Are steam air fryers worth it?
A steam air fryer is worth considering if you regularly cook foods that dry out in a normal air fryer: chicken breast, salmon, pork chops, broccoli, carrots, reheated rice dishes, and roast potatoes that you want crisp outside without turning leathery inside. It is less compelling if you mostly cook frozen fries, nuggets, toast, or snack foods, because a regular basket air fryer already handles those well and costs less.
The short version: buy a steam air fryer for moisture control, not because it replaces every appliance. The best models work more like small combi ovens. They can air fry with dry heat, steam on their own, or add bursts of steam during hot-air cooking. That extra moisture can help proteins stay juicier and keep vegetables from drying out before they brown.
Best fit for most people: Philips Airfryer 5000 Series with Steam NA547/07
The Philips Airfryer 5000 Series with Steam NA547/07 is the model I would look at first if you want a straightforward steam air fryer rather than a full countertop oven. It has a 7.2-liter capacity, a 2000-watt heating system, RapidAir Plus hot-air circulation, SteamFry, SteamClean, and a pull-out EasySlide rail design. Retail listings show it sized for family meals, with Philips and retailers describing capacity for larger batches such as drumsticks, salmon fillets, or vegetables.
Its biggest advantage is that it keeps the familiar air fryer workflow. You are still using a drawer-style basket, but with added steam modes. That makes it less intimidating than a multi-cooker oven if your goal is simple weeknight cooking. It is a strong match for vegetables, fish, chicken pieces, roasted potatoes, and reheating food that usually turns dry in a standard air fryer.
The main downside is availability and price. The NA547/07 appears more common in Australia and some international markets than in the U.S. If it is priced close to a premium regular air fryer, the steam function is easy to justify. If it costs as much as a larger combi oven, compare capacity and counter space carefully.
Best for precision proteins: Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer
The Dreo ChefMaker is a better pick if your priority is meat, doneness, and guided cooking. It is a 6-quart combi fryer with 1800 watts, a 100°F to 450°F temperature range, Wi-Fi, a probe, and a roughly 200 ml water tank. Dreo positions it around chef-style cooking modes rather than just air frying with steam added.
That makes the ChefMaker especially appealing for steak, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and salmon, where overcooking by a few minutes matters. The tradeoff is capacity: 6 quarts is fine for two to four people, but the Philips 7.2-liter basket is roomier for vegetables or family portions.
Best if you want a bigger appliance: Ninja Combi
The Ninja Combi All-in-One Multicooker, Oven, and Air Fryer is worth considering if you want steam-assisted cooking but also want a broader countertop appliance. It is sold as a multi-function cooker with combi cooking, air fry, bake, roast, slow cook, and complete-meal modes. It is less of a simple basket air fryer and more of a compact meal oven.
Choose this direction if you want to cook rice or pasta with a protein and vegetables in one appliance, or if you are replacing a toaster oven. Skip it if you specifically want the smallest, fastest drawer-style air fryer experience.
When steam makes a real difference
Steam helps most when the food needs time to cook through before the outside dries out. Broccoli is a good example: dry air frying can brown the tips while the stems stay tough, while steam-assisted cooking can soften the vegetable before finishing with crisp edges. The same logic applies to chicken breast and salmon, where added humidity can make the result more forgiving.
Steam is also useful for reheating leftovers. Pizza, roasted vegetables, chicken, and rice-based meals can come back warmer and less dried out than they would in a basic air fryer. Some models also use steam cleaning cycles, which may loosen residue around the basket and heating area, though you should still expect normal hand cleaning.
When a regular air fryer is still better value
If your main foods are frozen fries, breaded chicken, pizza rolls, wings, and quick snacks, a regular air fryer is usually the smarter buy. Steam does not make frozen convenience foods dramatically better, and the extra water tank adds one more part to refill, empty, descale, or clean.
You should also avoid pouring random water into a regular air fryer basket unless the manual specifically allows it. A purpose-built steam air fryer manages water through a tank, atomizer, or steam system designed for the appliance. Improvising can create mess, poor results, or long-term reliability issues.
Bottom line
Steam air fryers are not just hype, but they are not necessary for everyone. For most buyers who want a true drawer-style steam air fryer, the Philips Airfryer 5000 Series with Steam NA547/07 is the most direct pick. For people who care more about guided protein cooking, the Dreo ChefMaker is more interesting. For bigger one-appliance meals, the Ninja Combi makes more sense than a small basket model.
If you already own a good air fryer and mostly cook frozen foods, keep it. If you are replacing an old air fryer and often wish vegetables, chicken, fish, or leftovers came out less dry, a steam air fryer is one of the few premium upgrades that can actually change the result.