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Air fryers are all the rage these days because of their ability to simulate deep frying without having to actually submerge food in oil, as a standard deep fryer would, giving people the ability to enjoy healthier fried food right at home. These small kitchen appliances are essentially small convection ovens, which work by radiating heat from the cooking chamber and using a fan to circulate the hot air around the food. Air fryers also typically cook food faster. Though they vary, the best air fryers may reduce cooking time by 20 percent or more when compared to traditional ovens.

In addition to health and convenience, air fryers also shine when it comes to versatility. When the uninitiated think of air frying, they may conjure images of perfectly crisped tater tots and appetizers from the freezer section of your local grocery store. But there’s so much more than that. Air fryers are also great for cooking main dishes, from whole chickens and steaks to fresh vegetables and tofu, depending on the size of the fryer. You also absolutely cannot do better for reheating tricky leftovers such as pizza and french fries than the different types of best air fryers.

Air fryers can perfectly cook such a wide variety of food because most models have temperature and timer adjustments that allow more precise cooking, in addition to other intelligent features that vary by model. If you’re feeling overwhelmed just thinking about these options, we’ve compiled our best air fryer reviews to help you narrow down what’s on the market today. Let’s get frying!

How we chose the best air fryers for convenience and flavor—without the grease

In deciding on which products to feature on this list, we examined a variety of appliances with a diverse range of features that would accommodate consumers with average to advanced needs and understanding of the product. We researched 25 to 30 of the best air fryers on the market, taking into consideration personal experience, peer suggestions, critical reviews, and user impressions before settling on the six we chose. The basic criteria we looked at were quart capacity, cook and temperature settings, added-value special features, safety, and accessories.

Though prices have dipped in recent years from when air fryers first began growing in popularity, the downside is that now the market is more inundated with options than ever before. As such, it can be challenging to determine at face value what constitutes the real deal and what is just a cheap imitation.

The best air fryers: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: COSORI 12-in-1 Air Fryer

Cosori

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Why it made the cut: Customize and save up to a dozen of your favorite settings for each of the 10 one-touch cooking presets on the bright, easy-to-read LED display.

Specs

  • Capacity: 5.8 quarts
  • Weight: 12.3 pounds
  • Dimensions: 11.78 x 13.87 x 12 inches

Pros

  • 12 different cooking functions
  • Personalized shake reminders
  • Nonstick square basket

Cons 

  • Nonstick coating wears off eventually
  • Operation could be quieter

The COSORI 12-in-1 Air Fryer is all about practical touches, which is why it was named one of the 2021 iF Product Design Awards winners. Enjoy the same crispy, delicious foods with up to 85 percent less fat using any one of 12 different cooking functions. In addition, the digital LED display and touch panel allow you to customize and save your favorite settings, which are angled toward you, so you won’t have to bend down to operate the machine. 

This device also comes with other helpful features, such as personalized shake reminders, which allow you to add an optional reminder to any cooking preset to flip or shake foods halfway through cooking. Learn to cook over 100 recipes with the included recipe guide, which is perfect for those still learning the ropes of air frying.

The removable nonstick square baskets are designed to fit a variety of foods and are also dishwasher safe, PFOA-free, and BPA-free. However, a few users noticed that the non-stick coating starts to wear off after regular use, so you may want to handle and wash with extra care. Another slight downside is that the air fryer can be loud. But thankfully, it doesn’t take long to cook your favorite healthy and delicious meals, so any noise will always be kept to a minimum.

Best large: Ninja DZ201 Foodi 10 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer

Tony Ware

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Why it made the cut: If you’ve got a hungry family and need to fill some plates but have a lot already on your plate, the DualZone Technology of this Ninja Foodi air fryer lets you prepare multiple parts of a meal simultaneously.

