You’ve probably been tempted to jump on the air-fryer bandwagon in recent months and, if you have not yet taken the plunge, we’re here to help. Like the ubiquitous Instant Pot that came before it, air fryers have surged in popularity as of late, promising extra crispy foods of all kinds without the mess and danger of a big vat of hot oil. These small appliances come in all shapes and sizes now and they can be a versatile addition to your kitchen, so long as you know what they are (and aren’t) capable of. For those who are still deciding on which air fryer is right for them, our guide can demystify the space for you and highlight some of the best air fryers you can get right now.
Table of contents
What does an air fryer do?
Best air fryers for 2024
Buying guide for air fryers
Air fryer pros and cons
Best air fryer accessories
How to clean an air fryer
How to find air fryer recipes
What does an air fryer do?
Let’s clear one thing up first: it’s not frying. Not really. Air fryers are more like smaller convection ovens, ones that are often pod-shaped. Most work by combining a heating element and fan, which means the hot air can usually better crisp the outside of food than other methods. They often reach higher top temperatures than toaster ovens – which is part of the appeal.
For most recipes, a thin layer of oil (usually sprayed) helps to replicate that fried look and feel better. However, it will rarely taste precisely like the deep-fried version when it comes out of the air fryer basket. Don’t let that put you off, though, because the air fryer, in its many forms, combines some of the best parts of other cooking processes and brings them together into an energy-efficient way of cooking dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch.
Read more: We’ve also rounded up the best pizza ovens and the best sous vide machines.
Best air fryers for 2024
Capacity: 6-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Weight: 16.19 lb | Power consumption: 1700W | Depth: 14.92” | Height: 12.83” | Width: 12.36”
You probably know the “Instant” brand from the line of very popular Instant Pot pressure cookers, but did you know that the company makes great air fryers too? We’re especially impressed by the Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook and OdorErase, which features a clear viewing window so you can see the air fryer basket while your food is cooking, plus an odor-removing filter. In our testing, we found that it didn’t completely eliminate smells, so if you’re whipping up an air fryer salmon it might be obvious, but it seemed significantly less smoky when compared to our Breville Smart Oven Air. We love its ease of use, intuitive controls, the easy-to-clean nonstick drawer basket, plus the roomy interior – it’s big enough to fit four chicken thighs. Plus, this top pick heats up very quickly with virtually no preheating time.
A slightly more affordable option is its predecessor, the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart. It lacks the viewing window and the odor-removing filters, but it still has the same intuitive control panel and roomy nonstick interior, so you can easily cook a chicken breast or smaller meals from your favorite cookbooks. If you want an even bigger option, Instant also offers Instant Vortex Plus in a 10-quart model that has a viewing window and a rotisserie feature.
Pros
- ClearCook window lets you see your food as it cooks
- Intuitive controls
- Easy to clean drawer basket
Cons
- Can't cook very large foods
$128 at Amazon
Capacity: 6-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Air fry, broil, roast, frozen, bake, reheat, preheat, dry, proof, warm | Weight: 13 lb | Power consumption: 1725W | Depth: 14.4” | Height: 11.9” | Width: 11.8”
We’ve tested a few Cosori small kitchen appliances in the past and have generally liked them, and the six-quart 9-in-1 air fryer is no different. While Instant’s Vortex has the upper hand mostly thanks to its ClearCook window, those who don’t mind peeking inside the machine to check out their food should consider Cosori’s machine. Its six-quart capacity is great for side dishes like brussel sprouts and onion rings, but it’s also large enough to have quite a few chicken wings and a whole block of tofu without too much overlap. The rounded-square basket is one of the roomiest I’ve seen on a device with as (relatively) small of a footprint as Cosori’s air fryer.
Overall, this Cosori air fryer crisped up foods nicely regardless of if they started off raw, frozen or fridge-cool. The nine preset cooking modes include a preheat option for starting things off right at the precise temperature, a proof option for bakers and a dedicated frozen setting for premade appetizers and snacks. Most people will likely use the standard air fry mode the most, but it’s convenient to have so many other options, including the basics like broil, bake and roast.
After testing a number of air fryers over the past few years, I appreciate the small features this Cosori model has like an easy to use touchscreen, a basket release button (a good safety feature, since you must press it to remove the basket from the main unit) and the auto-pause feature that turns the cooking element off when you release the basket (it’ll turn right back on, though, if you just opened it up for a quick look).
