Best Overall
Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance4.5/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value4/5
- The spacious basket helps produce evenly cooked, golden brown food and can hold up to 4 pounds of chicken.
The spacious basket helps produce evenly cooked, golden brown food and can hold up to 4 pounds of chicken.
- It doesn’t have any smart capabilities and only comes with a fryer basket.
It doesn’t have any smart capabilities and only comes with a fryer basket.
Whether you’re extremely efficient in the kitchen or use your oven for storage space, the Instant Vortex Plus is likely the best option for you. It’s simple to set up and use, so it’ll be great for those with limited skills, but it’s ability to quickly bake a batch of golden brown biscuits makes it perfect for serious at-home cooks, too.
We liked the simple interface, with a clear LCD display screen, pre-set buttons, and a dial to easily set both cooking time and oven temperature. It has a pre-heat option and a 6-quart fryer basket with a secure handle that’s easy to shake and doesn’t move around when cooking. For scale, it’s equipped to hold 2 pounds of French fries or 4 pounds of chicken—quantities that can easily feed a household of three or more people.
With the Instant Vortex Plus, you’re able to air fry frozen food without defrosting it first, as well as bake, reheat leftovers, dehydrate, roast, and broil. We found that all of the food cooked in the Instant Vortex turned crispy and golden in less than fifteen minutes (some foods took as little as six minutes).
With a non-stick, dishwasher-safe tray and a small overall footprint, this is a great option for someone who prioritizes easy clean-up or has limited counter space—and the stainless steel matches most kitchen appliances, too. While there aren’t any smart capabilities, there is a detailed chart that explains the best default settings for a variety of popular foods, and you can download the app to get tips and more.
Product Details: Dimensions: 12.36 x 14.92 x 12.83 inches | Capacity: 6 quarts | Temperature Range: 95-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / TAMARA STAPLES
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / TAMARA STAPLES
Best Budget
Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance3/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value4/5
- It’s a compact option ideal for a small household of two people or fewer who love to whip up quick meals.
It’s a compact option ideal for a small household of two people or fewer who love to whip up quick meals.
- This device isn’t the most consistent with cook times, so expect to monitor food for best results.
This device isn’t the most consistent with cook times, so expect to monitor food for best results.
This budget option might not be the best choice for those who want a large number of settings, but if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to prepare dinner, it’s a great option. You’ll find this most useful if you’re a small household (two people, max) and frequently make items like frozen fries, meats, and vegetables.
There are some general positives when it comes to this option. It has a dishwasher-safe basket, features automatic shut-off, is simple to set up, and runs quietly. The biggest drawbacks are its limited capabilities—the only setting is air fry—and uneven cooking times and results during our testing.
We noticed that the biscuits and coconut shrimp in the center of the air fryer turned out golden, while the food on the outer edges was paler, and took two to three minutes longer to cook to the ideal color.
To avoid inconsistent results, we recommend working in smaller batches and checking the food’s progress often to ensure you don’t end up with charred or overdone results. Because it’s such an affordable appliance, this is probably a small inconvenience if you’re looking for an affordable option that will simplify weeknight meal prep.
Product Details: Dimensions: 9 x 13 x 11.5 inches | Capacity: 3.7 quarts | Temperature Range: 200-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / TAMARA STAPLES
Best Splurge
Cosori Dual Blaze Air Fryer
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance3.5/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value3/5
- An app that allows you to program the device remotely or by voice command makes this a tech-forward option.
An app that allows you to program the device remotely or by voice command makes this a tech-forward option.
- All the special features drive up the price.
All the special features drive up the price.
Customization is what makes the Cosori Dual Blaze the best option if you want to really send it. Not only are there programmed presets for chicken, steak, vegetables, frozen food, fries, and seafood, but you can also customize cooking functions to your preferred time and temperature.
It also has smart features that, once paired with the app, allow you to monitor your food’s cooking progress, find recipes, start up the device while in another room, and utilize voice commands. Dual heating elements ensure even cooking, as there are heating coils on the top and the bottom of the air fryer which allow for appropriately distributed heat depending on the setting.
For example, hitting the broil option will keep the highest heat on the top coil, while selecting the option to keep food warm produces consistently low heat in both coils. This customization really impressed us, and makes the air fryer stand out as a great option for more complicated meals.
