Nuwave Brio 8 Quart Air Fryers for Game-Night Snacks

Best for
Crowds that want presets and fast crisping

Best for
Game-night cooks wanting precise temperature control

The Nuwave Brio Plus 8 Qt Air Fryer is Nuwave’s overhauled take on the Brio. The listing describes a completely redesigned body, full digital touch screen controls in place of analog buttons, and a display with large cool white letters that stay readable in any light. For anyone who has squinted at a worn-off button label mid-party, that is a practical upgrade.

Temperature control is the headline. You can set anything from 50°F to 400°F in 5°F increments, and Nuwave says the heater never turns off but makes constant adjustments through the cook, rather than switching on and off like simpler designs. In practice that approach aims for steadier heat, which matters when you are running back-to-back batches of wings. Pulling the basket pauses cooking and pushing it back resumes automatically, and the air circulation riser was redesigned to sit more securely.

The basket coating is listed as nonstick PFAS-free ceramic, capacity is 8 quarts and the unit measures 11.94″D x 12.5″W x 12.69″H. What the listing does not specify is wattage, the number of presets or whether a probe is included. If presets and power modes matter more to you, the next listing is more detailed.

• 50°F to 400°F in 5°F steps with continuous heater adjustment
• Full digital touch screen and large white display
• Auto pause when the basket is opened
• PFAS-free ceramic nonstick, 8 quart capacity

The Nuwave Brio Plus Air Fryer 8 Qt with PFAS-Free Ceramic Coating is the most feature-packed listing here. It describes Advanced Turbo Convection with a 6-blade 4.5-inch fan and selectable 700, 1500 and 1800 watt power levels, and Nuwave claims it cooks four times faster and three times more evenly. Those are the maker’s figures, but a larger fan and adjustable power are sensible tools for crisp outsides on a full basket.

You get seven one-touch functions, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Toast, Reheat and Preheat, plus 100 preprogrammed presets and 50 DIY slots for saving your own wing and fry recipes. The coating is Duralon Blue G10 ceramic, which the listing says was tested by TUV for 106 known PFAS elements with none detected. Temperature runs from 50°F to 400°F with touch screen control, and the body is listed at 11.5″D x 12.75″W x 11.25″H, a touch shorter than the other Brio Plus listing.

This is the pick for hosts who cook a wide range of snacks and like one-press presets. It gives way to the original Brio 8-Qt if an integrated temperature probe is a must, since this listing does not mention one. For a wider look at the lineup, our roundup of Nuwave air fryers worth the money covers more options.

• 6-blade 4.5-inch fan, 700/1500/1800W power levels
• 7 functions, 100 presets and 50 DIY slots
• TUV-tested PFAS-free Duralon ceramic coating

Best for
Hands-off cooking with a built-in probe

The Nuwave Brio 8-Qt Air Fryer is the original 8 quart model, and its standout is the integrated digital temperature probe. You set the doneness temperature, the Brio monitors the inside of the food and ends cooking automatically when it gets there. For chicken thighs, drumsticks or a small roast during a long gaming session, that means less guessing and fewer trips to the kitchen.

It also carries 100 presets across grilling, air frying, baking, broiling, roasting, dehydrating, reheating, defrosting and toasting, plus 50 memory slots. You can change time and temperature on the fly without restarting, and the listing says it fits up to 3 pounds of French fries. Linear T Technology is described as continuously monitoring temperature and adjusting power to hold the setting.

Two listing details conflict. The title and features describe 50°F to 400°F controls, while the specifications list a 100°F minimum, and the specs show 1800 watts alongside a 1500 watt output figure. It is also the biggest unit here at 15.1″D x 16.5″W x 13.1″H, so measure your counter. If you would rather have a larger countertop cooker, see our guide to the Nuwave air fryer oven.

• Integrated probe that ends cooking at target internal temperature
• 100 presets and 50 memory slots
• Adjust time and temperature mid-cook
• 32-inch cable, 120 volts

Best for
Couples and small households

The Nuwave Brio 6-Quart Healthy Digital Smart Air Fryer is not an 8 quart model. Its capacity is listed at 5.68 liters, and Nuwave pitches it for about two pounds of fries or a 3.5-pound chicken, a size meant for couples, small families or a secondary fryer. We include it because many shoppers searching for an 8 quart Brio are better served by the smaller one.

It checks the internal cabinet temperature 120 times per second, and Nuwave claims other fryers can drift by up to 40°F. The range is 50°F to 400°F in 5°F steps, with Reheat and Preheat buttons and 100 preprogrammed recipes. The listing says it is the only Brio with a removable divider in the basket, handy for cooking two snacks at once, and it includes a dishwasher-safe nonstick grill pan for steaks, chicken and fish indoors. The title mentions a probe, though the feature list does not describe how it works.

It has the smallest footprint at 10.5″D x 10.5″W x 13″H, but weighs 18.4 pounds. It gives way to any of the 8 quart models when you are feeding a full room.