T3’s Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review in a sentence: Versatile touchscreen air fryer with a host of pre-set programmes and a bargain price.
I’ll admit, Bosch’s arrival at the air fryer party is rather belated, but I’m always keen to see another brand have a stab at reimagining the idea. Air fryers have been with us for a number of years now, and the options are seemingly unlimited. Some models just air fry, while other multi-cooker variants can steam or even rotisserie a chicken if the need arises. Bosch has kept its debut air fryer a no-nonsense affair, but it appears to tick all the right boxes. Better still, it comes with a budget price under the £100 mark.
For that miserly amount, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer comes with everything needed to get the best from this oven-replacement concept. At 7.2-litres, there’s a decent capacity, which makes it family-friendly but there is also a full array of touchscreen controls that offer pre-set programmes. This puts the Bosch up there with the best of them.
What’s more, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer also arrives packing a full grilling set, which adds in a metal frame and skewers to help boost its appeal. This being a Bosch, there’s also a good design and decent build quality, all of which helps it fit in with the rest of the German brand’s product portfolio.
Of course, the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is up against stiff competition from best air fryer models from the likes of Ninja, Tefal and Philips. So, is it just a little bit too late to the air fryer party, or has the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer got what it takes to get the job done?
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Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review: Price and availability
While prices for air fryers are undeniably competitive, depending on the specification, the new Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is certainly priced to sell. It comes with a £99.99 price tag in the UK, though Amazon currently sells it for slightly more, which still makes it appealing especially as Bosch is more of a premium brand name.
For that, the appliance comes with a 7.2-litre capacity, via a single cooking drawer, adds a host of pre-set cooking functions but has the added value of a set of cooking skewers and a rack.
Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review: Is it any good?
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There are an awful lot of air fryer models out there to choose from, so does the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer have anything different to offer? Well, on face value this is very much a standard fare appliance, with the usual features and functions associated with an air fryer. It’s got a generous capacity, with 7.2-litres being adequate for most average family needs. The downside is that there’s only a single cooking drawer, which means slightly less versatility than models with twin drawers.
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However, there’s a definite upside in the fact that the Series 6 Air Fryer comes complete with a set of grilling skewers, along with a wire rack for placing them on. This fits inside the main cooking drawer and can be used to cook the likes of chicken, pork or vegetables in a raised fashion. This is obviously super useful if you’re a fan of these types of nibbles, although the close proximity of the skewers to each other makes the size of meat and veg to be cooked slightly limited.
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A workaround is to remove a couple of the skewers, thereby cooking less at a time but freeing up space. This is probably the main added appeal of the Series 6 Air Fryer. Aside from that, there is a good selection of pre-sets plus the ability to adjust cooking times and heat, up to 200-degrees, in much the same way as most other air fryers. There’s a touchscreen for the controls, which is good on the eye and easy to understand.
Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review: Performance
The Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer is a solid all-rounder as it offers a good range of cooking temperatures, from as low as 40-degrees right up to 200-degrees, which can be manually set or adjusted as needed. Alternatively, there are the pre-set programmes, which makes even lighter work of cooking everyday air fryer favourites. Naturally, I found its ability to cook fries up there with all the other models I’ve tried. The non-stick metal tray that sits in the bowl is a good size and fits snugly inside thanks to rubberised feet on the corners.
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One thing that was appealing during my time using it was the Shake Alarm. This is a really handy indicator that it is time to give your chips, or whatever might be cooking, a shake or move around to ensure even and consistent cooking. This is an issue that frequently catches out novice air fryer users, or in fact anyone who tends to get distracted during mealtimes, often resulting in singed food. I thought this feature was a neat touch.
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I was also impressed with its cooking credentials. It did a great job on the chicken wings I cooked using the skewer option. The great thing about this is that all the fat runs down and off the food, which makes them slightly healthier and crispier too.
Those pre-set programmes offer lots of versatility and include chips, vegetables, chicken, meat, bread/baking as well as defrosting. The only thing with the pre-set programmes is that you have to keep an eye on food, so it doesn’t get overdone – which is easy thanks to an illuminated window on the front of the food drawer.
Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review: Verdict
I think the Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer might have missed the boat with many folks who already have one of these appliances in the kitchen. However, if your current air fryer is showing its age and you’re due for a new model then this little beauty is well worth investigating.
There are all the basic features and functions expected from a budget air fryer. On top of that, though, are the handy little extras. The skewer set is a must if you’re a fan of satay chicken, kebabs and crispy wings. On top of that, the shake alarm is nifty too. All in, this is an excellent package with a decent capacity as well.
Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review: Alternatives to consider
There are oodles of options if you’re after a standard air fryer model or need something with extra capacity or more functionality.
Take a look at the Salter XL Dual Air Fryer I tested recently, which comes with a little more versatility thanks to dual doors and drawers. Our selection of the best air fryers and the best multi-cookers will give you an overview of the other rivals.
I also like the Tower 9 litre Dual Basket Digital Air Fryer, or the Tower T17076 Xpress Pro Combo 10-in-1 Air Fryer, which comes complete with a rotisserie that can handle a whole chicken. Similarly, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid is a multi-faceted machine with brilliant air and steam-fry features.