We noted a golden brown and crispy coating when making coconut shrimp and biscuits during testing, although the shrimp ended up crispier than the biscuit tops. The basket has a non-stick coating, is machine-washable, and fits up to 17 chicken wings without double-layering or overcrowding. It’s great for a family. Just bear in mind that the special features drive up the price, and you can get a similarly well-performing air fryer for less.
Product Details: Dimensions: 11.7 x 12.9 x 13.8 inches | Capacity: 6.8 Quarts | Temperature Range: 176-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Broil, Reheat, Keep Warm
Best with Toaster Oven
Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven
- Features5/5
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance5/5
- Value5/5
- If you’re looking to consolidate some of your appliances, this functions as both an air fryer and a toaster oven.
If you’re looking to consolidate some of your appliances, this functions as both an air fryer and a toaster oven.
- We noticed slight differences in coloration when we toasted six slices of bread at once.
We noticed slight differences in coloration when we toasted six slices of bread at once.
If you have limited counter space, an air fryer with the ability to toast is a versatile product to add to your kitchen—and it’ll save energy, too. This one from Instant Pot is our pick for the top air fryer with a toaster oven due to its large size and the generally even and crispy cooking results we achieved during testing.
It fits up to six slices of bread and you can choose different settings to customize the doneness you prefer (it takes a little over five minutes to get the bread to medium-dark). We found that the bread turned out evenly browned for the most part, but the slices in the front had slight variations in color.
As for the air fryer feature, it produced crispy French fries, evenly broiled cheese, and a batch of nine cookies (on the darker side, but not burnt). It’s unique for its ability to be used as a rotisserie and comes with an abundance of accessories, including a cooking pan/drip tray, stainless steel oven rack, air fryer basket, rotisserie spit, rotisserie forks, and a lift tool.
It’s likely to be perfect for a large family or someone who has a small oven, as this will allow you to cook and bake enough to feed a number of people. Or it can help you consolidate appliances if you live in a small apartment or don’t cook a ton at home.
Product Details: Dimensions: 16.53 x 15.74 x 13.89 inches | Capacity: 19 Quarts | Temperature Range: 170-450 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry, toast, broil, bake, warm, reheat, dehydrate, rotisserie, convection
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / WILL DICKEY
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / WILL DICKEY
Best Small
Dash Compact Air Fryer
- Ease of Use4.5/5
- Performance4.5/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning4.5/5
- Value4.5/5
- It stays cool to the touch on the outside, making it a safe option to have in homes with kids or curious pets.
It stays cool to the touch on the outside, making it a safe option to have in homes with kids or curious pets.
- It has a very small basket—if you’re cooking for more than one person, prepare to do so in batches.
It has a very small basket—if you’re cooking for more than one person, prepare to do so in batches.
Air fryers can be chunky devices, but if you don’t have a ton of counter space you can still opt-in with this compact model. Don’t be fooled by the small size—the Dash Compact Air Fryer produced crispy, golden results quickly during testing.
The air fryer is easy to clean with dishwasher-safe parts and has an automatic shut-off for safety. We also like that it remains cool to the touch while in use, so it’s safe to shake the basket during cooking without the risk of burning yourself. Plus, this makes it a safe option to use in households with kids and pets.
While its capabilities are limited to air frying, it should cook a range of proteins and frozen foods with ease. The size is perfect for one person, however, the 2-quart capacity means you’ll need to cook for larger groups in batches. While its simplistic design makes it easy to use, you can only customize time and temperature.
Still, the small footprint of this Dash appliance makes it one of the best products to keep in a cramped apartment kitchenette or even an RV. The brand includes a number of recipes and recommended cooking times to get you started on stretching those skills.
Product Details: Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 11.4 inches | Capacity: 2 Quarts | Temperature Range: 170-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry
Best Large
Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-Quart Air Fryer
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance4/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value4.8/5
- Large enough to cook a meal for a family, the Instant Pot Vortex has excellent accessories, like a rotisserie spit.
Large enough to cook a meal for a family, the Instant Pot Vortex has excellent accessories, like a rotisserie spit.
- It includes a tray instead of a frying basket, which can be awkward to maneuver.
It includes a tray instead of a frying basket, which can be awkward to maneuver.
