Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer review

To give the Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer a fair test, we prepared a range of popular foods. To compare its results to that of a deep fat fryer – which can make chips with a delicious crispy finish – we used the Karaca air fryer to prepare a batch of chips.

We also followed the recipe for naked chicken tenders to see how well it fared compared to other air fryers we’ve tried this recipe in – including the Lakeland Digital Compact Air Fryer and the Ninja Air Fryer Max AF160UK. 

The air fryer has variable temperature and time settings, so we also used it to make a small loaf of air fryer banana bread.

With a “Stew” setting for sauce-heavy dishes, the Karaca air fryer has a slightly different offer to standard air fryers. To test this setting, we made a lamb stew with diced lamb, potatoes, onions, stock and chopped tomatoes.

To find out how quietly it performed in use, we measured the noise level using the Decibel Meter app. We also rated it on ease of cleaning, design and performance. 

Design wise, we think the 4 litre (7 pint) Karaca is perfectly sized to cook around 4-6 portions at a time.

Its control panel is refreshingly easy to read and it comes with six preset cooking modes that make it easy to use. Choose from reheating, dehydrating, oven/grill, yoghurt, and air fry modes.

There’s also a “Stew” setting in the instruction manual, which we found confusing at first. It comes with a cooking pot and lid that can be placed inside the air fryer’s basket to make sauces, stews and soups.

You can also use this with the yoghurt setting. The cooking pot is compact, and we did need mitts to take it out of the air fryer after use. We also found the tiny lid slightly awkward to remove. 

But in terms of look, this air fryer is one of the most stylish designs we have tried, with an easily wipeable finish that comes in a choice of three attractive colourways including bold Ruby (pictured here), a cool Starlight and dusky Grey.

We think they would all look good on the worktop, don’t take up too much room and work well with modern or classic styles. 

We were impressed at just how confidently we were able to air fry with this simple-to-use design. First up, we were keen to know just how well it could produce similar results to chips cooked in a deep-fat fryer, so we used it to cook a batch of frozen chips.

We found its 4 litre (11 pint) capacity surprisingly roomy and easily placed 450g (1lb) of frozen chips in the cooking basket without them overlapping too much.

We then simply pressed the air fry button, which suggested 20 minutes at 200°C (392°F), and gave the basket a shake after 10 minutes. 

There is no beep mid-cycle to remind you to shake the basket and ensure the chips are being evenly cooked, so you’ll have to remember to do that yourself. The results, however, are very effective. Within 15 minutes the chips were nicely browned, evenly cooked and satisfyingly crunchy.

We also used the Karaca to make a batch of naked chicken tenders. After seasoning the chicken, we simply placed it in the basket and pressed the air fry function.

With 1,550W cooking power, it’s a surprisingly powerful air fryer and we only needed to air fry the chicken for 15 minutes at 200°C (392°F) before it was ready to eat. The results were evenly cooked, with the skins nicely browned and crispy and the insides tender.

Unlike some air fryers with extra cooking modes, the Karaca doesn’t have a specific “Bake” mode. You can easily change the temperature, however, from 60°C to 210°C (140°F to 410°F) to suit a range of ingredients.

We chose 160°C (320°F) for 25 minutes to make some air fryer banana bread, and were very impressed with the results. The exterior was nicely golden while the inside was perfectly cooked and spongy.  

As we mentioned above, the Karaca air fryer has a slow cooking setting, which is described as a “Stew” setting in the instruction manual and website. It offers up to two hours of cooking time, preset to 210°C (410°F), and is a good option for cooking stew or sauce-based dishes that need a bit longer than the average air fryer time.

Keen to know how well this setting could cook a lamb hotpot, we placed braised lamb chunks, chopped tomatoes, stock and onions inside the cooking pot and topped it with potatoes. 

We pressed the “Stew” setting and let the appliance get to work. After 30 minutes we checked our food and found that the potatoes we had placed on the top of the stew were beginning to burn. 

We decided to try again but use the slow cooking setting as a simple cooking setting. We placed some more lamb stew in the cooking pan, but submerged the potatoes in the liquid and lowered the temperature to 180 degrees. 

We cooked the dish for 30 minutes, stirring it regularly and checking it to make sure it didn’t burn.

We then took the dish out using oven mitts, as the cooking pan can get very hot. We liked the finish it produced, with the meat and potatoes evenly cooked and the sauce thickened and tasty.

A clear control panel and variable temperature and timing settings make this air fryer easy to use.

It offers a good variable temperature range, starting at 60°C (140°F), which is great for foods such as yoghurt and dried fruit, going up to 210°C (410°F), which gives a crispy finish to meat, fish and vegetables.

The air fryer is easy to keep in tip-top condition, too. It can be wiped down to keep its exterior looking finger-print and grease-free, while the interior basket grill that allows fat to drip away from your food is easy to clean with warm soapy water, as is the basket’s interior.

We placed the cooking pan in the dishwasher and it came out perfectly clean. It also sits neatly inside the basket, which closes smoothly. 

At 60.1 decibels, the air fryer is not too noisy in operation, and its technology to trap odour and prevent smoke formation makes it an enticing worktop companion. 

At £99.95, we think the Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer is reasonably priced. While it may not have as large a capacity as, say, the 5.7 litre (10 pint) Instant Vortex Plus, its 4 litre (7 pint) capacity is still enough for at least six portions.  

With its cooking pan and ability to make stews, soups, yoghurts and sauces, the Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer is unique in its offering. It provides the good variable temperature and timing controls you’d expect from premium air fryers.

If you’re looking for an air fryer around the £100 mark, you may also want to consider the Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook, which costs £120 (although we have spotted it for just £89.99 on some websites).

This air fryer comes with a ClearCook viewing window, which means you don’t waste energy by opening the drawer as you can see how your food is cooking. It also comes with useful alerts that tell you when to insert and turn your food.

In terms of design, the Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer reminds us of the slightly pricier Ninja Air Fryer Max AF160UK.

While it comes in at £169, we have seen this one on offer throughout the year at around the £100 mark. It has a versatile range of pre-set functions including max crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate and has a reasonably large capacity of 5.2 litres.

We really enjoyed using the Karaca Air Pro Cook XL 2-in-1 Air Fryer and think it comes with everything you need in a multi-functional air fryer.

Our chicken tenders and chips came out nicely cooked, while the air fryer banana bread results were particularly impressive.

We like the fact that it comes with a pot for making yoghurt, and we thought it did well to create a delicious consistency for our lamb stew.