Air frying is a healthier alternative to deep frying, and it lets you enjoy all of your favorite guilty pleasures, like French fries, with less fat—and less guilt. To get the best results that mimic deep frying without all of the extra calories, though, you need to invest in the right air fryer.
Air fryers circulate piping hot air around meat and veg to achieve deep-frying flavor without packing on the pounds. These days air fryers often come packed with pre-sets for everything from boiling to baking. Much like the one pot, good air fryers can quickly become the center of your kitchen routine. As such make sure to prioritize high build-quality items with easy-to-clean baskets, trays, and pans.
Are Air Fryers Healthy?
Air fryers are much healthier than traditional deep-frying techniques. Think of it this way; traditional deep-frying uses oil or lard – AKA fats – to create a crispy exterior. This is usually complimented by a mixture of breadcrumbs, egg wash or the like. The vast majority of these carb and fat packed ingredients are traded out for piping hot currents of air. When air frying you easily cut out at least 70% of the fat from traditional techniques. Ready for better news? Air fryers are so popular that they see year-to-year improvements and both increased health benefits plus expanded functionality.
What to Look for in an Air Fryer?
When looking for an air fryer we recommend prioritizing build quality. Buying an air fryer is similar to purchasing a stand mixture in terms of fulfilling specific roles (although stand mixtures are definitely more multi-functional). We’re also a big fan of pre-set fryers. Although there are models out there that have simple temperature and time controls we see this as a baseline from which other premium features should be added. Likewise, we strongly recommend finding an air fryer that doesn’t require you to flip your chicken wing, for example, halfway through the cook time. This is usually a sign that the air flow for your fryer is less than ideal, and that quality was cut somewhere down the line in order to drop the prices. If however more expensive air fryers are out of your price range instead simply be prepared to have less set-and-forget functionality.
Tips for Using an Air Fryer
The best overall tip we can give you is to always clean your air fryer as soon as possible after cooking. One of the big things that gets to air fryers over time is the build up of residue leading to the flaking off of non-stick coatings and the like. To alleviate this always make sure to follow top-tier health and safety standards for your fryer. In addition, make sure to carefully read the instructions after purchasing. One of the most common complaints for air fryers generally is an unidentifiable plastic smell during cooking. This is often the result of not removing packaging items like rubber feet, which can lead to baking that plastic smell into the interior of your unit.
To help you find the one that’s right for you, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most highly rated air fryers available. Check them out and see what they have to offer.
1. Editor’s Choice: Ninja Max XL 5.5 Quart
Ninja Max’s XL air fryer is a good option for those looking for a solidly built, large-capacity fryer with more pre-sets than most items on this list. The Ninja can handle a total of 7 cooking techniques including; maximum crisp, fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate.
Compared to previous models the Ninja Max reaches cooking temperatures up to 30% faster. It also has a higher temperature ceiling than some other items on this list at up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Like many other air fryers it has both a removable basket and grease tray for easy cleaning. All in all the Ninja Max can take up to 5.5 quarts, which is good for pretty much good for anything other than large poultry. Ninja also throws in a booklet with 20 recipes to help you get off the ground with a “frying” start.
Pros
- 7-in-1 functionality: max crisp, air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate
- 5-quart capacity
- Non-stick dishwasher safe ceramic basket and tray
- Heats up 30% faster compared to the older Ninja AF100
- Delivers temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- 14 x 11 x 14.75 inches
- Includes a booklet with 20 recipes
Cons
- Multiple consumer reports of dead on arrival units during 2020-2021 – although customer service appears to be responsive and willing to pay shipping costs provided it’s within a year.
2. Runner Up: Philips Premium TurboStar
The Philips Premium TurboStar is the latest in Philips’ culinary of products. It comes in a fairly small 2.75-quart design, which is perfect for small households. It also features five pre-sets – air fry, roast, grill, bake, and reheat. Despite the smaller capacity the Philips is actually just as large as some 5.5-quart models on this list. This is partly because the Premium Turbostar needs the extra space for have an air current both below and above whatever you’re cooking. When you go much smaller than this you’ll find that you need to rotate or flip your chicken wings, French fries, or veggies.