Specs

  • Capacity: 8- or 10-quart models
  • Weight: 17.86 pounds – 19.8 pounds
  • Dimensions: 13.86 x 15.63 x 12.4 inches – 13.9 x 17.1 x 12.8 inches

Pros

  • DualZone technology allows two independent baskets to operate simultaneously
  • Match Cook lets you double the capacity of a single food
  • 6 cooking functions
  • Easy to clean

Cons 

  • Takes up sizable countertop real estate, plus requires room to vent
  • No shake/flip reminder, and no automatic pause when drawer removed

Sometimes you want to prepare a balanced meal but with minimal juggling. And with the Ninja Foodi air fryer, you can cook both your protein and vegetables, or multiple sides, or simply enough fries to feed an army, all within one countertop contraption. With two easy-to-clean nonstick baskets (each a 4-quart or 5-quart capacity, depending on model), the Ninja Foodi can whip up its rapid heaters and cyclonic fans so you can whip up dinner, faster with less fuss.

Featuring a temperature range of 105- to 450-degrees Fahrenheit and six selectable programs (Air Fry, Air Broil, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate), this 1690 watts air fryer can handle any menu. Admittedly, every air fryer takes some getting used to in order to find the perfect temp and time configuration to maximize crispiness. And if you want to make sure a single-drawer air fryer finishes its cycle at the exact same time as something you’re simultaneously cooking in the oven, well, that’s an extra challenge. The Foodi works to take some of that guesswork out of the equation with Smart Finish, which intelligently synchronizes the two drawers, even if they’re operating different modes. This means you no longer have to have something sit while you back-to-back cook two foods.

Deeper than they are wide, the drawers do require learning optimal positioning for airflow. But you’ll quickly be surprised by the combinations you’re crafting. Nuggets and fries, sure. Reheating last night’s fava bean falafel on top of a frozen piece of Trader Joe’s garlic naan, all under four minutes? Even more exciting. Both the baskets and crisper plates are dishwasher-safe, adding to the ease of this appliance, though handwashing will prolong the life of components. Pro tip: To avoid overcooking (because who wants dry fries), reduce the recommended temperature by 25 degrees and the time by 1/3. Also, leaving room behind the Foodi is a must for venting, otherwise your wall can be discolored/damaged by hot exhaust.

Best Insant: Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot

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Why it made the cut: With 11 functions, including air fry, broil, roast, rotisserie, toast, the limitations of what you can do with this multipurpose gadget are up to your imagination.

Specs

  • Capacity: 8 quarts
  • Weight: 26.1 pounds
  • Dimensions: 15.35 x 12.57 x 14.78 inches

Pros

  • Impressive 11-in-1 functionality
  • Customizable cooking programs
  • Evencrisp technology uses 95 percent less oil

Cons 

  • Large size makes it difficult to store
  • Dual lids are also cumbersome

Minimalists will love the Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, which allows you to replace up to 11 kitchen appliances so you can air fry, pressure cook, slow cook, steam, sauté, sous vide, roast, broil, dehydrate, and more with just one machine. Though, with the size of this beast, you may need to get rid of some other gadgets just to make room for it on your counter. To dictate your favorite recipes, it also comes with five fully programmable settings.

Two interchangeable lids make it easy to switch between the pressure cooker and air fryer functions. However, the extra lid can be cumbersome to store, but it delivers all the crunch and tenderness of deep-frying with 95 percent less oil using Evencrisp technology.

For all your cooking needs, the pot also comes with standard includes accessories such as a stainless-steel multi-use steam rack, a nonstick multi-level air fryer basket with a stainless dehydrating/broiling tray, and a heat-resistant protective pad and storage cover. So you and your family will sleep well at night knowing that the safety features protect against overheating, steam, splashing, and more. If you’re loyal to the Instant Pot brand but want a dedicated air fryer, the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart 6-in-1 is also recommended.

Best for most: Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer

Ninja

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Why it made the cut: Choose between four programmable cooking functions to air fry, roast, reheat, and dehydrate a wide variety of different foods on a budget.

