Air fryers have revolutionized home cooking, offering a healthier way to enjoy crispy favorites with significantly less oil. These versatile appliances go beyond just frying, providing functions to roast, bake, reheat, and even dehydrate, making them a valuable countertop companion for any kitchen.
With so many models available, from compact single-basket units to large-capacity toaster oven combos, finding the right one can be a challenge. This roundup simplifies your search by highlighting ten of the best air fryers, each with unique features to suit different cooking styles and household needs.
The Best Air Fryers for Your Kitchen
- Cosori 9-in-1 TurboBlaze Air Fryer 6 Qt
- Philips Premium Airfryer XXL, Fat Removal Technology
- Gourmia Toaster Oven Air Fryer Combo 17 cooking presets
- DASH Compact Air Fryer Oven Cooker with Temperature Control
- GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer, 3.7 QT
- Big Boss 16Qt Extra Large Glass Air Fryer Non Toxic
- Hamilton Beach Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo with Large Capacity
- Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill, 1800W 8-1
- BLACK+DECKER Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid
Cosori 9-in-1 TurboBlaze Air Fryer 6 Qt
The Cosori TurboBlaze is a feature-rich air fryer designed for performance and ease of use. Its innovative TurboBlaze Technology combines a powerful 3600 rpm fan with a wide temperature range of 90°–450°F to achieve crispy, evenly cooked results. You can air fry, roast, bake, broil, and even proof dough, making it an incredibly versatile appliance for daily meals.
This model includes a premium ceramic coating on the basket and crisper tray, which is nonstick, durable, and simplifies cleanup. The precise temperature control and unique 5-fan speed system ensure that every bite has the perfect texture, from frozen snacks to freshly prepared roasted vegetables.
Philips Premium Airfryer XXL
For families or those who entertain, the Philips Premium Airfryer XXL offers a substantial 7-quart capacity and unique Fat Removal Technology. This system actively extracts and captures excess fat from your food during the cooking process, allowing you to enjoy crispy textures with little to no added oil and significantly less fat than traditional frying methods.
It requires no preheating and cooks food up to four times faster than a conventional oven. The digital interface includes five cooking presets and a keep-warm mode, while the companion HomeID app provides additional guidance. All removable parts are dishwasher safe for straightforward cleaning.
Gourmia Toaster Oven Air Fryer Combo
This Gourmia appliance is a true kitchen multi-tasker, combining 17 cooking functions in one compact unit. It functions as a toaster, air fryer, convection oven, and dehydrator, saving valuable counter space. The 1700-watt power and 360° air flow ensure quick, even cooking for everything from a 12-inch pizza to six slices of toast.
The user-friendly digital control panel offers one-touch preset options for various foods, and you can also manually set custom time and temperature. The convenient auto French doors pull open with a single motion, providing easy access to your meals without requiring much clearance.
DASH Compact Air Fryer Oven Cooker
Ideal for small kitchens, dorm rooms, or singles and couples, the DASH Compact Air Fryer is a space-saving solution that doesn’t compromise on performance. Its 2-quart capacity is perfect for personal meals, snacks, or side dishes. Using AirCrisp technology, it can help reduce added fat by 70-80% compared to traditional frying.
Operation is simple with an adjustable temperature control and timer. Safety features include an auto-shut off function to prevent overcooking and a cool-touch exterior, making it safe and easy to handle even when in use.
GoWISE USA Electric Air Fryer, 3.7 QT
The GoWISE USA Air Fryer strikes a great balance between capacity and user-friendly features. Its 3.7-quart basket is suitable for small families, and the touch screen interface allows for easy manual programming. For added convenience, it includes seven built-in smart programs for popular foods like chips, meat, chicken, and fish.
You have precise control over your cooking with an adjustable temperature range from 170°F to 400°F and a timer that can be set from 1 to 30 minutes. A thoughtful button guard prevents the basket from being accidentally detached during operation.
Big Boss 16Qt Extra Large Glass Air Fryer
The Big Boss air fryer stands out with its massive 16-quart capacity and unique glass bowl design, making it an excellent choice for large families or batch cooking. This 4-in-1 appliance can fry, bake, grill, and roast with little to no oil. The transparent glass allows you to monitor your food’s progress without opening the lid and releasing heat.
Operation is straightforward with two simple dials for temperature and time control. The unit includes popular food directions printed directly on its base for quick reference. For cleanup, the glass bowl and stainless steel racks are dishwasher safe.
Hamilton Beach Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo
Hamilton Beach combines a toaster oven and air fryer into one versatile appliance. Its Sure-Crisp air fry function uses convection technology to cook and brown foods evenly with little or no oil, perfect for fries, wings, and vegetables. The large capacity can fit six slices of bread or a 12-inch pizza.
A key feature is the easy-reach roll-top door, which provides full access to the interior without requiring much countertop clearance. The 30-minute timer includes a stay-on function for longer cooking tasks and an auto-shutoff for safety.
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill
The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a premium, 8-in-1 appliance that offers exceptional versatility. In addition to air frying, it can toast, convection bake, bake, broil, and grill. The 1800-watt power ensures efficient cooking, and the spacious interior can handle a 4-pound chicken or 3 pounds of wings.