In terms of temperature the Philips Turbostar caps out at just around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Philips also provides access to hundreds of recipes in a digital library. One absolutely bizarre note about this air fryer. For whatever reason Philips doesn’t include pans or trays in addition to the Premium Turbostar. As a consumer you’ll have to order these parts separately.
Pros
- 5-in-1 functionality: air fry, roast, grill, bake, and reheat
- Compact 2.75-quart design
- Non-stick basket
- Good for up to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- 17 x 14.09 x 13.86 inches
- Includes digital access to hundreds of recipes
Cons
- Doesn’t include a pan and trays
3. Customer’s Choice: COSORI Smart WiFi Air Fryer 5.8QT
This COSORI Air Fryer is not only WiFi enabled, but also Alexa enabled. This means that you can control, monitor, and adjust it from remote by using the VeSync app on your mobile device or by giving voice commands if you use Alexa. You can even schedule cook times up to four hours in advance so that you can enjoy a perfect dinner even on your busiest days.
Featuring an ergonomic touchscreen display and a slimmer footprint, this air fryer can help you save space, and it also comes with more than 100 pre-programmed recipes that can be found in the VeSync app, so there is always something new to try. Plus, you can even select one of the recipes in the app and then let the settings adjust automatically.
This product also boasts a 5.8-quart nonstick, removable, dishwasher safe, BPA free, and PFOA free basket that can fit plenty of food. And, in addition to a preheat option, there are 11 built-in, one-touch presets to choose from as well to help make cooking up delicious dinners even easier.
Pros
- Wifi and Alexa enabled
- Nonstick and dishwasher safe
- BPA and PFOA free
- 11 presets
- 5.8 quarts
Cons
- None found
4. Best Compact: Chefman TurboFry 2 Quart Air Fryer
The Chefman TurboFry 2 Quart Air Fryer is another option when you are searching for a way to enjoy the flavor and texture of fried foods without all of the fat. This product lets you manually set the temperature anywhere from 200°F to 400°F, and the dial control makes it really easy to adjust the temperature as necessary. Plus, you can even use it to bake everything from cakes and brownies to cookies and more, without having to use your oven.
Other nice features include the detachable nonstick basket that is BPA free, the 30-minute integrated timer, the cool touch exterior, and the auto-shutoff function. It is easy to clean, thanks to the dishwasher safe cooking tray and basket. And because of its compact size, it can be the ideal choice if you don’t have a lot of space to work with in your kitchen.
Pros
- Detachable nonstick basket that’s BPA free
- 30-minute integrated timer
- Cool touch exterior
- Auto shutoff function
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Could be considered too small for some
5. Best for Beginners: BLACK+DECKER Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer
The Black+Decker Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer features dual convection fans to quickly and evenly circulate hot air around your ingredients so they come out perfectly crispy and delicious. The dishwasher safe basket can fit two to four servings, and the nonstick cooking surfaces will help ensure there’s no mess, and no need for cooking spray either.
Other attractive features include the variable temperature control, which ranges from 175°F to 400°F, and the 60-minute timer that will automatically turn the appliance off once cooking is complete. Indicator lights will let you know when the air fryer is on, as well as when the preheat temperature has been reached. Plus, the basket separator allows you to fry two different types of food at the same time without having to worry about the flavors mixing, while the cool-touch handle helps ensure your safety.
Pros
- Dishwasher safe
- Variable temperature control
- Automatic timer
- Basket separator
- Cool-touch handle
Cons
- Can be considered to small for some
6. Best Large Capacity: Instant Vortex Plus
The Instant Vortex air fryer is a fantastic air fryer for large families, or even those interested in air frying poultry about 3 pounds of so. Instant Vortex packs their air fryer with 6 functional pre-sets in additional to standardized temperature and time controls. All told, this air fryer can fry, broil, roast, dehydrate, and bake through a one-touch panel.
