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That budget air fryer was a total waste of 80 bucks | Deep Dive Requests - Vivisector

That budget air fryer was a total waste of 80 bucks

I bought a Bella Pro Series air fryer last fall because the price was right. But after 4 months the heating element started glitching, and now it just shuts off mid-cook. Checked the reviews after and saw tons of people had the same problem. Anyone else put money into a cheap kitchen gadget that went bust fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_baker282mo ago

Cheap ones usually skimp on the thermal fuse and wiring. Spend a little more upfront and get one with a solid warranty, it pays off.

charlies372mo ago

Why are you so convinced a higher price tag equals better protection? I've torn apart enough dryers to see the same Chinese relays and overload switches inside a $900 Samsung that I've seen in a $350 Amana. You're paying for the brand's marketing budget and maybe a nicer drum finish, not safer wiring. That "solid warranty" you're talking about often has fine print that excludes labor after year one or requires you to ship the unit somewhere. A cheap, simple dryer with basic mechanical controls is way easier to diagnose and fix with a $15 multimeter than some computerized flagship model that bricks itself after a firmware update. I'd rather buy two budget dryers over ten years than one premium one that needs a $250 circuit board replacement the moment the warranty runs out.

erickelly2mo ago

Respectfully, I gotta disagree a little here. Most name brand dryers from the big stores use the same Chinese parts as the cheap off brands anyway. Paying double for the same thermal fuse inside a different colored box doesn't make much sense to me. The real trick is just checking the cord gauge and plug rating regardless of the name on it. A $400 dryer that's easy to fix yourself beats a $1200 one you have to wait a week for a repair guy on. Warranties are only as good as the paperwork you keep and the time you're willing to spend on hold.