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One minute review
Xiaomi is a name better associated with smartphones than kitchen appliances, plus the brand has a range of smart family devices that cover everything from smart plugs and lights to home surveillance cameras. Nowadays, the company enters the world of smart kitchen appliances.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Air fryer works practically the same as all other fryers on the market. It circulates hot air around foods to cook them, ensuring the exact same crispy finish you get when frying, but with much less oil. Xiaomi claims that the Mi Smart Air fryer can reduce the amount of oil required by 85%.
It is a versatile device. Not only can it be air-fried, but it also offers the possibility of baking, roasting, drying and even fermenting yogurt, since the temperature can drop to 40° C. The fryer has a 3.5 liter capacity and 8 presets activate temperature and cooking times for different foods. It is also possible to manually adjust these factors.
The gleaming white air fryer has a minimalist design and it ditches a series of buttons in favor of an 18-inch dial and display, which can be used to choose presets and access the settings menu.
The Mi Smart Air Fryer can connect to your home Wi-Fi network so that using the application, you can select from a plurality of recipes and activate the appropriate cooking time and temperature with a single click. The device also integrates with Alexa and Google Assistant.
For anyone looking for a very stylish and compact fryer For enjoying delicacies like French fries and chicken wings without worrying about negative effects on your health, or for those who want a device that can be controlled by Alexa or the Google Assistant, the Mi Smart Air Fryer is worth considering. .
Price and availability of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Air fryer
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer costs €79.99 and can be purchased through the Mi Store. It is not currently available in the US or Australia.
The side view of the Mi Smart Air fryer (Image credit: TechRadar)
Design
- 3,5 liters capacity
- It comes with a fry basket, a crisper drawer, and a grill.
- Compact design
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer is a compact unit measuring 33.5 x 25,2 x 30.4 cm (H x W x D) and, in contrast to most air fryers, it has a gleaming white finish. Instead of a set of buttons on the front, the Mi Smart Air Fryer has an 18-inch dial on the front, which doubles as a screen. Use the dial to cycle through 8 presets for defined dishes, such as French fries, chicken wings, and shrimp, that have a predetermined temperature and cooking time. Then press the dial to choose the one you want or to access the configuration menu.
There is also a manual mode that lets you choose the temperature and cooking time that suits you best. It can be cooked at temperatures that fluctuate between 40° C and 200° C and up to 24 hours in a row, although the latter at lower temperatures. At its maximum temperature, it can cook up to 1 hour.
The Mi Smart Air Fryer comes with a frying basket, a crisper drawer and a grid, which can be used to create 2 shelves in the frying basket for those times when you cook for multiple people. Virtually all of these accessories are dishwasher capable. It has a capacity of 3.5 liters, which according to Xiaomi is enough for up to 5 people.
Apart from air frying, The Mi Smart Air fryer can roast, bake, dry and ferment yogurt, which makes it as versatile as most of the best fryers we have tested.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Air fryer comes with a built-in Wi-Fi connection, allowing you to monitor the air fryer remotely from a smartphone via the Xiaomi Home app. The app offers plenty of cooking inspiration with access to over a hundred recipes and lets you connect your device to Alexa or the Google Assistant to use your voice to monitor the fryer.
The Mi Smart Air fryer with freshly cooked fries in the fry basket, which has been removed (Image credit: TechRadar)
Performance
- Striking results when cooking French fries
- The fryer can be monitored via an app.
- Silent use
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer generates crackling, crackling fries by cooking frozen meat chips, like a homemade version of the potato sandwich. We followed an application recipe for the latter, which called for 2 tablespoons of oil for a 500g batch of chips. Although this is significantly less oil than is used for frying, it is more than is required by air fryers like the Instant Pot Vortex Plus, for example. So if you're watching your waistline, this is something to keep in mind.
The french fry preset has a preset cook time of 15 minutes; However, the fries weren't as brown as I expected after that time, so we added another 10 minutes. After 25 minutes of cooking, we had crispy fries with a chewy potato center.
As we mentioned previously, the fryer can be connected to your smartphone via Wi-Fi, offering a plurality of recipes that can be activated from the application. This means that the suggested cooking time and temperature are sent directly to the fryer without needing to be changed manually.
Since the fryer does not have a dedicated preset for frozen groceries, we opted to use a recipe from the Xiaomi Home app. Unfortunately, this recipe did not include a reminder to flip groceries in half, a feature that is present in presets chosen via the fryer. Later, although each and every potato chip was cooked with fluffy potato insides, not each and every potato chip was crisp or evenly browned.
We would also be somewhat disappointed in the performance of the hot air fryer for cooking chicken wings. Again, the preset cook time suggested only 15 minutes, but the skin wasn't crispy or brassy enough for our liking, while the meat was exquisite.
while you cook, the Mi Smart Air fryer registered 57 dB of rumble on our decibel meter, which is equivalent to the soft hum of a refrigerator. This makes it one of the stealthiest air fryers we've tested to date.
It is also possible to program the fryer to start cooking up to 24 hours in advance, but groceries will need to be left in the fry basket.
Mi Smart Air fryer on the kitchen counter without the frying basket (Image credit: TechRadar)
Should I buy the Xiaomi Mi Smart Air fryer?
Buy it if ...
You want a compact fryer
With measurements of 33.5 x 25,2 x 30.4 cm cm, the Mi Smart Air Fryer is one of the most compact air fryers we have tested. This is ideal if kitchen counter space is limited.
You want Wi-Fi connectivity
It is one of the few fryers that can connect to your home Wi-Fi network. and be controlled via your smartphone, which is going to be a welcome addition for some.
You like silent devices
This is one of the stealthiest air fryers we've tested to date, rregistering just 57dB, which is about 5dB quieter than other air fryers on the market. If you prefer as little noise as possible when cooking, this model is for you.
Do not buy it if ...
Kitchens for a family
Although Xiaomi claims that the Mi Smart Air fryer can hold enough food to feed 5 people, with a capacity of 3.5 liters, it is one of the smaller capacity air fryers we have tested. If you're raising a large family, look elsewhere.
You like chicken wings
While the Mi Smart Air Fryer was highlighted for cooking French fries, we'd be a bit disappointed by your attempt to generate popping chicken wings. They weren't as brown as we'd hoped, the skin wasn't crispy enough, and while the meat was hearty, it didn't fall off the bone. If you want a fryer eminently for chicken wings, this is one to steer clear of.
You need a reminder to shake
The Mi Smart Air Fryer has that feature, but only when using the presets on the device. If you're using one of the app's recipes, you won't get an alarm to turn the food halfway through cooking.
First review: September 2021