Specs

  • Capacity: 4 quarts
  • Weight: 10.58 pounds
  • Dimensions: 8.5 x 12.1 x 11 inches 

Pros

  • One-touch control panel
  • Four programmable cooking functions
  • Wide temperature range up to 400 degrees

Cons

  • Cooking area can be difficult to clean
  • Plastic or chemical smell hard to remove

For straightforward air frying without all the extra bells and whistles, the Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer lets you choose between four programmable cooking functions: air fry, roast, reheat, and dehydrate. The roast setting is ideal for casseroles and roasted veggies, while the reheat option is optimal for reviving leftover pizza, fries, wings back to crispy perfection. Or choose the dehydrate setting to make homemade dried fruits, veggie chips, and jerky and save even more money.

This air fryer also puts the “fry” in frying, as the four-quart ceramic-coated nonstick basket and crisper plate are the perfect size to cook up to 2 pounds of french fries. With a wide temperature range from 105 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you can either gently remove moisture from foods or quickly cook and crisp foods with convection heat on manual settings.

The only design flaw is that the interior cooking area, particularly the rubber tabs on the bottom grate, can be challenging to clean. So it might be a good idea to have a dedicated sponge for cleaning the air fryer. A chemical or plastic smell may linger out of the box, so you should thoroughly wash the basket and all components with warm, soapy water before using.

Best budget: GoWISE USA 2.75-Quart Air Fryer

GoWise

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Why it made the cut: This air fryer’s miniature size and compact shape leave plenty of room on countertops for other small kitchen items and appliances.

Specs

  • Capacity: 2.75 quarts
  • Weight: 2 pounds 
  • Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 5 inches

Pros

  • Easy-to-use controls
  • Nonstick frying pan and basket
  • Uses little to no oil

Cons

  • Accessories and steamer papers not included
  • Automatically turns off when finished cooking

Not everyone needs an air fryer big enough to feed a family, which is why this mini-sized GoWISE USA 2.75-Quart Air Fryer is the perfect choice for singles and those who live in small apartments or dorm rooms. With rapid air technology, you can enjoy your favorite fried foods without the extra calories using just a tiny amount of oil or none at all. For healthier eating in no time, choose from seven cooking presets, including fries or chips, meat, shrimp, cake, chicken, steak, and fish.

Easy-to-use controls allow the time and temperature to be set from 175 to 400 degrees, or up to 30 minutes with the push of a button. An alarm will sound when the cooking is finished, and the timer will automatically switch to standby mode. Though some customers wish there was an option to add another minute or two before the fryer stops cooking.

The air fryer also comes with a nonstick, PFOA-free air fry pan and basket with a cool-touch handle and button guard to prevent accidental detachment. Unfortunately, the fryer doesn’t come with many accessories or steamer papers, but you can purchase a kit separately that includes an insert rack, skewers, toasting and warming rack, and more. Prefer a less retro look and a bit more capacity? GoWISE makes many models, such as this 3.7-quart fryer and several 5-quart options that still don’t take up much counter space.

Also consider: Ultrean 8-Quart Air Fryer

Ultrean

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Why it made the cut: With a high-capacity output and durable ​​stainless steel design, this air fryer is perfect for large families and those who frequently entertain guests for dinner.

Specs 

  • Capacity: 8 quarts
  • Weight: 16.37 pounds
  • Dimensions: 13.35 x 15.75 x 13.58 inches

Pros

  • Durable stainless steel design
  • Easy-to-use LCD touch screen
  • Preheating feature saves even more time

Cons

  • Touchscreen can be finicky
  • Difficult to change the temperature

The whole family will be eating healthier and cleaner when you’re cooking with the Ultrean 8-Quart Air Fryer, which eliminates the messy oil splatter of traditional frying. It’s also easy to operate with eight standard preset cooking functions that cook everything from french fries and bacon to chicken, fish, steak, and whole roasts. Then, when you’re finished, the detachable air frying rack and basket make cleanup a breeze.

The stainless-steel design also makes it more durable compared to comparable air fryers, while the compact, square shape makes it convenient to store when not in use. This air fryer also comes with a handy preheating function to help you save even more time. Simply press the “P” button and then preheat at 400 degrees for three minutes for even faster cooking.

