- Officials have recalled 319,000 PowerXL air fryers sold at Walmart and Target
- A connector that connects the baskets in the dual air fryers can break and has caused burns to some users
- Owners of two PowerXL models are urged to stop using them and demand their money back
Air fryers sold by major retailers like Walmart, Target and Kohl's are being recalled after three people reported burning themselves while doing so.
The voluntary recall affects two models of air fryers from Empower Brands, which are sold under the name PowerXL.
Both models have two baskets that can be used separately or combined into one large basket. The recall is via a U-shaped connector that holds the two baskets together and is prone to breakage.
That in itself is annoying for users, because the baskets with food in them can fall to the ground. But connector breakage can also be DANGEROUS and has resulted in customers getting burned when hot baskets are dropped.
Owners of air fryers from Ninja, the top-selling brand in the US, will be relieved it's not one of them.
The voluntary recall affects air fryers manufactured by Empower Brands, but branded as PowerXL. They were sold at Walmart, Target, and Kohl's, among others, from August 2021 to October 2023
The PowerXL DUAF-10 (left) has two food baskets, each accessible via the silver handles. The PowerXL DUAF-005 (right) has a similar mechanism and is also susceptible to interference, according to the CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Thursday that the recall would affect 319,000 air fryers sold between August 2021 and October 2023 for $60 to $190.
The models are the DUAF-10 and DUAF-005 Vortex Dual-Basket air fryers and were sold in black or cinnamon colors.
It is not the first problem with an air fryer. In February, another two million air fryers manufactured by Cosori were recalled amid complaints that they could catch fire, burn, melt or overheat.
In the more recent case with the PowerXL air fryers, more than 40 people reported that a plastic part used to connect two separate food baskets in the fryer could break.
Owners are urged by the CPSC to stop using the fryers and contact the seller to arrange a full refund.
Owners of the Cosori fryers were also urged to immediately stop using them.
Pictured is the U-channel connector that can be used to connect the two air fryer baskets. CPSC said in its announcement that it was prone to breakage
The model numbers and UPC codes are located on the bottom of the air fryer or on the power cord.
Empower Brands, based in Middleton, Wisconsin, can be called toll-free Monday through Friday at 866-704-9370 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CT, or online at www.prodprotect.com/recall/duaf or https://powerxlproducts.com.
DailyMail.com wrote to Empower Brands for comment on the connector and the claim that its failure could lead to accidental burns, but did not immediately receive a response.