Is a 3 quart Dash air fryer big enough for one person?

Air fryers come in different sizes depending upon their cooking capacity. Some are suitable for small families, other target bigger families. Some are the ultimate portable cooking appliance that you can take around in your RV, while others are for cooking big family dinners once or twice a year.

The Dash DCAF200GBAQ02, or as we call it, the 3 Qt. Air Fryer is one of those small air fryers that are best for preparing two-person meals. It is a very simple and easy-to-use air fryer with minimal controls. The focus of this air fryer is portability, compactness, and cooking performance. The majority of air fryers by Dash are compact units with small cooking capacities because they target consumers that are low on kitchen counter space. You will mostly find these Dash air fryers in dorm rooms, hostels, and in the vehicles of people who live on the go. So, if it fits your bill, keep reading our Dash 3 Qt. air fryer review to know more.

DASH 3 Qt Air Fryer Key Features

Brand Dash
Origin United States Of America
Model DCAF200GBAQ02
Dimensions 12.2 x 11.9 x 9.9 inches
Weight 7.3 pounds
Available Colors Aqua, Black, Red, White
Cooking Capacity 2.6 Quarts
Material Plastic, Metal
Accessories No extra accessories

Design

The Dash 3 Qt. air fryer has a simple, elegant, and minimalistic design. There is no extravagant glossy finish, no LED display, and no touch controls to worry about. In short, you get an analog interface, which can be tricky for some people. All you get is a compact air fryer with only time and temperature controls and a power button. Since there are no extra cooking functions besides air frying, these are the only controls you really need.

Even though it is only a 3 quarts air fryer, that doesn’t mean it’s only for preparing snacks like fries and wings. The round-basket design does increase the capability because, in the round basket, you can fit so much more. To put it into context, you can fit a whole 3 lbs. chicken or turkey in this round basket for a hearty dinner.

Another good thing is that this air fryer’s design does keep in mind the different kitchen decors of different houses. That is why Dash released this air fryer in FOUR different color options. You can choose the one that will go with your kitchen’s decor instead of having to hide the air fryer after every use. The design of this air fryer is sleek, elegant, and effective as well.

DashDCAF200GBAQ02TastiCrisp

 

 

Features and Functions

As we said earlier, Dash is all about taste and texture, and they don’t integrate too many cooking functions into their air fryer. The 3 Qt. Air Fryer is also a basic air fryer with a very minimal controls system. All you get is a two-dial control system, one for time and one for temperature. A dial on the top of the air fryer lets you set the cooking temperature, and the dial on the front side lets you set the cooking time.

What this means is that it becomes a bit difficult for inexperienced people to cook food with ease. They need to learn what food cooks at what time and temperature. Whereas with some digital air fryers that have preset recipes, anyone can prepare their favorite dishes with the push of a single button.

The fact that there are no multiple cooking functions or presets in this air fryer does not mean that this air fryer can’t do much else than making fries and chicken wings. The air fryer still can prepare a variety of foods, provided that you know how to cook them. The 1200-watt powerful heating element of this air fryer can generate as high as 400F temperature, which can cook all sorts of food items. The fryer is also capable of cooking a maximum of 30 minutes at once. Combined with the AirCrisp Technology, the food cooks faster and consistently. No undercooked or overcooked food in the same batch.

The manual and the cooking guide that you get with this air fryer include some recipes of the various foods you can cook in this air fryer. Most notably, you can make chicken, steaks, and some seafood dishes. You can even roast and bake some stuff in this compact air fryer. So, don’t let the minimal controls fool you. The cooking capabilities and performance of this air fryer are second to none.

The air fryer also has some safety features like the auto-shutdown and the cool touch housing and handle. As soon as your food is ready, the air fryer will shut down itself automatically, so your food doesn’t overcook and go to waste. The housing and the basket handle both are plastic which means they stay cool at all times. No need to worry about any injuries, even if kids are playing around.

Cleaning

The plastic housing, the non-stick interior, and the non-stick fryer basket make cleanup a breeze. Even if you cook some sticky stuff like tofu or marinade chicken breasts, a simple soaking in water for a few minutes will clean everything up. Just make sure you don’t use any sharp metal objects or abrasive sponges on the surface, or you might damage the coating. It would have been better if the basket was dishwasher-safe, but it’s not a deal-breaker for us.

Pros
  • Compact and portable unit.
  • Elegant and practical design.
  • Minimal controls are easier to understand.
  • Round basket design increases food capacity.
  • Auto-shutdown feature.
  • Plastic and metal build bring durability.
  • Comes with a great recipe book.
Cons
  • Analog controls system does not suit everyone.

Conclusion

Different people have different needs, and thankfully, the big brands try to cater to the differing needs by producing different types of air fryers. The Dash 3Qt. Air Fryer is also for a certain group of people. It’s not the best choice for people who have to cook a lot of food at once. Neither will it suit people who are accustomed to a digital control system.

But, if you are short on space, don’t have to cook too much food, or want a simple air fryer whose numerous controls won’t confuse you, the Dash 3 Qt. Air Fryer is a highly recommended option for you. Because it will give you the most important thing which is great tasting food.

About the author

Emma Mia

Emma Mia loves food blogging and turned their hobby into reality by starting their own blog about food. She has tested many air fryers and is honest about the results.

Leave a Comment