I was genuinely skeptical about cooking a steak in an air fryer. The whole thing felt gimmicky, like trying to make espresso in a toaster. But then I actually tested the Dreo Chefmaker, and it kind of changed my mind about what an “air fryer” can be.
This isn’t your typical countertop gadget. It’s less about reheating leftovers and more about getting a ribeye to exactly the temperature you want, then finishing it with enough heat to develop a crust while trapping moisture inside. Same logic applies to roast chicken, pork chops, basically any cut of meat you’d actually care about cooking properly.
What Makes It Different
The Chefmaker functions as three separate tools depending on what you’re doing. For wings and fries, yeah, it air fries like anything else. But the real magic happens when you’re dealing with larger proteins. That’s where the combi cooker feature kicks in, using steam to keep things from drying out while the heat does its job.
The probe cooker aspect is where things get genuinely clever. You set your target temperature, and the device slowly brings the meat up to that exact point. Once it hits the mark, you get a finishing blast of heat. It’s the kind of thing that makes cooking feel less like guesswork and more like following a recipe that actually works.
The Deal Right Now
Dreo’s running a spring sale with 44 percent off the Chefmaker. That brings the price down to around $200 if you enter the code SPCHEFMAKER at checkout. This is legitimately the lowest price this device has ever hit, according to WIRED’s testing.
The timing probably isn’t random. Dreo’s been hinting at a second-generation model called the Chefmaker 2, which will apparently have AI-guided recipes built in. When companies start aggressively cutting prices on their current models, it’s usually because something new is coming down the pipeline. But that doesn’t make this deal any less real.
The Catch
Here’s where I have to be honest. The probe cooking function keeps temperatures locked down tight. The regular air fryer and toaster oven modes? They can drift off by 20 degrees or so. It’s not a dealbreaker, and plenty of ovens do this, but it’s worth knowing if you’re the type who gets anxious about precision cooking.
Other Things Worth Looking At
If you’re already on Dreo’s site, there are a couple other pieces worth considering. Their space heaters and fans keep showing up in various tech roundups. The Wall-Mounted Heater 517S is the kind of thing that actually improves winter mornings, especially if you’re someone who dreads getting out of a warm bed to enter a freezing bathroom. There’s also a bundle deal on the 519 tower fan and 511S table fan if you’re trying to keep things moving.
The real question isn’t whether you need another kitchen gadget. It’s whether you actually care enough about cooking meat properly that you’d want a device that almost guarantees results. If you do, the price right now is hard to argue with.
