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Nuwave Brio Review

Easy to use, it offers many presets and a range of temperature ranges but does not provide consistent cooking results
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Nuwave Brio Review
Credit: Nuwave
Price:  $100 List
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Manufacturer:   Nuwave
By Hayley Thomas ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 28, 2022
72
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Cooking Performance - 35% 7.1
  • User Friendliness - 25% 8.8
  • Ease of Cleaning - 20% 6.5
  • Temperature Accuracy - 20% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Nuwave Brio boasts a larger temperature range of 50°F to 400°F and has over 100 presets. The basket divider helps keep food separate, although it is very difficult to clean. The wide temperature range is helpful, but the lack of accuracy can cause food to be overcooked, especially at higher temperatures. Luckily it comes with a probe that helps you keep a close eye on your culinary masterpiece. The wide array of presets can be difficult to navigate without the key, and while the basket comes apart for convenient cleaning, the mesh basket rips up sponges and the non-stick material is ineffective.
REASONS TO BUY
Cooks food fairly evenly
A lot of cooking options
User-friendly
Wide temperature range
Comes with a temp probe and basket divider
REASONS TO AVOID
Inaccurate temperatures
Presets can be overwhelming
Hard to clean
Inconsistent cooking performance

Our Analysis and Test Results

This air fryer is 14.5" by 11" by 13.5", which is a somewhat standard size. The Nuwave Brio can hold up to 7.25 quarts. The temperature is inaccurate, but it comes with a probe that automatically turns the device off once your food has reached its desired temperature.

Performance Comparison


nuwave brio - the brio is 7.25 quarts, which can yield a large amount of food.
The Brio is 7.25 quarts, which can yield a large amount of food.
Credit: Laura Casner

Cooking Performance


During our cooking performance testing, we cooked sweet potato fries, onion rings, donuts, chicken breast, and tater tots, while paying particular attention to texture, evenness, and cook time. The Brio's performance varies significantly from one food item to another. The texture it produces across the board is just okay. The onion rings are crunchy and delicious, but the donuts are too soft.

As far as evenness goes, the Brio does quite well except for the donuts, whose innards are consistently undercooked. Surprisingly, the chicken breast is evenly cooked, though it takes significantly longer than the manual suggests. The sweet potato fries also take much longer than suggested and are never fully crisp. All the food we cooked with the Brio had a distinct taste from the manufacturing oil, which gave our taste test foods an odd flavor.

nuwave brio - these fries may look crispy but the texture is just not right.
These fries may look crispy but the texture is just not right.
Credit: Laura Casner

User Friendliness


The interface, basket accessibility, and versatility are three main contributors to any air fryer's user-friendliness. The Brio has a mostly intuitive digital interface. The fry basket fits perfectly and can be removed easily but requires a committing pull, so you may want to use both hands. This machine is very versatile. It offers a high-temperature range and can be increased or decreased in 5°F increments, giving the user a good amount of control. There are 100 different presets, with the ability to store 50 more of your own and four different modes: air fry, sear, grill, and warm. This appliance also has the ability to change the wattage settings.

nuwave brio - with 100 different presets, the brio provides many options.
With 100 different presets, the Brio provides many options.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Cleaning


It can be challenging to muster the motivation to clean after cooking and eating a tasty meal. The fry basket can be separated into three parts for convenience; however, the Brio is not the easiest to clean. The non-stick coating is subpar, and as a result, a lot of food gets stuck to it. The mesh screen at the bottom of the secondary basket is also tough to get food out of. While it comes apart nicely, this air fryer requires a good scrub for a proper clean.

nuwave brio - we ripped a few sponges trying to clean the brio.
We ripped a few sponges trying to clean the Brio.
Credit: Laura Casner

Temperature Accuracy


The Brio offers a wide temperature range from 50°F to 400°F range and increases in 5°F increments, but the accuracy is not particularly impressive. At 300°F, the Brio clocks in at 295°F and at 400°F we measure a whopping 20° hotter. You can make the appropriate adjustments once you are aware of this information, but the overall accuracy is subpar.

nuwave brio - it's a good thing the brio comes with a thermometer because the...
It's a good thing the Brio comes with a thermometer because the temperature accuracy was inaccurate during our testing.
Credit: Laura Casner

Value


The Brio is pretty pricey for its so-so performance. While there are far more expensive options and far less expensive options available, the price and performance of this air fryer do not measure up.

Conclusion


While the Nuwave Brio is easy to use, it does not yield the best results. The temperature probe is helpful, but the lack of temperature accuracy is about as irritating as trying to clean all the food out of the mesh basket and off the non-stick material. Unfortunately, this air fryer is slightly overpriced for the performance it offers.

nuwave brio - the big handle is a nice feature, but the brio's price tag is a bit...
The big handle is a nice feature, but the Brio's price tag is a bit high for its performance.
Credit: Laura Casner

Hayley Thomas