Chefman TurboFry Easy View 8-Quart Air Fryer review

The Chefman TurboFry Easy View RJ38-SS-8TW is a single-drawer air fryer built around an 8-quart nominal basket, a window and an interior light. Those features answer different kitchen needs: the listed capacity gives room for a larger load than a compact 2- or 3.5-quart fryer, while the window lets you check browning without pulling the basket out. It is still one cooking area, not a dual-basket machine. A bigger drawer does not let you set two temperatures at once, and the capacity number is a manufacturer figure rather than a measured usable volume or promise that every meal for six fits without crowding.

What the window changes—and what it does not

The clear basket window and light make progress easier to see. That can reduce the habit of opening the drawer just to look at fries or chicken, though the manual still recommends shaking small items and turning larger pieces when needed. The shake reminder is a prompt, not an automatic turner. When you remove the basket, the heating pauses and resumes after it is returned. These details make this model easier to supervise than an opaque basket, but do not remove the need to check food for doneness or follow food-safety guidance.

Chefman’s product page describes four presets for fries, chicken, fish and meat. The linked user guide separately labels four cooking functions on the control panel: Air Fry, Bake, Dry (dehydrate) and Frozen. These are worth distinguishing when planning menus. Air Fry is the everyday crisping mode; Bake includes a preheat sequence; Dry offers a low-temperature route for fruit, herbs or jerky; and Frozen is a dedicated cycle for frozen raw proteins. They remain programs for the same drawer, not four independent cooking chambers.

Mode-specific settings matter

The manual assigns Air Fry a 350–400°F range, Bake 300–400°F, Dry 90–200°F and Frozen 300–400°F. The general maximum listed on the product page is 400°F. A separate HI-FRY control can temporarily raise the temperature to 450°F for two minutes near the end of qualifying cycles; it is not a full-cycle 450°F setting, and it is unavailable in Dry. For a buyer who needs sustained high heat, that difference is more important than a headline that treats the short boost as the appliance’s ordinary maximum.

Dry is the most unusual capability for a basket fryer: the manual gives it a six-hour default at 90–200°F and recommends placing lightweight food below the rack so the fan does not move it around. There is one point to verify before relying on a long drying session: the product page also advertises a 60-minute digital timer, while its linked guide gives Dry a six-hour default. The sources do not clearly reconcile those statements or state the complete adjustable timer limits, so I do not infer an overall timer ceiling from either number. The guide does say that a FROZEN cycle begins at 200°F for five minutes before rising to the selected setting; food goes in before that cycle starts, because the initial stage is part of cooking rather than preheating.

Cleaning, counter fit and electrical details

Chefman identifies the removable basket and rack as nonstick and dishwasher-safe; the guide specifies top-rack cleaning after the parts cool. The window calls for a different approach: the manual says not to use glass cleaner on it, and the appliance body itself should be wiped down rather than immersed or put in the dishwasher. Avoid aerosol cooking spray on the nonstick parts, which the guide warns can damage the coating. The stainless-steel finish is an exterior description; the reviewed sources do not identify the basket’s base metal or name the nonstick coating chemistry. If a particular coating or a fully specified food-contact-surface material is essential, this documentation does not settle that question.

The maker lists 1700 watts and 120 volts, but not line frequency on the checked page or guide. The manual asks for a hard, flat, heat-resistant surface and at least six inches of clearance above and behind the appliance. The reviewed product page does not supply a full dimension set, so measure the counter and overhead space rather than assuming that “fits the counter” means it clears your cabinets. Chefman states a one-year assurance; the linked guide limits warranty coverage to qualifying household use and an authorized purchase with proof.

Who should compare it?

This is a sensible fit if you want one roomy basket, digital controls, an easy-view window and a documented low-temperature Dry function, and you are comfortable cooking one load at a time. It is a weaker fit when two different foods must finish together at different settings, when you need two independently controlled zones, or when the 450°F HI-FRY burst is not enough. If you prefer a smaller footprint or a narrower range of programs, Chefman’s 7-quart RJ38-7TW is a related windowed option; if you want more stated capacity and more named functions, compare the separate 9-quart RJ38-9TW-V2 and its own guide. Do not assume those models share the same settings just because they use the TurboFry name. This review summarizes manufacturer specifications and instructions; it does not report ownership or independent cooking tests.

Sources: Chefman’s U.S. product page for RJ38-SS-8TW, the Chefman air-fryer document library, and the linked RJ38-SS-TW Series user guide.