The Best Air Fryers for Healthier, Crispy Food

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If you still think the only way to replicate the satisfying crunch of diner-style French fries is through deep frying, you’ll be pleased to learn about the powers of the air fryer. Instead of submerging your food in hot oil, these “fryers” work by circulating hot air like a convection oven to make crispy treats. With most air fryers, you’ll only need to use about a tablespoon of cooking oil or spray oil for a more even coating.

Editor's Note: We reviewed our selections and removed an entry, the Cosori CP158-AF, on February 24, after the manufacturer recalled many of its Air Fryers over an electrical issue.

Best Air Fryers

What to Consider Before You Buy An Air Fryer

Shape

First, consider the size and shape of the appliance that works best in your kitchen. Most air fryers have a pod shape with a removable basket that holds your food. Some fryers are designed more like a toaster oven. This shape tends to require more counter space, but it also has a more compact profile that would work better under lower-hanging cabinets.

Size

Whenever you’re buying a new countertop appliance, size will be a factor. While many people love their air fryer and use it regularly, many of these models are fairly large for small appliances. Because they can take up over a cubic foot of your kitchen counter or storage space, consider how many meals you plan to cook in an air fryer. If you’re concerned about space in your kitchen, you may also prefer to purchase a more multi-purpose appliance like a toaster or convection oven that also has an air fryer setting—though some of these may not perform as effectively and efficiently as dedicated air fryers.

Capacity

Many air fryers have a two- to six-quart capacity. Keep in mind that you don’t want to fill the basket to its full capacity to ensure there’s enough space inside for air to circulate. For that reason, it’s best to size up if you want to feed a large family. Smaller air fryers (less than 3 quarts) are good for one or two people. Four- to six-quart air fryers are a good option for four to five people, and anything over six quarts can feed a crowd of five or more.

Convenience

Most air fryers come with removable, dishwasher-friendly components that allow for easy cleanup, and some have additional accessories like racks and baking pans. Consider the types of meals you plan to make before selecting one. If you have a dishwasher and ease of cleanup is important to you, be sure to choose a model with dishwasher-safe parts.

Speaking of convenience, many air fryers have built-in presets. These enable you to cook common items (like fries or chicken wings) at the press of a button. You can also customize the time and temperature to your liking. This is a handy feature if you like to cook the same things on repeat.

How We Selected and Rated These Air Fryers

To select the top air fryers, I relied on the research of Paige Szmodis, who consulted expert sources like Taste of Home, CNET, and Wirecutter, and considered about 100,000 consumer reviews. The Consumer Score on each appliance represents the percentage of people who bought and rated the product at least four out of five stars on retail sites like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. For my evaluation, I paid close attention to features such as size, design, the number and usefulness of the appliance’s presets, its wattage (a measure of power), and capacity. The resulting list reflects the top models from a range of brands and includes a variety of sizes, price points, and features.

PREMIUM

Philips Digital Air Fryer HD9741/99

Philips’s new HD9741/99 is equipped with a patented “star fish” design at the bottom of the basket, which the brand claims circulates air for the best crispy results. Tests by Wirecutter, Taste of Home, and others back that up, finding that the air fryer can cook more efficiently and evenly than others. This unit has a simple digital display with a QuickControl dial and five cooking presets that make it easy to use. Philips also includes a recipe book for inspiration, but the $250 price tag of this premium model may not be worth the splurge for those that are new to air frying.

BEST VALUE

GoWise USA 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer

The 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer is available in fun color options like red and plum, but it will stand out on your counter for more than just its looks. Its sleek touchscreen menu displays eight cooking presets, and the built-in alarm will remind you to shake your ingredients for more even cooking at five-, 10-, and 15-minute intervals. This GoWise also has manual controls, so you can dial it in if you prefer. Plus, the basket is large enough for families, and it comes with a divider for you to cook two separate portions at once.

FOR SMALL KITCHENS

Dash Compact Air Fryer

Especially if you have limited kitchen storage space, you may prefer your appliances to not be complete eyesores. Fortunately, the Dash Compact flaunts a retro style in several colors, while also not taking over the limited counter space you may have. Its small, two-quart capacity means it’s best for one to two people, but the compactness and light weight make it well suited to small apartments and college dorm rooms. Size aside, its analog dials allow you to simply set the temperature and timer instead of choosing between many cooking presets.

