Tower T17021 Air Fryer - Review

The Tower T17021 Air Fryer is a compact countertop appliance that uses rapid air circulation technology to cook food with little to no oil. It's marketed as a healthier alternative to deep frying that can produce crispy "fried" foods using minimal oil.

Some of the key features of the Tower T17021 Air Fryer include:

• Capacity of 3.2L which can serve 2-4 people
• Digital touch screen with 8 pre-set cooking functions
• Adjustable temperature range from 80°C to 200°C
• 30 minute timer with auto shut off
• Dishwasher safe parts for easy cleanup
• Cool touch housing and handle

The Tower air fryer comes with a food basket, crisper tray, and rotisserie skewers to accommodate different cooking methods. It aims to provide quick and convenient cooking with crispy "fried" results using rapid air circulation rather than submerging food in oil.

Design

The Tower T17021 Air Fryer has a sleek and modern design that will look great on any kitchen counter. It features a rounded square shape with smooth curves. The majority of the air fryer is made from black plastic with stainless steel accents on the handle and control panel. This gives it a nice balance between an elegant and professional look.

Despite its considerable 6.5 liter capacity, the air fryer maintains a compact footprint at 38 x 33 x 33 cm. It won't take up too much precious counter space. The all-black color scheme means it will match any kitchen decor. Overall the Tower T17021 has a well-designed aesthetic that is visually appealing without being overstated.

While the Tower T17021 has an attractive design, some other models like the EUARY KW1099 offer a more modern look with full touchscreen controls and sleeker lines. The EUARY air fryer features an all-white finish with rose gold accents that will stand out beautifully in any kitchen. It has a very futuristic style that looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The EUARY air fryer has smooth rounded edges and an oval shape. At just 28 x 28 x 31 cm it has an even smaller footprint than the Tower model. Its compact size makes it perfect for cramped kitchens or apartments. Despite the small size, it still packs a large 5.5 liter capacity. The smooth white finish looks like a piece of modern art that will spruce up any countertop.

While the Tower relies on knobs and buttons for controls, the EUARY has a full touchscreen panel. This gives it a very high-tech and advanced look. The sleek interface allows you to precisely control time and temperature settings. It gives you the ability to choose from 8 preset programs with just a tap. This modern control scheme sets it apart from old-fashioned models.

The EUARY air fryer has a tempered glass door rather than plastic. This allows you to easily view inside without letting heat escape. The interior light illuminates your food for easy monitoring without opening the door. Both of these design choices improve functionality while maintaining the attractive aesthetic.

When choosing an air fryer for your kitchen, you may want to consider the design and visual appeal. Models like the EUARY KW1099 have a very modern and eye-catching look. While the Tower is attractive in its own right, the EUARY takes styling to the next level. Its smooth white finish and digital touchscreen give it an ultra-modern look perfect for contemporary kitchens.

Settings & Functions

The Air Fryer Tower T17021 offers a good range of settings and functions to help you cook a variety of foods. It has an adjustable temperature range of 80°C to 200°C, allowing you to fine-tune the temperature based on what you're cooking. There are also 8 pre-set programs that take the guesswork out of air frying common foods like fries, chicken, steak, shrimp, pork, cake, fish and pizza.

You can adjust the time up to 30 minutes on the presets if needed. There is a 60-minute timer for manual cooking too. The Tower air fryer has a touch screen control panel which makes it easy to select your desired cooking setting. There are also dedicated buttons for the timer, temperature and preset programs. An integrated alarm alerts you when the cooking time has finished.

Overall, the range of temperature, presets and adjustable settings allow you to air fry a wide variety of foods to your desired doneness, with convenience. The Tower T17021 air fryer provides a good amount of flexibility and options for air frying various foods. It's easy to adjust the settings to get your food cooked just the way you want it. The presets make air frying popular foods like fries, chicken and steak simple, while the manual settings give you control over time and temperature for everything else.

If you're looking for even more cooking functions, the Ninja AF500UK is an air fryer worth considering. It has 10 intelligent cooking programs including max crisp, air broil, roast and dehydrate. The Ninja allows you to air fry, air roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate foods with little to no oil. It has a wide temperature range of 40°C to 200°C, allowing for lots of flexibility. You can also choose from 4 quart or 5 quart sizes depending on your needs.

The Ninja AF500UK features a digital display and easy to use control panel. It doesn't have quite as many presets as the Tower, but makes up for it with the additional cooking functions like roast, broil and dehydrate. If you want an air fryer that can handle a wider variety of cooking tasks, the Ninja AF500UK is a great option. It delivers crispy and delicious results across its different modes. Both the Tower and Ninja air fryers offer adjustable settings and options to get tasty air fried meals.

Cooking Performance

The Tower T17021 air fryer delivers excellent cooking performance across a wide range of foods. Its rapid air circulation technology produces crispy results with little to no oil needed. Foods come out tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

For frozen foods like fries, nuggets, and snacks, the Tower air fryer yields crunchy exteriors while keeping the inside moist. Meats like chicken wings, chops, and steaks develop a nice sear and caramelization similar to frying but with significantly less oil. The circulating hot air surrounds food from all sides, ensuring even browning and cooking.