Pros
- Spacious cooking basket
- Nine preset cooking modes
- Handy basket-release button
Cons
- A little on the wide side
$120 at Amazon
Capacity: Up to 10-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Fry, broil, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Weight: 19.80 lb | Power consumption: 1690W | Depth: 17.1” | Height: 12.8” | Width: 13.9”
Most machines can make one thing at a time, but Ninja’s Dual Zone digital air fryer can handle two totally different foods simultaneously, making it a top air fryer by our standards. Available in 8- and 10-quart capacities, this dual-basket air fryer isn’t compact, so it won’t be a good option for those with small kitchens. However, if you have the counter space, it could be the best air fryer to invest in especially if you cook for a large family. You can prep two totally different foods, like a chicken breast and brownies, at the same time with totally different cooking modes, or use Match Cook to prepare foods in the dual baskets the same way. The heating zones are independent, so if you only want to fill up one side with french fries and leave the other empty, you can do that as well.
We appreciate how quickly the Ninja air fryer heats up (there’s little to no preheating time at all) and how it runs relatively quietly. It also has a feature called Smart Finish that will automatically adjust cooking times so that your fried chicken thighs in the first chamber and asparagus in the second will finish at the same time, so you don’t have to wait for one part of your meal to be ready while the other gets cold. In general, dual-zone air frying capabilities aren’t necessary for most people, but those who cook often will get a lot of use out of machines like the Ninja Foodi.
Pros
- Two separate chambers for cooking different foods
- Smart Finish feature adjusts cooking times so foods finish simultaneously
$196 at Amazon
Capacity: 2-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Fry, bake, roast, reheat | Weight: 7.28 lb | Power consumption: 1300W | Depth: 11.26” | Height: 11.73” | Width: 9.02”
Not only is the Instant Vortex Mini budget-friendly with a $60 price tag (and you can often find it on sale for less), but it’s also the best small air fryer on this list. Most air fryers will take up a lot of precious countertop space, but this two-quart model is great for those who don’t have a lot to spare and are looking for something that’s particularly user-friendly. The Vortex Mini can air fry, bake, roast and reheat, and you can control the temperature and cook time using the dial sitting in the middle of its touchscreen. Unlike some of the other, more expensive air fryers we tested, which have a variety of modes and settings, the Vortex Mini is dead simple to use. Just plug it in, press the preset cooking method of your choice, customize the temperature and cook time and press Start. The machine will beep about halfway through the cycle to let you know when to flip your food, and it’ll chime again once it’s finished.
Arguably the biggest caveat to the Vortex Mini is also its biggest strength. It’s so compact that cooking more than one thing, or a lot of one thing, won’t be easy. But I was able to cook a whole block of tofu cut into cubes (with a bit of overlap) and reheat (and re-crisp) leftovers in it for myself and my fiancé with no problems. Overall, this compact air fryer will be hard to beat for those with tight budgets and tiny kitchens.
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy to use touchscreen and dial
$60 at Amazon
Capacity: 1 cubic foot | Type: Convection oven | Cooking functions: Toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook, dehydrate | Weight: 38.9 lb | Power consumption: 1800W | Depth: 17.5” | Height: 21.5” | Width: 12.7”
Listen, most people don’t need the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. But if you love to cook, have a large family or throw a bunch of parties, you’ll likely get a ton of use out of this machine. This stainless steel countertop oven is a beast, measuring one cubic foot, so be prepared to carve out some space in your kitchen for it. But its size allows it to cook an entire 14-pound turkey and fit things like a five-quart dutch oven and a 9 x 13 pan inside of it. This large air fryer basically acts like a second oven, or even a primary one if your main oven is out of commission.
As the best air fryer toaster oven on this list, it’s quite capable and its size helps since you can spread your food out to ensure things are as crispy as possible. It also helps that you can cook a lot of servings at once, which will make it easier if you’re preparing snacks like bagels for brunch, appetizers for a party or a side dish for a family dinner. In addition to air frying, it has a number of other cooking modes including toast, broil, bake, pizza, dehydrate, slow cook and proof. Despite the “smart” moniker, this model doesn’t have app connectivity – but you can get that feature if you upgrade to the Joule. That’ll allow you to get push notifications when your food’s ready, and the companion app also has guided recipes which you can follow along with. Unsurprisingly, like most Breville gadgets, both the Joule and the standard Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro are quite expensive, coming in at $500 and $400, respectively. But if you’re looking to add the versatility of a multi-use machine to your kitchen, Breville has you covered.
