DREO ChefMaker Combi Fryer Review: Near Perfect Cooking
Disclaimer: DREO sent us a unit of the ChefMaker free of charge to review, but all thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are our own and were not discussed with the company prior to publishing.
This is the DREO ChefMaker Combi Fryer. It’s a smart air fryer that has a ton of features that give you access to precision and power in whatever it is you cook with it. How does it compare to a classic air fryer? Is it actually smart? These were the questions that came to mind when I unboxed it to review. After a month of cooking, I have a lot of yummy food to share thanks to the Dreo. Let’s take a closer look.
Retail Price: $359.00
The DREO ChefMaker makes a great accessory in any kitchen
A New Take on Home Cooking
First, there’s a lot to admire in how clean and modern the ChefMaker Combi Fryer looks. At a size of 6 quarts and 15.36 pounds, it can cook a decent amount with its somewhat hefty size. This fryer will fit onto most small kitchen countertop spaces and can easily be tucked away into a cabinet when not in use. The silver metallic-painted plastic body looks and feels high quality and durable. There’s also a 4.3 inch display at the top of the fryer with capacitive buttons on the sides to navigate the screen through. The display with the information on it is not a touch screen, which I hope DREO will include to make it into in future versions. Users can either shuffle through the display when using the features on the fryer or select them directly through the DREO app. The basket has a glass front allowing users to monitor and check in on items being cooked throughout the process.
The ChefMaker comes with some accessories that I use all the time to cook my meals. There’s a cook probe that can be used when users want exact temperature sensor measurements. This magnetically locks into the basket and can easily be removed as well. There’s also a cooking tray and a grilling rack included in the set. All pieces are dishwasher safe with the exception of the cook probe and the unit shell itself. There’s also a small water tank at the top of the unit that is detachable and can be used when adding steam to foods. The ChefMaker has a temperature range of 100℉ - 450℉.
Cook Like a Pro
It was noticeable that regardless of what I was making, the convection heating system within the fryer not only heated up rapidly, but also evenly throughout the entire basket.
As someone who cooks almost all of their weekday lunches daily, I was truly looking forward to what the Combi Fryer could do. I wanted a device that was smarter than my six year old air fryer that didn’t require a lot of time to preheat and would be easy to clean. The ChefMaker impressively swept me away in every aspect. It was noticeable that regardless of what I was making, the convection heating system within the fryer not only heated up rapidly, but also evenly throughout the entire basket. Especially in the case of meats and proteins, whether or not I had the probe in to monitor temperature, everything was evenly cooked.
I also appreciated the water tank that Dreo calls a “water atomization system.” I used this specifically when I was in Chef Mode, but the ChefMaker is able to imbue water in spurts into the basket to semi-steam the food that is being cooked and prevent it from being charred. I noticed that this small feature benefited items like steak and chicken to make them taste even juicier than when they would come out of an oven or pan.
CombiCook
CombiCook is an algorithm that DREO claims helps to intelligently cook items from start to finish. This begins from the preheating process all the way to a browning and resting end phase. CombiCook can be accessed from the device itself in Chef Mode or via the DREO app. I used Chef Mode quite a bit because I wanted to see how intelligent CombiCook was. I loved how customizable the process was, even down to asking how one prefers their steaks cooked and to what rarity. You can also follow along in the progress of the cooking both through the app or on the fryer itself. CombiCook begins by preheating the device almost immediately, then uses the probe to estimate approximately how long it will take to cook your food. During this time, it may add steam if needed. Then it’ll turn up the heat towards the end as it goes into a pre-sear and browning mode. The fans are mostly quiet until it gets to the browning phase where you will notice it get louder. It’s not noisy though and lasts a temporary period of time until your dish is ready.
I absolutely loved using Chef Mode thanks to CombiCook. One of the frustrating parts of using an air fryer is guesstimating time and how long it’ll take to cook your food. CombiCook takes the thinking out of this and Chef Mode does it all for you with a few taps of a button. I did primarily use it with meats, but you can also use Chef Mode for seafood as well. Note that depending on what you’re cooking using Chef Mode and CombiCook, you may be required to add water to the tank and insert the probe into your food so that the ChefMaker can monitor accordingly. When it came to the food I cooked in Chef Mode, everything internally came out fantastic. Steaks and chicken were juicy, moist and tender.
However, I did cook a few items that had skin or more seasoning and some items came out a little too brown and borderline burnt. It’s really a testament to how powerful the ChefMaker is, but keep in mind that if you are particular about the cooked level of your food, even in Chef Mode I would still monitor your food during the automated process just in case. The CombiCook algorithm is pretty good, but not perfect quite yet. Its temperature tracking is reliant on the probe that measures the interior of the dish, but can’t quite intelligently sense whether the exterior is being overcooked or not.
For those who want more control, there’s two other modes to use the fryer outside of Chef Mode. Classic Cook gives you the ability to dehydrate, bake, defrost and more, while Probe Cook gives users the ability to specifically target certain temperature ranges both for the probe and internal basket.
The DREO ChefMaker can cook a perfect steak customized to the user’s preferences. Here’s mine cooked to medium.
Dreo App Ecosystem
While it was evident how versatile the ChefMaker was, the app ecosystem that DREO built in and how well it paired to the fryer is truly what makes it stand apart as a smart home appliance. I appreciated the two firmware updates I received during my review process. It’s nice to see DREO continuing to improve the appliance over time. I used the DREO app on my Apple iPhone 15 Pro without issues, but the app is also available on Android as well. There’s plenty of ways to use the app, the first in which you can monitor the cooking process while you wait for your food. It’ll also send you a notification five minutes before cooking is done to give you a heads up that food is ready soon.
You can also control the ChefMaker from the app, including turning on the light and starting the cooking process. The app also also allows you to add favorites or view items you’ve cooked in the past with various modes. When in Chef Mode, there’s more than 44 different presets for users to select from and you can see everything from estimated cooking times to tips on how to improve the meal before starting.
What’s also great is the number of recipes that DREO shares on a regular basis inside the app. You can browse popular recipes or search for certain types of dishes. Some of the recipes will even have step by step video instructions showing you how to prep the items to put into the ChefMaker.
So Much to Love
Honestly, it has been challenging to come up with things I dislike about the ChefMaker. It’s incredibly easy to use, simple to clean, and versatile in so many different ways. The ecosystem that DREO has created in using the ChefMaker with the app helps even the most basic of chefs like myself make delicious meals that are easy to cook. If you enjoy customization and having control over your food, the ChefMaker gives you exactly that with added assistance if you so desire. My only real complaint is that it can sometimes be a little too powerful and overcook your food even when entrusted in Chef Mode. I look forward to seeing CombiCook continue to improve over time through software updates and make my meals even more delicious.
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