Nuwave Todd English Air Fryer Grill Oven Combo

Since this review had become very long with all of the detailed updates, I decided to condense it, describing the initial problems and why they happened. I have come to very much love this oven, and will describe why I prefer it over the NuWave Elite oven I had been using as well as what I don’t care for and tips to keep cleanup at a minimum.

I have used the NuWave Oven Elite for a few years in addition to a few of the previous models but didn’t like having to flip foods to get them cooked. Really, having to turn a hot chicken was not my idea of a good time. When I looked into the NuWave Primo oven/grill, I was intrigued – no more flipping. So, I decided to try it. So far, I prefer it as compared to the NuWave Elite oven and previous model except for the lack of a couple of features.

Previous models included a pan that went inside the base unit to collect drippings and protected the base unit. This oven does not include a drip pan. I have tried covering the base unit with aluminum foil. This prevents the problem other reviews have had with the base flaking and grease embedded into it. This works fine to protect the base and eliminates having to clean the base. I eventually bought a set of silicone grill mats made for the NuWave ovens that included a cover for the inside of the base unit that has worked fine. It needs to be washed, but this is much easier than forming aluminum foil to the inside of the base or trying to clean the bottom of the base. This set also included a mat to cover the grill that catches dripping from the racks and eliminate the need to clean the grill every time you use the oven. This mat cleans easily with soap and water.

Suggestions for improvement for NuWave would be to include a metal drip pan. Although I would still line a metal drip pan, I don’t think the plastic under the grill will last long if it isn’t protected with either foil or a grill mat. I also believe that the grill plate should be finished on the underside rather than concave underneath. Since grill marks on the underside of the grill plate are concave rather than solid, it can be difficult to clean and dry. Cleaning would be much easier if the grill marks were solid on both sides

For those of you considering an upgrade to the Primo and already have a previous version of the NuWave oven, the baking pan and 2″ rack fit this oven. The 1″/3″ rack is a little too large but can work if placed in the oven so one leg is resting on the grill plate. The extension ring is just a bit too large for this oven and isn’t stable. Extension rings are available for this oven that fit perfectly. The dome from other NuWave ovens is the same size and fits this oven perfectly.

Having used this oven almost daily for over 6 months, I now have a good handle on my likes and dislikes as compared to my Elite oven and previous models. The feature I love about this oven are:
– Food doesn’t have to be flipped to cook both sides.
– There are 100 pre-programmed cooking setting you can use and up to 99 settings you can set for foods you cook regularly. These settings can contain multiple cooking stages.
– The probe can be used to measure internal cook temperatures and the cooking will automatically stop when the set temperature is reached.
– The grill creates wonderful grill marks when the oven is preheated.
– Stage cooking can be easily programmed for either one-time cooking or saved as a preset. For example, you can set a roast to sear for 5 minutes and then roast for a set time.
– By baking from both sides, air frying foods produces wonder results, producing a crisp outside and a very moist inside.

Features that my NuWave Elite oven had that I miss are:
– The Elite Oven included 2 racks. One reversible 1″/4″ rack and one 2″ rack. This oven doesn’t include any racks at all which eliminates the ability for dual layer cooking. I saved the 1″/4″ rack from the Elite oven that doesn’t fit well but works, and bought a 2″ rack that sits on top of it. This arrangement has worked for two level cooking.
– No precise digital temperature control. On the NuWave Elite oven, you can set a precise temperature. On this oven, you need to push up/down buttons to set a temperature in 5 degree increments.
– No precise digital time control. Although time can be set to the minute, you have to push up/down buttons to set the time. On the NuWave Elite, the time could be easily set on a digital keypad.
– Although using the probe is great for cooking to an exact internal temperature, once it is set, you have no idea of what the done time might be. I generally watch the internal temperature and make a guesstimate.
– Since the grill plate is raised above the base, there is less space between the racks and the upper heating elements than in previous ovens. So, foods with some height may hit the upper heating element – particularly when using 2-level cooking. The extender ring may sometimes be more useful for high food items. So far, I have needed the extender ring only for a large turkey.