Pros
- Can cook an entire 14-pound turkey
- Versatile with 13 cooking modes
Cons
- Expensive
- Large footprint
$300 at Amazon
Capacity: 5.5-quart | Type: Pod-shaped | Cooking functions: Air fry, air roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Weight: 11.7 lb | Power consumption: 1750W | Depth: 11” | Height: 14.75” | Width: 14”
Ninja’s 5.5-quart Air Fryer XL could be considered a decent alternative budget option considering it’s frequently on sale for between $90 and $110. While that’s still at least $30 more than our main budget pick, Ninja’s machine more than doubles the capacity and adds a handy dehydrate preset for anyone that likes to make their own fruit or veggie chips. Some will appreciate the slightly raised buttons on Ninja’s air fryer for providing a bit more tactile feedback when adjusting cooking time and temperatures, and the fact that it’s tall rather than wide, taking advantage of likely unused vertical space in between your counter and cabinets.
The biggest issue for me with this Ninja air fryer was its pod shape. While pretty standard in the world of air fryers, I found its circular cooking basket to feel much more cramped than the rounded square basket of our Cosori top pick. Nevertheless, Ninja’s machine cooked raw and frozen foods well and is another easy-to-use option that only requires a couple of button presses to get started.
Pros
- Tactile raised buttons
- Includes dehydrate setting
- Uses vertical space on your countertop
Cons
- Slightly cramped, circular cooking basket
$147 at Amazon
Buying guide for air fryers
Convection ovens
You can separate most air fryers into two types and each has different pros and cons. Convection ovens are usually ovens with air fryer functions and features. They might have higher temperature settings to ensure that food crisps and cooks more like actually fried food. Most convection ovens are larger than dedicated air fryers, defeating some of the purpose of those looking to shrink cooking appliance surface area. Still, they are often more versatile with multiple cooking functions, and most have finer controls for temperatures, timings and even fan speed.
You may never need a built-in oven if you have a decent convection oven. They often have the volume to handle roasts, entire chickens or tray bakes, and simply cook more, capacity-wise, making them more versatile than the pod-shaped competition.
The flip side of that is that you’ll need counter space in the kitchen to house them. It also means you can use traditional oven accessories, like baking trays or cake tins, that you might already own.
Pod-shaped air fryers
Pod-shaped air fryers are what you imagine when you think “air fryer.” They look like a cool, space-age kitchen gadget, bigger than a kettle but smaller than a toaster oven. Many use a drawer to hold ingredients while cooking, usually a mesh sheet or a more solid, non-stick tray with holes to allow the hot air to circulate. With a few exceptions, most require you to open the drawer while things cook and flip or shake half-cooked items to ensure the even distribution of heat and airflow to everything.
That’s one of a few caveats. Most pod-shaped air fryers – there are a few exceptions – don’t have a window to see how things are cooking, so you’ll need to closely scrutinize things as they cook, opening the device to check progress. Basket-style air fryers also generally use less energy – there’s less space to heat – and many have parts that can be put directly into a dishwasher.
Some of the larger pod-shaped air fryers offer two separate compartments, which is especially useful for anyone planning to cook an entire meal with the appliance. You could cook a couple of tasty chicken wings or tenders while simultaneously rustling up enough frozen fries or veggies for everyone. Naturally, those options take up more space, and they’re usually heavy enough to stop you from storing them in cupboards or shelves elsewhere.
As mentioned earlier, you might have to buy extra things to make these pod fryers work the way you want them to. Some of the bigger manufacturers, like Philips and Ninja, offer convenient additions, but you’ll have to pay for them.
Air fryer pros and cons
Beyond the strengths and weaknesses of individual models, air fryers are pretty easy to use from the outset. Most models come with a convenient cooking time booklet covering most of the major foods you’ll be air frying, so even beginners can master these machines.
One of the early selling points is the ability to cook fries, wings, frozen foods and other delights with less fat than other methods like deep frying, which gets foods the crispiest. As air fryers work by circulating heated air, the trays and cooking plates have holes that can also let oil and fat drain out of meats, meaning less fat and crisper food when you finally plate things up. For most cooking situations, you will likely need to lightly spray food with vegetable oil. If you don’t, there’s the chance that things will burn or char. The oil will keep things moist on the surface, and we advise refreshing things with a dash of oil spray when you turn items during cooking.
