Drew Barrymore made an air fryer and it's actually really great

We've tested a lot of air fryers here at Reviewed. The best of the bunch, the Philips Premium Airfryer XXL, is consistently great at air frying. But—and this is a big but, in my opinion—like most air fryers, the Philips is still pretty clunky. In fact, I'm pretty anti-air fryer due to the general girth of these things.

Leave it to movie star and talk show queen Drew Barrymore to make an air fryer that changes my mind about this genre of kitchen gadgetry. I got my hands on an air fryer from Barrymore's Beautiful appliance line, in a perfectly matte neutral shade called Oyster Grey, and took it for a test spin.

About Beautiful by Drew Barrymore

Beautiful Kitchenware is a collaboration between Drew Barrymore and Made by Gather founder and CEO Shae Hong launched in March of 2021. This collection of appliances, cookware, gadgets, and cutlery is available exclusively at Walmart, either online or in stores.

If you're wondering what business a movie star has in the kitchen appliance world (a question my mom actually asked me when I told her I was testing this product), it seems the collaboration was born out of the existing relationship between Barrymore and Walmart.

How does the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 6-Quart Air Fryer look and feel?

Barrymore brought her love of design to this line, which is evident in the gold accents on handles and levers, as well as the trendy matte finish and expertly curated color palette of the countertop appliances (available in Oyster Grey, Sage Green, Black Sesame, and White Icing). As a fellow design lover, I was really impressed by the attention to detail on this air fryer.

The matte finish is gorgeous and surprisingly not prone to fingerprints as many matte products tend to be. Its touch-activated display only lights up when you need it, and without any knobs or dials, the whole control panel is extra sleek.

What can the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 6-Quart Air Fryer do?

This 1,700-watt air fryer has the following functions: Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, and Dehydrate. It's got a 5-pound capacity and the brand claims this air fryer can reheat foods "up to 50% faster than a traditional oven."

Unlike competing appliance brands, none of Barrymore's kitchen products exceed $174, with the majority under $100. In fact, the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 6-Quart Air Fryer costs $89, which is cheaper than our current best value option (the Cosori Air Fryer Max XL 5.8-Quart, available for about $120). But does Barrymore's beautiful product perform like the best we've tested?

How does it perform?

My hopes were high for this air fryer because it was truly the most attractive model I've ever seen, and wow, did it deliver! I don't eat meat, so testing chicken wings wasn't on my list, but tofu was. And if you've every cooked tofu at home, you know how tough it can be to get a good crisp on the outer layer. I sprayed the tray with olive oil, arranged my tofu cubes in a single layer, and pressed Air Fry. After 10 minutes I gave the bucket a shake, then air fried for another 10 minutes. This tofu was the best, crispiest tofu I've ever made at home and it was infinitely less messy than my typical stovetop pan fried method.

I cooked pre-made frozen egg rolls in the air fryer to accompany my tofu dish and was pleasantly surprised by how fast they crisped up (just over 10 minutes) and how crispy they were. I've never had much success achieving crispiness in frozen foods when cooking in the oven, so this was a welcomed change.

Next up: my preferred bar snack, sweet potato tots. I added a 1.25-pound bag of frozen tots, made sure they were in a single layer on the tray (which covered the entire surface), and air fried at 400°F for 15 minutes. Once I hit the Air Fry button, it was easy to adjust time and temperature (the preset option is 400°F for 20 minutes) by simply hitting the minus button to decrease the time. The tots were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and warmed all the way through. They were—chef's kiss—perfection.

For my final test, I tried the Reheat setting to see how it would handle a frozen blueberry waffle. After six minutes at 250°F, my waffle was cooked just like it would've been had I popped it in my two-slice toaster, but no burnt edges like my toasted waffles typically have. Imagine that!

What we like

• Attractive design
• Foods come out crispy
• No preheat required
• Parts are dishwasher-safe
• Affordable

What we don't like

• Suggested cook times and temperatures not always accurate
• Relatively small capacity for its size
• Takes up lots of space

Is the Drew Barrymore 6-Quart Air Fryer easy to clean?

Yes! The basket and tray are both dishwasher-safe. I washed the parts with warm water, soap, and a sponge because my apartment is dishwasher-less, but it was still super easy to clean.

Warranty

There is no warranty for this product from the brand, but you can add on the Walmart protection plan for an additional fee.

What owners say

This product is still pretty new, but so far owners are raving about this air fryer. Users love the variety of colors offered, and agree that this is the prettiest air fryer on the market. Some were confused by the touchscreen, but most say it's easy to use, produces crispy (not oily) food, and is a great air fryer overall.

Is the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Air Fryer worth it?

If, like me, you've avoided buying an air fryer because you don't want to stare at an ugly, bulky countertop appliance, this air fryer might just change your mind. The Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Air Fryer is easy to use, produces consistently crispy air fried foods, doesn't require preheat, and cleaning is a cinch. That said, it does have a relatively small capacity for its size and I'm not sure it would be the best option for a large family.

Despite being a 6-quart model, which takes up quite a bit of counter space, the 1.25-pound bag of tots I used covered the entire tray. In comparison, the Philips Premium Airfryer XXL handled three pounds of frozen fries with ease during out testing. Still, this air fryer gets the job done and looks gorgeous doing so. And for less than $100, I'm willing to sacrifice larger capacity for a beautiful appliance that crisps up some of my favorite foods with ease.

If you’re interested in other air fryers, check out the best we’ve tested.

Get the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore 6-Quart Air Fryer at Walmart for $89

You’re on your way to becoming a kitchen master. Take the next step and sign up for Chef's Course. You’ll get weekly tips, tricks, and recipes from top chefs sent straight to your inbox. It’s a whole master course for free.