Though a few users have noted, one minor drawback is that the touch screen display can occasionally be finicky, making it difficult to change the temperature. However, those complaints are definitely exceptions to the rule, as this high-quality air fryer consistently gets high marks from customers across the board.

Things to consider before buying one of the best air fryers

Capacity

For the reasons we’ve already laid out, shopping for an air fryer can be daunting. So in deciding which air fryer is the right pick for you and your family, first consider your basic needs for an air fryer. For example, how many people will you be feeding on a regular basis? For obvious reasons, singles and couples can get away with having a standard, smaller quart-capacity air fryer. On the other hand, larger families, particularly kids, may opt for a workhorse that can produce snacks and meals for the whole family daily or multiple times per week.

Uses

Another thing to ask yourself is what type of cooking you plan to do with an air fryer. Likewise, if your main goal is to throw pizza rolls and fries into your air fryer for the big game or movie night, your needs may be different than someone who plans to regularly cook entire meals, main dishes, sides, and veggies with it. As such, the former air fryer user can probably get away with a more budget-friendly air fryer with standard features, whereas the latter may want to invest in a model that also doubles as a pressure cooker or a toaster oven.

Space

Space is another significant consideration, as air fryers tend to take up a not-insignificant amount of real estate on kitchen counters. Do you have somewhere to store an air fryer? However, if you’re considering a combination air fryer, you also may be able to get rid of a few excessive kitchen gadgets, which could be a good trade-off. Heck, you might even end up with even more counter space when all is said and done!

FAQs

Q: How does air-fried food taste?

How air-fried foods taste depends on who you ask. Technically, since the food is not actually deep-fried, it’s not going to replicate that crispiness and flavor of deep-frying completely. That said, they do come pretty close. Air fryers are basically tiny convection ovens that work by circulating hot air around the food. So essentially, it tastes like extra-crispy oven-baked food, which is not a bad thing when you’re saving so many calories and fat.

Q: Is air frying healthier than baking?

Whether air frying is healthier than baking boils down to how much oil you’re using. Air fryers require little to no oil. However, depending on what you’re baking in a conventional oven, you’re probably also adding fat or oil to help with the cooking process and prevent the food from sticking to baking sheets and roasting pans. So if you add the same amount of oil to your air fryer as you would a baked dish, even if that’s no oil, then the air-fried dish would be just as healthy as if you would have baked it.

Q: Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer?

Since we’ve always been taught not to put aluminum foil in the microwave, you may be wondering if it’s safe to put it in the air fryer. In a word, yes, it’s safe to put aluminum foil in an air fryer cooking basket. However, it’s not necessarily the best option. Manufacturers generally advise that parchment paper or an empty basket are better options since they won’t interfere with the cooking process.

Q: What are the pros and cons of an air fryer?

The pros of air fryers are versatility, ease of use, and the ability to achieve a crisp exterior and moist interior of most foods with up to 75 percent less oil than actual frying (since an air fryer is actually closer to a mini convection oven). In addition, an air fryer has the ability to bypass a full-sized oven and all the energy it takes up and the heat it puts out. Plus an air fryer is far easier to clean. As for the cons, air fryers cost you counter space and have far less cooking capacity than a full-sized oven. And those smaller compartments mean it takes some practice to determine the perfect placement of food for consistent airflow and the temperature and time needed to cook thoroughly but not dry food out.

Final thoughts about the best air fryers

There are so many models and features to consider when dealing with air fryers that it can be difficult to even the playing field. That’s why our favorite air fryer is a Ninja model (the brand also makes one of our favorite smart ovens), such as the Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer. In addition to being one of the best-rated air fryers on this list (another Ninja, the Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer, actually gets the distinction of top air fryer in popularity), the Foodi comes with features making it versatile enough to handle mains, sides, or a combination. However, larger families and those who plan to be using their air fryer heavily may want to consider a higher-capacity model such as the COSORI 12-in-1 Air Fryer or Ultrean 8-Quart Air Fryer. The best air fryers all just depend on how you plan to use them and how many people you’re feeding.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.