Perhaps the best thing about Instant Vortex’s air fryer is that it has a generous 6-quart capacity. Depending on what you’re making this could feed up to a family of six. The baskets and trays are also top-rack dishwasher safe, which makes for relatively quick and easy cleanup. In terms of temperature, the Vortex can reach up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with a negligible pre-heating window. This is complimented by both overheat protection and an automatic shutoff.
Pros
- 6-in-1 functionality: air fry, broil, roast, dehydrate, bake, and reheat via a one-touch smart program system
- 6-quart capacity
- Non-stick dishwasher safe trays and basket
- Negligible pre-heating time
- 95 to 400 degree Fahrenheit temperature range
- 92 x 12.36 x 12.83 inches
- Includes overheat protection and auto shutoff
Cons
- Multiple reports of a persistent plastic smell, but this can be remedied by removing the black plastic feet on the bottom of the tray for shipping purposes rather than leaving them on during cooking.
7. Best Colors: Dash Compact Air Fryer
Dash’s compact air fryer is perfect for small apartments, couples, or singles looking to broaden their culinary horizons. One substantial disadvantage to this smaller form factor is that you will need to flip your food partway through cooking. All told this air fryer measures 10.2 inches by 8.1 inches by 11.4 inches.
Unlike most of the other air fryers on this list Dash doesn’t offer any pre-sets. Rather, they stick with the tried-and-true combination of temperature and time. Although this model is largely plug-and-play there are a few much appreciated premium features. For one, Dash includes an auto-shutoff – although there’s no overheat protection on this model. Dash also provides some lovely colors for spicing up your kitchen aesthetics – robin’s egg blue being our personal pick.
With that said, we had a few concerns with Dash’s air fryer. First and foremost there are multiple consumer reports of the non-stick basket coating flaking off within months of regular usage. This may be due to improper cleaning or a bad batch of models, but is something to keep in mind.
Pros
- Rather than pre-sets Dash instead offers a time knob and a temperature knob
- Compact 2-quart design in attractive colors
- Easy to clean basket and grill – just be gentle with the non-stick coating
- 2 x 8.1 x 11.4 inches
- Includes auto shutoff
- Cool-touch handle
Cons
- Reports of the coating on the rack flaking within six months
- Requires flipping – the top air current runs much hotter than the lower
FAQs
What is the best air fryer on the market right now?
Generally speaking, Sous Vide Guy is a big fan of Ninja brand air fryers. Ninja is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of culinary science year after year. [Hold]
How does an air fryer work?
Air fryers work by circulating hot air around food placed in the chamber. Like sous vide, this leads to 360 degrees of even cooking in best case scenarios. This leads to a crispy, crunchy exterior without any of the grease, lard, or oil.
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Most standard air fryers specialize in pub favorites like French Fries. Here one of the big benefits is that you skip on adding breading while still delivering a crispy exterior. Air fryers can also be used for root vegetables and the like. With that said, make sure to avoid fresh greens like spinach, battered food, and raw grains. None of these play nicely with the 360 degrees of heat.
How do you clean an air fryer?
To clean a gunked up air fryer start by removing the pan and basket – sometimes referred to as a liner. Soak all of the removable items in soap and hot water to loosen any tough spots. Next grab your favorite scrubby or brush and go to town on any tough spots then rinse and dry when satisfied. Finally, some air fryer manufacturers have dishwasher safe trays and the like.
Do you need to preheat an air fryer?
In most cases pre-heating an air fryer isn’t necessary. As a general rule of thumb small and medium air fryers heat up very quickly. Larger air fryers may need a small warm-up window, but as always we recommend checking with the manufacturer’s instructions.
What size of air fryer do I need?
This depends entirely on your planned usage. For small families, singles, or couples, you can easily get away with a 4-to-6-quart air fryer. However, if you’re looking to do things like roast a whole chicken you may want to go up to the 7-quart size. This allows for plenty of extra room for both small and large birds.