MULTIPURPOSE

Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven

More than just an air fryer, the Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven is also, yes, a toaster and a convection oven that bakes, broils, and toasts. Its controls are fairly simple to use: just scroll through 15 preset cooking modes with the dial, and hit the manual buttons to turn on convection or dual cook settings, switch on the oven light, add 30 seconds to your cooking time, and start or stop. The 1 cubic foot capacity translates to nine pieces of toast, a 13-inch pizza, or two 9 x 13-inch baking pans. Though it’s large and pricey, this option might save you more money and space in the end than if you were to buy separate toasters, convection ovens, and air fryers. Wirecutter even recommends that most people buy this model instead of traditional air fryers because of its versatility.

MOST EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE

Chefman Digital Square Air Fryer

With a 4.5-quart capacity, this Chefman gives you an impressive amount of cooking space for its price. The digital display allows for more precise selection of time and temperature, and we’re impressed that its timer goes up to 60 minutes and has an LED shake reminder to ensure even cooking. While the Digital Square Air Fryer doesn’t boast quite as much capacity as the big Cosori, it’s still large enough to feed a family, with slightly smaller overall dimensions, as well as a lower cost.

BEST WITH A ROTISSERIE FEATURE

Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven

You may know the Instant Pot name for its versatile pressure cookers, but the brand also brings multi-functionality to other small kitchen appliances, like this air fryer. The 10-quart Vortex Plus has a much larger cooking capacity than the standard air fryer. Its design appears to combine that of a typical pod-shaped air fryer with standard toaster oven: the glass door folds down to reveal multiple trays, which can be used to air fry, bake, broil, roast, or dehydrate. Plus, it even comes with rotisserie accessories—all of which are dishwasher-safe. While this model is a bit bigger and heavier than other standard air fryer options, we think it’s worth the footprint if you’re looking for an all-in-one device to replace your toaster, convection oven, and dehydrator.

BEST LARGE CAPACITY

Ninja DZ550 Foodi 10-Quart 6-in-1 Air Fryer

With this large-and-in-charge countertop air fryer, Ninja has solved the dinnertime juggle for a lot of homes. The device has two basket-style frying sections, so you can prepare two separate dishes at once. And with the Smart Cook thermometer and Smart Finish timer, you can program the machine to finish up both dishes at the exact same time, so dinner is hot and ready when you are. It has six built-in functions, including broiling, roasting, baking, and dehydrating, and two spacious baskets that can fit up to eight pounds of chicken wings.

BEST FOR ONE PERSON

Dash Tasti-Crisp Digital Air Fryer

If you’re short on counter or storage space but love crispy food as much as the next person, the cute, compact, and efficient Dash Tasti-Crisp is a great option. It has an easy-to-use digital touch-screen interface without a complex smattering of buttons with pre-sets and cooking options. Instead, this 2.6-capacity device lets you plug in the time and temperature for a straightforward cooking experience. You can also take this little guy on the go, if you’re looking for a travel-ready air fryer for your next camping or road trip.

BEST AIR FRYER WITH WINDOW

Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer

This air fryer has a middle-ground capacity of six quarts, which is enough to easily feed four to six people. But the main draw is the clear window that allows you to check up on your food as it crisps inside to avoid overcooking. The device also happens to have what you expect and love from Instant Brands, such as a clear and straightforward touchscreen interface and useful cooking methods, such as baking, air frying, reheating, broiling, and roasting. You can even use this appliance as a dehydrator for homemade dried fruit or jerky.

The ABCs of Air Frying, According to Our Expert Lizzy Briskin

PM: What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?

EB: The options for cooking in an air fryer are pretty endless! Essentially, if you’d stick it in the oven, you can air fry it. Anything you’d roast in the search of crispy edges, such as meat and chicken, vegetables, frozen appetizers, even bread, can be air fried. It’s great for reheating leftovers that were once crispy, such as fries or pizza. And in some, you can dehydrate fresh produce for chewy snacks.

PM: How do I clean an air fryer?

EB: Most air fryers can be cleaned on the outside by wiping down the surface with a damp cloth. To clean the basket, if it has a non-stick coating, it’s best to use warm soapy water rather than a dishwasher to preserve that surface. For best results, however, consult the manufacturer’s recommendations.

PM: Is air frying healthier than deep frying?

EB: The health benefit of air frying is that it requires a fraction of the amount of oil as deep-frying. It still gives you crispy edges without having to drown your chicken or potatoes in a (dangerous) vat of hot oil. Compared to oven-roasting, however, it’s about the same, as you’re likely to use a similar amount of cooking oil for the two methods.

*Editor’s Note: Paige Szmodis contributed to this article.

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