NuWave Brio 4.5 Qt Air Fryer Review – 100+ Presets

Now:

The 4.5qt basket can fit approximately 1.5 pounds of French fries or over 1 pound of wings. With this air fryer, you can quickly whip up a meal for busy late-night dinners or prepare snacks for your family game night. 

Let’s discuss the advantages and drawbacks of this appliance.

PROS

• Affordable
• One-touch control buttons
• Preheat function
• 4.5 qt capacity
• Uses superheated air 
• Special air-flow design
• Flavor-infusion technology
• PFOA-Free Non-Stick Coating
• Dishwasher safe
• Easy to clean
• 1-year warranty

CONS

• Outdated model
• *stopped working after less than a year of use

*Some owners reported

What can you cook in NuWave Brio 4.5 Qt Air Fryer?

The manufacturer mentioned that the NuWave Brio 4.5 Qt Air Fryer has a selection of 20 presets. It also has 100+ programmable presets. Sounds complicated, right?

A significant number of presets seem great and all, but you’d only use at least one setting per cooking session. You may not even be able to utilize all 100 programmable presets in a year.

Essentially, the presets are your guide to leave the guesswork out of the way. However, you still need to adjust the time and temperature according to your preferences to achieve the best results.

Anyway, here are the main functions of this appliance:

Do you want some recipe ideas? The manual comes with about 30 unique recipes that your family will surely love. 

Some examples:

• Air-Fried Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Sauce 
• Bacon-Wrapped Scallops 
• Cajun Salmon with Mustard Greens
• Crab Rangoon
• Italian Sausage with Rigatoni Pasta

Doesn’t that make you crave these foods? 

Let me show you more recipe ideas through this video from the brand.

Before you get hungrier, let’s talk about the NuWave Brio 4.5 qt Air Fryer’s ease of use.

Is NuWave 4.5 Qt Air Fryer easy to use?

Thanks to the one-touch digital buttons, this basket-type air fryer operates easily. But like I said earlier, too many menu options and presets make the operation quite confusing.

Basically, you can adjust the cooking time during the cooking process. The air fryer has a default cooking time of 15 minutes. You can adjust this by pressing “COOK TIME” and using the “+” or “-” buttons to change the time in 1-minute increments. 

The maximum cook time depends on the temperature you select. Temperatures between 100°F and 345°F, you can set the time for up to 99 hours and 59 minutes. While 350°F to 400°F allows you to cook for a maximum of 1 hour. 

Likewise, the temperature can be adjusted by pressing “COOK TEMP.” You can hit the “+” or “-” button to adjust the temperature higher or lower in 5°F increments. 

Additionally, the NuWave 4.5 qt Air Fryer has a Preheat Function. It ensures that the machine reaches the desired temperature before cooking begins. In other words, your chicken wings or French fries will have a crispier finish.

Here’s the kicker.

When picking an air fryer, it’s vital to consider the wattage. The higher the wattage, the faster and more efficient your air fryer will work (amongst other things).

The NuWave Brio 4.5 qt Air Fryer has a default wattage of 1500 watts, but surprisingly you can change it by pressing “WATTS.”

The blue light will light up above the number you’ve selected, whether 600, 900, or 1500 watts. Keep in mind that a higher wattage will use more energy, so only choose this option if you’re sure you need it.

Here’s the deal:

Currently, Nuwave is the only brand of airfryer (that I know of) with an adjustable wattage rating. This can be a good thing if you want to control your air fryer’s efficiency.

But that’s also a significant flaw with the product’s design.

Kitchen appliances are supposed to make our life easier. A better approach would have made this wattage thing automatic. In that case, you don’t have to worry about it when cooking, and the air fryer will still be efficient! 

That’s also why you don’t see this feature (or drawback) on any other air fryers.

Is NuWave 4.5 Qt Air Fryer easy to clean?

Cleaning the NuWave 4.5qt Air Fryer is a breeze. 

The dishwasher-safe parts, like the Fry Pan Basket and Base Tray, make it easy to clean – you just load them in the dishwasher, and you’re done! 

You can also soak the basket and tray in hot, soapy water for stubborn grease and food residue. Then you can scrub these parts with a non-abrasive sponge. Plus, the exterior of the air fryer can be kept looking new by wiping it down with a damp cloth. 

To maintain your NuWave Brio 4.5qt Air Fryer in excellent condition, always remember to clean your appliance between batches and after each use. 

Accessories

Nu Wave Brio Air Fryer Accessory Kit

Model no: 36223

Get at Amazon →

*Product Images and Videos Courtesy of NuWave

Technical Specifications

Type	Air Fryer
Brand/Series	NuWave Brio
Model #	36101
Price	$$
Rating	4.0 out of 5
Wattage	3 wattage levels (600, 900 & 1500)
Functions	6 functions: Air Fry, Grill and Sear, Bake, Toast, Broil, Roast
Air Fryer Type	Basket Drawer
Basket Shape	Rectangular
Basket Material	Nonstick coated
Capacity	4.5 quarts
Dishwasher safe	Yes
PFOA Free	Yes
Colors	Black
Dimensions	11.4 x 14.3 x 13.2 inches (28.95 x 36.32 x 33.52 cm)
Cord Length	~18 inches (0.45 m)
Application	Personal Use
Warranty	1 Year