Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T  Air Fryer Review

Reviewed Sep 23, 2024 at 08:55am
Tested using Methodology v1.0.1 
Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T
7.2
Air Frying 
7.1
Large Batch Cooking 
7.2
Frying Performance 
8.1
Cooking Speed 
7.0
Cooking Capacity 
7.7
Size 
 0
  1. Recommended in:
  2. 4-Quart

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) is a compact model with enough capacity to cook for about 2-3 people. This mid-range model has a simple design, with a few "Air Fry" presets for different foods like fries and fish, but no fan speed adjustment and a narrow temperature range, making it less versatile than some options. It's best suited for crispy fried foods like chicken wings and french fries and includes a "Shake Reminder" to help you remember to shake your food partway through cooking.

Our Verdict

7.2
Air Frying 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) is a decent model. It's fast, and while it doesn't have the best air frying performance, it makes satisfactory, if somewhat undercooked, fried foods like french fries, Brussels sprouts, or chicken wings. Unlike many air fryers, it doesn't have multiple fan speeds for different methods, like dehydrating.

Pros
  • Cooks quickly.
  • Shake reminder feature.
  • Makes decent-quality fried food.
Cons
  • Somewhat small cooking surface area.
  • Doesn't maintain a stable temperature.
7.1
Large Batch Cooking 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer is a 5-qt model, so it's best suited for cooking for 2-3 people. Its basket has a decent amount of surface area for you to spread your food out in a single layer, but some 5-qt models have more surface area, which can improve frying quality. That said, it has a satisfactory performance and cooks food quickly.

Pros
  • Cooks quickly.
  • Makes decent-quality fried food.
Cons
  • Somewhat small cooking surface area.
  • Doesn't maintain a stable temperature.
7.2
Frying Performance 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) has decent air frying performance. It's a compact model with a fairly small cooking surface area and a somewhat slow maximum fan speed. It produces decent-quality fried food like chicken wings or fish but leaves many undercooked and under-crisped portions. It doesn't maintain a stable temperature very well, which makes it more difficult to follow recipes precisely. However, it cooks food quickly.

Pros
  • Cooks quickly.
  • Makes decent-quality fried food.
Cons
  • Somewhat small cooking surface area.
  • Doesn't maintain a stable temperature.
8.1
Cooking Speed 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) is a fast model. It preheats and cooks food quickly.

Pros
  • Cooks quickly.
Cons
None
7.0
Cooking Capacity 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) has a decent cooking capacity. With a 5-qt capacity, it's not a big model and best suited for serving 2-3 people at once. However, its round basket doesn't have a huge surface area for arranging food in one layer.

Pros
None
Cons
  • Somewhat small cooking surface area.
7.7
Size 

The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) is quite compact. It's tall but has a relatively small footprint, so it's not a bad choice for cramped kitchens.

Pros
  • Compact design.
Cons
None
  • 7.2
    Air Frying
  • 7.1
    Large Batch Cooking

  • Performance Usages

  • 7.2
    Frying Performance
  • 8.1
    Cooking Speed
  • 7.0
    Cooking Capacity
  • 7.7
    Size
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Oct 03, 2025: 

      We mentioned the recently reviewed Our Place Wonder Oven in the Cooking Chamber box for users looking for a compact option with more capacity.

    2.  Updated Aug 18, 2025: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.1. We've added measurements for Maximum Power Draw in the Cooking Versatility section to provide more context.
    3.  Updated Jan 07, 2025: 

      We added links to some of our recommendations for the best air fryers in Compared To Other Air Fryers.

    4.  Updated Sep 23, 2024: Review published.

    Check Price

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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) comes in one color: 'Black.' You can see the label for the unit we tested.

    If you encounter another variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.

    Popular Air Fryer Comparisons

    The Chefman TurboFry air fryer (5-qt.) is a compact, simple model. It has only one fan speed and a relatively small temperature range, so it's not as versatile as some other air fryers, like the 5-qt Ninja Pro AF141 or the 5.5-qt Ninja Max XL AF161. It has presets for different food items instead of for different cooking methods like baking, and it's best suited for classic air fry recipes like french fries, roasted vegetables, or fish. Unfortunately, it also has a somewhat worse performance since a significant portion of fried food comes out undercooked and not crispy enough.

    If you're looking for a recommendation, check out our lists of the best air fryers, the best small air fryers, and the best budget and cheap air fryers.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    7.7
    Size
    Height
    13.2" (33.5 cm)
    Width
    10.4" (26.5 cm)
    Depth
    12.8" (32.5 cm)
    Overall Volume
    1,760.6 in³ (28,851 cm³)
    7.0
    Cooking Chamber
    Single Basket Surface Area
    54.7 in² (353.1 cm²)
    Total Basket Surface Area54.7 in² (353.1 cm²)
    Advertised Capacity5.0 qt (4.7 L)
    Measured Capacity5.2 qt (4.9 L)
    Chamber Height
    4.2" (10.7 cm)
    Nonstick Coating Type
    PTFE

    The Chefman TurboFry RJ38-5-T has a 5-quart capacity, enough to serve about 2-3 people. However, compared with the 5-qt Ninja Pro AF141, its basket has a smaller surface area, giving you less space to arrange food in a single layer. If you're looking for an option with more capacity that's still compact, check out the Our Place Wonder Oven.

    5.6
    Cooking Versatility
    Dual Cooking ChambersNo
    Cooking Method Presets
    1
    Minimum Temperature
    200 °F (93 °C)
    Maximum Temperature
    400 °F (204 °C)
    Minimum Fan Speed
    2,750 RPM
    Maximum Fan Speed
    2,750 RPM
    Maximum Power Draw
    1,190 W
    Temperature Probe
    No

    It's not very versatile, so you can't adjust its performance much for different ingredients or cooking methods. It has a narrow temperature range, so it's unsuitable for dehydrating and doesn't get as hot as some air fryers when you want a quick blast of high heat. The fan has only one speed setting, so you can't use a lower fan speed for dehydrating or baking. It's best suited for classic air fry foods like french fries, wings, and vegetables.

    • Default: 15 minutes, 400°F shake reminder at halfway
    • Meat: 18 minutes, 375°F shake reminder at halfway
    • Chicken: 22 minutes, 375°F shake reminder at halfway
    • Fish:10 minutes, 350°F, shake reminder at halfway
    • Fries: 20 minutes, 400°F, shake reminder every five minutes
    Performance
    7.4
    Frying Quality
    Crispy Fries
    64.5%
    Overcooked Fries
    0.0%
    Undercooked Fries
    35.5%

    It makes decent-quality fried food. If you want to avoid overcooking any part of your food, you'll end up with a significant amount of undercooked parts that aren't crispy enough. Most of it is still crispy, well-cooked, and golden-brown.

    8.1
    Cooking Speed
    See details on graph tool
    Time To Reach 45% Moisture Loss17:30
    8.2
    Preheat Speed
    See details on graph tool
    Preheat Reminder
    No
    Time to Reach 400°F
    02:36
    5.3
    Temperature Stability
    See details on graph tool
    Recovery Time Once Food Added
    07:07
    Temperature Variation at 400°F
    41 °F

    It has sub-par temperature stability. It takes a very long time to come back to temperature after adding food, which slows down cooking. It also doesn't maintain a very stable temperature during cooking, which can make it more difficult to accurately follow recipes and cook more delicate foods.