To-date, I have heated frozen broasted chicken and potatoes, baked fish, made steaks, grilled sausage, baked a whole chicken, baked stuffed mushrooms, baked pork chops, and made a few dishes in the pan I saved from my Elite oven. All were done to perfection with no turning except the sausage on the grill which had to be turned. For Thanksgiving, I decided to cook a 16 lb. turkey in this oven. I have read it can roast up to a 30 lb. turkey, but I was skeptical that it would do even the 16 lb. turkey. I have the accessory kit with the extender ring and put it on the base after I got the turkey sitting up on the grill plate. Surprisingly, the grill plate helped to hold the turkey up since the butt and legs fit into the grooves on the plate. I set the temperature to 350 degrees and put the probe into a thigh setting it to 160 degrees to a allow for the carryover cooking of 5 degrees. I wasn’t sure of cook time, so I allowed 2 1/2 hours to cook and 30 minutes to rest. After 1 1/2 hours, the alarm went off signaling it was done. In disbelief, I used a digital thermometer to check it in a few places, and sure enough, it was done. I have to say, this turkey was the most moist and tender turkey I have ever cooked. Even the white meat was tender and moist. The last four pictures are of the turkey so you can see what it looked like when it was done. A little of the skin was darkened from sitting on the grill, but the meat under it was great. I used 50/50 on the upper and lower temperatures, and this may have been remedied by lowering the percentage of the lower element’s temperature.

Tonight, I made tenderloin brochettes that were to die for. I used bison tenderloins cut into 2” cubes, green bell pepper cut into wedges, onion cut into wedges, large cherry tomatoes, and lightly precooked bacon slices cut into 1/3 slice segments. I had 5 7” skewers on hand, so quantities would depend on the length of your skews and how many you have. I thawed the tenderloins the night before and sprinkled them with a rub and a steak seasoning. When I assembled them, I could fit 3 of each (meat and veggies) on the skewers that I used. I put them on the 4” rack that fits around the grill (the same height as the 3” on the grill), and baked the at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. The meat was cooked to medium so I will try less time next time since we prefer medium rare, but it was wonderfully tender. I served it over a mix of wild rice and brown rice, and it was better than any I have had in a restaurant.

Everything has come out even better than it did in my Elite oven. I often use the probe as this takes the guesswork out of knowing when foods are done, and the oven shuts itself off when foods reach the set temperature. I have also found that when using the grill, it should be preheated to get the nice grill marks. I honestly haven’t come across much of anything that can’t be cooked beautifully in this oven.

Considering my experience with this oven for the last 5 months and the grand finale turkey, I would highly recommend this oven with the couple of changes mentioned above. This has become one of my “can’t do without it” appliances. I should also mention that NuWave’s customer service is stellar. With all of the problems I initially had with this oven, most of which were self-imposed. they replaced the dome twice and the entire unit at least 3 times. Each time, there was no hassle in making the returns, and in every case, they paid the shipping for both the returned item and for the replacement. In addition to rating the oven 5 stars, I would rate NuWave’s customer service 10 stars.

UPDATE 09/15/22:
At this point, I have had this oven for 4 years, and it still works as well as it did the day I bought. In the interim, I have purchased a couple of other ovens, including the Anova Precision oven, the Ninja Foodi XL oven, and a couple of Ninja Grills. This is still my favorite oven for some dishes. If for no other reason, I will keep this oven to cook turkeys. In the 4 years I have had this oven, I have cooked a number of turkeys and some as large as 22 lbs. They always come out perfect without basting, and so much faster than cooking them in a conventional oven.

So boring as it may be, I am going to share another one of my favorite recipes that I use for halibut cheeks, scallops, and shrimp.
– Line the baking pan with aluminum foil and put a 1/2 stick of cut up butter into the pan. Put the pan on the 4″ rack and turn the oven on at 350 degrees for 3 minutes to melt the butter.
– Add 6 or more minced garlic clove to the pan, and turn on the oven at 350 degrees for another 2 minutes to cook the garlic.
– Dredge the seafood in the butter and garlic and arrange it in the pan.
– Sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs over the seafood, and then sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the bread crumbs. Then sprinkle finely chopped fresh parsley on top (dried parsley can also be used).
– Put the pan back in the oven, and set the temperature to 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
– Plate the seafood over rice pilaf and pour the garlic butter in the pan over the seafood.
– Serve and enjoy!!

I will update this review with my experience and if my opinion changes.