Vegetables also turn out well in the Tower air fryer, getting lightly charred and crispy without drying out. The consistency of cooking is impressive, with batches of food coming out cooked through at about the same rate. The air fryer can cook a full load of fries or nuggets in 12-15 minutes. Compared to a traditional oven which takes much longer, the Tower air fryer significantly reduces cooking times across the board.

With its powerful heating elements and efficient cooking chamber, the Tower T17021 delivers fast, crispy, consistent results for all kinds of everyday foods. The rapid air circulation technology lives up to its promise.

Ease of Use

The Tower T17021 air fryer is designed for simplicity and ease of use. It has an intuitive control panel with a few straightforward buttons to operate the device. There is a large digital display that clearly shows the temperature setting and cooking time.

The air fryer comes with a food basket, crisper tray, and rotisserie spit which are all dishwasher safe and simple to clean. The non-stick coating prevents food from sticking and makes wiping away any mess effortless. The crisper tray slides in and out easily for shaking or flipping food.

There are no complex accessories or components. Operating the device is as simple as setting the temperature, setting the timer, and hitting start. The auto shut-off function prevents overcooking or burning food if you forget to stop it.

Overall, the Tower air fryer achieves an excellent balance of having the useful presets and settings you need while maintaining a simple interface and easy cleaning. The accessories cleanly slide or lock into place and can be washed with no hassle. It's designed for fast, fuss-free cooking with minimal effort.

Noise Level

The Tower T17021 air fryer operates at a reasonable noise level, which many users find comparable to a fan or quiet hairdryer. It generates a low hum and whirring sound from the internal fan that circulates hot air around the food. This fan noise is audible but not intrusively loud, even when the air fryer is set to the highest temperature setting.

Some users note the noise is only noticeable for the first few minutes after turning it on, then it fades into background noise. The majority of owners are satisfied with the noise level, saying it's quiet enough for everyday cooking and won't disrupt conversations in an open concept kitchen. However, a few owners warn it may be loud for small studio apartments with little space between the kitchen and living room. Overall, the Tower air fryer produces an acceptable amount of noise for most home kitchens.

Safety Features

The Tower T17021 air fryer has several important safety features to consider.

• Auto Shut Off: This air fryer automatically shuts off after 30 minutes of not being used. This prevents overheating or fire hazards if you forget to turn it off. The auto shut off provides peace of mind.

• Cool Touch Handles: The air fryer has cool touch handles that stay cool to the touch even during and after cooking. You can safely grasp the handles to move the air fryer without burning your hands. The cool touch handles allow safe operation.

• Safety Certifications: Tower air fryers meet UK electrical safety standards. This specific model is ETL certified, meaning it has been independently tested and meets accepted safety requirements. The ETL certification indicates the air fryer has passed rigorous safety testing.

The auto shut off, cool touch handles, and ETL certification give assurance that Tower designed this air fryer model with key safety features in mind. You can operate it with confidence knowing the risks of overheating or burns have been addressed.

Capacity

The Tower T17021 air fryer has a generous 5.3 liter basket capacity, making it suitable for cooking for 3-5 people. The rectangular basket measures 31cm x 31cm x 31cm, giving you a good amount of cooking surface to make multiple portions at once.

According to the product description, the basket can fit up to 900g of fries, making it great for feeding a family. The basket is deep enough to cook a whole chicken or large cuts of meat. You can also layer ingredients like fries and chicken pieces to maximize the cooking capacity.

The large basket capacity means you can churn out decent portions of fries, nuggets, wings, and other finger foods quickly and conveniently. It's a great size for home cooking and entertaining. You won't have to do multiple batches or have food sitting around getting cold while you wait for the next round to finish cooking.

Warranty

The Tower T17021 Air Fryer comes with a 1-year warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship. This is a fairly standard warranty length for most small kitchen appliances.

The warranty covers repair or replacement of defective parts if the damage occurred during normal use. It does not cover damage from misuse, abuse, or normal wear and tear.

To take advantage of the warranty, you need to contact Tower customer service. You will need to provide proof of purchase with the original receipt in order to validate the warranty.

The warranty only applies to the original owner and is not transferable. It also only covers purchases made from authorized retailers. Any warranty repairs need to be performed by Tower or an authorized service center.

Overall, the 1-year warranty provides decent protection against early device failure or defects. But the coverage is limited compared to some higher-end brands that offer 2-3 year warranties. Just follow the usage instructions carefully to prevent voiding the warranty.

Pros & Cons

The Tower T17021 air fryer has several advantages and disadvantages worth considering:

Pros

• Large 5.3L capacity allows cooking for multiple people
• Circulation technology and adjustable temp up to 200°C cooks food evenly
• 60-minute timer with auto shut off adds safety and convenience
• Dishwasher safe parts make cleanup easy
• Cool touch handle prevents burns
• Compact countertop size saves space

Cons

• Basket and pan have non-stick coating that can scratch over time
• Loud fan noise during operation
• Exterior gets very hot to touch during cooking
• Short 12-month warranty period
• Controls are not intuitive and manual is poorly written

Overall, the Tower air fryer is a decent budget model that makes crispy fried food with less oil. But the small warranty, loud noise, and average cooking performance make higher-end models a better long-term investment. This air fryer is best for someone who plans to use it sparingly.