This air fryer from Instant Pot is perhaps most notable for its impressive 10-quart capacity, making it our top choice for families of three or more. It allows you to fit a few pounds of French Fries, a four-pound chicken, or even an 8-inch pizza inside.
We were particularly impressed by its ability to produce fluffy, golden brown biscuits, caramelized apples, and crunchy shrimp. It also earned high praise for its pre-set customizable temperature options and clear, easy-to-read display screen.
The appliance includes a non-stick drip pan and two perforated cooking trays, and other accessories like a stainless-steel rotisserie basket, rotisserie spit and forks, and a lift tool. The rotisserie setting and accessories are rare add-ons for a model that is priced under $100. The air fryer also comes with overheating protection and automatic shut-off.
The stainless steel model is easy to clean and maintain with its non-stick accessories and a removable oven door that can be wiped down. It pairs with an app for those interested in finding additional recipes. The main downside is that we wish it came with a fryer basket and not just a tray, because the tray is awkward to move and exposes you to more heat.
Product Details: Dimensions: 13.23 x 13.23 x 14.37 inches | Capacity: 10 Quarts | Temperature Range: 95-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate, rotisserie
Best Features
Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer
- Ease of Use4.9/5
- Performance4/5
- Design5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value4.3/5
- A distinctive special feature reminds you when to shake your food for the ideal results.
A distinctive special feature reminds you when to shake your food for the ideal results.
- We noticed some discrepancies in the cooking times.
We noticed some discrepancies in the cooking times.
No matter how effective your air fryer is, most machines require a certain learning curve when it comes to perfecting the cook times. It’s likely you’ll have to keep a close eye on food until you understand your model enough to produce crispy, golden brown results whether you’re cooking proteins, vegetables, or frozen foods.
However, this Cosori option is one of the best air fryers because it takes some of the initial guesswork out of it with useful features. First, there are presets for a number of common foods and food types to help guide a new user. These include seafood, chicken, veggies, steak, bacon, fries, and frozen.
The tempered glass display also has a preheat button to ensure you’re putting food in at the perfect temperature, and there’s a keep warm function and a shake reminder. The shake reminder is a feature we didn’t see on any other model on this list—it reminds you to shake the food in the basket to ensure the crispiest, most even cooking results possible.
We noted some discrepancies in cooking times (some foods took a few minutes longer than anticipated) and some discrepancies in crispiness, but the air fryer produced overall tasty and golden results. The recipe book includes 30 different recipes for even more experimentation.
Product Details: Dimensions: 10.7" x 10.8" x 11.9" inches | Capacity: 5 Quarts | Temperature Range: 170-450 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Preheat, keep warm, air fry
Easiest To Clean
Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer
- Ease of Use5/5
- Performance4/5
- Design4.5/5
- Ease of Cleaning5/5
- Value5/5
- With a dishwasher-safe basket and easily wiped-down exterior, this is one of the easiest air fryers to maintain and clean.
With a dishwasher-safe basket and easily wiped-down exterior, this is one of the easiest air fryers to maintain and clean.
- It doesn’t come with any accessories.
It doesn’t come with any accessories.
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, no-frills option, this 4-quart model from Ninja is likely to be the best option for you. There are not a lot of steps required; simply preheat the device for three minutes and add your food of choice.
Besides air frying, you can roast proteins and vegetables, dehydrated foods, or reheat leftovers with ease. And once you’re done, clean-up takes no time at all: The non-stick plate eliminates the need for scrubbing it clean, and you can place the rack, crisper plate, and air fryer basket in the dishwasher.
During testing, we did find that smaller pieces of shrimp and apple came out overcooked, but otherwise, we got nice and crispy results. For this reason, we think it would be best for cooking less delicate foods like roasted veggies, as opposed to white fish.
We also noted that it's easy to wipe the rest of it down with a damp cloth. Assembly and disassembly are quick and intuitive as well. Simply put, if you’ve been putting off buying an air fryer because you’re worried about another appliance to maintain and clean, this is the perfect model for you.
Product Details: Dimensions: 8.5 x 12.1 x 11 inches | Capacity: 4 Quarts | Temperature Range: 105-400 degrees Fahrenheit | Settings: Air fry, roast, reheat, dehydrate