can’t dip that in the sink for a thorough wash. The most you can do is take a moist towel and wipe it down. I think this is the only bad thing when it comes to cleanup for this unit. That may be mostly because I’m a bit of a clean freak, so if something hasn’t been soaked in soapy hot water, it just doesn’t feel 100% clean to me. You might be less obsessive, so this might not be a problem for you at all.
Similar To Cooking In the Oven
Cooking with the Big Boss is a lot like cooking in the oven, in my opinion. It more resembles the oven because it does cook with air as opposed to grease. I think that your food gets crispier in the Big Boss than in the oven though. And with a little spritz of oil, you can have all of your favorite fried foods minus all the calories from the oil. To be honest though, I don’t think a lot of the food turns out that well without the little spritz. French fries just don’t taste like fried without oil in the Big Boss; they are closer to tasting like they were baked in the oven.
Easy to Use
The Big Boss air fryer assembles relatively easily. You just put the lid on the bowl. The controls on the outside panel are basic and easy to use. The fryer cleans up easily as well. I think this product would be good for someone with even the most basic knowledge of cooking. There is a timer suggestion panel right on the product, and it includes a booklet with more information. I think the times they used were a little modest to say the least. It claims to cook food 3 times faster, but I really think they were just cooking smaller food. It took about the same amount of time to make chicken breast as it would in the oven.
Very Large: Good & Bad
The fryer is very awkward and bulky. If you’re planning on buying one of these, make sure you have the space to operate and store this item. I did not anticipate the size so not only does it take up a huge portion of my counter when I am using it, but it’s taking up a decent amount of space when it’s not in use in my pantry. I couldn’t fit the fryer into any of my cabinets with anything else. The larger size does make it a little more difficult to clean than I anticipated as well, however it is almost perfect for cooking for my family.
There are sleeker air fryers like the Philips, and the T-fal Actifry that take up less space, but they do cost more. However, if you really don’t have the space, it might be worthwhile to check them out. After all, your health is more important and if an oil-less fryer can offer you fried foods without some of the health risks, then it’s well worth it.
Round Shape Not so Desirable
It does have a very large size, but my problem is with the round shape. I would have preferred that the fryer was an oval. Considering you can only have one layer of the food and your food cannot be touching in order for it to cook properly, it could have helped to have extra space that would be needed at times. It is very hard for me to position food so that it fits in the round shape and still cooks it thoroughly.
Overall, the Big Boss 1300-watt oil-less fryer 16-quart is a good purchase. I would give it 7 out of 10. It cooks well, and it’s fairly easy on your wallet compared to other oil-less fryers. It will even help reduce your energy costs in the long run. It’s a low calorie way to enjoy your favorite fried foods, but a lot of the foods just aren’t as good as actual deep frying with oil. But I can live with that. I’m tired of the unattractive weight. Its large size and round shape are what make it less desirable to me. I love all of the food I have cooked in it including, but not limited to: roast, vegetables, steak, flatbread pizza, frozen chicken tenders, chicken breasts, and homemade French fries.
Recommendation
This Big Boss oil-less fryer reviews only what I felt was important to me, and what I noticed. I’m sure there’s a few things I might have missed. If you can think of something that should have been mentioned, but it was missed here, please share it in the comments below. Overall, I would recommend buying this product so long as you have the space for it. Remember to check Amazon for prices.
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