You have full control with an adjustable temperature dial ranging from Warm to 450°F, a 60-minute timer with auto-shutoff, and a toast shade selector. This appliance is designed to replace several single-use gadgets, saving both space and time in the kitchen.
BLACK+DECKER Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer
The BLACK+DECKER Purify Air Fryer is a compact and efficient model perfect for smaller households. Its key feature is a dual convection fan system that circulates hot air rapidly around food for fast and crispy results. The 2-liter capacity is ideal for preparing snacks, side dishes, or meals for one or two people.
You can fine-tune your cooking with variable temperature control from 175°F to 400°F, suitable for a wide array of foods from frozen vegetables to pizza rolls. The 60-minute timer provides precision and includes an automatic shutoff for safety and convenience.
Instant Pot Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid
For those who already love the convenience of a pressure cooker, the Instant Pot Duo Crisp offers the best of both worlds. This 11-in-1 appliance replaces the standard pressure cooker lid with an “Ultimate Lid” that enables air frying, roasting, baking, and dehydrating. It seamlessly transitions from pressure cooking a stew to air frying chicken wings.
This all-in-one unit saves significant counter space by combining two major appliances. It includes all the trusted Instant Pot functions like pressure cooking and slow cooking, now augmented with the ability to create crispy, browned finishes on your favorite foods.
Buying Guide: How to Pick the Right Air Fryer for Your Home
I remember standing in the aisle looking at a wall of air fryers, completely overwhelmed. They all promised crispy food with less oil, but the choices were vast. If you’re in the same boat, let me walk you through the key things I learned to consider before buying one of the 10 best air fryers for your home.
First, think about capacity. This is probably the most important decision. If you’re cooking for one or two people, a compact 2-3 quart model is perfect for single servings of fries or a couple of chicken breasts. For a family of three or four, you’ll want to step up to a 5-6 quart model. This size can handle a full bag of frozen fries or enough wings for a small gathering. If you have a larger family or often entertain, look at the 8+ quart models or even an air fryer oven, which gives you multiple racks to cook different things at once.
Next, consider the type of air fryer. The classic basket-style is the most common. It’s great for shaking and tossing food, much like a deep fryer basket. Then there are oven-style or toaster oven air fryers. These often have multiple functions like bake, broil, and toast, and their rack system lets you cook more food at once. I find the oven style is better for things like pizza or cookies, while the basket style is fantastic for anything you’d normally deep-fry.
Don’t ignore the controls. You’ll find models with simple dials and buttons and others with fully digital, prescriptive touchscreens. The digital ones often have pre-set programs for foods like fries, chicken, and fish, which takes the guesswork out of time and temperature. The analog dials are straightforward and can feel more durable. I personally like the precision of digital controls, but if you prefer a no-fuss approach, a simple dial model might be your best bet.
Finally, look at the features that matter for your lifestyle. Is the basket dishwasher safe? Trust me, easy cleaning is a game-changer. Does it have a “keep warm” function? This is handy if your meal components finish cooking at different times. Also, consider the unit’s footprint. Air fryers can be bulky, so make sure you have enough counter space. By thinking about who you’re cooking for, what you’ll cook most, and how you like to operate your appliances, you can narrow down the options and find the perfect match for your kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are air fryers actually healthier than deep frying?
Yes, they generally are, and it comes down to oil usage. A traditional deep fryer requires you to submerge food in several cups of hot oil. An air fryer, on the other hand, uses a powerful fan to circulate super-heated air around the food. You only need a light spray or tablespoon of oil to achieve a similar crispy texture. This can cut fat and calories by 70% to 80% in many recipes, making it a much healthier alternative for your home cooking.
What can’t you cook in an air fryer?
While air fryers are versatile, there are a few things to avoid. Wet batters, like what you’d use for traditional deep-fried fish, will drip and make a mess before they cook. Leafy greens like kale can get sucked into the fan element. Also, cooking large, dense roasts or a whole chicken is tricky because the outside can burn before the inside is fully cooked. For these items, your conventional oven is still the better tool.
Do air fryers use a lot of electricity?
Compared to a full-sized oven, air fryers are actually quite energy-efficient. They are smaller appliances and heat up much faster than a large oven cavity. Because they cook food more quickly and don’t need to preheat for as long, they use less overall electricity. So, for small to medium-sized meals, using your air fryer can be a more economical choice than firing up the big oven.
Why is my food not getting crispy?
This is a common frustration. The main culprit is usually overcrowding the basket. If you pack in too much food, the hot air can’t circulate properly, and the food will steam instead of crisp up. Cook in batches if necessary. Also, make sure you’re patting your food dry before cooking, especially if it’s frozen, and don’t skip that light coating of oil. It really helps with browning and crispiness.
Is it worth getting an air fryer if I already have a good convection oven?
This is a great question. While a convection oven uses a similar technology, an air fryer’s fan is more powerful and the cooking chamber is much smaller. This means it heats up almost instantly and blows that hot air around your food with more intensity, which often results in a crispier finish faster. If you use your convection oven’s setting regularly for small items and wish it were faster and crispier, then one of the 10 best air fryers for your home could still be a valuable addition.