Chefman TurboFry 9-Qt Air Fryer: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-05

Summary

The most repeated owner complaint on the 9-quart TurboFry is rattling and grinding from the fan on the turbo air-fry setting, the DC-motor mode the model is sold on, plus a single report of the nonstick coating failing after one use; both are isolated and no independent lab has tested this exact model. There are no filters, bags or pods to buy, so the running cost is electricity only, and no exact-model power draw has been published. It is a good buy at $85 or below and weak value above $120.

Common problems and fixes

Turbo-mode fan rattle and grinding — one owner in a Costco 9-quart thread returned a unit because the fan rattled and made a loud squeaking sound on the air-fry setting, described there as the turbo cooking function. The thread never states a part number, so this is a signal and not a measured rate; a noisy unit inside the one-year assurance is a warranty claim. [1]
Nonstick coating failure after one use — one recent 9-quart owner reported the coating failing after a single use with a chemical smell. It is a serious individual report, not a recurring exact-model failure pattern; preserve the coating by skipping metal utensils and abrasive pads. [2][3]
Longevity doubt — an owner in the same Costco thread called the unit working great but said they were sceptical about longevity, without quantifying it. Keep the receipt, since the only remedy is the one-year assurance. [1]
Start/Stop may look like it resets the timer — one owner questioned whether Start/Stop resets the timer; check the unit’s behavior against the manual before treating it as a fault. [2]
The DC-motor “up to 40% faster” claim is unverified — Chefman’s figure has no defined baseline and no independent measurement of this model exists, so do not price the machine as if that speed were proven. [3]
Nine-quart Chefman models get mixed together — reviews and listings frequently collapse the RJ38-9TW-V2 with the retailer-specific RJ38-9TW-WM and the dual-basket RJ38-SQPF-45TDB, whose specs differ. Match the part number before trusting a review. [3]
No replacement basket, rack or parts catalog — nothing for this model is sold separately, so motor, heater or control faults are warranty or replacement cases, not home repairs. [3]
1750W is a heavy 120V countertop load — avoid sharing an overloaded circuit with the air fryer, and plug it straight into an outlet. [3]

Parts and consumables

No replaceable parts or consumables reported. The nonstick basket and rack are dishwasher-safe and are cleaned rather than replaced, and no official replacement basket or rack is sold.

Yearly running cost

Electricity is the only ongoing cost, and it cannot be priced from first-party data because the 1750W figure is a nameplate rating rather than a measured draw. For scale only, Consumer Reports computed about $4.10 to run one hour per week for 52 weeks at 350°F on a different Chefman model and about $4.11 on a different 4.5-quart model; those figures should not be transferred to this 9-quart machine. [4][5]

When it is a good buy

Best Buy listed the exact model at $84.99 with a $99.99 comparison value in October 2026, Walmart showed it at $79.99 against a $119.99 reference in September 2026, and Chefman direct listed $99.99 on sale against a $119.99 regular price. At or below $85 the 9-quart single basket, the 90–450°F range, the two-stage Frozen program, the 30-minute Keep Warm and the dishwasher-safe basket and rack are strong for the money. Above $120 it is hard to justify, because the 7-quart TurboFry (RJ38-7TW) sells at a $89.99 sale price and the dual-basket 9-quart TurboFry (RJ38-45DB) at $149.99 adds a second cooking zone. Choose the RJ38-7TW when 7 quarts is enough and you want to spend less; choose the RJ38-45DB when you need two independent cooking zones; choose this model when one large uninterrupted basket and the 90°F drying floor matter most. [3][4][6][7][8]