Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Convection and steam technologies make the new Ninja Speedi an air fryer and multicooker that's capable of delivering complete meals in 15 minutes. Read More
As an 1,800-watt toaster oven air fryer, this can help you prepare a variety of delicious food products at anywhere from 80 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Read More
This features a well functioning ClearCook window and mediocre OdorErase technology. But it does well in crisping foods. Read More
When it comes to air frying, this knocked it out of the park. The downside is that this is a big, heavy, machine that's noisier than most. Read More
If you’re looking for an appliance to air fry and do it well, this Cuisinart is well worth your consideration. Read More
Looking for the best air fryer to buy? After years of extensive research and hands-on testing dozens of these small appliances, we can confidently say that the Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker & Air Fryer (available at Amazon for $129.95) is the best air fryer we've tested.
Its results are closest to using a deep fryer, making crispy, juicy foods, without the extra calories or trans fats. Plus, like many air fryers, it includes dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleanup.
If you're looking to save kitchen counter space and want to combine your toaster oven and air fryer, we recommend the Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven (available at Amazon). This larger-style air fryer successfully circulates hot air around your food, but it also has the functionality of a great toaster oven.
The Ninja Speedi combines many cooking functions into one appliance, but its air fryer function especially shines.
The Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven impressed as the best of its kind that we tested.
The Instant Vortex Plus is a solid air fryer choice, as long as you're willing to do some recipe research.
The Philips Airfryer XXL performs consistently -- even with large family-size portions.
Uncomplicated to program
Doesn't require preheating
Foods come out crispy
Helpful manual
Controls aren't digital
Parts are not dishwasher safe or nonstick
Food comes out crispy
Simple to operate
Multiple colors available
Controls aren’t digital
Basket is tricky to remove
Parts are not dishwasher safe
Cooks well
Lots of features
Built-in thermometer
Easy to clean
Manual could be more helpful
An air fryer and multi-cooker in one
Digital controls
Food comes out crispy
Very large
Cookbook not helpful
Noisy
Small
Doesn't require preheating
basket is nonstick and dishwasher safe
Controls aren't digital
Cooks only one-half pound of food well
We've reviewed a few Krups models. We like the Krups Easy Fry Deluxe Digital (available at Amazon) a bit better than the Krups Fry Delight thanks to its design and cooking results. However, neither are very close to mimicking the crispiness of food that came out of a traditional deep fryer.
The generic-looking Power Air XL (available at Amazon) has a small capacity, and its basket doesn't glide out very smoothly.
The Black and Decker 2L Purifry (available at Amazon) is a big appliance, but comes with a much smaller basket. With no digital controls and tiny numbers, it's really difficult to set your temperature precisely.
Hi, I'm Sharon Franke, and I’ve been reviewing kitchen equipment for more than 30 years. Before that, I worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years. Now I’m an avid home cook.
While I’ve made french fries and pan-fried chicken breast cutlets countless times, they’re not in heavy rotation in my house these days. Just like you, I want to avoid the oil and all that work that comes with frying. That’s why I was thrilled to test whether air fryers could satisfy my hankerings for crispy food, fat- and fuss-free.
In order to test air fryers, we cooked up dozens of batches of french fries and nuggets, as well as Nashville hot chicken and burgers.
To find the top performers, we rated each appliance on how well it cooked fresh (from scratch) and frozen french fries and chicken nuggets, as well as how well each model grilled hamburgers.
Since each appliance is unique and there are all types of air fryers on the market now, you’ll be relying on the manual to get started. We checked to see if each explained how to use the product thoroughly, provided guidelines for cooking specific foods, and included recipes.
We also considered how easy it was to use the controls (for both manual and digital air fryers), slide the basket in and out, and clean up.
As you may not use this kitchen gadget daily, we also considered how easy it would be to store and stash away.
For starters, it's not actually a fryer, but rather a convection oven that includes a heating element and a fan that circulates hot air around foods in a basket. Using at most a half-tablespoon of cooking oil, the appliance will brown and crisp up food. However, it doesn't always deliver the same combination of all-over crunchiness and perfect tenderness as frying in oil.
These appliances don't require more than a few minutes to preheat, so they deliver the goods faster than deep-frying. Plus, during testing, we discovered they didn’t emit any cooking odors, so your house won't smell like a chicken shack.
These devices are easy to use and often easy to clean. Always check the manufacturer's instructions, but most will follow these basic procedures:
1. Preheat before cooking. Many air fryers need time to come to temperature before cooking. In general, preheat to 375°F for 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the fryer.
2. Don’t overcrowd the food and lay food down flat. Just like conventional frying, overloading your air fryer—especially with frozen foods—could produce soggy or uneven results. Plus, it could also increase the cooking time.
3. Flip while frying. Don't forget to batter and/or bread items properly before dropping them into the air fryer, and be sure to flip your food halfway through the cooking process. Also, keep an eye on your food while it cooks. This will let you adjust timing as necessary and help get you used to your new appliance.
4. Clean the air fryer when you're done. Don’t forget to clean the appliance after you finish cooking and the device has cooled down. Food particles can build up over time and cause issues down the line.
There are so many great air fryer recipes (especially for families)! These appliances can do everything from bake, broil and help cook meats, casseroles, or even desserts. They are, of course, limited by their size and don’t offer any advantage over a traditional oven. But if you need an extra oven or don’t want to heat the kitchen, these countertop appliances are helpful.
Some popular air fryer uses include:
You might be tempted to cover the inside of your air fryer basket with aluminum foil before placing your food in to avoid the annoying post-cook washing process. But you're probably better off nixing any sort of lining.
Technically, you can line your air fryer with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) safely without worrying about the concerns associated with microwaving similar materials. But we still caution against it for gustatory reasons.
Air fryer baskets are designed with openings throughout for optimal air flow. It's the reason that frozen fries and chicken thighs don't come out crispy on top and soggy on the bottom. Covering those holes with a lining of any kind can inhibit that air flow, and result in a meh texture.
In our opinion, you're better off ditching the foil and giving your basket a good wash after each use. (Plus, less waste! A win-win.)
Sharon Franke
Contributor
Sharon has been testing kitchen equipment for the past 30 years. Before becoming a cooking tools maven, she worked as a professional chef in New York City restaurants for seven years.
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