Most air fryers are easy to clean – especially in comparison to a shallow or deep fryer. We’ll get into cleaning guidance a little later.
With a smaller space to heat, air fryers are generally more energy-efficient for cooking food than larger appliances like ovens. And if you don’t have an oven, air fryers are much more affordable – especially the pod options.
There are, however, some drawbacks. While air fryers are easy enough to use, they take time to master. You will adjust cooking times for even the simplest types of food – like chicken nuggets, frozen French fries or brussels sprouts. If you’re the kind of person that loves to find inspiration from the internet, in our experience, you can pretty much throw their timings out of the window. There are a lot of air fryer options, and factors like how fast they heat and how well distributed that heat is can – and will – affect cooking.
There’s also a space limitation to air fryers. This is not a TARDIS – there’s simply less space than most traditional ovens and many deep fat fryers. If you have a bigger family, you’ll probably want to go for a large capacity air fryer – possibly one that has multiple cooking areas. You also might want to consider a different kitchen appliance, like a multicooker, sous vide or slow cooker to meet your specific cooking needs.
You may also struggle to cook many items through as the heat settings will cook the surface of dishes long before it’s cooked right through. If you’re planning to cook a whole chicken or a roast, please get a meat thermometer!
Best air fryer accessories
Beyond official accessories from the manufacturer, try to pick up silicone-tipped tools. Tongs are ideal, as is a silicon spatula to gently loosen food that might get stuck on the sides of the air fryer. These silicone mats will also help stop things from sticking to the wire racks on some air fryers. They have holes to ensure the heated air is still able to circulate around the food.
Silicone trivets are also useful for resting any cooked food on while you sort out the rest of the meal. And if you find yourself needing oil spray, but don’t feel like repeatedly buying tiny bottles, you can decant your favorite vegetable oil into a permanent mister like this.
How to clean an air fryer
We’re keeping clean up simple here. Yes, you could use power cleaners from the grocery store, they could damage the surface of your air fryer. Likewise, metal scourers or brushes could strip away the non-stick coating. Remember to unplug the device and let it cool completely.
Remove the trays, baskets and everything else from inside. If the manufacturer says the parts are dishwasher safe – and you have a dishwasher – the job is pretty much done.
Otherwise, hand wash each part in a mixture of warm water, with a splash of Dawn or another strong dish soap. Use a soft-bristled brush to pull away any crumbs, greasy deposits or bits of food stuck to any surfaces. Remember to rinse everything. Otherwise, your next batch of wings could have a mild Dawn aftertaste. Trust us.
Take a microfiber cloth and tackle the outer parts and handles that might also get a little messy after repeated uses. This is especially useful for oven-style air fryers – use the cloth to wipe down the inner sides.
If Dawn isn’t shifting oily stains, try mixing a small amount of baking soda with enough water to make a paste, and apply that so that it doesn’t seep into any electrical parts or the heating element. Leave it to work for a few seconds before using a damp cloth to pull any greasy spots away. Rinse out the cloth and wipe everything down again, and you should be ready for the next time you need to air fry.
How to find air fryer recipes
Beyond fries, nuggets and – a revelation – frozen gyoza, there are a few ways to find recipes for air-fried foods. First, we found that the air fryer instruction manuals often have cooking guides and recipe suggestions for you to test out in your new kitchen gadget. The good thing with these is that they were made for your air fryer model, meaning success should be all but guaranteed. They are often a little unimaginative, however.
Many of the top recipe sites and portals have no shortage of air fryer recipes, and there’s no harm in googling your favorite cuisine and adding the words “air fryer” on the end of the search string. We’ve picked up some reliable options from Delish, which also has a handy air fryer time converter for changing oven and traditional fryer recipes. BBC Good Food is also worth browsing for some simple ideas, as is NYT Cooking, with the ability to directly search for air fryer suggestions. Aside from that, you can also grab plenty of cookbooks from your local bookshop with lots of recipes that you can use in your favorite air fryer.
And if you have a killer recipe or unique use for your air fryer, let us know in the comments. What’s the air fryer equivalent of the Instant Pot cheesecake? We’re ready to try it.
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